136 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 
Mortimer Co. of New York import most of the 
Thomas phosphate. 
I have seen astonishing results from the use of 
this substance in England, where it is applied to 
meadows and pastures. In May in England one sees 
many manure distributers or fertilizer distributers 
going over the meadows and pastures. If he will 
take trouble to see what these machines are distrib- 
uting he will find in most instances it is basic slag 
that is being sown over the grass, sometimes with 
an addition of nitrate of soda or potash. Where the 
basic slag is put, very marked result is seen in the 
clovers that spring up in the grass. Even when no 
clover seeds are sown at all the result is often as 
though it had been sown to clovers, since a rich 
growth of them comes up and overtops the grass. The 
explanation is that the clovers or their seeds were 
already in the soil waiting for favorable conditions. 
The coming of the phosphorus fed the little plants, 
then the lime sweetened in a degree the soil, and the 
plants shot up and overtopped the grass. Thus the 
forage was much enriched, and later when the clover 
leaves and roots decayed the soil was so enriched 
that the grass was greatly thickened and strength- 
ened. When one is applying annual fertilization to 
his alfalfa meadows he may well consider the use 
of basic slag. 
Sour Soils —It may be asked, ‘‘How do soils be- 
come sour?’’ Any vegetable matter decaying in the 
soil will create an acid there. From sweetest apples 
is made the sourest vinegar. Tea leaves put in a 
