No. 4.] COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 31 



the fall of 1886 ; the result was in favor of the commercial 

 fertilizer every time. Things began to brighten. Barn full 

 of hay ; other crops good. Wintered 29 head of cattle and 

 6 horses. At this time I received a call to take charo-e of a 

 wealthy gentleman's farm ; sold off all of my stock ; closed 

 out everything before the 1st of May, 1888. This year put 

 everything into grass ; spread all manure on hand. Rented 

 house, pasture and 10 acres of tillage "land. Cut a good 

 crop of hay, which I sold. This was the commencement of 

 what is generally considered a system of exhaustion. In 

 1889 purchased 3 tons of fertilizer; we also had 1 ton of 

 cotton-seed meal on hand. We spread these on 22 acres 

 of grass land. Harvested a crop of hay estimated at 2^ 

 tons per acre. In 1890 no fertilizer of any kind was bought 

 or used. The result was the harvesting of a crop estimated 

 at 2 tons per acre. At this time I realized that it would be 

 some time before we would again return to the farm to live, 

 and must adopt some system of managing, also in keeping 

 accounts, as we had been letting things run rather loose and 

 careless. Made some poor sales of hay, etc. In 1891 pur- 

 chased 5 tons of commercial fertilizer ; spread the same with 

 a Shaker sower on 22 acres of grass land. The result was 

 surprising. We sold some in the field, estimating the amount 

 of production at 2| tons per acre, and sold upon that basis 

 for valuation. The most remarkable result of this test was 

 upon a piece of grass land of about one acre that had formerly 

 been used for an orchard. The trees were dead and gone 

 long ago. No one living could tell me when it had been 

 cultivated or had any manure put upon it. In 1884 har- 

 vested 16 tumbles of what we term June grass ; in the fall 

 of 1884 top-dressed with stable manure, using a Kemp 

 spreader. In 1885 harvested about one-half ton of daisies 

 and June grass mixed. Fall of 1885, top-dressed as before ; 

 harvested in 1886 about one-half ton of hay, with a little 

 improvement in quality. I gave up in despair ; concluded 

 I would waste no more manure, but would wait for a favor- 

 aide time to plough and re-seed. In the spring of 1891 

 resolved to try commercial fertilizer just once ; gave it a 

 liberal dressing. The first time I saw it afterward I saw the 

 largest and finest-looking crop of buttercups I ever beheld. 



