THE SOIL

Soils that are poor in humus are generally in need of nitrogen.

Heavy soils are generally supplied with potash but lack phosphoric acid.

Sandy soils are apt to be poor in potash and nitrogen.

SYSTEM OF FARMING

A system of general or diversified farming embracing crop products and stock raising, requires much less artificial manuring than does a system which raises special crops or quick growing crops in rapid succession, as in the case of truck farming or market gardening.

TESTING THE SOIL

Every farmer should be more or less of an investigator and experimenter.

The factors mentioned previously as indicating the presence or absence of sufficient quantities of certain plant foods serve as a general guide, but are not absolute.  The best method of determining what plant foods are lacking in the soil is to carry on some simple experiments.

The following plan for soil testing with plant foods is suggestive:  To test the soil for a possible need of the single plant foods, a series of five plots may be laid off.  These plots should be long and narrow and may be one-twentieth, one-sixteenth, one-tenth, one eighth acre or larger.  A plot one rod wide and eight rods long will contain one-twentieth acre.  The width of the plot may be adjusted to accommodate a certain number of rows of crop and the length made proper to include an even fraction of an acre.  A strip three or four feet in width should be left between each two plots.  These strips are to be left unfertilized and are for the purpose of preventing one plot being affected by the plant food of another.

The plots are all plowed, planted and cared for alike, the only difference in treatment being in the application of plant food.  If the plots are one-twentieth acre in size, plant foods may be applied as follows.

+----------------------------+
PLOT 1.       |  Nitrate of Soda    8 lbs. |
+----------------------------+

+----------------------------+
PLOT 2.       |  Acid Phosphate    16 lbs. |
+----------------------------+

+----------------------------+
PLOT 3.       |  Nothing.                  |
+----------------------------+

+----------------------------+
PLOT 4.       |  Muriate of Potash  8 lbs. |
+----------------------------+

+----------------------------+
PLOT 5.       |  Lime         1 bushel.    |
+----------------------------+

Plot 3 is a check plot for comparison.

The measuring of the plots, weighing and application of the fertilizers, planting and care of the crops, weighing and measuring at harvest, should be carefully and accurately done.

A number of additional plots may be added if desired to test the effect of plant foods in combination.  For instance: