6 N. H. Agri. Experiment Station [Bui. 296 



present, when the forest has engulfed all but 291 locations with a pop- 

 ulation of 883 people, 957 cattle and 167 sheep. 



Small and diflBcult fields, non-inclusion of the territory by turnpikes 

 and railroads, inaccessibility to markets and development of western 

 agriculture have been principal reasons for the decline of the area. 



Detailed records on 255 of the faiTQS last year showed that 118 of 

 them sold less than $50 worth of agricultural products. A great share 

 of the income today comes from local tax sources, principally road work. 



The chief resources of the area are forestry, and if the forest man- 

 agement could be adjusted to the labor of the community, it is believed 

 that the land could still furnish productive work for apportion of the 

 able bodied men There could develop a pattern of small part-time 

 farms grouped along the main highways in a commercial forest area, 

 but this may not be possible without public ownership or some form of 

 directed or controlled private ownership. Summer occupancy may also 

 have a marked effect on developments in certain portions, and already 

 summer sites more than equal the occupied farms in value. 



Under practical farm conditions it is believed that the soil in the area 

 can be maintained in yielding capacity only if related to livestock. 

 Once the land has declined in yielding power, the expense in rebuilding 

 it is usually prohibitive. 



There is no exact information available to indicate the livestock re- 

 quired to maintain the land, but based on data from our study of for- 

 age production it is suggested that below .2 animal units per acre of 

 tillage, the land is not maintained at a permanent level of production; 

 that where from .2 to .5 animal units are associated \\dth an acre of 

 tillage, the maintenance of yielding power is doubtful; that where over 

 .5 animal units are being kept per acre of tillage, the land should be 

 definitely improved in fertility. 



These are suggested as a rough guide and much depends on such fac- 

 tors as type of animal, amount of grain purchased, and management of 

 manure and land. 



A classification of present tillage land into groups as related to animal 

 units indicated that about 49 per cent of the tillage land is depreciating, 

 45 per cent is being maintained, and 7 per cent is being improved. 



Present management and use of tillage land seem to indicate the pro- 

 ductivity of a large proportion of the tillage land will continue to de- 

 cline. Tillage land not associated with livestock is likely to be in bush 

 within the next 15 to 20 years. (Purnell Fund) 



Fertilizer Placement on Potatoes 



Accurate information is needed on the best placement of fertilizer 

 with potatoes and particularly on the nature of fertilizer injury so that 

 its importance in affecting potato stands may be better understood. In 

 the experiments made during the year by Stuart Dunn the soil used 

 was a fertile, heavy clay loam, the water content of which was kept at 

 60 per cent of saturation. 



In one experiment whole seed and cut seed were used and the fertilizer 

 was placed on the level with the seed piece in a circular band 2 inches 



