S?tatt College of Agriculture ^t Cornell ^intbcrsitp Strata, M. g. HiBrarp Cornell University Library S 651.M99 1905 Food for plants, 3 1924 000 281 851 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 924000281 851 »-H* foob for HARRIS AND MYERS ^ NEW EDITION WITH SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES BDITEO AND PUBLISHED BT William S. Myers, f.cs., Director Nitrate of Soda Propaganda Late of New Jersey State Aeriealtural ColIcB* la-U JOHN STREET. NEW YORK FOOD FOR PLANTS HARRIS AND MYERS New Edition W^ith Supplementary Notes 19 5 EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY William S. Myers, f. c. s., Director Nitrate of Soda Propaganda Late of New Jersey State Agricultural College 12-16 JOHN STREET NEW YORK FOOD FOR PLANTS. In part from the writings of Joseph Harris, M. Sc. Nitrate is a powerful plant tonic and energizer; it is not a stimulant in any sense of the word ; a very small <|uantity does a very large amount of work. We never recommend the use of Nitrate of Soda alone, ■except at the rate of not more than one hundred (lOo) pounds to the acre, when it may be used without other fertilizers. The phosphate, lime and potash manures should usually be applied in connection with Nitrate of Soda at the rate of about two hundred and fifty (250) pounds to the acre of each. This rate will be found generally profitable for all crops. Nitrate is best applied as a Top-dressing in the spring as soon as vegetation begins to sprout. It will be found quite satisfactory also in its after effect in perceptibly sweetening sour land. It is well known that animals, and especially young animals, must have all the food they can p h N c eat in order to properly develop and grow f pi * fat. This is equally true of plants. Plants will manage to live on very little food, but to grow, thrive and bear fruit they likewise require an abundance of food. The food of plants consists of a number of elements, including Nitrates, phosphates, lime and potash. A suffi- cient quantity of all these necessary elements, except Nitrates, phosphates and potash, exists in nearly all soils. Nitrates are nearly always deficient, phosphates usually, and potash often. In some soils there may be enough of all the elements of plant food except one. This may be assumed to be Nitrate. In this case the growth and yield ~. „ of the crop will be limited only by the . , .. , , /t,t- ■ 1 t-1 is Indispensable quantity or iV ttrate it can assimilate. 1 here might be an abundant supply of all the other elements. Food for },nf plants can never use other kinds of food without Nitrate. ^'^°*^ Plants must have them all to develop in perfection. 4 „. Nitrate (Nitrogen) is the kind that is nearly „ . .. always deficient. The question that pre- ^^7 . sents itself to the farmer, gardener and fruit Deficient. ■ tt t j i ^ \i grower is, How can 1 supply my plants with Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, in the best forms and at the least expense? We will try to throw some light upon this question in the following pages. We will take first, „, , . A -J There are three principal sources of phos- Pnosphoric Acid. , . . , ^ i i j i phone acid, namely, bones and rock phosphate and Thomas Slag Phosphate. Of these, the rock phosphate is the cheapest source. A prevailing im- pression exists that superphosphate made from rock phos- phate is not as good as that made from bones. It has been shown by many experiments that this idea is entirely with- out foundation. What the plants want is available phos- phoric acid, and it makes little or no difference from what source it is derived. The largest deposits of rock phosphates exist in South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. These beds of phosphate are supposed to be composed of the petrified bones and excrements of extinct animals. When this substance is ground and mixed with a sufficient quantity of sulphuric acid, the larger part of the phosphoric acid which it contains becomes soluble in water, and hence available as plant food. This fact was one of the greatest agricultural dis- coveries of the age. When the rock phosphate is thus treated with sulphuric acid, it becomes what is commercially known as superphos- phate, or acid phosphate. The same is true if ground bone is treated in the same way. Good superphosphate contains 14 per cent, of soluble phosphoric acid. The cheapest sources of potash are muriate ° ^^ ^^' of potash and unleached wood ashes, which contain from 3 to 5 per cent, of potash in the form of car- bonate. They also contain from i to 2J per cent, of phos- phoric acid. They are worth, usually, as plant food, from ^57.00 to ;^ii.oo per ton. _. Nitrate is the most important and effective element of plant food, and at the same time, as stated, is the one that is generally deficient in the soil. There are a great many sources of Nitrogen, such as ^°°^ *°'' dried fish, cotton-seed meal, dried blood, and tankage. But _^J none of these furnish Nitrogen in the Nitrate form in which 5 it is taken up by plants. This can only be furnished to plants in the form of Nitrate of Soda. Nitrogen applied in any other form must be first converted into Nitrate before it can be used by plants at all. Nitrate of Soda contains the Nitrogen that is necessary for the growth of plants. Nitrate of Soda is the best form in which to furnish Nitrogen to plants. When we say the best form we mean the best practical form. Nitrate of Soda not only furnishes Nitrogen in its most available form, but it furnishes it at a lower price than any other source. Nitrate of Soda is found in vast quantities in Chili. The beds of Nitrate, or " Caliche," ^'^'^^^ °* ^°^^- as it is called in Chili before it is refined, are several thousand feet above the sea, on a desert plain extending for seventy- five miles north and south, and about twenty miles wide, in a rainless region. The surface of the desert is covered with earth or rock, called "costra," which varies from three to ten or more feet in thickness. Under this is found the " Caliche," or crude Nitrate. The layer of "Caliche" is sometimes eight or ten feet thick, but averages about three feet. This "Caliche "contains on the average about 50 per cent, of pure Nitrate of Soda. The "Caliche" is refined by boiling in water to dissolve the Nitrate. The hot water is then run olF and allowed to cool in tanks, when the Nitrate forms in crystals like com- mon salt. The Nitrate is then placed in bags of about two hundred pounds each and shipped to all parts of the world. Nitrate of Soda, as exported, contains about 15.65 per cent, of Nitrogen, equivalent to 19.00 per cent, of ammonia. How these beds of Nitrate were formed has been the sub- ject of much speculation. The generally accepted theory is, that they were formed by the gradual decomposition and natural manurial fermentation of marine animal and vegetable matter, which contains a considerable amount of Nitrogen. The same wise Providence that stored up the coal in the mountains of Pennsylvania to furnish fuel for the people of the United States when their supply of wood has become exhausted, preserved this vast quantity of Nitrate of Soda Food for in the rainless region of Chili, to be used by the people to P^^^ furnish their crops with the necessan- Nitrate when the ^ natural supply in the soil has become deficient. By "complete fertilizers," we mean fertiliz- "Complete ^^^ containing Nitrogen, phosphoric acid Fertilizers" and ^^^ potash. These fertiUzers are called "Hioghates^^the -phosphates," and people have fallen into T„°^ ^ ^ensi e ^^^ habit of calling anv commercial fertil- Plant Food. „ , i_ >> • i i - izer a phosphate, whether it contains phosphate or not. Many so-called "complete fertilizers" are merely low grade acid phosphates with insignificant amounts of the other essential plant foods. They are un- profitable and ill balanced rations for all crops. Bearing in mind that all that is of any value in these "phosphates," no matter how high sounding their names, is usually mostly phosphoric acid and potash, let us see what they are reallv worth — that is, what the same amount of plant food can be bought for in just as good, if not better, forms. The Xew Jersey Experiment Station anahzed 195 dif- ferent samples of brands of "Complete Fertilizers," and published the results in a Bulletin. It was found that, in some instances, complete fertilizers that sold for 534.00 to S36.00 per ton only contained plant food worth Si 5.00 to Si 7.00. But they were not all as bad as this. The average of all brands analyzed was as follows: They contained 2.74. per cent. Nitrogen, 7.70 per cent, available phosphoric acid, and 4.50 per cent, potash. The selling price was S34.23 per ton and the actual agricultural value S25.66 per ton. By this is meant that the same amount of actual plant food that is contained in the "complete fertilizers," costing S34.23, could be purchased in the open market, in iust as good forms, for S25.66. As a matter of fact, it could be purchased for much less than this in quantities often tons or more. In one ton of the above "average fertilizer," selling for S34.23, there is 154 pounds available phosphoric acid, which can be bought tor 5t cents per pound in superphosphate or "acid phosphate," as it is called by the trade. This 154 pounds of phosphoric acid is therefore worth S8.09. There is 54* pounds Nitro- gen, which can be bought in Nitrate of Soda for 15 cents per pound, making it worth S8.22; 90 pounds potash, worth 4^ cents per pound, equals S4.05, making in all S2C.36 for the plant food contained in a ton costing S34.2:; VIEWS OF CHILEAN NITRATE WORKS. Food for Plants Opening up Trench After Blasting, Showini; Extraction of Caliche by Piece Worlv. Loading Caliche into Rail'.vay 'I'rucks Food for gut this does not tell the whole story. The Nitrogen ^°*^ contained in these "complete fertilizers" is often in a form ^ that is neither available nor useful to the plants until it has become converted into Nitrate. The time required to do this varies from a few days to a few years, according to the tem- perature of the soil and the kind and condition of the material used. In calculating the value of complete fertil- izers, Nitrogen in the form of sulphate of ammonia, which has to be converted into Nitrate before it is available, is reckoned at two cents per pound higher than it can be bought in the form of Nitrate of Soda. This is not because the Nitrogen in sulphate of ammonia is any better than in Nitrate of Soda, hut because it costs more in the market. This makes the fertilizers appear to be worth more than they really are. But taking the figures as they are given, it is readily seen that the consumer of these "complete fertilizers" pays on the average ^8.57 per ton more than would buy the same amount of food in as good, and, in the case of Nitrogen, the most expensive form of plant foods, better in unmixed chemicals. Statistics gathered by the Station show that over one and a half million dollars is spent annually in the State of New Jersey alone, for "complete fertilizers." Considering that the average "complete fertilizer" costs 25 per cent, more than it is worth, it is evident that the farmers of New Jersey alone paid 1^375,000 more for their fertilizers than they got value in return. And this state of things is not confined to New Jersey. It is the same all over the country. The farmers of this country are paying out millions of dollars aniiually to the manufacturers of "complete fertilizers," which they could very easily save by the exercise of a little care and foresight. How to Save "^^^^\ you not think a man very unwise Money on ^^° '^°"t^ ^"^ somebody's "Complete Fertilizers. prepared Food, at a high price, when he wanted feed for his horses, instead of going into the market and buying corn, oats and hay, at market prices .? The "Complete Prepared Food" would probably be composed of corn, oats and hay mixed together, and the price would be, perhaps, twice as much as the corn, oats and hay would cost separately. It is the same with plant food. VIEWS OF CHILEAN NITRATE WORKS. Food for Plants Top of Caliche Hopper: Carts Tipping Caliche. Elevators from Crushers to Boiling-Tanks. Food for }^oy should buy your plant food in the best and cheapest forms^ __. ^'^"^ and feed it to the plants as they require it. You can buy avail- ■° able Nitrogen in Nitrate of Soda for about 15 cents per pound. In so-called "complete fertilizers," Nitrogen costs from 20 to 30 cents per pound, and even then only part of ir is likely to be available. Nitrate of Soda is the cheapest and best form in which to buy Available Nitrogen. One would not think of buying raw, unground phosphate rock for phosphatic plant food; why, then, should one ever consider seriously buying the most expensive plant food, viz. : Nitrogen in the raw and indigestible forms, which many manufacturers and dealers endeavor to foist on our farmers. You can buy available phosphoric acid in superphos- phate of lime, made from rock phosphate or bone-black, for about 5 to 6 cents per pound (the superphosphate costing from $15.00 to $17.00 per ton, retail). Peruvian guano and Thomas slag also are excellent sources of phosphoric acid. Potash can be bought, in muriate of potash, for about 4I cents per pound. Let us see what a "High Grade Complete Fertilizer" made from these three sources of plant food would cost. 600 pounds NriRATE of Soda, containing 93 pounds Nitrogen, costs..^i4.8S 1,100 pounds superphosphate, containing 150 pounds phosphoric acid, costs 7-^5 300 pounds sulphate of potash, containing 150 pounds potash, costs. . 6.75 2,000 pounds, or one ton, costs .^28.88 This fertilizer would contain Nitrogen, 5 per cent, (equal to over 6 per cent, of ammonia), phosphoric acid, 7! per cent., and potash, 7! per cent. A "complete fertilizer," containing as high a percentage of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash as the above mix- ture, would cost at least S35.00, and nine manufacturers out of ten would charge S45.00 for it; and even then the N itrogen would probably not be in a form in which it would be of much use as plant food until after the harvest. If a fertihzer is wanted that has as much unavailable Nitrogen as the majority of the so-called "complete fertiliz- ers" sold for $29.00 per ton, it could be made for about $22.00 per ton. // only unavailable Nitrogen is all that is required by all means plow under a cover crop, and buy only a straight actd phosphate as such. VIEWS OF CHILEAN NITRATE WORKS Food for Plants Automatic Push-plate Conve>or for Convening Caliche from Top of Elevators to Deposit over Boilmg-Tank ^ ;i,: ! iii..ti;»»*»g «|>""- Crystallizing Pans — Full, Filling, and Empty. Food for Are the Farmers of Little Europe More Intelligent Than Those of America ? It certainly seems so. The English and European farmers instead of buying their Nitrogen in complete fertilizers and paying over 20 cents per pound for it, use annually over eight hundred thousand (800,000) tons of Nitrate of Soda as a fertilizer, v^hile yet only a few thousand American farmers are using it. American farmers, gardeners and fruit growers are sup- posed to be ready to "catch on" to a good thing. And as soon as our Agricultural Papers let them know the facts in regard to the great value of Nitrate of Soda as a Fertilizer our farmers will not be slow to use it. The reason why so little is said about Nitrate of Soda is simply owing to the fact that there is " no money in it for the trade." It is an article that everybody can sell, and consequently no one can afford to advertise it. The manufacturers of so-called "complete fertil- izers" pay the agricultural papers large sums of money every year for advertising, and consequently the editors do not like to publish anything that might injure this trade. The real friends of agriculture, however, will be pleased to know that there is a decided increase in the demand for Nitrate of Soda in this country. As soon as the farmers demand it, the importers and dealers in fertilizers will be glad to keep the Nitrate for sale, and sooner or later will advertise it. In the meantime, if your agricultural paper does not tell you about Nitrate of Soda and how to use it, take a paper that keeps up with the science and practice of the age. Some interesting experiments were con- , . ducted at the Purdue University Agricul- Wh ^ !