SUMMARY OF ALFALFA SOWING. 509 



into the soil, seems nearly as prompt in action, and, 

 as it carries a large percentage of carbonate of 

 lime, it serves a double purpose in the soil. It was 

 notable in 1912 that where we used basic slag the 

 alfalfa while growing rapidly had a darker color 

 than where we used acid phosphate ; it had in fact 

 gathered more nitrogen from the air because the 

 lime in the slag helped the bacteria do their work. 

 We have tested applications of raw rock phosphates 

 direct as a top-dressing of the meadow with unsatis- 

 factory results ; in fact, on the very land where we 

 secured such splendid effects from both acid phos- 

 phate and basic slag, we had two years before ap- 

 plied 800 pounds to the acre of raw phosphate, so 

 it seems clear that for annual applications to alfalfa 

 meadows the immediately available carriers of phos- 

 phorus are preferable, and, in fact, indispensable. 



Maintaining Fertility on Woodland Farm. — Our 

 farm is devoted chiefly to the production of mut- 

 ton. We buy lambs in the fall and fatten them dur- 

 ing the winter, feeding our alfalfa hay, and corn. 

 We feed 1,400 lambs and make a gain on each one of 

 about 50 pounds, counting wool and live weight. 

 Thus the farm produces about 70,000 pounds of 

 growth on the lambs each year. This we sell away 

 from the land. There is a serious drain of nitrogen 

 and phosphorus — the nitrogen in the flesh and blood 

 and the phosphorus in all parts of the animals. The 

 nitrogen comes, of course, mainly from the alfalfa 

 consumed; this does not trouble us in the least; 

 over the farm is the vast store of atmospheric nitro- 



