USE OF PHOSPHORUS IN DIFFERENT FORMS 289 



The soil used in these pot cultures (which were 2-gallon jars) 

 was a residual limestone soil from Christian County, Kentucky, 

 and contained 870 pounds of total phosphorus and 32,120 pounds 

 of potassium in 2 million pounds of surface soil. The results are 

 of interest; but, as Doctor Peter writes, " it must be understood 

 that they are only single experiments carried out one season, and 

 must be valued accordingly." 



The Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station (Bulletin 174) 

 also reports a single year's experiment with field cultures showing 

 that manure and raw phosphate increased the yield of rutabagas 

 by 27 per cent and the yield of potatoes by 47 per cent above the 

 yield from manure alone, and the opinion is expressed that " these 

 results leave no doubt that the use of phosphate supplementing 

 manure is beneficial." 



In describing IVf r. J. F. Jack's Virginia farm, Joseph E. Wing, 

 the well-known agricultural writer, makes the following state- 

 ments (Breeders' Gazette, June 2, 1909) : 



"Proud as we are of Woodland Farm, I find acre after acre of alfalfa on Mr. 

 Jack's farm as good as our best. I find it as good as the best that I ever saw 

 in California. Is it all good? No. There are acres that are thin, stunted. 

 What cause ? He is seeking that now. Doubtless there are areas that are too 

 poorly drained, there are places yet sour, and some land needs more feeding. 

 No doubt at all of that. He has not limed liberally at all times. Last year, for 

 example, some men told him that they had a prepared lime that was two times 

 as effective as ordinary lime. He had been using a ton to the acre ; he bought 

 this lime, at a higher price, and used but 1000 pounds. Then he learned to his 

 sorrow that the lime was simply slacked at the kilns, was so-called 'agricultural 

 lime' and had only about half the strength of fresh burned lime. So it seems 

 sure that much of his land has had too little lime. He finds that lime carbonate, 

 that is, simply ground limestone, gives him as good results as anything, and that 

 fortunately is cheap." 



""What an interesting thing it is to find this old Eastern land being newly dis- 

 covered. . . . But here the soil must be fed, do not forget that ! The natives 

 forgot it, hence their sorrow now." 



"Business methods apply to farming as well as to anything else. Farming 

 is a business, and, with present prices for things, a paying business. It pays to 

 buy lime (Mr. Jack is getting his ground limestone delivered to him for $2.90 

 this year) to make land sweet, to buy phosphorus, to sow legumes, to build soil. 

 Alfalfa is as easily set in Virginia as in any other state, and it grows splendidly 

 when the land is made sweet with lime, filled with decaying vegetable matter or 

 humus, given inoculation and phosphorus." 