°^^'^ °^ '^ural Experimental Station, at Lafayette, Indiana, to determine the best form of Nitrogen for wheat. We quote the results of the experiments from Bulletin No. 36: "The forms of Nitrogen selected were Nitrate of Soda, azotine or dried blood, and sulphate of ammonia. The main object was a comparison of Nitrate of Soda with dried blood, and the sulphate of ammonia was intro- duced into the series for comparative purposes. The forms of Nitrogen used in nearly all commercial fertilizers are dried blood and the Nitrogen of organic compounds like bone meal or cotton-seed meal. "It is well established that Nitrate of Soda is superior to sulphate of ammonia for wheat, but comparatively little seems to be known of the relative VIEWS OF CHILEAN NITRATE WORKS. Food for Plants 13 Crystallizing Pans After Running off Mother-liquor, Showing Deposit of Nitrate Crystals. ing-Floors and Bagging of Nitrate. Food for merits of Nitrate of Soda and organic Nitrogen. The present price of Plan ts ammonia salts is such that they are not generally used in compounding ferti- 14 lizers, and it so happens that the Nitrogen of organic compounds is used in the so-called 'ammoniated' fertilizers. "Nitrate of Soda gave by far the best results, the gain being nearly Jouble that for the organic Nitrogen, and about one-half more than that for the ammonia compounds. "Nitrate of Soda seems to be the controlling factor, so far as the appearance of the plants indicated. The plants on the plots that had re- ceived Nitrate were about six inches taller than on those receiving no Nitrate, and this continued until the grain was ripe. "l. The experiment confirms the superiority of Nitrate of Soda over ammonia salts for wheat, and indicates that its superiority over organic Nitrogen is even greater than that over ammonia salts. "2. A given sum of money will buy more Nitrogen in the form of Nitrate of Soda than in any other form except cotton-seed, yet the gain from Nitrate of Soda IS nearly double that from the use of organic Nitrogen." Professor Atwater, in writing of some experiments made by Professor McBride, at the South CaroHna Agricuhural Experiment Station, on Oats and Wheat, says: "A comparison of four of the tests conducted on both farms indicates that the inorganic Nitrogen (Nitrate of Soda) gave nearly 100 per cent, more increase of yield than the organic {cotton-seed meal, dried blood, etc.), and nearly 50 per cent, more than both forms used together." TT„ *„ A i„ Drill in with the wheat in the fall a mixture How to Apply 1 r u i_ J Nitrate of Soda ^^ ^5° Pounds of phosphate and 50 to Wheat pounds JNitrate ot Soda per acre. If your land is sandy, add 50 pounds of sulphate of potash to the above. Early in the spring, sow broad- cast 100 pounds Nitrate of Soda per acre. Land sown to Wheat in the fall and seeded down with timothy and clover giving a heavy crop, followed by a heavy hay crop the following year, proved the beneficial after effect of the Nitrate; that the Nitrate had not leached away as so many critics claim, and also, that the soil had not been exhausted. Professor Massey writes in regard to the effect of Nitrate of Soda on Wheat, as follows: "I have made several experiments with Nitrate of Soda. The first was on wheat in Albemarle County, Va. I used 200 pounds per acre on part of the field which had been fertilized with 400 pounds acid phosphate in the fall. The result was 9 bushels per acre more than on the rest of the field, and a stand of clover, while none of any account stood on the rest of the field." Two hundred pounds of ammonia salts contain as ^°°^ '°'' much Nitrogen as the 275 pounds Nitrate of Soda, but the Nitate produces nearly four bushels more barley per acre. '^ It is -evident that barley must have Nitrate and that it is more effective than any Sulphate of Ammonia, dried blood or cotton-seed meal. We would recommend drilling in with the Barley or Oats a mixture of 250 pounds Peruvian Barlpv .guano and 100 pounds Nitrate of Soda . q , per acre, and if the land is very sandy add 100 pounds sulphate of potash to the mixture. NITRATE TEST At Kentucky Experiment Station. BULLETIN 99. The Oats in this experiment were sown in April and harvested in July. Plot No. i was one acre in area; the others were one-half acre each. No fertilizer, yield, 27.5 bushels. 160 Nitrate of Soda, yield, 37.1 bushels. A Private Experimenter obtained results as below: 1. 400 pounds superphosphate and 300 pounds sul- phate of potash 245 bushels per acre. 2. Same as plot l with the addition of 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda 348 bushels per acre. It is evident from the fact that the addition of 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda produced 103 bushels more than the superphosphate and potash alone, that potatoes must have Nitrogen, and that in greater quantities than is sup- plied by the ordinary so-called "Complete Potato Manure." The New Jersey Experiment Station made some exper- iments in Gloucester County, and the following table shows the results: Food for Experiments with Fertilizers on Sweet Potatoes. Plants Kind of fertilizer and Cost of Bushels per acre. quantity per acre. fertilizer. Large. Small. Total. 1. No manure 157 5' 208 2. 320 lbs. bone-black, 160 lbs. muriate of potash ^7-7° 205 36 241 3. 200 lbs. Nitrate of Soda, 320 lbs. bone-black, 160 lbs. muriate of potash 12-34 270 58 328 4. 20 tons stable manure 30.00 263 61 324 It will be seen that the addition of Nitrate of Soda to the bone-black and potash gave an increase of 65 bushels per acre, and that the Nitrate, bone-black and potash, together costing ;^I2.34, produced a little larger yield than 20 tons of manure, costing ^30.00. "Another point of considerable importance, since it has reference to the salability of the potatoes, was noticed at the time of digging, viz.: That those grown with chemical manures alone were bright and smooth of skin, while at least one-third of those grown with barn-yard manure were rough and partially covered with scurf." At the Kentucky Experiment Station, experiments were made with fertilizers on Burley Tobacco. The land was Tobacco " 'J^fi'^i^nt in natural drainage," so that the fertilizers could hardly be expected to have their full effect. Yet, as will be seen by the following table, the profits from the use of the fertilizers were enormous: Experiments on Tobacco at the Kentucky Experiment Station. ., , , Value ol Yield of tobacco — pounds. tobacco Fenilizer per acre. Bright. Red. Lugs. Tips. Trash.Total. per acre. 1. No manure 200 360 60 540 1160 S67.20 2. i6olbs. Nitrate of Soda. . . 230 450 310 90 530 1610 138.40 3. 160 lbs. sulp. of potash; 160 lbs. Nitrate of Soda ... . 190 755 605 120 140 1810 190.45 4. 320 lbs. superphosphate; 160 lbs. sulp. of potash; 160 lbs. Nitirate of Soda 310 810 420 10 360 2000 201.20 The tobacco was assorted by an expert and the prices given as follows: Bright and red, fifteen cents per pound; lugs, six cents per pound; tips, eight cents per pound; trash, two cents per pound. One hundred and sixty pounds Nitrate of Soda, costing about $3.75, increased the value of the crop $71.20 per acre! We recommend for tobacco a mixture of 200 pounds Nitrate of Soda, 300 pounds super- phosphate and 200 pounds sulphate of potash per acre. This mixture would cost about $28.00 per ton and would contain over 6 per cent, of Nitrogen (equal to nearly 8 per cent, of ammonia). This is nearly twice as much Nitrogen as would be obtained in a "complete fertilizer" or "special tobacco manure," costing S^^.oo per ton. , „ , i\/T-n u n -n • \- Nitrate of Soda Milkmen, who sell milk in our cities, know the great inconvenience and loss ^ °''^^ ^ ' arising from a failure of green fodder from drouth. It is now known that the Nitrogen in organic matter of soil or manure is slowly converted into the Nitrate form by a minute organism. This cannot grow if the soil be too cold, or too wet, or too dry, or in a sour soil. As a general rule, soils must be kept sweet and the other conditions necessary for the conversion of the Nitrogen into the Nitrate form are warm weather and a moist soil in good physical condition. In the early spring the soil is too wet and too cold for the change to take place. We must wait for warm weather. But the gardener does not want to wait. He makes his profits largely on his early crops. Guided only by experi- ence and tradition, he fills his land with manure, and even then he gets only a moderate crop the first year. He puts on 75 tons more manure the next year, and gets a better crop. And he may continue putting on manure till the soil is as rich in Nitrogen as the manure itself, and even then he must keep on manuring or he fails to get a good early crop. Why .? The Nitrogen of the soil, or of roots of plants, or dung, is retained in the soil in a comparatively inert condition. There is little or no loss. But when it is slowly converted into Nitrate during warm weather, the plants take it up and grow rapidly. How, then, is the market gardener to get the Nitrate absolutely necessary for the growth of his early plants .? He Food for Plants 17 i8 Food for niay ggj jj^ 2g before stated, from an excessive and continuous use of stable manure, hut even then he fails to get it tn sufficient quantity. One thousand pounds of Nitrate of Soda will furnish more Nitrogen to the plants early in the spring than the gardener can get from loo tons of well-rotted stable manure. The stable manure may help furnish Nitrate for his later crops, but for his early crops the gardener who fails to use Nitrate of Soda is blind to his own interests. It has been found by experiments made at omatoes. ^.j^^ jv^^^ Jersey Experiment Station for a period of three years, that Nitrate of Soda, applied when the plants are set out, greatly increased their growth early in the season and produced a much larger crop of early ripe fruit than either barn-yard manure, "phosphates," or no manure at all. Experiments with Fertilizers on Tomatoes. Yield per Kind of fertilizer used and quantity per Cost of acre in Value of acre. fertilizer. bushels. crop. 1. No manure 613 S208.61 2. 160 lbs. Nitrate of Soda S4.00 838 300.64 3. 160 lbs. muriate of potash, 320 lbs. bone-black 7.20 649 252.92 4. 160 lbs. Nitrate of Soda, 160 lbs. muriate of potash, 300 lbs. bone- black 11.20 867 301 -2 5 5. 20 tons barn-yard manure 30.00 612 218 27 It will be noticed that 160 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, costing ^4.00, made an increase in the value of the crop of ^^592.03 per acre over the unfertilized land, and ^82.37 over the land where 20 tons of barn-yard manure, costing $30.00, was used. It will also be noticed that the addition of phos- phate (bone-black) and potash had little or no effect. This does not indicate that tomatoes do not require phosphoric acid and potash, but that enough of these elements of plant food was already in the soil. "The yield of early tomatoes was very decidedly increased by the use of Nitrate of Soda, both alone and together with phosphoric acid and potash." Professor W. W. Massey, of the North Carolina Experi- ^°°^ ^"^ ment Station, writes as follows: ^^^"*^ "In the spring of 1888 I top-dressed an old strawberry bed, in its fifth year of bearing, with 300 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre. I had intended to plow it up the previous summer, but other matters prevented, and the bed was in an exhausted condition and rather foul with white clover and sorrel. The effect was amazing, for this bed of an acre and a quarter, from which I expected hardly anything, gave me 7,000 quarts of berries : Variety Crescent with fertilizing rows of Wilson, Sharpless and others. The crop was nearly as large as the best plot had made." Enormous profits may be derived from the proper use of fertilizers on asparagus. sparagus. If the rent, labor, etc., for a crop of asparagus is ;?200 per acre, and the crop is three tons of green shoots at ^100 per ton, on the farm, the profit is ^100 per acre. If we get six tons at ;jSioo per ton, the profit, less the extra cost of labor and manure, is ^^400 per acre. In such crops as asparagus, however, doubling the yield by the use of Nitrate of Soda does not tell half the story. Asparagus is sold by the bunch, weighing about 2J pounds. The prices range, according to earliness and quality, from 10 cents to 25 cents per bunch at wholesale, or from $So to ;^200 per ton. By leaving out all these considerations and assuming that the non-Nitrated asparagus yields three tons per acre and sells for j^ioo per ton, and that the Nitrated asparagus yields six tons per acre and sells for ;^200 per ton, the profits of the two crops, less the extra cost for labor and manure, are as follows: Without Nitrate of Soda , .