250 AGRICULTURE 



single cropping or poor methods of farming? Learn the 

 history of all such farms as accurately as possible, with ref- 

 erence to cropping, rotation, manuring, and so on. 



3. Based on the figures given in section two, what was 

 the approximate value of the manure produced on your 

 home farm last year? (See p. 240.) 



4. What care is given to saving the manure on your 

 home farm? Is it collected under cover? Does it ever 

 "fire- fang"? Is there a water-tight floor under the heap? 

 How closely is the manure gathered up from the yards? 

 What is the method of distributing it on the fields? How 

 many loads are used to the acre? 



5. How much hay, oats, corn and other farm products 

 were sold from your home farm last year? What was the 

 approximate manurial value loss to the farm? 



6. What commercial fertilizers are used in your re- 

 gion? In what form is the fertilizer applied? W T hat is 

 the quantity used per acre? The cost? To what extent 

 is green manuring employed ? What crops are chiefly used ? 

 What is meant by a "5-8-7" commercial fertilizer? 



7. To make the litmus-paper test for acid in soils, take 

 a small piece of blue litmus paper and place it between 

 pieces of thoroughly dampened soil, pressing the soil close 

 and leaving it in contact with the paper for five minutes. 

 If the paper turns red, the soil is acid and needs lime. 

 Secure samples of soil taken at a depth of six inches from 

 several different parts of your farm, including both upland 

 and lowland areas, and make the litmus-paper test. 



8. Draw a diagram of your home farm showing the 

 different fields. Now work out several different crop rota- 

 tions based on your principal crop, and taking into account 

 the necessity for growing some legume for improving the 

 soil. Compare with the rotations suggested by other mem- 

 bers of the class. 



