376 PROFITABLE CROP PRODUCTION 



cost of fertilizer and other increased costs should be the basis for 

 determining profits from fertilizers. When the use of fertilizer 

 does not reduce the number of acres operated per man, the profits 

 per acre above fertilizer and other increased cost per acre determine 

 profitable fertilizer practice. When two or more fertilizers are 

 found profitable on the same soil, the most profitable is the one 

 which gives the greatest amount of net profits per acre. The 

 greatest net profits per acre are obtained when the fertilizer needs 

 of the soil are properly met and high crop prices prevail. 



Home projects in fertilizing should be started by students and farmers. 

 Common local crops should be grown with and without the fertilizers contain- 

 ing the elements which those crops remove from soils. A number of strips 

 may be grown on which the fertilizers differ in amount and kind. Keep 

 records of the cost and yield and determine the net profit per acre in each case. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Are large crop yields per acre the most profitable? Explain. 



2. Discuss the relation of profitable crop production to successful farming. 



3. What determines fertilizer practice? Discuss. 



4. Why is it not necessary for soil fertility investigators to determine the 



effect that soil improvement measures have upon managerial income? 



5. What is meant by managerial income? Land rental? 



6. What is a most important problem which confronts the farmer as regards 



his farm profits? How may this be determined? 



7. How should profits from fertilizers be determined? Discuss. 



8. When two or more fertilizers are compared what should determine which 



is the most profitable? Discuss. 



9. What two factors come into play in determining the profitable use of 



commercial fertilizers? These factors may be expressed in terms of 

 what two economic laws? 



10. State the "law of the minimum" as it is applied to fertilizers. Illustrate. 



11. State the "law of diminishing returns" as it is applied to fertil- 



izers. Illustrate. 



12. Summarize the important points discussed in this chapter. 