$ 100 per acre. With Nitrate of Soda 1,000 per acre. The first thing to do is to prepare the How to Mix and fertilizers, and if they are all to be used at . . Nitrate of the same time mix them together. g^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ JNitrate of boda comes from bouth pertilizers America in 224-pound bags, and is usually thus sold. The Nitrate looks much like coarse salt. The lumps should be broken, which can easily be done by turning the Nitrate out on the barn floor and breaking with the back of a spade. The Nitrate should then be run through a sieve with a mesh not larger than one-fourth inch. It will then be ready for use. Food for Plants Potash Salts come from Germany in bags weighing 224 pounds each. When lumpy they should be broken as above directed. If the fertilizers are to be mixed together, pour the right quantity of each in a pile on the floor and turn them over two or three times with a shovel until they are thor- oughly mixed. It is a good plan to run the whole through a sieve, which will completely mix the fertilizers. The mix- ing should not be done more than a week before the fertilizers are to be used, as the mixture may attract moisture and get hard if left too long after mixing. In Europe small hand One Hundred Bushels of Ears of Corn per Acre. Before Harvesting. machines are used by farmers for grinding and mixing, and cost about twenty-five dollars. It is also in use in America. Potatoes. ^^ '" rows marked only one way, scatter How to Apply. ^ mixture of, say, 200 pounds Nitrate, 350 pounds superphosphate and 100 pounds sulphate of potash along the rows, a handful to every step. If m thus walking you step three feet, this will put on about 600 pounds per acre; if only two feet, 900 pounds per acre. Run a fine tooth cultivator along the rows to mix the fertil- izers with the soil. It will, of course, be necessary to mark out the rows again before planting the potatoes. If planted in hills marked both ways, drop a handful on each hill and mix well with a hoe. Apply the same mixture as recommended for potatoes Food for Plants 30 Bushels of Ears per Acre. Fertilized with 10 Tons of Stable Manure and 200 Pounds fine- ground Bone. 100 Bushels of Ears per Acre. Fertilized with 200 Pounds Nitrate, 200 Pounds Sulphate of Potash, 1,000 Pounds Thomas Phosphate Powder. Food for and in the same way. It usually will not pay to use more ^^°*^ than one ounce, or about one-half handful to a hill. 22 For growing cabbages and cauliflower f^ r^^^^^ sow broadcast the same mixture as recom- and Cauliflower. ^^^^^^ ^^^ potatoes, using a small handful to each square yard of ground, and rake or harrow it in before sowing the seed. For early cabbage set close together; it will pay to sow the fertilizers broadcast over the whole ground and work them in before setting out the plants. // the land has been heavily manured for a number of years Nitrate of Soda alone may do as much good as the mixture. In this case, the Nitrate may be used after the plants are set out — a tea- spoonful to a plant. For late cabbage, set ^\ to 3 feet apart each way. It is a good plan to apply the fertilizers after the plants are set out. To do this, scatter a small handful of the mixture recommended for potatoes near, but not on, each plaot. Cultivate this in with a small tooth cultivator. It is best to go twice on each row, dropping the fertilizer on both sides of the plants, using half the quantity on each side. Phosphate should be worked into the *^® y* land intended for growing celery plants, either the fall before or in the spring, before the seed is sown, at the rate of 500 pounds per acre. As soon as the plants come up, sow broadcast 500 pounds Nitrate of Soda per acre, or a small handful to each square yard. If heavy rains occur, it is well to give the plants another application of Nitrate. This need not be as heavy as the first application. Market For garden crops such as beets, carrots. Garden Crops. parsnips, onions, spinach, lettuce, etc., sow the mixture as recommended for potatoes, broadcast before the seed is sown, at the rate of from 500 to 1,000 pounds per acre, according to the richness of the land. When the land has been heavily manured for a number of years, it may not be necessary to use so much Phosphate and potash. Nitrate of Soda alone on such land often has a wonderful effect. ^ . . In setting out a new bed, scatter along the Strawberries. j 1 • • \ r 1 1 rows and cultivate m, before the plants are set out, the same mixture as for potatoes. It is well to Raspberries, Currants, Gooseberries. scatter the fertilizers for a toot on each side of the rows so that the runners will have something to feed upon. In the spring sow Nitrate of Soda on the hed broadcast at the rate of about 200 pounds per acre. On old beds sow the mixture broadcast in the fall and an ad ditional 200 pounds of Nitrate per acre in the spring. Sow broadcast, in the fall, a mixture of, say, 350 pounds of superphosphate and 100 pounds muriate of potash per acre. This can be done, if the rows are six feet apart, by sowing a large handful at every two steps on each side of the roiv. Raspberries and Gooseberries should have a small handful, and currants a large handful to each bush. This should be cultivated in, if possible, early in the spring. Sow Nitrate of Soda in the same way. It will pay to put on as much Nitrate as you did superphosphate and potash, but it you do not want to put on so much, use smaller handfuls. If the superphosphate and potash have not been applied in the fall, sow the mi.xture in the spring at the same time the Nitrate is sown and cultivate it in, early. Since Nitrate of Soda and muriate of pot- ash are brought to this country by sea, and phosphate is usually transported from the mines in vessels, all these materials, as a rule, ■can be purchased at the seaports cheaper than m the interior. New York is the largest market tor these materials, but Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Mobile, New Orleans and San Francisco are also ports of entry. Lower prices can be obtained by bu\'ing fertilizing materials in car-load lots. A car-load is not less than ten tons. If \oii cannot use a car-load yourself, get your neighbors io join tvith you. From $2.00 to $4.00 per ton can often be saved in this way. In buying Phosphates always consider the percentage etter developed and larger, .md opened better. I'hey did not shed as much during the rainy sea'son'. There were also many more holls on the Nitrate Piut. Cotton and Fiber Plants. Cotton IS profitably grown on nearly all kinds of soil, lUf does best perhaps on a strong, sandv loam. On licrht uplands the yield is light, but with a fair proportion of lint; ^°°^ ^°^ on heavy bottom lands the growth may be heavy, but the . proportion of lint to the whole plant very much reduced. 3i The preparation of the soil must he even and thorough; light soils should be plowed to a depth of six inches, heavy soils about eight inches. The rows should be four feet apart; on very rich soils the hills may be made twelve inches apart, but on the light soils common to cotton sections twenty-four inches is a better space between plants. About one bushel of seed per acre is the usual allowance. The plant-food needs of cotton are shown by the plant food actually contained in the whole crop, as follows: Ammonia (Nitrogen). Phos. Acid. Potasli. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Lint..... 300 .87 .18 2.22 Seed 654 24.30 6.66 7.63 Bolls 404 5.45 1. 14 12.20 Leaves 575 16.76 2.57 6.57 Stems 658 6.26 1.22 7 . 74 Roots 250 1.96 .38 2.75 2,841 55.60 12.15 39.11 Many fertilizer formulas have been recommended, and by all kinds of authority, and green manuring is widely advised as a means of getting a supply of cheap ammonia; but, with this crop especially, cheap ammoniates are very dear. The cotton plant should have stored up all the food it needs by the 1st or 15th of August; from this time on growth should be checked that the plant may develop the formation of seed and lint. If, on the contrary, plant food is still supplied late in the season, new growth is the result, and in consequence a lessened production of lint and seed. The lower grade ammoniates, such as cotton-seed meal, green manuring, tankage, and dried blood, continue to supply available Nitrogen until checked by cold weather, hence these forms of ammoniates are not desirable for the most economical production of cotton. In order to supply the necessary plant food for the earlier stages of growth, so much of these low grade ammoniates must be used that injury from lack of ripening is almost sure to occur. The most rational way of fertilizing cotton is to apply the phosphoric acid and potash with the seed, or just before Food for seeding. As soon as the plants are well above ground, top ^^^°*^ dress along the rows with loo pounds of Nitrate of Soda 32 per acre, and work well in with the cultivator. This fur- nishes the cotton plant with precisely the Best Form of Ammoniate, viz.. Nitrated Ammonia, for rapid growth, and does not continue to push the plant long after new growth should have ceased. A good formula for a Cotton fertilizer, per acre, is: Cotton-seed meal 100 lbs. Phosphate (14 per cent.) 5°° Muriate of Potash 100 One hundred pounds more of Nitrate of Soda should be used as a top-dressing four weeks after planting. Successful results have been obtained by using Nitrate alone, either at the time of planting, at the ratio of 100 pounds to the acre, or a spoonful of this salt placed around and near each cotton bush later, mixing it thoroughly with the dry soil. Avoid placing the Nitrate on the plant or in ■contact with it. For Hemp, I GO pounds per acre may be applied as a top-dressing at the time of planting. For Flax, 100 pounds Nitrate per acre may be applied as a top-dressing at the time of planting. Apply, also, .about 250 pounds of muriate of potash at the time of plant- ing in both cases, with 250 pounds superphosphate. The above ingredients may be mixed and put on in one application. Fruits. The following table shows the amount of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash removed from an acre of ground by an average crop of the fruits named: Nitrogen. Phosphoric Potash lbs. Acid. lbs. lbs. 'Grapes, crop of 10,000 lbs 17 15 50 Prunes, crop of 30,000 lbs 45 16 80 .Apricots, crop of 30,000 lbs 69 21 84 It will be noticed that while a crop of prunes takes practically no more phosphoric acid from the soil than a • crop of grapes, yet the amount of Nitrogen removed is nearly three times as much, and in the case of apricots over four times as much as required by grapes. It is evident ^°°^ **" that a few crops of plums or apricots will materially reduce -^ the amount of Nitrogen in the soil, which is usually deficient 33 to start with and therefore this element of plant food must be replenished or the fruit will soon deteriorate in size. "Time to apply should be when fruit is half grown, and cultivate in to get the Nitrate mixed with the moist soil." Unless it is known that there is sufficient ^j ^.^j phosphoric acid and potash in the soils, Reauired and superphosphate or bone meal, and if ^j^^ ^^ ^ , necessary to furnish sulphate of potash, wood ashes, apply early in the winter or early spring. Two or three pounds of bone dust and one pound sulphate of potash or ten pounds unleached wood ashes per tree would be about the right quantities. The Nitrate of Soda should be applied after the fruit is set at the rate of two to three pounds per tree. It is important that the fertilizers should be well mixed with the soil, and that they be applied not close to the trunks of the trees, but considerably further out than the branches reach. After investigating the requirements of Figs, the fig. Professor George E. Colby, of the University of California Experiment Station, says: "The Fig leads among our fruits in its demand upon the soil for Nitrogen. Thus we find for the southern localities especially, the same necessity of early replacement of Nitrogen in figs and stone fruit as for Orange orchards, and partly for the same reason, viz., that California soils are usually not rich in their natural supply of this substance'' Nitrate of Soda will furnish the necessary Nitrogen in its most available form, and at less cost than any other material. It will probably be best to use in addition to the Nitrate an equal quantity of bone meal phosphate, say two pounds of each per tree, applied as recommended for plums and apricots. Profitable Onion Cultivation. There is no crop that can be grown so Adaptability of successfully on a large scale, on such a the Onion to variety of soil and climate, and that will all Soils, respond more profitably to intelligent cultivation and fer- Food for tilizing, than the onion. The American farmer has usually _Z1^*^ been willing to leave the growing of this savory vegetable 34 almost entirely to the enterprising foreign immigrant, who often makes more net profit at the end of the season from his five acres of onions than the general farmer makes on one hundred acres. The weeder and the improved wheel-hoe have made it comparatively easy to care for the crop; there is no reason why the progressive farmer who is looking about for a New Money Crop should not raise onions with ease and profit. We shall consider here the growing of onions only as a field crop for the fall and winter market. The onion can be successfully grown anywhere in the United States where other vegetables thrive. The reason that onions have not been more generally grown by farmers is owing to the mistaken idea that it is impossible to grow them without the application of vast quantities of stable manure, but Onion-growing with the aid of chemical fertilizers is not only much cheaper, but the average crop is much larger. The excessive quantity of stable manure required to grow a maximum crop tends to make the land too open, when the great secret of onion culture is to get the land solidified. The ploughing under of so much bulky manure also tends to cut off the moisture supply from below, which is so important in the quick growth of crops of this nature and which can only be obtained by having the soil very compact and in fine tilth so as to promote the capillary movement of the soil moisture to the surface, where it may be retained for the use of the crop by means of frequent and shallow cultivation. The advantage of using Nitrate of Soda instead of stable manure as the source of Nitrogen for this crop is plainly evident, as the Nitrate supplies the most beneficial ingre- dient contained in the stable manure (Nitrogen), and in a form in which it is not dependent upon soil bacteria and weather conditions to make it available for the young plants when they need it most. If it be necessary to add humus to the soil in the form of stable manure it should, if possible, be applied a year in advance. Considering the fact that Nitrogen is the element most frequently lacking in our soils, and knowing that the onion responds most liberally to a plentiful feeding of ammoniate 2 c z z o Food for Plants 35 Food for fertilizers, it should have a liberal supply of that element Plants in the best possible form, viz.: Nitrate of 36 S, f^ /I Soda. We know that if a young pig or /t? .>, calf does not have an abundance of the becomes stunted in growth and never re- covers from it, no matter how judiciously it is afterwards fed. The intelligent cultivator has learned that the same rule holds good in the feeding of plants ; hence the great importance of an immediately available supply very early in the season just as the plant is starting growth, and at which time it can only be obtained from an application of Nitrate of Soda, since the Nitrogen in other ammoniates does not become available until after the soil itself has warmed up to summer temperature. The presence of Nitrate at the outset enables the plant to start off with a good healthy root growth, whereby it is better able to take up later the other and more complex food elements. If it cost ^^45. 