284 THE CULTIVATION OF THE 



ceased. As- to barn-yard manure itself, it don't contain 

 phosphoric acid enough to balance the amount of nitro- 

 gen it contains, and a dressing of bone or acid phosphate 

 after it will always increase any crop, and keep up the 

 general condition of the iarm. In general farming I 

 advocate, as a rule, the application of all green manures 

 to the corn crop, and with it a small dressing of a good 

 chemical fertilizer, rich in phosphoric acid ; any good 

 acid phosphate will do. Corn is a hog. and will take up 

 and utilize plant-food in any shape. As to potatoes 

 I advocate raising them with chemical fertilizers, rich in 

 phosphoric acid, potash and ammonia. The potato rot, 

 I believe, is caused by raising them with green manures, 

 and these, fermenting, give every inducement to the 

 increase of bacteria, and these cause the decay ; of 

 course, other influences, as atmospheric influences, etc., 

 come in to help increase the bacteria ; but keep fermen- 

 tation down and these other influences won't be sufficient, 

 in themselves, to cause such troubles as potato rot. 

 For pears needing fertilizing after having been affected 

 with blight, you may use any of the formulae I have 

 given for peaches or pears in the quantity necessary, or 

 you may use kainit, six hundred pounds to the acre, 

 or from five to twenty pounds to each tree, or such a 

 formula as follows : — 



Muriate Potash, 500 lbs. 



Bone meal, or dissolved bone, 1500 lbs. 



