88 



SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



per bushel of oats. In general, the proportion of straw will be increased 

 by an abundance of nitrogen, while the proportion of grain will be increased 

 by liberal supplies of phosphoric acid. 



This is a matter of considerable practical importance in the growing 

 of both oats and wheat. There is often such a marked tendency for these 

 crops to produce vegetative growth that the straw lodges before maturity. 

 This makes harvesting of the crops with machinery difficult. It smothers 

 out the clover and grasses that are sometimes seeded with them. Lodging 

 also prevents satisfactory rilling of the heads of grain and maturing of 



Soil Fertility Plats, Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station. 



On left, 320 pounds land plaster. 

 Center, no fertilizer. 



On right, dissolved bone-black, containing 48 pounds phosphoric acid and muriate 

 of potash 200 pounds. 



the kernels. A properly balanced fertilizer or the proper proportion of 

 available constituents in the soil for these crops, therefore, is essential. 



Principles Governing Profitable Use of Fertilizers. — Definite rules 

 relative to amount and character of fertilizer for soils or crops cannot be 

 laid down, but there are certain principles that should always be taken 

 into consideration in connection with the use of fertilizers. In general, 

 the higher the acre value of the crop grown the larger the amount of fer- 

 tilizer that can be profitably used. This is a principle that will hold even 

 though the same percentage increase from a definite investment in fer- 

 tilizer is secured. 



Another principle which always holds is that each additional unit of 

 fertilizer gives a smaller increase in crop growth than the preceding one; 

 consequently, the lower the money value of the crop the smaller the 