00 per acre for rent, ploughing, harrowing, seeding, weeding and cultivating to produce a crop of onions ready to harvest, then The crop of 225 bushels per acre costs 20 cts. per bushel. The crop of 450 bushels per acre costs 10 cts. per bushel. The crop of 900 bushels per acre costs 5 cts. per bushel. The latter yield is not at all unusual when the crop is properly fed with Nitrate of Soda and supplementary chem- ical fertilizers. In the first place, the onion, contrary to the general belief, does not require any special kind of soil, such as muck, black sand, etc., but will do well on any good corn or potato soil, provided it is not too sour or so stony as to inter- fere with the early and frequent cultivation of the crop. Even though a field is somewhat stony, it will pay to rake the stones into the dead furrows which should be about twenty feet apart, as the stones would make it impossi- ble to do good work with the weeder and wheel hoe. . . In selecting your field for onions it is, of ecessi y o course, advisable to choose one that is .. likely to be affected as little as possible in the event of a severe drought, and it is for this reason that onions, cabbage and those crops that espe- cially require large quantities of moisture during their ^ood for growth are usually grown upon bottom lands. _ants Ploughing for the onion crop should Cultivation ^^ preferably be done in the fall to a depth of eight inches or more, leaving the soil in the furrow to be acted upon by the frost during the winter. It at the same time becomes more compact — the onion likes a solid seed bed. When for any reason the ploughing has to be done in the spring it should be done very early and worked down solid. The lands should be narrow, so that the numerous dead furrows will drain off excessive surface moisture early in the spring, as it is desirable to get the seed sown very early. As soon as the condition of the soil will permit in the spring it should be worked ^^^ ®® ° ^ over with the harrow or pulverizer as arrow an deeply as the ground will allow and rolled venzer. with a heavy roller, which should be followed at once with a light harrow, which will loosen the surface soil and form a light mulch to help conserve the moisture. This operation should be repeated each week until it is time to sow the seed, which is in this latitude when the apple trees begin to bloom. The seed should be sown with a hand seed drill about three-quarters of an inch deep and in rows about fifteen inches apart, using about six pounds of seed per acre. In about five days after the seed is sown the field should be gone over with the weeder to destroy any weeds that have started to germinate near the surface, and again in three or four days or before the onions come up. Always run the weeder across the rows. After the onions are up so that you can see the rows cultivate them carefully with the wheel hoe using the sharp blades that are made for that purpose and going not more than one-half inch deep. As soon as any more weeds appear to be germinating go over the rows again with the weeder. The weeder may appear to be doing some damage, but if handled carefully there is no danger, as we have sown an extra pound of seed to allow for some being pulled out. When the onions are about four inches high it will prob- ably be necessary to weed them once by hand. This will not prove to be a tedious job if the weeder and wheel hoe have been used with good judgment. Food for Nitrate should be applied as follows: One hundred ^'^°*^ pounds scattered broadcast over the field 38 ^' within a week after the seed is sown and before the plants break through the ground, and two more applications broadcast consisting of 100 pounds each at intervals of two or three weeks, depending somewhat upon the appearance of the plants as to growth and color. Generally speaking the Nitrate should all When to Apply ^^ applied during May and June, though urate. ^^ ^ drought occurs in July, and the onions show signs of turning yellow at the tips, an extra dressing of 50 pounds per acre may be applied to advantage. In a wet season avoid putting it on late, as it might aggravate the tendency to produce a considerable number of scullions. It should only be applied when the plants are dry. The onion is an alkali-loving plant, and, Use of Com- i-i * u r like asparagus, seems to have a peculiar fondness for salt. The results of experi- ments on widely different soils show that it nearly always responds profitably to an application of about 200 pounds of salt per acre. This guides us to the choice of kainit for this crop, as that product contains about 35 per cent, of chloride of soda or common salt, which also aids in con- serving the moisture in the soil. Good judgment must be used, however, as the kainit might have a harmful effect in a wet season on a low and naturally damp soil. About 400 pounds of kainit per acre should be used, as a rule. It should be drilled into the entire surface of the ground early in the spring to a depth of at least three inches, for the kainit becomes fixed in the soil very quickly and should be rather deep, so as not to attract the feeding roots too near the surface. In case wood ashes or muriate of potash are used the time of making the application should be the same. Most vegetables will give greatly increased returns from the use of chemicals if lime is employed in conjunction with them. An application of 75 bushels per acre of ground quick- lime has also proved preventive of onion smut. Use of Thomas ^" regard to the best source from which Slag and of ^° obtain the phosphoric acid for our onions Lime it is plain that we must be guided by the character of the soil. For instance, if it is a strong, deep soil, rich in humus, with an excessive quantity ^°°^ *°'^ of organic matter and acid, it is deficient in lime. On muck _f and acid soils basic slag if very finely ground seems to give 39 better results with most crops than acid phosphate. This is due to the fact that the basic slag contains from 40 to 50 per cent, of lime, which is necessary to neutralize the excess of acids present which are detrimental to plant growth. If the soil is a medium heavy clay upland and not acid it is best to use the acid phosphate which contains, besides the phosphoric acid, about 50 per cent, of calcium sulphate (gypsum). This unlocks the natural potash in the soil. The quantity of either to apply on ordinary soils is 1,000 pounds per acre very early in the spring, so that in fitting the ground it will become very thoroughly incorporated with the soil before the onion seed is sown. The following table gives the actual field results of six years' experiments with fertilizers and seven years with manures at the rate of 30 tons per acre : Manure. Chemicals. Tons per acre, average 8 , go 14.02 Market do/h? />^r ton, average ^18.16 ^20.52 The crop grown with chemical fertilizers was 5.12 tons greater per acre, or a gain over the stable manure of nearly 58 per cent.; while the Nitrate crop averaged IS2.36 greater market value per ton, an advance over the manure-grown crop of 13 per cent. Stable Manure and Artificial Fertilizer Upon Fruit Trees. In this country the manuring or fertilizing of fruit plantations is very commonly neglected, but in Europe fruit trees are as regularly treated with plant food as staple crops. According to the investigations of Professor Barth- Colmar and Dr. Steglich, Dresden, the wood, foliage and fruit of apple, pear, cherry and bush fruits consume yearly per square yard of surface shaded by the tree or bush, 219 grains of Nitrogen, 65 grains of phosphoric acid, and 284 Food for grains of actual potash; equivalent to fertilizer chemicals ^'^°*^ as follows: 4° Nitrate of Soda, per square yard 3-5 ounces Acid Phosphate, per square yard 1-5 Muriate Potash, per square yard 1.5 . ^ r T. Except on high-priced land, garden crops Amount of Ra- , fj P ^ • u j u. , T.1 i. should not be grown in orchards, but tion of Plant , , . ° • r n j ^u T, J j: n where this custom is followed the quantity Food for One ^ , r 1 1 u l • j • „ of plant food should be increased to suit the needs of the additional crop to be grown. For fruit alone apply between the fall of the leaf and the bursting of the buds, per square yard of surface shaded by the tree, the quantities of plant food shown above to be the actual needs of the j:rop. If the trees have made a weak grovpth the previous season, or have heavily fruited, apply between May and July about one ounce of Nitrate of Soda per square yard of surface; this in addition to the previously applied plant food. The practical effect of artificial manures for fruit cannot be denied, not only for quantity, but also for the quality of the crop. Stable manures seem to fail of regular bountiful results, probably because the stable manure supplies its ammonia in the Nitrated form very irregularly, and fruit trees can use ammonia plant food only in the Nitrated form. Practical figures showing the profitableness of artificial manures, fertilizers, have been shown by many experiments, particularly by those conducted at Feldbrunnen, near Osterode, Germany. The rational fertilization of fruit trees depends somewhat upon their period of growth; young trees need ample sup- plies of Nitrated ammonia .and potash to develop and ripen new wood. Later, at the bearing age, phosphoric acid and Nitrated ammonia are required for the formation of fruiting buds. These two phases in the making of an orchard should have due consideration and plant food used accordingly. Apples. Cherries. Plums. Unfertilized 100 lbs. 100 lbs. 100 lbs. Fertilized 3,420 lbs. 218 lbs. 329 lbs. Asparagus. The soil should be sandy, or a light loam. As the crop remains in position for many years, the land should be selected with that fact in mind. The soil must be kept very ^°°^ ***' clean and mellow. Stable manure is very objectionable on account of its weed seeds. It is only by a quick, even 4i growth that large, crisp stalks can be produced, and there must be no check through a scanty supply of plant food. In the spring, as soon as the ground can be worked, clear off the rows and loosen up the soil, and apply broadcast along the rows a top-dressing of Nitrate of Soda, from 200 to 300 pounds. With this crop, the full application of Nitrate can be made at one time. Market Gardening with Nitrate. The following is the result of a practical study of conditions on a large truck farm, „^^" ^ "^ .*° ■NT XT- 1 T i_ Unfavorable near New York. In every case the opera- tions of the farm were carried out on a rowing ea- strictly business basis. The soil is a ^°^ ^' °^ heavy clay with a rather intractable clay J^'^^^ °^ subsoil, decidedly not a soil naturally suited ^° ^^ ^' to growing garden crops. The weather was unfavorable, including the most severe drought in thirty years; from March zzd to July 8th practically no rain fell. Owing to the unfavorable season, the grade of garden products was low causing a low ruling in prices. Details by crops follow: Asparagus. The bed was twenty years oldj and had been neglected. As soon as workable, it was disc-harrowed, and later smooth- harrowed with an Acme harrow. Nitrate of Soda was applied to the three test plots April loth, 200 pounds per acre, sown directly over the rows and well worked into the soil. A second application of 100 pounds per acre was made to plot i April 24th; and, on the 29th, a third applica- tion of equal amount. The experiment comprised three plots, two fertilized with Nitrate of Soda, and one without Nitrate, plot 3. Plots I and 2, treated with the Nitrate, produced marketable stalks ten days in advance of plot 3, a very material advan- Food for tage in obtaining the high prices of an early market. The ___^!^*^ results were as follows, in bunches per acre: '*^ Plot and Fertilizer. Bunches per acre. Gain. 3. No Nitrate 560 - — 2. 200 lbs. Nitrate 680 120 I. 400 lbs. Nitrate 840 280 The financial results are as follows, prices being those actually obtained in|the New York Markets: Plot I. Plot 2. Plot 3. Fertilizer, Nitrate 400 lbs. 200 lbs. Gross receipts fcoy.go ^161.50 Fertilizer cost 8.40 4.20 Applying fertilizer 2 .00 1 .00 Net receipts I97-50 161.50 ^112.00 Nitrate made gain 85.50 44.30 The use of 400 pounds of Nitrate of Soda produced on plot I a gain of ^85.50 on a fertilizer and application cost of ;^io.40; the use of 200 pounds of Nitrate returned a similar gain of ^^44.30 on a fertilizer and application cost of $5.20. Snap Beans. The Beans were grown for pods, or what is known as string beans. Three varieties were experimented with. Chal- lenger, Black Wax, and the Red Valentine. Seeds were drilled in May loth, in rows two feet apart; on May 22d, 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda were applied per acre, and on the 27th, another application of 150 pounds was drilled in. June 12th, an application of 50 pounds was drilled Increase in ^'°"§ ^^^ ^9"^^' followed by 100 pounds Crop and Bet- June 19th; in all 400 pounds of Nitrate of ter Oualitv Soda per acre. Half the field was not Resulted as treated with Nitrate. In the case of the well as Saving Black Wax beans, the Nitrated land gave a in Time '^'^^P ^ 'i^Y^ in advance of the part not treated with Nitrate, and the same gain was made by the Nitrated Valentine beans. The Black Wax beans treated with Nitrate produced 75 per cent, more marketable crop than the non-Nitrated portion, and the Valentine variety 60 per cent. Taking into consideration the enhanced price due to earlier ripening, the average price of the Nitrated black wax beans averaged some 60 per cent. higher than the portion of the held not treated with Nitrate ^°°'l ^'^'" of Soda; in Hke manner, the increased price of the Valentine _^^_^ __ beans was 45 per cent. 43 Beets. The crop must be forced to quick growth in order to obtain tender, crisp vegetables, quickh' salable and at good prices. Xitrate ot Soda was compared with unfertilized soil, with the result that on the Xitrated plots, marketable beets were pulled 56 days from seeding; the unfertilized plot required 72 days to produce marketable vegetables. Xitrate of Soda was applied at the rate of pounds per acre, in tour applications. Table Beets Grown on Nitrate were Ready for Mar- ket 16 Days Ahead of Un- fertilized Plots. ;oo .500 ib^. Xitrate of Soda to the acre, in four applications. No Nitrate. Early Cabbage. The cabbage plots were thoroughly worked up, and planted to Henderson's Earh' Spring Varietv. f^art of the soil vcas treated with X'ltrate of Soda at ^^ ^ , , , . ,, How a Crop the rate of ^7^ pounds per acre, m n\e „ j <- -"'•^ .' r, T- was Saved from applications ranging from May 1st to |une .