food in the
early spring. A mixture of 150 pounds of nitrate of soda, 150 pounds of
acid phosphate, and 50 pounds of muriate of potash is excellent. This
gives nearly the same quantity each of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and
potash, and is near a 7-7-7 fertilizer. The only material change in
relative amounts of plant-food constituents, when compared with a
3-10-6 and 3-8-10 fertilizer, is in the increase of nitrogen, due to
the heavy drafts made by continuous mowings of timothy. This fertilizer
should be used as soon as any green appears in the grass field in the
spring after the year of clover harvest. The large amount of nitrogen
makes this an unprofitable fertilizer for clover, and its use is not
advised until the spring of the year in which timothy will be
harvested.

All the Nitrogen from Clover.--The Pennsylvania station has shown in a
test of thirty years that when good clover is grown in a four-years'
rotation of corn, oats, wheat, and clover, the fertility of the
naturally good clay loam soil may be maintained, and even slightly
increased, without the use of any manure or purchased nitrogen.
Phosphoric acid and potash have been applied, and the clover hay crop
has been taken off the land. This result has been possible only by
means of good clover sods. If there had been no applications of
phosphoric acid and potash, the clover would have failed to maintain
fertility, as is proved by other plats in this experiment. No one
should continue to depend upon such a scheme of keeping land fertile
whenever he finds that the clover is not thriving.

Method of applying Fertilizers.--If a fertilizer is used in small
amount with the purpose of merely giving the plants a start, it should
be near the seed. If the application is heavy, and the roots of the
plants spread upon all sides, the fertilizer, as a rule, should be
applied to all the ground, and should be mixed with the surface soil.
This puts the plant-food where needed, and saves from danger of injury
to the seed through contact. A seeming exception may be found in the
case of the potato, but usually some close tillage confines its roots
to the row for a time. Experience indicates that when a potato
fertilizer does not exceed 500 pounds per acre, it may well be put into
the row, but a heavier application should be divided, one half being
broadcasted or drilled into the surface, and the other half of the
application being made in the row.

An Excess of Nitrogen.--To