t 



NOLAN] BREAD FROM STONES 289 



Only 39 acres were in wheat, a lane having been fenced off on one side of the 

 field. The yields were as follows: 



I ^2 acres with farm manure only — 1 1 }4 bushels per acre. 



i>^ acres with farm manure and one appHcation of ground limestone — 15 

 bushels per acre. 



36 acres, with farm manure two applications of ground limestone, and two 

 of fine ground phosphate in the rotation as described above, 2,5 H bushels per 

 acre. 



Here we have a yield of wheat about double that of the average 

 land of the state. The practical farmer will naturally ask, "What 

 did all this cost?" The average annual cost for the purchase, 

 delivery, and application of the limestone and phosphate was $1.75 

 per acre. In the ten years then, the total cost was $1 7.50 per acre. 

 Add to this the original cost $15.00 per acre, making $32.50 and 

 still you have pretty cheap land to produce double the average of 

 the state. Doctor Hopkins puts it this way. "The average 

 annual investment of $1.75 resulted in the increase of 24 bushels of 

 wheat (35>2~ii/^) per acre in 19 13. Thus we may say that the 

 previous application of these two natural rocks, or stones, brought 

 about the production in 19 13 of 864 bushels of wheat, an amount 

 sufficient to furnish a years' supply of bread for more than a 

 hundred people." 



This story of the "Poorland Farm" is a remarkable instance of 

 the conservation of one of our greatest resources, the soil. Con- 

 servation means a saving of the resource by a wise use of it. At 

 the end of ten years of use the soil on the "Poorland Farm" is 

 producing more wheat than the average production of the state, 

 and at the same time its fertility is increasing year by year. 



The Activities of One Live Rural School Teacher 



Extracts from a letter written by Mrs. Hattie Crandall to Anna Botsford 

 Comstock. 



District No. 5, Scott, Cortland County 



The teacher who started to teach the school in the fall of 1912 

 was taken sick after having taught four days and after waiting as 

 long as they felt they could for her, they decided to engage another 

 teacher so I took the school and at that time it was getting rallicr 

 late for collecting weeds, etc., but I suggested to the ])U])ils tlial we 

 begin a collection of seeds, weeds, plants, woods and anything in the 