^ ^ -u ^-^ 17th. The part of the plot not treated with Nitrate of Soda was a total failure, but allowing the same Food for number of plants as the fertilized portion, and also allowing ^'^°*^ for difference in price on account of later ripening, the crop 44 on the portion not treated with Nitrate A Dollar Spent gjjould have returned a gross amount of in Nitrate Re- ^292.50. The Nitrated portion returned turned $21.00 ^^^^^ receipts of ^720, from which deduct- in Increased -^^g ;^I9.50 for fertilizer and application of ^^°V- same, we have ;^700.5o for Nitrate of Soda as compared with ^292.50 without Nitrate, a net profit for the Nitrate of ;^4o8. That is, for every dollar spent for Nitrate of Soda, the crop returned an additional ^21 nearly. Cabbage. Cabbage requires a deep, mellow soil, and rich in plant food. Early maturing cabbage, perhaps the most profitable method of growing this vegetable, produces 30,000 pounds of vegetable substance to the acre, using about 140 pounds of ammonia, 129 pounds of potash, and 33 pounds of phos- phoric acid, all as actually assimilated plant food. The crop must be fertilized heavily. As the soil is thoroughly fined in the spring, there should be incorporated with it by rows corresponding to the rows of plants, about 1,500 pounds of fertilizer per acre. After the plants have set and have rooted, say a week from setting, apply along the rows a top dressing of 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre and work into the soil with a fine toothed horse hoe; the soil must be kept loose to a depth of at least two inches, and consequently there will be no extra labor in working this fertilizer into the soil. Some three weeks later incorporate in the same man- ner into the soil 300 to 400 pounds of Nitrate ofSoda. Soil Nitration cannot be depended on under any circumstances for supplying enough natural Nitrate for cabbage. Nitrate of Soda is the only immediately predigested Nitrated am- moniate in the market and is an absolute necessity for early cabbage, and should be used liberally. This crop should not follow itself more than twice, as by so doing there is no little danger of serious disease to the crop. Formula for Cabbage per acre: Nitrate of Soda 200 lbs. Superphosphate ,ro " Sulphate of Potash joq " Celery. Crisp stalks of rich nutty flavor are a matter of rapid, unchecked growth, and plant food must be present in unstinted quantity, as well as in the most quickly available form, the best example of which is Nitrate of Soda. The soil was plowed early in May, and subsoiled, thoroughly breaking the soil to a depth of lo inches. Thirty bushels of slaked lime were broadcasted per acre Extraordinarv immediately after plowing, followed by a Returns on dressing of 20 tons of stable manure, all Celerv well worked into the soil. Plants were set May loth. The tract was portioned into three tracts for experimental purposes; plot i received 675 pounds of Ni- trate of Soda per acre in six applications. May i6th, 22nd, June 1st, loth, 17th and 24th. Plot 2 received 475 pounds in five applications. May. 1 6th, 22nd, June ist, 17th and 24th. Plot 3 was not treated with Nitrate of Soda. Plot I was ready for market July 6th, and was all off by the loth. Plot 2 was ready for market July nth and was all harvested by the 14th. Plot 3 was practically a failure and was not harvested. Plot i, being first in the market, had the advantage of the best prices; the gross receipts were, per acre, ^957.80; from which must be deducted ;^ 1 8.67 for Nitrate of Soda and the application of same — a net result of ^939.13 per acre. Plot 2 gave a gross return of ;^676.30, from which ^^13. 72 must be deducted for ferti- lizer, leaving ^662.58 per acre net. Plot i makes therefore a gain of ^^276. 55 over plot 2, simply from the earliness in maturing, due to the heavy applications of Nitrate, for the total crop was approximately the same for both plots. Cucumbers. Plants were set in box frames May 4th. The frames were well filled with rotted manure, and were banked as a protection against late frosts. A portion of the field was treated with Nitrate of Soda; on May loth each plant was given a quart of a solution made by dissolving three pounds of Nitrate of Soda in 50 gallons of water. Applications in quantity the same were made on the experimental plot May i6th, 22nd, 29th, June 3rd, 9th, 15th, 22nd and 26th; making a total of 165 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre. Food for Plants 45 Food for On June 27th the experimental plot was setting fruit rapidly, £}^^ while the plot not Nitrated was just coming to bloom. The "•^ Nitrated plot was given on June 29th a quart of a solution made by dissolving two ounces of Nitrate of Soda in a gallon of water; and this application was repeated July 3rd, 7th, 15th, 24th, and August 8th., This practically doubled the Nitrate application. _ . . „. The first picking on the Nitrated plot . , . _ was made July ist, on the non-Nitrated y -R It pl°t J^ly 22nd, when prices were at the , . „ lowest point. After the early market sea- ^cfj 'u ■ AH ^°" ^^^ over, the vines were treated for pickling cucumbers, the Nitrated plot re- ceiving 50 pounds of Nitrate of Soda dis- solved in water as before; later, two applications of a quart each, containing half an ounce per gallon. The result was that the vines continued bearing until cut down by frost. The estimated yields were as follows: Nitrated plot, per acre, 6,739 dozen, plot not Nitrated gave per acre 948 dozen. Sweet Com. The crop was planted on rather poor soil. Seed was planted May 4th, and the cultivators started May 12th. A portion of the field was selected for experiment, and on this 75 pounds of Nitrate of Soda were applied per acre May 20th, drilled close to the row. A second application of the same amount was made May 26th, and on June 5th a third application. On June 17th 100 pounds per acre were applied and cultivated into the soil. The total Nitrate applied to the experimental plot amounted to 325 pounds per acre. The Nitrated plot ripened corn 5 days ahead of the non-Nitrated portion, and produced gg^ dozen ears against 623 dozen from an acre not treated with Nitrate of Soda. The Nitrated crop, being earlier in the market, brought better prices; the gross return being ^99.40 per acre as compared with ;^62.30 for the non-Nitrated plot. The cost of the Nitrate and its application expenses amounted to J^9.75 per acre, leaving a net gain from the use of Nitrate of Soda, of ^7.35 per acre. Egg-Plant. I he plants were set in the usual manner, part of the tract being treated with Nitrate of Soda at the rate of 475 pounds per acre to observe the practical \alue of the Nitrate tor forcing. Before setting, the plants were given a light application of Nitrate in solution. June ist 150 pounds were applied, on the tenth this was repeated, and on June 22nd a third application was made. The Nitrated plot produced marketable fruit julv 5th, the non-Nitrated plot did not reach the market until July 26th. The Nitrated plot produced per acre Jj,8g4. fruits, all of good qualitx; the non- Nitrated plot produced only 8,yi2 fruits per acre. Food for Plants 47 Early Lettuce. I he plants were started m the hot-house, and pricked mto cold frames; April 26th the\- were set in the field. The Nitrate applications on the experiment plot were per acre as follows: April 2Qth, 100 pounds; Ma\- 4th, 150 pounds; /50 lbs. Xltrate of Soda to the acre, in 5 applications. No Nitrate. May i2th, 200 pounds; May i8th, 200 pounds; May 23rd, 100 pounds; a total of 750 pounds per acre. The Nitrated plot was first cut May 26th, and at this time the non-Nitrated plot was just beginning to curl a few leaves towards the heart for heading. Approximately, the Nitrated plot produced Food for pi^y acre 1,724. dozen heads, and so early to the market that the ^'^°^^ average wholesale price was 25 cents per dozen; per acre, 4^ ;^43i.oo. From this we must deduct ^20.00 for Nitrate and the expense of applying same, leaving net ^411.00. On the non-Nitrated plot only about /f. per cent, of the plants headed, and these reached the market three weeks late. The financial statement shows 48 dozen heads at 10 cents, or a net return per acre of ^4.80. That is, without the Nitrate dressing, the crop was a failure. Onions. The soil was in bad condition, and was liberally limed. Seeding was completed April 15th, and the plants were rap- idly breaking ground by the 28th. The tract was divided into three plots; plot i received 675 pounds of Nitrate of Soda in six applications at intervals of a week or 10 days; 675 lbs. of Nitrate of Soda to the 375 lbs. of Nitrate of Soda No Nitrate. acre, in 6 applications. to the acre, in i applications. plot 2, 375 pounds in four applications; plot 3 was not treated with Nitrate. The Nitrated plots seemed least affected by the exceptionally dry weather, but the crop on all the plots was no doubt reduced by the unfavorable conditions. The following table gives the results by plots, computed to an acre basis: ,,. Nitrate, Nitrate, No 675 lbs. 375 lbs. Nitrate. Total yield 756 bu. 482 bu. 127 bu. Per cent, scullions 1.5 17 iqo Average price per bushel 75 cts. 65 cts. 35 cts. Total receipts $567.00 $313.30 $+4.50 Fertilizer cost 20.17 Q . ^0 Total net receipts 546-83 304.00 44.50 The results show very clearly that but for the Nitrate ^°°^ *°^ applications, the crop must have been a failure in every ^^^°^ respect. 49 Early Peas This crop v?as planted under same conditions and in like manner to the snap beans; 300 pounds of Nitrate of Soda were applied per acre, to the experiment plots. Two varieties were planted, early and late. The results were: Early. Late. Nitrate. Nothing. Nitrate. Nothing. Date planted April 15. April 15. May I. May I. First picking June 8. June 17. June 29. July 4. Gain to Market 7 days. 5 days. Period of bearing 11 days. 8 days. 10 days. 6 days. Crop on first picking. .. ,55 p. ct. 40 p. ct. 57 p. ct. 38 p. ct. Total yield (p. ct.) 165 100 168 100 The season was very unfavorable for this crop, yet the results show that the Nitrate made a powerful effort to offset this disadvantage. The earliness to market in this case is as pronounced as in the other garden crops, and is one of the most profitable factors in the use of Nitrate of Soda. The lengthening of the bearing period is an added advantage. Early Potatoes. Ploughing was finished the second week in April, and limed at the rate of 35 bushels per acre. Furrows were opened three feet apart, and 750 pounds per acre of a high- grade fertilizer worked into the rows. May 1st the potatoes were breaking ground, and 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda were applied per acre on the experiment plot. On the nth 200 pounds of Nitrate were applied, and on the 29th 150 pounds more were cultivated in with a horse-hoe. The total Nitrate application per acre was 450 pounds. The Ni- trated plot was harvested July 6th, and retailed at an average price of ^i.6o per bushel; the plot not treated with Nitrate was dug July 17th, eleven days later, and the highest price obtained was 80 cents per bushel. The Nitrated plot pro- duced per acre 19 bushels unmarketable tubers, the non- Nitrated plot 46 bushels. The total crop marketable was 297 bushels for Nitrate, and 92 bushels for non-Nitrated plot. Deducting the cost of Nitrate of Soda and the expense Food for of applying same, the Nitrated crop was worth ^463.30 per ^^ants ^^j.g^ ^j^jjg ^.j^g non-Nitrated plot returned only $69.00 per 50 acre. For every dollar expended for Nitrate of Soda, the crop increase gave ;^30.i8 return. Late Potatoes. Conditions same as in the case of early potatoes, except the Nitrate of Soda was used at the rate of 500 pounds per acre, in five applications. The crop per acre on the Ni- trated plot, marketable tubers, amounted to J/.^ bushels; on the non-Nitrated plot the yield amounted to 2^1 bushels marketable tubers. The gain for Nitrate of Soda was 143 bushels, or nearly 62 per cent, increase. Early Tomatoes. With this crop the object is to mature quickly, rather than obtain a heavy acre yield; one basket of early tomatoes at $1.2^ IS worth more than 15 baskets later in the season, when the price is about 8 cents per basket. The plants to be used on the Nitrated plot were treated with a diluted solution of Nitrate four separate times. Plants were field set May 17th, and given six applications of Nitrate of Soda: ist, 100 pounds per acre soon after setting out; 2nd, 3rd and 4th of 75 pounds each; and 5th and 6th of 50 pounds each — in all, about 450 pounds per acre. The results were: Nitrate. No Nitrate. Plants set out in field May 17. May 17. First picking June 30. July 19. Days, setting to first picking 43 62 Crop at $1 .00 and upward per basket 40 p.c. •75 30 .50 " " 20 " ■30 " " 10 " .25 " ■' •15 .08 Estimated yield per acre, baskets 500 Gross receipts i?377 • 5° Cost of fertilizer and application 10.35 Net receipts 367 . 15 Gain per acre for Nitrate 176.95 The indicated gain amounts to a return of JK17.09 for every dollar expended for Nitrate of Soda. 10 p. c 15 " 20 " 25 '■ 15 " •5 " 600 $190. 20 190. 20 The experiments detailed in this pamphlet are all on a ^'^'^^ f°r working basis. In ever)- case the object was to force the ^^ _^ 51 o Z z crop to an early yield, and while the applications ot Nitrate of Soda seem large and are large in proportion to the actual Food for needs of the crops grown, at the same time the nature of — market-gardening requires free use of immediately available ^^ plant food, and the results show that such use is very prof- itable. Other crops than those enumerated w-ere experi- mented with, notably Carrots, Kale, Lima Beans, Melons, Rhubarb, Spinach, Strawberries, Endive and Kohl-Rabi. While the detail of results is not given, illustrations from actual photographs show the increased growth from the use of Nitrate of Soda. Late Spinach. .350 lbs. Nitrate of Soda to the acre, in 2 applications No Nitrate. Cantaloupes. A continuous and rapid growth in Cantaloupes is essen- tial to earliness and a good crop, and Nitrate of Soda under the proper conditions and with proper care, will yield just such results. A dressing of Nitrate of Soda alongside the rows in cultivating, in addition to the general fertilizer used, has been most successful. A general fertilizer ma\- be made up as follows: Nitrate of Soda ^^^ „^^ Dried Blood or Cotton-Seed Meal 400 lbs Superphosphate, 14 per cent. . 