; except the legumes) is the remnants of former crops (roots, Food for 

 stems, dead leaves, weeds, etc.) in different stages of de- ^'^"^^ 



(« 



stei 



composition, and that in the early spring there is always a 

 scarcity of Nitrogen in the soil in an available form for the 

 reason that the most of that which was converted into 

 soluble forms by the action of the soil bacteria during the 

 warm summer months of the previous summer was either 

 utilized by the plants occupying the ground at that time or 

 has been washed down below the reach of the roots of the 

 young plants by the melting snow and the heavy rains of 

 winter and early spring. 



And when we consider the fact that most plants require 

 and take up about 75/ of their total Nitrogen Ammoniate 

 during the earlier stages or vegetative period of their growth 

 and that Nitrogen is the element most largely entering into 

 the building up of the life principle or protoplasm of all 

 plant life, it is plainly to be seen that we cannot afford to 

 jeopardize the chances of our future plant by affording an 

 insuf^cient supply of immediately available Nitrogen when 

 most needed by the plant. 



