188 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



the high grade fertilizers containing large percent- 

 ages of available phosphoric acid. 



How Well Will This Pay? In most of the east- 

 ern United States a 16% acid phosphate can be 

 bought for $14 to $16 per ton. Thus 250 Ibs. would 

 cost about $2, and the labor of applying it about 

 30c. Thus to fertilize an acre costs less than $2.50. 

 The yield of hay will be increased in proportion to 

 the need of phosphorus, but on Woodland Farm it 

 has been as much as 2 tons of hay per acre increase, 

 and thus this additional hay cost us only $1.25 per 

 ton. Could we have afforded to have left this land 

 unfertilized? 



The plain fact is that farming is, after all, a 

 manufacturing proposition. The land is the fac- 

 tory. Its fertility is the raw material. A man 

 would be thought inconceivably foolish who would 

 through stinginess refuse to keep his factory sup- 

 plied with raw materials, thus letting his machinery 

 work to only half of its capacity. The alfalfa 

 meadow, the corn field, these plants are our ma- 

 chines. Feed them with their required raw ma- 

 terial. 