500 lbs Sulphate of Potash 200 Ibs^ Food for Plants Hints for Right Use of Nitrate. The points to be observed in the use of Nitrate of Soda 33 are: Avoid an excess; make frequent small applications rather than single large ones; avoid wetting the foliage with solutions of it; do not sprinkle the wet foliage with dry Nitrate; and in general Nitrate must not be allowed to come in contact with the stems or leaves of plants. Nitrate of Soda is a Nitrated ammoniate, and is immediately available as plant food. The fertilizer suggested above may be applied at the rate of 1,500 pounds per acre. Subsequent applications of Nitrate of Soda may be made at the rate of 100 pounds per acre at intervals of two or three weeks during the growing season. Apply the Nitrate well mixed with fine dry soil at the rate of I ounce, to J ounce per hill. The general fertilizer may be economized somewhat by using a handful in each hill rather than bA' making a general application. The Medical Record for July had an article on "Typhoid Fever from Sources Other than Water Supply," the point of which was that infection from the soil was more common than most physicians supposed. The germ may he in vegetables, in dust blown by the wind, and flies are active agents in carrying it about. The writer warns those who have the care of the sick never to bury the excreta of patients. It is the surest way, he says, of "perpetuating the disease in any locality, keeping it alive for years and causing it to become epidemic." He observes that "there is good evidence that the typhoid bacillus grows to the surface in a mixture of soil and fecal matter, like a fungus in a hot-bed, so that burial is no protection whatever against its spread." Unfortunately, in almost every town or village there are physicians who ignorantly insist on burying typhoid material in the earth as the best way to dispose of it. Chemical fertilizer should always be used by market gardeners. Food for Always use Chemical Fertilizers for all Market Garden ^^^° *' Purposes Without Fail. 54 How to Use Chemical Fertilizers to Advantage. Crops grow only in consequence of the How All Crops ^^J ^j^^^^ ^^ ^^^-^ disposal; practically, °^' the food plants consist of certain combina- tions or mixtures of ammonia, phosphoric acid and potash. Not any one, nor any two, but all three. All soils contain some of these plant foods, and few soils contain them in very large quantities. Fortunately for the permanence of agri- culture, nature does not permit these natural supplies to be drawn upon freely, and any attempt to overforce the soil by injudicious farming is met by a temporary exhaustion. The so-called "artificial manures"are simplv As to t e a- chemical or organic substances which cou- ture of Chemi- ^^.^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^j^^ ^j^^.^^ elements of cal Manures. ^^^^^ ^^^^ The use of Nitrate of Soda is well known Nitrate as a ^^ ^ top-dressing for small grains. Wheat Top-Dressing ^j^ sj-^Qng ^lay will repay an application of for Grains, jqq pounds of Nitrate per acre, even if Grasses, Root- already heavily manured. Crops, Pas- p^j. ;^oots lOO pounds at seed time and tures, Soiling jqq pounds after thinning is found profit- Crops, able The form of ammoniate most active as °^ plant food is the Nitrated form, namely: Increases Nitrate of Soda. All other ammoniates ea rops. must be converted into this form before they can be used as food by plants. Sir John Lawes wisely remarks: "When we consider that the application of a few pounds of ammonia (Nitrogen) in Nitrate of Soda to a soil which contains several thousand pounds of ammonia in its organic form, is capable of increasing the crop from 14 to 40, or even 50 bushels of wheat per acre, I think it must be apparent to all that we have very convincing evidence of ^°°^ *<"■ value of Nitrate." The ammonia of Nitrate of Soda, Nitrated ^°*^ ammonia, it may be called for convenience, is immediately 55 available as plant food, and it should therefore only be applied until plants are ready to use it. By such a ready supply of available ammoniate plant food, young plants are able to establish such a vigor of grovs^th that they can much better resist disease, and the attacks of insects and parasites. The famous experiments of Lawes and Gilbert at Rothamsted have demonstrated that witrate Com- cereals utilize more than three times as _. „•.- 1 r I TVT- • TVT- r a 1 pateO With much or the JNitrogen m JNitrate oi boda Farmvard Ma- as of the Nitrogen (ammonia) contained m larmyard manure; m practice, tour and one-half tons of farmyard manure supply only as much available ammoniate usable plant food as lOo pounds of Nitrate of Soda. Wheat. From loo to 200 pounds of Nitrate of -nru--* t?—..-; cj LijuLj J Wheat Expen- hoda per acre should be broadcasted on . - t? , 1^ , 11- ments m Jing- wheat, as soon as the new growth shows in , - the spring. The results of such treatment are shown by experiments made by three English gentlemen, which are tabulated as follows: 1. No Nitrate, 23 bu. 300 lbs. Nitrate, 33.5 bu. Gain 46 p. ct. II. " 15 " 300 " " 28.0 " " 87 " III. " 34 " 300 " " 49.0 " " 44 Average " 59 Another illustration is an experiment Co+ton-seed made by the late Dr. Voelcker; 672 pounds ^^^^ Compared of cotton-seed meal were used in compari- ... -Krifjcttp. son with 275 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, with the result that the latter gave a return of 46.75 bushels per acre, a gain over the cotton-seed meal of nearly 2/}. per cent., the above enormous application of cotton-seed meal yielding but 37.7 bushels per acre. Oats. An authenticated experiment made by Mr. P. Dickson, of Barnhill, Laurencekirk, N. B., gave a return from the use of 1 12 pounds of Nitrate of Soda of 64 bushels per acre, Food for while the soil without Nitrate gave a crop of only 36 bushels. ^'^°*^ Top-dressings for oats should average 100 pounds to the acre. 56 It should always be applied some ten days after the young plants have broken ground. Barley. In an experiment at Woburn, made for the Royal Agri- cultural Society of England, by the late Dr. Voelcker, the following results were obtained: Mineral manures and sulphate ammonia 36-75 bushels per acre. Nitrate 275 lbs. and minerals 42 . 50 bushels per acre. Gain for Nitrate, 16 per cent. The ammonia salt and the Nitrate used contained the same amount of ammoniate plant food. Compared with cotton-seed meal, 124 pounds of Nitrate of Soda gave 49.5 bushels barley per acre as compared to 37 bushels from 1,000 pounds cotton-seed meal applied the previous year. Gain for Nitrate 33.7 per acre. Mangolds. Nitrate of Soda pays well for roots if applied at the rate of from 150 to 200 pounds per acre. Use in two applica- tions about ten days apart, the first not earlier than July. The Essex Agricultural Society found by experiment that 12 tons of farmyard manure and 300 pounds superphosphate gave a crof of nearly ten and one-half tons per acre, but when 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda were .^. . added, the yield was increased to over ic Directions. --m r 1 1 tons, i he season was very unfavorable. Three hundred pounds per acre of Nitrate is recommended. Turnips and Swedes. Nitrate is applied for this crop quite in the same manner as for mangolds. Dr. Macadam reported to the Arbroath Farmers' Club a gain of 37 per cent, in yield from the use of 336 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre. An experiment conducted by Dr. Munro, of Downtown Increased Yield. Agricultural College, Salisbury, gave a return of nearly twenty and one-half tons per acre, from an application of 600 pounds of Nitrate per acre, supplemented by phosphoric acid and potash. The Nitrate was used in three applications. An application of ^°°^ *°' 300 pounds of Nitrate resulted in a yield of thirteen and _^i one-third tons per acre. 57 Catch-crops are recommended to pre- Catch-Crops, vent losses of available plant food after crops are removed. Rape, Italian rye grass, Rye, Thousand- headed kale and clovers are suitable. All these should be top-dressed with from 100 to 200 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda, depending upon the exhaustion of the soil. In the remarks on the use of Nitrate in this sketch, we have taken it for granted that our readers fully understand that Nitrate alone is not a complete plant food. In all cases where Nitrate has been recommended, phosphoric acid and potash are to be used, unless the soil contains ample supplies of both. W^heat and Oats, Rye and Barley. (Bulletin 44, Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station.) This bulletin gives in detail the results of experiments on wheat with fertilizers, in which Nitrate of Soda is com- pared with cotton-seed meal; in all cases the plots were liberally supplied with phosphoric acid and potash. The average yield of four plots in each instance amounted per acre to 49.4 bushels for Nitrate of Soda, jf^ij-gig ^^^ and 40.1 bushels for cotton-seed meal, a cotton-seed gain for Nitrate of Soda of over 23 per cent, j^^^j ^^^ A similar experiment with oats gave a re- ^^ ^^^^^ turn or 00 bushels for Nitrate or boda and only 42 bushels for cotton-seed meal, a gain for Nitrate of nearly 43 per cent. The Bulletin recommends, even when cotton-seed meal is used in the complete fertilizer, to employ Nitrate of Soda as a top-dressing in the spring. Three hundred pounds per acre more Wheat, Oats, Rye or Barley may be raised for each 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda used as a top-dressing on the soil. Frequent trials at Agricultural Experiment Stations the world over fully prove this to be so. Barley, This crop does best on a strong clay loam, but the soil must not be rich in organic matter. Soils naturally rich in Food for ammoniates are unfavorable, as one of the most important plants pQJj^jg jjj high-grade barley is a complete maturity of the 58 grain. With soils rich in vegetable matter, the supply of the only digestible ammoniate or vphat is exactly the same thing. Nitrated ammonia as Nitrates, continues so late in the season that maturity is retarded seriously. About 400 pounds per acre of fertilizer should be applied broadcast before seeding. As soon as the grain is "up," top-dress with 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre. If the soil is very rich, apply 100 pounds of Nitrate. Buckrwheat. This crop does well on almost all kinds of soil, but should follow a grain or hoed crop — that is, a clean cultiva- tion crop. On thin soils use about 400 pounds of fertilizer to the acre, applied just before seeding, or even with the seed. Heavy soils do not require fertilizing for this crop, as it has exceptional foraging powers, and will find nourish- ment where many grain crops will starve. As soon as the plants are well above ground, apply a top-dressing of 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre, both on strong and light soils. Use one bushel of seed per acre on thin soils, but a heavier application oh richer soils. Oats. This grain does well on nearly all types of soil, but responds freely to good treatment. There is a vast differ- ence in the quality of oats when grown on poor or rich soils. Perhaps no other crop so effectually conceals impoverish- ment; at the same time the feeding value of oats grown on poor soil is very low. In the North oats are sown in the spring, and usually after corn or a turned down clover sod. In such cases the crop is rarely ever given fertilizer, but shows an excellent return for a top-dressing of 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre. The crop has strong foraging powers, and will find available mineral plant food where a wheat crop would utterly fail. On soils pretty badly ex- hausted, an application of 500 pounds of fertilizer will yield a profitable return, provided the top-dressing of Nitrate is not omitted. Under any condition of soil or HIGHLAND EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS. 200 ibs. Bone Dust and eight loads of Stable Manure per acre. Yield, 30 bushels per acre. 1,000 lbs. Lime, 400 Ibs. Acid Rock, 200 lbs. Muriate of Potash and 100 lbs. Nitrate of Soda per acre. Yield, 60 bushels per acre. fertilizing, a sickl\- green color of the ^oung crop shows need ot Nitrate of Soda plant food, and the remedy is a top dressing ot Nitrate. In seeding, use two or three bushels to the acre. Formulas for Oats: For One Acre. Acid phosphate (at sowing time) loo lbs. Muriate of potash Cat sowing time}. ... loo Nitrate of Soda (in the spring) loo " Ideal Formula for Oats. 400 Ibs. 59 Rye. i his IS another illustration ot the necessity ot care in the use of fertilizer Nitrogen (^ammoniatej. Rye does best on lighter soils so long as they are not too sandy, but if the soil is rich in vegetable matter, or if a fertilizer is used containing much organic ammoniate, the grain ^'ield will be disappointing; the crop fails to mature m season because the Nitration of organic matter is greatest during the warm days of midsummer, and a constant supply of available Food for Plants 60 Nitrate is being furnished at a time when the crop should commence to mature. The crop needs Nitrated ammonia, but it should have been supplied during the earlier stages of growth. Use at first a fertilizer, 500 pounds per acre. Top Dress as soon as the crop shows growth in the Spring with 100 pounds of Nitrate of Sodd to the acre, broadcast. Wheat. The soil for this grain, fall planting, ranges from a clay loam to a moderate sandy loam. For spring wheat, moist peaty soils are used. Wheat is usually grown in rotation, in which case it nearly always follows corn, or a clean culture crop. The nature of cultivation is too well known to require mention here. Both spring and winter wheat are commonly fertilized crops, particularly the latter. The average fer- tilizer for wheat should contain Ammonia (Nitrogen), phos- phoric acid and potash. This fertilizer is applied with the seed, and at the rate of 500 pounds to the acre. Nitrate of Soda is also applied as a top-dressing as soon as the crop shows green in the spring, broadcast, at the rate of 100 pounds per acre. Like all grains, wheat should have its ammoniate plant food early, and in the highly available, easily digested Nitrated form, such as is only to be found commercially as Nitrate of Soda. The plant food needs of a crop of 30 bushels of wheat per acre amounts to about 70 pounds of ammonia, 24 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 30 pounds of potash; this includes the straw, chaff and stubble. One hundred pounds of Nitrate of Soda supply about 20 pounds of Nitrated ammonia, so that the quantity mentioned for top-dressing is a minimum quantity. Much has been said of legume ammonia for wheat, the crop being generally grown in rota- tion. Whatever ammonia the clover may have gathered, a crop oi timothy and a crop of corn must be supplied before ^°°'^ ^°^ 11 • • 1 1 T 1 Plants the wheat rotation is reached, in many cases, simply top dressing with the Nitrate will be found effectual. In all *^' cases where the acre yields have fallen off, top-dressing of Nitrate of Soda should be applied. Professor Maercker states that Nitrate of Soda for wheat is absolutely necessary under the conditions in Ger- many, and that lOO pounds of Nitrate of Soda produces 300 to 400 pounds of grain and a corresponding amount of straw. An Ideal Fertilizer Formula for Wheat. Acid phosphate (at sowing time) 300 lbs. Muriate of potash (at sowing time) 100 Tankage (at sowing time) 100 Nitrate of Soda (in the Spring) 100 " Per acre 600 lbs. FERTILIZERS FOR FRUITS. (Bulletin 66, Hatch Experiment Station.) Lack of Nitrogen in the soil is detrimental to the size and quality ot the fruit. The cheapest and most available Ammoniate is Ni- trate of Soda. A few cents worth applied to each tree will give the largest possible yield of choicest fruit,returning many times its cost. Fertilizers for the Apple: The results show the most improvement where Nitrate „., . r o j r n ^ i- 1 T- 1 Nitrate of Soda ot Soda was applied. i*or apple trees in . , ^^. . . ^^ . on Apples. grass the following fertilizer is recom- mended: Nitrate of Soda i to 5 pounds, Sulphate of potash I to 5 pounds, S. C. phosphate rock 4 to 10 pounds; the quantity used to be varied according to the size of the tree. Fertilizers for the Peach: The fertilizer „ , upi o p n p c recommended, depending upon the size of ,the trees, is substantially the same as for apples, except that Food for the phosphate rock is reduced one-half for the earUer stages Plants Qf growth, remaining the same as for apples in the later 62 stages. Nitrate of Soda should not be applied until just as the trees are beginning to grow. ^ ^ . Fertilizers for other Fruits : For all Nitrate of Soda ^^^^^^-^^ f^^^^ ^^ ^ell ^, shrubs and for Fruits plants, the fertilizer used should be largely Generally. available in the early part of the season, as a preventive to winter injuries. Nitrate of Soda is the most desirable form of ammoniate. 