Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1920 — THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER [ARTICLE]

THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER

A DEPARTMENT OF FARM WELFARE CONDUCTED BY COUNTY AGENT LEANING. Basic Slag As A Source of Phosphorus. It is probable that Indiana farmers may reduce fertilizer costs this year by the use of basic slag as a source of phosphorus for corn. The basic slag industry has been growing the last few years and has now reached a stage Where the product may be used to replace acid phosphate at a profit. It usually contains about 17 per cent of soluble phosphate in contrast with acid phosphate which contains from 14 to 16 per cent. Present market prices are about the same. The result of the Ohio Experiment Station show that for a period of years basic slag has produced about 18 per cent more crops than acid phosphate. A number of so called “s'lags” having phosphate of low availability have been placed on the market under various proprietary names and should not be confused with- thestandard article of commerce. More Clover Badly Needed. The state wide campaign which will be waged this spring to in* crease the acreage of clover sown should meet with good results in Jasper County in spite of .the high price of clover seed. With only one acre in 110 sown to any kind of legume, very, few farmers of the j county can boast of a definite sys- ' tem of soil maintenance and fewer still are growing enough protein feeds to supply the needs of their live stock. The situation in Lake County has been summed up by County Agent Place as follows: “Where good Clover growS other farm crops will grow better. Without clover our agriculture will deacy rapidly. Live stock will be more profitable and grain crops yield more where land grows clover as of ten as it should. A bushel of clover seed given a chance is worth far more than its price in fertility alone, to say nothing about the feeding value of the hay crop.” Poultry Stock In Good Demand. Farmers and fanciers producing pure bred poultry of all kinds report that there has never been a better demand for breeding stock than this season. One of the county’s farmers reports that by putting an ad in one of the papers he sold every fowl on his place that he could spare and had to go to his neighbors to secure birds to fill orders. Owners with good poultry will do well to follow this example of adveAising before selling good birds on the general market. Corn Growers’ Association Active. The Indiana Corn Growers’ Association in launching a drive for membership this season has summarized the accomplishments of the organization for the past several years. A perusal of the summary would be enough to convince the most skeptical that the organization is a live one and every membership boosts Indiana agriculture.