Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-07-05

Deltner necessary uOI duVlsdUle Juc uiSh
or spring tooth harrow or both will not
only cut up and level and fine, but put
the soil in thorough preparation for
planting. When dry spring comes and
the soil is dry and hard let the rollers be
used in connection with these tools.
The clods and Jumps must be got rid OF.
IL they must exist have them on top, but
not in the soil. Here is where diligent
tillage comes in and where cultivation
has its greatest value-before the corn is
planted.
Our soil is now, with one exception,
ready for planting. 1t has been thor
oughly plowed, narrowed, leveled and
fined. We are now ready for fertilizing
if we are to use chemicals. Barnyard
manure has been long ago put on ii it Is
used. Bnt let us briefly consider the
place barnyard manures and fertilizers
have in corn production. We are now
assuming in this discussion that corn
production follows primarily for the use
of the dairy. On this assumption we
will practically purchase our fertilizers
in form of cattle feeds and the same Will
be added in the application of stable
manures. Assuming again that stable
manure will be carefully handled and
applied there is little use of chemicals or
artificial manures. The most practical
way to apply manure is by spreading
direct to the soil. If the soil lies In such
a way as to be Influenced by washing,
the manure should be plowed or har-
rowed in as soon as it is possible to do SC.
nf mo
take place in the soil, because the decOm-
position aids materially in the change Of
plant food from the unavailable to the
available form.
Stable manure increases the humus
material in the soil, Increases the water
holding capacity, changes the texture Of
the soil and when combined with good
tillage offers the best conditions for
profitable crop production. Commercial
fertilizers as we ordinarily understand
them are valuable helps to the farmer
who has an insufficient quantity of
stable manure or none at all. There is a
widespread opinion among farmers that
fertilizers act more as soil stimulants
than as plant food, so that the soil is ex-
hausted rather than built up by their
use. But this is wrong. Fertilizers are
not stimulants but vital, active plant
food. Careful tillage is a stimulant in
this same light.
A soil that is said 70 be Injured by fer
tilizers can be brought back easily to its
former condition by increasing its humus
and nitrogen supplies. This is most
readily done by growing cowpeas or
clover. which practice when combined
with the use of good tlllage, stable
manures and such chemicals as are
necessary will permanently restore the
productivity of soils if thereafter judici-
ously managed. We have received so
many inquiries in reference to chemicals
for corn, we are led to offer the following
as examples for furnishing plant food
where it is practically deficient In avail
able form:
With manure use so lbs ammonia sui
phate, $50 lbs acid phosphate and 80 lbs
muriate of potash per acre. For growing
corn without manure use IS lbs ammonis
sulphate, 100 lbs dried blood, 425 lbs
acid phosphate and 100 lbs muriate OF
potash. Such formulae serve to furnish
the elements for an immediate crop, but
in no wise tend to make the soil better OF
more improved. A practical method Is
to precede corn with cowpeas. PlOw
under the cowpeas in the fall, and the
following spring plant to corn, using 8
fertilizer for the first year as suggested
above. Follow the crop of corn witt
timothy and clover for two or three
years and plant to corn again.-ChaIles
W. Burkett.