The midland journal., 1917-04-20
USING FERTILIZERS
ON THE GRASS CROP

be applied directly to the grass crop,
or to other crops in the rotation. The
effect differs only in degree.
Feeding the Previous Crop.
Wherever short rotation is fol-
lowed, that Is, grass once in every
three or four years, farmers have
found it profitable to fertilize grass
through the medium of the preceding
crop. In Virginia, some growers put
an extra amount of fertilizer on the
tobacco crop, turn profit from this
through increased yields, and still
further profit from the larger grass
crop which follows. Potato farmers
In Aroostook county, Maine, carry out
the same idea, using from 1,500 to
1000 pounds of fertilizer on potatoes,
and but little on the oats and grass
crops. Likewise the dairy farmers
in Massachusetts and Connecticut
have found, in short rotation, that
the cheapest way to get good grass
crop is to fertilize heavily the crops
Immediately preceding. Experiment
station results show that these expe-
riences of practical farmers are sup
ported by the results Of scientific
tests.
The Pennsylvania experiment sta
ton, on some of it's rotation plots,
seeds down the grass and clover with
the wheat crop. The wheat crop Is
heavily fertilized, the grass crop is
not. Over long period of years the
hay crop following the fertilized
wheat had yielded nearly ton high
er than the hay crop following unfer-
tilized wheat.
The Ohio experiment station is fol-
lowing five-year rotation-corn, oats,
wheat, grass and clover. The corh,
oats and wheat are fertiliZed; the
grass crop is not. AS result OF
nearly 20 years work this station
has found an increase Of 1,250 pounds
Of clover and 760 pounds of timothy
(second year hay) when sown in fer
tilized wheat as compared with the
same seed mixture when sown in un-
fertiliZed wheat.
The Virginia experiment station
found in one case that 1000 pounds of
complete fertilizer per acre applied to
tobacco, increased the succeeding hay
crop by more than two tons per acre,
and the year following gave still fur
ther increase of IL bushels in the
corn crop.
Profitable Hay.
One of the best ways of getting
large hay crop is to use a liberal
amount of plantfood on the money
crops, or the grain crops, in the rota-
ton. This plantfood may be either
manure or fertilizers-but should usu-
ally include BOTH
Fall Seeding Without Nurse Crop.
Where grass follows grass, or where
grain crop is not included in the ro-
tation, fertilizer must be applied at
the time of seeding down. Use 200 to
300 pounds per acre Of a fertilizer
analyZing two to three per cent ammo
MIA, eight to ten per cent phosphoric
acid, and when possible four to five
per cent potash. Clay soils require
less potash than loans; sandy and
clay soils more nitrogen. This formu-
la furnishes nitrogen enough to start
the crop, but leaves nos surplus to be
lost by teaching. 1t gets the mineral
elements-potash and phosphoric acid
so distributed through the soils as
to be Of the greatest value, yet it is
not so costly as to be prohibitive.
Larger quantities must be used, how
ever, when it Is expected to keep the
field in grass for number Of years.
How and When to Top Dress.
Just as the grass is turning green in
the spring, apply fertilizer analyzing
from six to eight per cent available nj
trogen and three to five per cent phos-
phoric acid and as much potash as can
be economically purchased. On muck
soils more potash is necessary, and
on sandy soils more phosphoric acid.
Amounts Profitable to Apply.
This fertilizer gives the grass a
good start, makes it grow rapidly dur
ing the season when there Is plenty
of water available, and gives worth
NHLlC luSICdoC Tic CIOps IL nay
is usually worth $40 to $12 a ton in
the barn, 200 pounds of the above fer
tilizer may be used. If 1t is worth
$15 in the barn, 300 pounds gives a
higher acre profit. Finally, If the
farmer is so located that his hay Is
worth $18 or over, he can we'll afford
to use 400 to 500 pounds of this fer
tilizer, and make the hay crop the
most profitable crop on his farm. 1t
will then give more dollars for less
labor than any other crop which he
can produce.
Permanent Mowings.
When land is cropped permanently
to grass, yields are usually lower than
in rotation mOwings. The field becomes
rootbound and fertility sometimes be-
comes so low that the crop is often not
worth the cutting. Weeds displace the
/ IL