264 Fertilizers 



early and rapid spring growth, should be encouraged. 

 Fertilizers most suitable are rich in nitrogen and phos- 

 phoric acid, and should contain potash also, if the land 

 has not been previously well supplied with this element. 

 The larger proportion of the nitrogen, however, should 

 be applied in available forms as a top-dressing in the 

 spring, rather than at time of seeding, thus reducing the 

 possible loss of this element during the winter and early 

 spring through leaching, besides providing the plant 

 with it when most needed, and producing a crop richer 

 in nitrogenous substance. 



The ranker growth and somewhat coarser product 

 resulting from this method of fertilization, while not 

 desirable for grain crops, is not a detriment when the 

 product is cut in its green stage for feeding, and the 

 larger growth is accompanied by greater succulence. 



Where these cereal grains are sown mainly as catch 

 crops following a corn crop which has been liberally fer- 

 tilized with the minerals phosphoric acid and potash, 

 the application at time of seeding may be light, and 

 may consist only of nitrogen and phosphoric acid, 

 for example, from 200 to 400 pounds to the acre of a dis- 

 solved bone; and the top-dressing in the spring need 

 not exceed 100 pounds of nitrate of soda to the acre for 

 the wheat, and 75 pounds to the acre for the rye. For 

 lighter soils, or for those not previously well fertilized, 

 much heavier applications not only are required, but all of 

 the constituents should be included, and the top-dressings 

 should be made in the spring, as already pointed out. 



Spring rye. 



For spring rye, an application of a fertilizer furnishing 

 10 pounds of nitrogen, 20 of phosphoric acid and 10 of 



