! 



r 



V I >. 



* « * 



43a. 





■i- 



i. 



'I- 



I. 



fertilizers. An even higher saving is 

 possible by the increased use of these 

 laboratories. 



Both limestone and rock phosphate 

 can be applied any time during the year 

 provided the ground is not sloping to an 

 extent where considerable amounts of the 

 material will be lost by washing. The 

 important thing in the application of 

 limestone and rock phosphate is to apply 

 the material when it is available and then 

 work it into the ground as soon as pos- 

 sible. Nitrogen fertilizers, super and 

 triple super-phosphate, and potash mate- 

 rials as well as mixed fertilizers should 

 be handled differently. As these mate- 

 rials are readily soluble, they should be 

 applied just before or at any time a crop 

 can use the plant food in solution. 



In estimating needs for fertilizer to be 

 used, high analysis materials should be 

 obtained whenever they are available even 

 though they have to be stored until used. 

 Obtaining and storing quality materials 

 in advance is one method of being as- 

 sured of a supply of good fertilizers. This 

 will prevent the necessity of buying low- 

 grade materials such as 2-12-6 in the 

 spring when the higher grade materials 

 may not be available. To assure efficient 

 use and a supply of quality materials, 

 three suggestions are offered : 



1. Make soil tests to determine what 

 elements are needed and in what quanti- 

 ties. 



2. Accept materials when they are 

 available. Lime and rock phosphate may 

 be applied at any time of the year with 

 consideration being given to loss by wash- 

 ing on sloping ground. 



3. Buy high analysis straight goods 

 whenever available and high quality 

 mixed fertilizers well in advance if neces- 

 sary. Store the quality materials properly 

 and apply them at the time a crop can get 

 the greatest benefit from them. 



NEW CLASSES AT STATE FAIR 



ANEW class of livestock, individual 

 classes of ram lambs, will be added 

 to the junior livestock division of the 

 Illinois State Fair in 1949. 



The joint 4-H and FFA advisory 

 committee on junior department rules 

 and regulations made this announce- 

 ment after a recent meeting at the Uni- 

 versity of Illinois College of Agricul- 

 ture. 



The showing of ram lambs will be 

 limited to those shown previously as 

 part of a pen exhibit, the committee 

 decided. 



It also changed the classes in the 

 dual-purpose breed to correspond with 

 those used in dairy classes. Deadline 

 date for dairy and dual-purpose records 

 was extended to Jan. 1, while all other 

 deadline dates remained unchanged. 



DECEMBER, 1948 • 



Moving phosphate direct from the raiireod car. 



BUY THE CARLOAD 



Bureau Grain Company Keeps Farmers Well 

 Supplied With Rock Phosphate At Low Price 

 In Buying By Carload 



BUREAU county farmers who 

 need rock phosphate have little 

 trouble getting all they want 

 any time of the year. And 

 they get it delivered to their 

 farm and spread on their fields for 

 about what it would cost them if they 

 bought it in 100-pound bags. 



Bureau county buys its rock phos- 

 phate in bulk, a 50-ton railroad car- 

 load at a time. The mineral is han- 

 dled entirely by machines — from 

 car, to stockpile, to field. 



By handling the mineral in bulk 

 and in large amounts, the Bureau 

 Grain Company, which handles plant 

 food, has found it can deliver and 

 spread it for farmer members for 

 about the same price as bagged ferti- 

 lizer delivered but not spread. 



Since most farmers are not well- 

 equipped to spread the fertilizer, and 

 it is an unpleasant job at best, the 

 spreading service is a welcomed "divi- 

 dend" from the new handling and 

 storage program. 



By stock-piling large tonnages of 

 rock phosphate Bureau Grain is now 

 able to meet the sky-rocketing demand 

 for the mineral. During months of 

 heavy demand, rock phosphate has 

 been hard to get. 



In developing its program, which 

 could lend itself to programs in other 

 counties, Bureau has pioneered in de- 

 veloping outside storage. It has found 

 that the principal requirement for 

 stock-piling is a good concrete floor. 



Rock phosphate is moved from 

 freight cars directly into trucks 

 equipped as regular fan-type lime- 

 stone spreaders. For this job, a small 

 three-wheeled hoister equipped with a 

 hydraulic scoop is used. 



The bulk phosphate is wetted down 

 to prevent blowing as it is moved to 

 the stock-pile. After it is dumped, it 

 is wetted again to prevent blowing. 

 Rock phosphate handled this way can 

 be stock-piled without loss of nuterial 

 or quality. 



TTie moisture absorbed by the stock 

 pile forms a crust but the material 

 does not cake or harden. Most of the 

 moisture soon dries out, and the little 

 that remains makes it possible to 

 spread in 1 5 mile an hour winds with- 

 out blowing. 



Wetted phosphate can also be 

 spread more evenly. 



But even more important, a large 

 stock pile means that the phosphate is 

 on hand and ready to be spread when 

 the farmer needs it for his land. 



You may remember the picture of the 

 calf scramble in the "Farm Bureau Day 

 at the State Fair" picture section In the 

 October Record. Here's one of the lads 

 and the calf he scrambled after. He 

 is Leo Bunting, Ford county. He planned 

 to exhibit it crt the Intermtienoi in 

 Chicago. 



n 



