THE DAIRY FARM. 15 



grown cotton for seventy consecutive years and 

 have never been fertilized. If the cotton grower 

 would, return the cotton seed or its value in 

 some fertilizer, he would not be a bad soil rob- 

 ber, as the lint cotton would take but little from 

 the soil fertility. Statistics show that the won- 

 derful com lands in the cornbelt of Illinois are 

 showing a decreased yield from year to year of 

 one bushel per acre. 



Restoring Fertility With Manure and Al- 

 falfa. — The dairy farmer who sells only butter 

 or cream is taking next to nothing from his farm 

 in the way of fertility, if he saves the manure 

 and applies it to his land and practices a sensi- 

 ble system of rotation, growing such legumi- 

 nous crog;s as will grow successfully on his 

 farm. iAlfalfk leads the list in the legumes 

 where it will thrive and it will succeed in many 

 sections where it is feared that it will not. 

 Every farmer should make an effort to grow it ; 

 he should make many efforts, if it is necessary 

 to succeed. It is doubtless our greatest forage 

 plant on soils that are adapted to its growth. 

 It is our greatest soil renewer. We can grow 

 greater crops after it than after any other for- 

 age plant. We have abundant proof of this 

 statement. 



The author has clearly demonstrated the 

 fact that a wornout grain farm can be brought 

 up to a state of fertility and of profit by dairj^- 