300 lbs. Nitrate. General Fruit ^^^ ^^^_ ^^.jj Phosphate. Formula per Acre, ^qq lbs. Sulphate of Potash. The rational fertilization of fruit trees depends somewhat upon their period of growth; young trees need ample sup- plies of Nitrate and potash to develop and ripen new wood. Later, at the bearing age, phosphoric acid and Nitrate is , required for the formation of fruiting buds. These two phases in the making of an orchard should have due con- sideration and plant food used accordingly. How Nitrate Benefits the Farmer. inT-v, f w+ f Nitrate of Soda, from the standpoint of T , T -1 Ti the Agricultural chemist, is a substance Looks Like ; Its ^ » , , . r ■ ■ • 1 j _, . , formed by the union of nitric acid and Chemical .. • , t • 11 T, .. sodium oxide. In appearance it resembles Properties. .*^^ coarse salt. In agriculture and the arts, it is valuable chiefly for the active Nitrogen (commercially it is an ammoniate package) contained in the Nitrate of the com- pound; the Soda acts as a carrier of Nitrogen in a combina- ... tion that can be handled. When pure it a 1 is in contains 16.47 pounds of Nitrogen per 100 Agriculture. pounds of Nitrate of Soda, that is, 16.47 per cent. Nitrogen. Commercially pure Nitrate contains about 15.75 °f Nitrogen, equivalent to 19 per cent, of Ammonia, or 380 pounds to the ton. Nitrate of Soda is found mixed with . . ^°°^ ^°' earth in the arid section of northern ChiH. J^^^^ '* '^ Plants_ It is extracted by means of hot' water, in °^^ ' ^3 which Nitrate is soluble. The enormous explosive industry of this country could not be conducted without j. yj Nitrate of Soda, and glass works are dependent upon it. In fact, glass works and powder works usually have Nitrate on hand. Nitrate of Soda has a special bearing j. pQgitjQj, on the progress of modern agriculture; in • -./r j ,-r^,°.., °.. ^' in Modern the hrst place it is the most nutritious form Apriculture of Nitrogenous or ammoniate plant food, and secondly it is a very important factor in the manufacture of sulphuric acid and acid phosphate. While the action of micro-organisms with certain crops (legume) combines and makes effective use of the inert Nitrogen of the atmosphere^ such action is far too slow and uncertain for all the require- ments of modern agriculture. The rapid exhaustion of combined Nitrogen has several times been noticed by emi- nent scientific men, with reference to food famine, because of a lack of the needful Nitrogenous plant food. It has been estimated under the present methods Wasteful Methods of cropping the rich lands of our Western ^ ^^^ pioneer States, that for every pound of Nitrogen -^armst^ actually used to make a wheat crop, four to five pounds are utterly wasted. In other words, our pioneer agriculture has proceeded as though Fertility Capital could be drawn upon forever. This injudicious waste is already reducing the yield of many of the best lands, rendering the use of loo pounds of Nitrate per acre both profitable and necessary. The agricultural value of Nitrate of Soda . . has had the attention of the foremost agri- ''!''* .f"^"," cultural and scientific specialists of the ^'*' *^^ ^orld world, including such men as Dr. Paul Over Well Ac- Wagner and Professor Maercker, of Ger- quamted with the many; Lawes and Gilbert, Sir William Great Value of Crookes, Dr. Dyer and Dr. Voelcker, in J^^^'^t^- England; Professors Erandeau, Cassarini, Migneaux, and Cadoretjin France; Professors Bernardo, Giner and Alino,in Spain; and Drs. Voorhees, Wheeler, Kilgore, Brooks, Dug- gar, Stubbs, Ross, Patterson, Hilgard and Shaw, in America. Food for The results obtained by these officials may be summarized ^'^°*^ as follows: 64 I. Nitrate of Soda acts very beneficially and with great certainty upon all straw-growing plants. 2. It is of special value for forcing the rapid develop- ment and early maturity of most garden crops. 3. It is of great importance in the production of sugar beets, potatoes, hops, fodder crops, fibre plants, and tobacco. 4. It is exceedingly valuable in developing and main- taining meadow grass and pasture lands. 5. In the early stages of development it produces favorable results upon peas, vetches, lupines, clover, and alfalfa. 6. It has been applied with much advantage to various kinds of berries, bush fruits, vineyards, orchards and nursery stock, and small fruits generally. 7. It provides the means in the hands of the farmer, for stimulating his' crops so that they may better withstand the ravages of drought, or the onslaughts of plant diseases or insect pests, such as boll weevil, etc. „ -J . 8. It may be used as a surface applica- tion to the soil, from time to time, as the plants indicate a need of it by their color and growth. 9. It is immediately available, and under favorable conditions its effect upon many crops may be noticed within a few days after its application. 10. It may be used either as a special fertilizer, as a supplemental fertilizer, or as a mixed fertilizer, in combina- tion with other fertilizer ingredients. 11. The best results are obtained from its application when the soil has been treated with ample supplies of avail- able phosphoric acid and potash, or where these are already present in ample quantities in the soil. It should always be remembered that it furnishes but one element of plant food, namely. Nitrogen, but this is the most expensive element of the three essential ingredients; and of the various .commercial forms of Nitrogen (ammoniates) Nitrate is the cheapest. 12. Its uniform action seems to be to energize the capacity of the plant for developing foliage and growth. Its action is characterized by imparting to the plant a deep green, healthy appearance, and by causing it to grow rapidly and to put out numbers of new shoots. 13- The immediate effect of an application of Nitrate F°°<^ ^°^ of Soda, therefore, is to develop a much larger plant growth, ^° and the skillful application of phosphates and potashes ^5 must be relied upon to act in combination with this effect, to secure the largest yields of fruits and grain. 14. Under favorable conditions of moisture and culti- vation, these effects may be confidently anticipated upon all kinds of soils. 15. All of the plant food contained in Nitrate of Soda is available and existing in a highly soluble form. The farmer should understand that it is not economical to apply more of it than can be utilized by the growing crop; one of the most valuable qualities of this fertilizer being that it does not lie dormant in the soil from one season to the next. 16. The best results are secured when it is applied during the early growing periods of the plant. // applied later in the development of the plant, it has a tendency to protract its growing period and to delay the ripening of the fruit, as the energies of the plant are immediately concen- trated upon developing its growth, after a liberal application of Nitrate of Soda. 17. The farmer must not expect it to excuse him from applying proper principles of land drainage, or cultivation of the soil, nor should Nitrate of Soda be used in excessive quantities too close to the plants that are fertilized with it. For most agricultural crops, an application of 100 pounds to the acre is sufficient when it is used alone. 18. It may be applied to either agricultural or garden lands in the form of a solution in water, or by sowing it broadcast upon the land, or by means of any fertilizer- distributing machine in use. If applied in the dry state, in order to insure uniform distribution, a convenient method is to mix it with twice its weight of air-slacked lime, land plaster, phosphates, or even with dry sand, before applying it. It can be applied to the surface, and without cultivation will be absorbed by the soil, or it may be cultivated into the soil by some light agricultural implement, such as a harrow, weeder, cultivator or horse hoe. The capillary movement of the soil waters will distribute it in the soil. Accepting the conclusions of these scientific men, the use of Nitrate of Soda in agriculture ought to be increased proportionate to the dissemination of the knowledge of its 66 Food for usefulness among our farmers. We ought to expect espec- PJ^P^s j^jly ^j^ increase in the consumption of Its Use Ought Nitrate among growers of tobacco, fibre to Increase. plants, sugar beets, the hop, grape, grass and small fruits. The element of plant food first exhausted in soils is Nitrogen, and in many cases a marked increase in crop is obtained through Top-Dressings of Nitrate alone. "Complete" fertilizers are generally rather low in ammo- niates and Nitrate may be wisely used to supplement them. As it is practically the cheapest form of plant food ammonia, its use in complete fertilizers promises to increase still further. Nitrate of Soda Niter in Fertilizing, (Bulletin 24, California State Mining Bureau, May, 1902.) By Dr. Gilbert E. Bailey. All plants require light, air, heat, water, cultivation, and a fertile soil. Every crop removes from the soil a portion of the plant-food contained therein, and continuous crop- ping will, in time, exhaust the richest soil, unless the nutri- tive elements are restored; therefore, the truly economical farmer will feed the growing plant or tree with a generous hand. The literature on this subject is so scattered as to be difficult of access to the general reader, and the follow- ing notes are added in order to give some general idea of the value of Nitrate of Soda in fertilizing. The most important materials used to supply Nitrogen, in the composition of commercial fertilizers are Nitrate of Soda and sulphate of ammonia. Nitrate of Soda is par- ticularly adapted for Top -Dressing during the growing season, and is the quickest acting of all the Nitrogenous fertilizers. Dried blood, tankage, azotine, fish scrap, castor pomace,, and cotton-seed meal represent fertilizers where the Nitro- gen is only slowly available, and they must be applied in the fall so as to be decomposed and available for the follow- ing season. Nitrogen in the form of Nitrate of Soda is at once available during the growing and fruiting season, possessing, therefore, a decided advantage over all other Nitrogen plant-foods. The following list of materials used as a source of Nitro- gen, in making commercial fertilizers, shows the percentage of Nitrogen in each : Per cent. Nitrogen. Nitrate of Soda 15 to 16 Sulphate of ammonia 19 to 22 Dried blood 10 to 14 Tankage 5 * to 12 Dried fish scrap 9 to II Cotton-seed meal 6 to 7 Castor pomace 5 to 6 Tobacco stems 2 to 3 Bone meal 2 to 4 Peruvian guano 6 to 10 Nitrate of potash , 13 to 14 Manures 0.3 to 1.6 The following table shows the number of pounds of Nitrogen removed in one year from one acre by the crop specified : Food for Plants 6^ 35 30 40 60 50 3° 200 Wheat Rye Barley Oats Corn Buckwheat Potatoes Sugar beets Mangel-wurzel Meadow hay Timothy Green corn Red clover Lucern Sugar-cane Sorghum Cotton 750 Hops 600 Tobacco 1 ,600 Crop. bushels, bushels, bushels, bushels, bushels, bushels, bushels. 15^ tons. 22 tons. 2^ tons, dry. 83 2 tons, dry. 89 II J tons. 85 2 tons, dry.. 105 tons. 113 tons. 153 tons. 121 lbs., seed. 26 lbs., seed. 84 Nitrogen; 59 51 46 55 67 35 46 69 150 8 20 15 Grapes Cabbage. . . Cucumbers . Onions. ... Oranges lbs. tons. tons. tons. II J tons. 10 tons. 2 31 25 89 32 150 86 72 24 bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. bs. Food for Jhe following table shows the quantity of fertilizer Plants desirable for one acre, with the percentage of Nitrogen in it. The quantities given are for the average soil, under average conditions, the character and amounts of other plant-foods in the fertilizer not being considered here: 68 Artichokes . . . Asparagus . . . Barley. Beans Beets, garden Beets, sugar. . Benne Blackberry. .. Buckwheat. . . Cabbage Cane, sugar. . Carrots Cassava Celery Corn Cotton Cranberry. . . Cucumbers . . Currants Egg-plant . . . . Flax Hemp Hops Horseradish. . Lettuce Melons Fertilizer Nitrogen Nitrate of in Soda. pounds. Per acre. Per cent. 500 lbs. 18 500 22.5 300 5 100 14 200 12 300 60 200 27-5 300 19-5 100 9.0 500 60.0 300 22.5 300 15.0 300 9.0 700 28.0 150 13-75 100 18.0 200 12.0 500 36.0 300 16.5 400 80.0 200 12.0 200 44.00 400 30.00 300 24 300 50.0 300 36.0 Mint Mustard Oats Onions Oranges Peas Pineapples Potatoes, Irish. Potatoes, sweet Radishes Ramie Rape Raspberry. . . . Rhubarb Rice Spinach Squash Strawberry. . . . Sunflower Tobacco Tomatoes Trees, general . Turnips Wheat Fertilizer Nitrate of Soda. Per acre. 700 lbs. 300 100 300 Per tree. 3 Per acre. 200 300 150 200 240 200 2,800 300 600 300 180 200 300 300 600 1,400 300 200 100 Nitrogen ■ in pounds. Per cent. 28 9 10 60 20 50 21 22 15 13 24 21 29 13-5 36.0 64.0 45.0 60.0 54.00 36.00 8.00 2-5 3 Chemical fertilizers are used freely by the fruit growers of California, and their use among the farmers is steadily increasing. One reason why they are not used more exten- sively is that they have to be imported from the East. It is also a fact that the total amount now used is only a small percentage of what should be employed. Every one will admit that the use of fertilizers in this State is small com- pared with their use in Germany, where they are employed more extensively than by any other nation; yet Dr. Maercker, the Director of the Government Agricultural Experiment ^°°^ ^°'^ Station at Halle, Germany, says: "Just think! the fertilizer ^'^°*^ consumption of potash alone in Germany must increase ^9 700 per cent, before the normal demands of the lands and farms are met and satisfied." Grass Growing for Profit. Timothy and related grasses feed heavily on Nitrogen; the\- are able to transform it completely into wholesome and digestible animal food. When full rations of plant food are present a good crop of grass will remove about the equivalent of the active fertilizer ingredients of 300 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, 200 pounds muriate of potash and 400 Clearing Land for Seeding. pounds of Thomas Phosphate Powder. These amounts are recommended to be applied per acre as top-dressing for grass lands; and if wood ashes are available 200 pounds per acre will be very beneficial in addition to the above. Grass lands get sour easily, especially when old, and when they do, one ton of lime per acre should be harrowed in before Food for seeding down anew. The seeding must be done b ^"^^^ September, and the above-mentioned ration should be "° as a top-dressing the following spring, as soon as the gi-ujo begms to show growth. If all the conditions are favorable from three to five tons of clean barn-cured hay, free from weeds, may reasonably he expected. When grass crops are heavy and run as high Types of Characteristic Rock Shatterinp; (ll. as 4^2" tons per acre field-cured, it is safe to allow 20 per cent, shrinkage in weight for seasoning and drying down to a barn-cured basis. Nitrate of Soda, the chief con- stituent of the prescribed ration, pushes the grass early and enables it to get ahead of all weeds, and the crop then feeds economically and fully on the other manurial con- stituents present in the fertilizer mentioned in the formula and present in the soil. When Nitrate costs about ^50.00 per ton and clean hay sells $16.00 per ton the financial results are very satisfactory. Nitrate can sometmies be used alone for a season or two and at very great profit, but a full grass ration is better in the long run for both the soil and crop. Gi-ncrallx spfaktna, 100 pounds of Nitrate, if used under proper conditions, will produce an increase of from 1 ,000 to 1,200 pounds of barn- cured, clean timothy ha\, the value of ivhich vjill average from S8.00 to $10.00. The cost of lOO pounds ot Nitrate is likely to average $2. 