FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION 53 



Question : How .would you apply rock phosphate ? 



Dr. Hopkins: There are different ways to apply it. H 

 you are going to manure all of the field where the raw phos- 

 phate is to be applied, I think a fairly good way is to fill your 

 manure spreader about half full, then sprinkle over it the phos- 

 phate which you are going to use, and then fill it up and go and 

 spread it. I doubt if there is a best way. The most economical 

 way may be to take the phosphate directly from the car and 

 spread it on the land, especially where there is no danger of 

 washing. We could use to advantage a great deal mort?i in- 

 formation than we have in regard to those minor points. The 

 great thing is to get it on, along with the manure or clover, anc( 

 plow it under. 



Question : How much phosphate do you apply per acre ? 



Dr. Hopkins: That is pretty much like asking how much 

 manure. It depends on the length of your pocketbook and the 

 size of the farm. I apply about a ton per acre once in six years. 

 I would not like to use less than a thousand pounds of raw phos- 

 phate in one application. Five hundred pounds might pay a 

 larger interest on the investment than a thousand, but if any 

 one needs to be impressed by seeing returns you lose that ben- 

 efit if you make your application too small. The cost is about 

 $7 at your railroad station. 



Mr. Truitt: It is $5.62 here. 



Dr. Hopkins : $5.62 to the members of the Peoria Farm 

 Bureau, the Farm Adviser says. 



Question : Would it not be well to spread it in the gutter 

 behind the cows? 



Dr. Hopkins : Yes, if you have concrete gutters. It ought 

 to be ground so that 90 or 95 ^^^ will go through a sieve with 

 10,000 holes to the square inch. Raw phosphate is insoluble. It 



