lOO I 



ing them in the proportions he wishes, is a question for each 

 agriculturist to settle for himself. It would certainly ap- 

 pear that a very material saving may be made by pursuing 

 the latter course. Given several substances, the chemical 

 contents of each of which are definitely known, what more 

 simple matter than for the farmer to take quantities of 

 each sufficient to make a fertilizer of the strength he de- 

 sires, and thoroughly mix all together upon the barn floor, 

 or elsewhere. In this way a good fertilizer can be obtained 

 at a comparatively low price. Another way to make a 

 large annual saving in the fertilizer bill is to buy for cash 

 and in as large quantities as possible. A few neighboring 

 farmers, or the members of a grange, can profitably come 

 together and find out the total quantity of fertilizer they 

 all need. Then let a representative man make the entire 

 purchase in a lump for cash, and a very respectable saving 

 will be made to help out the " hard times." 



CLOVER AND RYE. 



These are two plants, which must not be lost sight of 

 in any article concerned with the maintenance of fertility. 

 We are always sure that any piece of ground which is pro- 

 ducing a good crop of clover is steadily increasing in fer- 

 tility. This is a wonderful plant. With its strong tap 

 root, it penetrates deep into the subsoil, thereby securing 

 access to stores of plant food and moisture not within the 

 reach of more shallow-rooted plants. Clover also possesses 

 the faculty, which few agricultural plants do have, of 

 feeding upon atmospheric nitrogen, the supply of which 

 is free as air and inexhaustible in quantity. All land is 

 given fresh life by being sown to clover once in every few 

 years, A good thick clover sod, turned under, affords an 

 ideal basis for the culture of all farm crops. The atten- 

 tion of every farmer is to be turned to the possibilities of 

 securing cheap plant food through the medium of the 

 clover crop. 



