Bread from Stones 



A. N. Nolan 



University of Illinois 



A circular entitled " Bread from Stones," written by Doctor C. G. 

 Hopkins of the Illinois Experiment Station, has become an aj^ri- 

 cultural classic. It is now in its third edition and nearly 100,000 

 copies have been distributed into all parts of the United States. 

 The circular tells the story of Doctor Hopkins' success in bringing 

 back economically a worn-out farm in Southern Illinois to profitable 

 production. 



The farm under consideration consisted of about 300 acres of 

 poor gray prairie land and was purchased in November, 1903, for 

 less than $20.00 an acre. It was known in the community as the 

 "Poorland Farm," and Doctor Hopkins adopted that name for his 

 farm. The work of restoration was begun at first on only 40 acres 

 of the farm. This particular 40 was bought at $15.00 an acre. 

 It had been agriculturally abandoned for five years prior to this 

 purchase. It was covered with a growth of red sorrel, poverty 

 grass and weeds. The land was sour, dead, and depleted of plant 

 food. During the ten years following the purchase of the farm, 

 the 40 acres received the following treatment: 



Purchased, $15.00 per acre. 



Applied one ton per acre — fine ground 



rock phosphate. 

 Plowed for corn for next year. 

 Corn crops. 



Applied limestone, two tons per acre. 

 Soy beans. 

 Wheat. 



Clover sowed in wheat. 

 Timothy and more clover. 



Meadow and pasture. 



Applied rock phosphate. 

 Plowed down for corn. 

 Corn crop. 



Oats— volunteer clover appeared. 

 Clover harvested. 

 Plowed for wheat. 



Applied limestone — two tons per acre. 

 Wheat harvest. 



Note — Once during the ten years six loads per acre of barnyard manure 

 were applied to the forty acres. 



