THE SOIL 

 AND ITS CROPS 



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AcCURx^TE knowledge of the soil and its adaptation to different 

 crops is fundamental to New Hampshire's agricultural development. 

 The Station conducts experimental fields in five representative sec- 

 tions of the state, involving 56 acres and nearly a thousand plots. A 

 detailed soil survey of the entire tillage area of the state is under way. 

 All this work is accompanied by chemical tests. Improvements in 

 technique now make it possible to give fairly definite recommenda- 

 tions as to soil management. Tests are for acidity, calcium, magne- 

 sium, potassium, manganese, aluminum, phosphorus and nitrate and 

 ammonium nitrogen. 



Tackling the all-important problem of efiicient feed production for 

 the state's |io,ooo,ooo dairy industry, the Station has conducted: 



1. Detailed imestigatioiis of alfalfa and sweet clover. Soil, fertilizer 

 and lime requirements are now quite definitely known. 



2. Studies of the time of cutting grass hay. Proof that digestible pro- 

 tein per acre is 50 per cent greater when grass hay is cut before the 

 period of bloom (June 20) has revolutionized the haying period in the 

 state. On thousands of farms which formerly waited until July 4 to 

 start haying, the mowing machine goes into operation two weeks 

 earlier. 



3. Top-dressing experiments. It has been found that grass hay 

 carefully fertilized has higher protein and feeding value. 



4. Pasture studies. The state's pasture acreage is being profoundly 

 influenced by the revelations of the experimental plots. On some or 

 the better areas it was found that two to eleven times as much feed 

 could be produced in the pasture with fertilizer as the same amount 

 of money would buy at the feed store. 



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