The Homestead at No. 2 in 1909 



Aftermath 



IT is now 3 years since "The Lure of the Land" was written and we are nearing the close of the fourth 

 year of Experimental Station No. L 

 These 4 years have been overflowing with varied successes. The land becomes more tractable 



"each year, the small fine roots disappearing and forming humus, which, of course, _makes culti- 

 vation easier, and the planted rows much straighter. 



Peace and Plenty's second summer saw it planted to as many crops as the first year, each plot of 

 land was, of course, planted to a different kind of vegetable; that is crop rotation and the only sensible 

 course to pursue. Each type of plant growth takes from the soil a predominance of one kind of plant 

 food, another type of plant the following year takes of another elemant, giving the soil a change — which 

 means to all of us — rest. 



The balance of the dairy plot had been blown free of stumps, and this new land was planted to 

 corn, alfalfa, and potatoes. The alfalfa experiments were with various kinds of seed, no laboratory 

 inoculation as we had proven soil inoculation the only rational method. There was seed from Mon- 

 tana, Canada. Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, and from Provence, France, and the Montana grown 

 proved to be the best of all. The other fields were so poor they were plowed under and used for growing 

 vegetables the following year, and the crops proved in a most marked way the value of this plant as a 

 "green manure." 



The orchard made brave growth and was sown to crimson clover early in the fall as it had been each 

 year; that is the only fertilizer the trees have had except a small quantity of wood ashes around the 

 trunk to head off borers and other pests. 



The third summer saw the fields in still better condition with one or two exceptions. The onion 

 yields had been so fine it was deemed wise to plant 2 acres to them and the fifth and sixth acres on 

 the left hand side of the middle road (if you can picture them in your mind) were laid aside for this crop. 



The Senior Partner said to Mike (who, by the way, is still foreman and whose family now numbers 

 eight, "Peace" and "Nettie" having made their appearance on this planet of ours), "I want to try 

 some experiments here with onions. First disc harrow that land just as soon as you can go on to it. One 

 half acre has crimson clover on it and the rest was not winter covered; cut that clover all under and don't 

 put any manure or anything else on it. On this part put 400 pounds wood ashes, and on this part 1,000 

 pounds of the special onion fertilizer you are so crazy to try." 



"All right, Mr. Fuller', I do him, you see. I think fertilizer he be best, onion he big feeder." 



"I know he is a big feeder, Mike, but I am willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that we get the best 

 yield from the crimson clover." 



Mike "did him," "good and plenty." He trebled the dose of wood ashes, so that most of the crop 

 were burnt up as fast as it germinated; as for the commercial fertilizer, the onions withered and died with 

 the first dry spell. There was chemical food in the ground but nothing to hold the moisture to make 

 it available. The crimson clover patch yielded a good crop of fine onions. 



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