Food for Excess of Value of Hay Over Cost of Fertilizers. 



I Plants 



Nitrate of Soda 



applied. 1899. 1900. 1901. 1902. Average. 



None $6.09 $13.42 $12.13 $7-44 9-77 



150 Ibs.* 14-34 20.37 23.97 16.52 18.80 



450 Ibs.* 19.62 30.40 40.70 32.74 30.86 



Slightly reduced in 1901 and 1902. 



Practical Conclusions. 



From these striking results it must be evident that grass 

 land as well as tilled fields is greatly benefited by Nitrate, 

 and that it would be to the advantage of most farmers to 

 improve the fertility of their soils by growing good crops of 

 grass, aided thereto by liberal fertilizing. 



_, ~ The application should be in the form 



Top-Dressing , ^ ri ~ r j i 



Grass Lands a T P- Dressm g> applied very early in 



the spring in order that the first growth 

 may find readily available material for its support and be 

 carried through the season with no check from partial star- 

 vation. 



On land which shows any tendency to sour, a ton 

 to the acre of slaked lime should be used every five or six 

 years. This makes the land sweet and promotes the growth 

 of grass plants of the best kinds. 



Lime should be sown upon the ploughed land and har- 

 rowed into the soil. Top-Dressing with lime after seeding 

 will not answer, and, in the case of very acid soils, the omis- 

 sion of lime at the proper time will necessitate re-seeding to 

 secure a good stand of grass. 



n All the elements of fertility are essen- 



bconomical . . .. ., , - , ... 



^ r c-. ui tial so that ordinarily complete fertilizers 



and Profitable , XT . J , . , ~, 



p . may be used, Nitrate being used as a lop 



Dresser, though on some soils rich in phos- 

 phoric acid or potash, one or both of these ingredients may 

 be used in small quantity. This is particularly true of phos- 

 phates after lime has been applied to the soil, since lime aids 

 to set the phosphoric acid free from its natural insoluble com- 

 binations. 



Grass seems to demand less phosphoric acid than was 

 applied in the test; but it responds with increasing profit to 

 applications of Nitrate of Soda up to 250 pounds to the acre 

 when ample supplies of potash and phosphates are present. 



