54 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



should be finely ground and put with decaying organic matter, 

 which helps to dissolve it. 



Mr. Austin, Effingham: If one does not have vegetable 

 matter or manure, would it still be a wise thing to add the phos- 

 phate and maybe get some benefit and get more as you can in- 

 crease the organic matter in the soil? 



Dr. Hopkins : I have no doubt it would be possible. It 

 might not pay 500*^^, but it might pay good interest, if other 

 conditions were favorable. 



There is a great deal of experience on using it, with an 

 insufficient amount of decaying organic material. It sometimes 

 has a good effect, especially on clover, even if there is not much 

 decaying organic matter. You need not fear putting it on in 

 any quantity. The loss by leaching is negligible. A ton will 

 carry about 250 to 270 pounds of phosphorus. It would take 

 at least 125 years for that to leach out. Two pounds per acre 

 per year is a maximum loss by leaching. \ 



Mr. Horneman, Watseka : We make a practice of putting 

 it in cement gutters in the cow barn. We figure it at about 800 

 pounds per acre. How much time do we gain in the way of 

 getting that more immediately available? 



Dr. Hopkins : I can't answer that. We have not sufficient 

 information to justify any statement as to how much time is 

 saved. I think some time would be saved. Yet the first fermen- 

 tation of manure is an alkaline fermentation and not an acid 

 one. All vegetable matter finally produced an acid fermentation. 

 Apple juice sours finally to vinegar, and cabbage makes sauer 

 kraut. But the early fermentation of manure is alkaline, be- 

 cause of the production of ammonia. That probably lessens the 

 action, or maybe prevents it completely, but another thing seems 

 to occur; the bacteria that develop in the fermentation of ma- 

 nure use phosphorus, and they will take the phosphorus that may 

 be made soluble and put it into their own bodies and change it 

 to less soluble form. This applies to acid phosphate as well as 



