41 



SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



true today and for the centuries to come; true for all crops and for all 

 seasons. The details of modifying these principles of agriculture, ex- 

 perience alone can teach you." 



Soil Adaptation of Fifteen Crops Common to Northeastern States. 



I 'hups. 



Wheat. 



Rye. 



Barlev. 



Buck- 

 wheat. 



Potatoes. 



CorD. 



Clover 



aii'l 

 Timothy 



Hay. 



Alfalfa. 



Soils Best Suited To. 



Ways of Modifying Soils 

 to in Croi-s. 



Clay and silt loams containing Use manure liberally. Practice 



considerable lime. Surface soil rotation with leguminous crops, 



friable. Subsoils of same nature, Apply moderate amounts of lime, 

 but heavier and more compacted. 



Oats. Wide adaptation. Loams or 



heavy loams rather fine in texture 

 best. Avoid dry sands. Plenty 

 of humus desirable. 



Fertilizers to Apply. 



Principally phosphatic fertilizers 

 containing small amounts of nitro- 

 gen and potash. 



Apply manure to crop preced- j Always use some form of ] hos- 

 ing, turn under green manure. I phate, preferably acid phesphate 

 Flow only moderately deep. Seed [ or basic slag. Use small amounts 

 early in spring. Prepare land , of potash, usually muriate, 

 thoroughly. 



Well-drained, sandy loams give 

 the longest, brightest straw and 

 largest crops of grain. Will do 

 fairly well on lighter and poorer 

 upland soils. 



Smaller amounts of humus ne- About same as wheat, 

 cessary. W ill grow on more acid lime needed, 

 soils than wheat or oats. Fine 

 general utility crop. 



Little 



Well-drained fertile loam. Inter- 

 mediate between rye and oat soils. 

 Heavy loams give best yields. 

 Sandy loams give brighter grain. 

 Avoid clay on account of lodging 

 and too light sand because of 

 drought. 



Moderately friable loam, under- 

 lain by compacted but well-drained 

 loamy subsoils. 



Sandy or sandy loam preferably 

 for early crop. Silt loam or loam 

 best for late. Avoid clay and clay 

 loams. 



Loam or silt loam, with heavier 

 subsoil at least ten inches below 

 surface. Where seasons are short, 

 sandy or gravelly loams give larger 

 yields, because of earlier maturity. 



Loam or clay loam best. Heavy 

 soils retain moisture best. Avoid 

 too compacted clays or hardpans. 

 Timothy: Loam or well-drained 

 clay loam or clay. 



Very fertile, well-drained, alka- 

 line soils. Strong loams contain- 

 ing limestone best. Avoid shallow- 

 soils and hardpans near surface. 



Beans. ^ide range of soils. Best re- 



sults on types not more coarse 

 grained than sandy loam or more 

 compacted than clay loam. Lime- 

 bearing soils best. 



Apples. 



Fairly deep, well-drained loams 

 and clay and silt loams with fair 

 proportion of sand in surface soil. 



Requires moderate amount of 

 humus. Avoid too rich soils on 

 account of lodging. Good drainage 

 essential. 



About same as oats. 



Will do well on rather poor, thin 

 hill lands, because of power to 

 loosen pulverized soil. Prepare 

 land thoroughly, providing organic 

 matter. Good drainage necessary. 



Thorough drainage essential. 

 Abundant organic matter needed. 

 Grow in rotation and turn under 

 green manures. 



Well-drained, moisture-holding 

 lands. Turn under good grass sod 

 or preferably clover sod. Apply 

 barnyard manure to previous crop 

 if possible. 



Use stable manure on preceding 

 crop. Apply lime in mest cases. 

 See that both surface and subsoil 

 are well drained. Prepare land 

 very thoroughly for seeding. 



Drain soil thoroughly. Stand- 

 ing water fatal to alfalfa. Apply 

 lime liberally. Inoculate soil. 



Must be well drained and well 

 supplied with organic matter. If 

 soils do not contain limestone give 

 moderate application of lime. 



See that soils are thoroughly 

 drained. Apply moderate amounts 

 of manure. Plow under legumin- 



Complete fertilizer. 



Apply large amounts of fertilizer 

 high in potash. Small amounts 

 of nitrogen for late crops. More 

 on sandy soils. Avoid liming im- 

 mediately ahead of potatoes. 



Use 200 to 500 lbs. of fertilizer 

 containing 3 to 4 per cent of nitro- 

 gen, 8 to 12 per cent phosphoric 

 acid, 3 to 4 per cent potash. 



Stable manure best fertilizer; 

 100 to 300 lbs. an acre of complete 

 fertilizer. High in nitrogen (8 to 

 10 per cent). Gives good results. 



Top dress with stable manure or 

 with 300 to 400 lbs. of acid phos- 

 phate or 400 to 600 lbs. basic slag, 

 or 200 lbs. or more of steamed bone 

 meal an acre. 



Fertilize with 200 to 300 lbs. an 

 acre of mixture containing 2 per 

 cent nitrogen. 8 to 12 per cent 

 phosphoric acid, 4 to 6 per cent 

 potash. Use stable manure. 



A heavy subsoil retentive of mois- | cus cover crop. . In general give 

 ture, but net impervious to water, i thorough cultivation in early part 

 of the season. 



Depends on soils and variety. 

 On heavier soils none may be needed 

 except stable manure, which is al- 

 ways best. Experiment with com- 

 mercial fertilizers. 



