. 36 



hoed crops receive comparative]}' liberal applications either of manure 

 or general fertilizers, which supply phosphates, potash and perhaps 

 lime, and where the production of hay, which it is desired shall consist 

 chiefly of grasses such as timothy and redtop, for market is the object, 

 it sometimes may l)e wise to top-dress with nitrate of soda alone. For 

 one or two years it is possible as large an increase may be produced by 

 the use of nitrate alone as by the use of nitrate combined with materials 

 supplying phosphates and potash ; but even in such cases considerable 

 practical difliculty will be experienced in attempting to appl}' the 

 nitrate evenly, and it would seem to be wise to use in connection with 

 it some material which will keep it dry, which will dilute it, and which 

 will therefore make it easier to distribute the nitrate evenly. In select- 

 ing a substance for this purpose, some material which is relatively low 

 in price, naturally dry and fine itself, and which may be expected to 

 ultimately benefit the condition of the soil, should be selected; and 

 among such substances basic slag meal seems to be one which meets 

 the requirements admirably. Imported slag meal can be sold in Mas- 

 sachusetts at about $15 per ton. From 300 to 500 pounds in connection 

 with nitrate in such quantity as will ordinarily be required, say 150 to 

 200 i^ounds, makes a mixture which will run through the fertilizer dis- 

 tributor evenly ; while the slag meal, although not perhaps benefiting 

 the immediate grass crop, will help correct a tendency to acidity in the 

 soil, and will enrich it in phosphoric acid, which is fairly available. 



With a view to maintaining the condition of the soil, it would seem to 

 be expedient in most cases to combine with the slag and nitrate a mod- 

 erate amount of some potash salt, for which purpose the high-gi'ade 

 sulfate will probably be found best adapted. On account of the expense 

 connected with the use of slag and a potash salt in connection with 

 nitrate, many are tempted, in view of the fact that the nitrate alone 

 proves so lai'gely beneficial to grasses, to depend exclusively upon this 

 material. It should be clearly understood that nitrate supplies but one 

 of the more important elements of plant food, and that continued de- 

 pendence upon such one-sided manuring must therefore be unwise. 



On the grounds of the Agricultural College is a plot of land contain- 

 ing about one-half acre, which for the last five or six years has been 

 annuall}^ top-dressed with nitrate of soda alone. The mowing is one 

 which has not been broken up for at least twenty years, and the prevail- 

 ing species is Kentucky blue-grass. The product at the present time is 

 exceedingly unsatisfactory. The grass during its growth shows a 

 rather deep bluish-green color. Its growth is short, and it seems pecu- 

 liarly liable to rust. Adjoining land of similar character, which six 

 years ago was in the same condition as this half-acre, and which has 

 been top-dressed with potash salts and slag meal in combination with 

 nitrate, produces far heavier and more satisfactory crops. Nitrate 

 alone, therefore, should be used for the grass crop only under excep- 

 tional conditions, and then not for many consecutive years Two years 

 will in most cases probabl}' be the limit. 



The Possibilities of the Hay Crop without Manures or Fertilizers 

 supplying Nitrogen. — The fact that good crops of clover can be pro- 

 duced on land which for many successive years has received applications 

 of materials furnishing of the different important plant food elements 

 only phosphoric acid, potash and lime, was pointed out in the first paper 

 upon this subject. In that paper the ability of clover to thrive on soils 

 thus treated, due to the fact that it can take the needed nitrogen from 

 the air, was especially emphasized. Attention is now called to the fact 

 that good crops of mixed hay (clovers and grasses) can be produced 

 under this system of manuring. A striking evidence of this fact is 

 afforded by a number of plots on the grounds of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College. It can readily be understood how good crops of 

 clovers are possible under this system. It will not be equally clear, 

 perhaps, to all how grasses which are known to take all the nitrogen 



