138 FORAGE CROPS 



ally favorable soon after planting for the change 

 of organic nitrogen into available forms. 



The corn plant, however, requires a liberal 

 supply of the mineral constituents ; and while the 

 application of manure will carry relatively large 

 quantities of these, it is obvious that they cannot 

 be so completely distributed as in more soluble 

 forms, nor, unless the manure is placed in the 

 row, can they be concentrated in such a way as to 

 permit the plant to supply its needs easily and 

 rapidly. Therefore, in addition to manures, a fer- 

 tilizer rich in minerals is generally desirable. A 

 fertilizer carrying 1 per cent of nitrogen, 12 of 

 phosphoric acid and 10 of potash (made by mixing 

 250 lbs. ground bone, 500 lbs. acid phosphate, 250 

 lbs. muriate of potash), applied at the rate of 

 400 pounds per acre, will meet the requirements 

 for minerals even under unfavorable conditions. 

 This fertilizing, while seemingly heavy, is not 

 more than should be applied, because the object is 

 to stimulate as far as possible a continuous and 

 rapid growth. 



The above remarks are made, of course, with 

 eastern conditions in mind. In large parts of the 

 West, these heavy applications will not commend 

 themselves to farmers in general ; but even there 

 the question of fertilizing is coming to be an 

 important one, although the main demand may 

 be for but one of the constituents. In the long 



