138 FORAGE OROPS 
ally favorable soon after planting for the change 
of organic nitrogen into available forms. 
The corn plant, however, requires a liberal 
supply of the mineral constituents; and while the 
application of manure will carry relatively large 
quantities of these, it is obvious that they cannot 
be so completely distributed as in more soluble 
forms, nor, unless the manure is placed in the 
row, can they be concentrated in such a way as to 
permit the plant to supply its needs easily and 
rapidly. Therefore, in addition to manures, a fer- 
tilizer rich in minerals is generally desirable. A 
fertilizer carrying 1 per cent of nitrogen, 12 of 
phosphoric acid and 10 of potash (made by mixing 
250 lbs. ground bone, 500 lbs. acid phosphate, 250 
lbs. muriate of potash), applied at the rate of 
400 pounds per acre, will meet the requirements 
for minerals even under unfavorable conditions. 
This fertilizing, while seemingly heavy, is not 
more than should be applied, because the object is 
to stimulate as far as possible a continuous and 
rapid growth. 
The above remarks are made, of course, with 
eastern conditions in mind. In large parts of the 
West, these heavy applications will not commend 
themselves to farmers in general; but even there 
the question of fertilizing is coming to be an 
important one, although the main demand may 
be for but one of the constituents. In the long 