30 to S2.60. It pays xuell to use Nitrate liberally on grass lands. A reliable, heav\-Top-Dressincr formula for Grass Lands per acre: 300 lbs. Nitrate of Soda. 200 lbs. muriate of potash, or 1,000 pounds of wood ashes. 400 lbs. Thomas slag or Peruvian guano or acid phosphate. 900 lbs. Food for Plants 71 This illustration was made trom the photograph ot a field of Timoth\'. The portion on the left was not, that on the right U'aj, fertilized with Nitrate of Soda, 400 pounds to the acre. Every farmer is interested in getting the heaviest possible \'ield ot grass. Maldng Two Blades of Grass Grow Where One Blade Grew Before. Grass is a responsive crop and the part plai'ed by min- eral chemical fertilizers, as proven in Rhode Island, show the striking effect of Nitrate on \-ields and feeding quality. Since all the other t'ertilizers were alike for the three plats and had been for many years, and since the general character of the soil and the treatments the plats had received were uniform, any differences must be ascribed to the influ- ence of the varying quantities of Nitrate of Soda. These differences, so far as they are shown by the weights of the crops for four years are given in brief below: Food for Plants 72 Yield of Cured Hay Under Different Rates of Nitrogenous Fertilization. Yield ot Cured Hay. Average , , , ,. J 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, Yields Nitrate of Soda applied. j^j^^ ^^^^ H,s. Lbs. in Tons. None 5.075 4,000 3,290 2,950 1.9 150 lbs. per acre* 6,300 5,600 5,550 4,850 2.8 450 lbs. per acre* 6,913 8,200 9,390 8,200 4.1 *,^mount slightly reduced in 1901 and 1902. ,„, ^ ^^ These figures show a uniform, consist- What the j i j j ^ s *L : ent and marked advantage from the use of igures ow. ]\[ifrate Nitrogen; and the eifect of its absence is shown by the steady decline of the yields on the no-Nitrate plat from year to year. In each year the use of Rock before Blasting wifii One Ponnd of Fort\' Per Cent. Dsnamite. 150 pounds ot Nitrate gave mcreased )ields o\er the plat without Nitrogen, the gain varying from 1,200 to almost 2,300 pounds, an average gain of about seven-eighths of a ton ot hay. Three times this amount of Nitrate did not, of course, give three times as much ha\', but it so materiallv increased the yield as to show that it was all used to good advantage except, perhaps, in the second year. This was an exceptionally dry year and but one crop could be cut. The ad\"antage from the Xitrate showed strikingly in the production ot a rapid and luxurious earlv growth while moisture was still available. This supply of readily soluble food comes lust when it is most needed, since the natural change ot unavailable forms of Nitrogen in the soil to the soluble Nitrates proceeds very slowly during the cool, moist Food for Plants Same Rock Shattered by the Explosion of Dynamite. weather of spring. The full ration of Nitrogen, 450 pounds of Nitrate, more than doubled the yield of hay over that pro- duced on the no-Nitrate plat in 1900 and in the next two years it nearly tripled the yield. The average increase over the 150 pound plat was one and three-tenths tons and over the plat without Nitrogen was two and five-eighths tons. Effect on Quality of Hay. Almost as marked, and certainly more surprising and unexpected, was the effect of the Nitrate upon the quality of the hay produced. The hay from the plats during the first season was of such diverse character that different ton values How Nitrate Improves the Quality of the Hay. Food for had to be placed upon it in estimating the profit from the P'^°t^ use of fertilizers. That from the no-Nitrate plat, since it 74 contained so much clover at both cuttings, was considered worth only ^9.00 a ton; the first cutting on the small Nitro- gen ration was valued at ^12.00 and the second cuttmg at ^10.00; while ^16.00 and $12.00 were the values given to the first and second cuttings respectively on the plat receiving the full ration of Nitrate. But the reduction in the percentage of clover was not the only benefit to the quality of the hay. The Nitrate also decreased the proportion of red top as compared with the finer timothy. This tendency was noticed in the second year, when a count of the stalks on selected equal and typical areas showed 13 per cent, of timothy on the 150 pound plat, and 44 per cent, on the 450 pound plat. In the third year the percentages of timothy were 39 per cent, and 67 per cent., respectively, and in the fourth year the dilfer- ences were even more marked. Types ot C harartenstic Rock Shattering (2). Timothy is a irrnss which wil not tol An Alkaline . . , . • . , . i Soil Necessary ^ '-ate an acd sod, and it is probable that r p the hmmg gnen these plats m I097 ""^ not make them as "sweet" as would have been best for this crop. Now, when Nitrate of Soda is used by plants, more ot the nitric acid is used than of the soda and a certam portion ot the latter, which is an alkali, is How Nitrate Neutralizes Soil Acids and Sweetens the Soil. Plants 75 left to combine with other free acids of the soil. This, ^°°'^ ^^'^ Hke lime, neutralizes the acids and thus "sweetens" the soil for the timothy. Red top, on the contrary, does well on soils which are slightly acid, and so would have the advantage over timothy in a soil not perfectly sweet. With the assistance of the Soda set tree from the Nitrate, the timothy was more than Types of Characteristic Rock Shattering (3j. able to hold its own and thus to make what the market calls a finer, better hay; and since the market demands timothy and pays for it, the farmer who sells hay is wise if he meets the demand. Financial Profit from Use of Nitrate. How It Pays. Frequently more plant food is paid for and put on the land than the crop can possibly use, the excess being entirely thrown away, or, at best, saved to benefit some subsequent crop. 1 his was far from the case in these trials. Indeed, it was found by analysis of the hay that more potash was removed by the crops of the first two years than had been added in the muriate used, consequently the amount applied upon each plat was increased in 1901 and in 1902. 1 he Nitrogen requirement of the crops was found to be slightly less than was supplied in 450 pounds of Nitrate and the amount was ,^ Food for reduced to 400 pounds in 1901, and to 415 pounds in 1902. ^^^°*^ The Nitrate on the second plat was also reduced in propor- 76 tion. The phosphoric acid, however, was probably in considerable excess, since liming sets free phosphoric acid already in the soil and so lessens the apparent financial profit; but not to an excessive degree. Excess of Value of Hay Over Cost of Fertilizers. Nitrate of Soda jggg_ j9qq_ -^qq-j^ 1902. Average, applied. None ;g6.09 $i3-A2 $12.13 ^7-44 ;?9-77 150 lbs.* 14.34 20.37 23.97 16.52 18.80 450 lbs.*.. .. ... 19.62 30.40 40.70 32.74 30.86 * Slightly reduced in 1901 and 1902. Practical Conclusions. From these striking results it must be evident that grass land as well as tilled fields is greatly benefited by Nitrate, and that it would be to the advantage of most farmers to improve the fertility of their soils by growing good crops of grass, aided thereto by liberal fertilizing. ToB-Dressin? ^^^ application should be in the form Grass Lands. °^ aTop-Dressing, applied very early in the spring in order that the, first growth may find readily available material for its support and be carried through the season with no check from partial starvation. On land which shows any tendency to sournpss, a ton to the acre of slaked lime should be used every five or six years. This makes the land sweet and promotes the growth of grass plants of the best kinds. Lime should be sown upon the furrows and harrowed into the soil. Top-dressing with lime after seeding will not answer, and, in the case of very acid soils, the omission of lime at the proper time will necessitate re-seeding to secure a good stand of grass. Economical ^^^ ^^^ elements of fertility are essen- and Profitable ^^^^ ®° ^^^^ ordinarily complete fertilizers Practice. '"^y ^^ u^eA, Nitrate being used as a Top Dresser, though on some soils rich in phos- phoric acid or potash, one or both of these ingredients may be used in small quantity. This is particularly true of phos- phates after lime has been applied to the soil, since lime aids ^°°'^ ^°'' to set the phosphoric acid free from its natural insoluble ^° ^ combmations. '7 Grass seems to demand less phosphoric acid than was applied in the test; but it responds with increasing profit to applications of Nitrate of Soda up to 350 pounds to the acre when potash and phosphates are present. Whole Field, except Center, Fertilized with Fourteen Per Cent. Aci\ 1 > as U ed i ""'^^ ^^^ ^ Clark s success m Clark's Grass obtaining remarkably large yields of hay Cultivation ^'~'^ ^ number of years, an average of 9 tons of cured hay per acre for 1 1 years in suc- cession, has been heralded throughout the United States. He attributes his success largely to the liberal dressings of Nitrate of Soda vvrhich he invariably applies to his fields early in the spring, and which start the grass off with such a vigorous growth as to shade and crowd out all noxious weeds before they get fairly started and which result in a large crop of clean and high priced hay. r f 1 I^ *^ ^^^° known that many who have tested ow are u j^j^ methods have met with failure chiefly Tw" ^^^-A^-^ u because they neglected to supply the young ^ fi hi ^ n ^ grass plants with a sufficient amount of ro a e se readily available food for their use early in of Nitrate. *u- u-^- ^ jjj the spnng when it is most needed, and before the organic forms of Nitrogen, which exist in the soil only in an insoluble form and which cannot be utilized by the plants as food, until converted into soluble Nitrates by the action of bacteria in the soil. This does not occur to any great extent until the soil warms up to summer temperature when it is too late in the season to benefit the crops' early spring growth. It is important that we always bear in mind the fact that our only source of Nitrogen in the soil for all plants is the remnants of former crops (roots, stems, dead leaves, weeds, etc.) in different stages of decomposition, and that in the early spring there is always a scarcity of Nitrogen in the soil in an available form, for the reason that the most of that which was converted into soluble forms by the action of the soil bacteria during the warm summer months of the previous year was either utilized by the plants occupying the ground at that time or has been washed down below the reach of the roots of the young plants by the melting snow and the heavy rains of late winter and early spring. When we consider the fact that most plants require ^'^°^ *•"■ and take up about 75 per cent, of their total Nitrate Ammo- ^°^^ niate during the earlier stages of their growth and that Nitro- 79 gen is the element most largely entering into the building up of the life principle (or protoplasm) of all plants, it is plain that we cannot afford to jeopardize the chances of growing crops by having only an insufficient supply of immediately available Nitrogen when it is most needed. Tomatoes. Tomatoes are successfully grown on all soils, excepting very light sand or a very heavy clay; with irrigation, they may be grown profitably on light sandy soils. The soil must be plowed deeply, and thoroughly worked. It is generally best to buy plants from a reputable grower, unless the crop is planted on a large scale for canning, in which case plants are grown under special instructions of the cannery. The main feature in profitable tomato growing is to maintain a rapid, steady growth. The soil should be kept pulverized at the surface as a mulch, for the crop uses enormous quantities of water. The plants continue bear- ing until frost, hence the earlier fruiting commences the heavier the crop through simply having a longer period in bearing. Ten tons per acre is by no means an unusual yield, but plant food must be used with a free hand. The New Jefsey Experiment Station made an experi- ment with different forms of ammoniates on this crop, and the Nitrated ammoniate (Nitrate of Soda) not only pro- duced the largest crops, but also the' largest quantity of "early" tomatoes, and the lowest per cent, of culls. The yield was twelve per cent, greater than that from sulphate of ammonia, and sixty-eight per cent, greater than that from dried blood. As soon as the plants are well rooted, top- dress with 200 to 300 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre, worked into the soil about the plants. Farm-yard manure may be used on this crop when grown for canning, but the results are always doubtful, as a continued stretch of dry weather may injure the crop through drying out the soil by the large quantity of vegetable matter mixed with it. However rich the soil may be, or however freely chemical fertilizers may have been used, the top-dressing of Nitrate Food for ^iil be found to have increased the fruiting power of the ^'^°*^ plants, and to have also added to the flavor and color of ^ the fruit. Formula for Tomatoes: Nitrate of Soda (in two or more applications) 400 lbs. Superphosphate 4°° Sulphate of potash 100 Tobacco. The value of tobacco depends so much upon its grade, and the grade so much upon the soil and climate, as well as fertilization, that no general rules can be laid down in tobacco culture. Leaving out special tobaccos, such as Perique, the simplest classification of tobacco for the pur- poses of this bpok are as follows : Cigar. — ^Tobacco for cigar manufacture, grown chiefly in Connecticut and Wisconsin. Manufacturing. — Tobacco manufactured into plug tobacco, or the various forms for pipe smoking and cigarettes. All kinds of tobacco have the same general habits of growth, but the two classes mentioned have very diff"erent plant food requirements. Cigar tobaccos generally require a rather light soil; manufacturing tobaccos prefer heavy, fertile soils. In either case, the soil must be clean, deeply broken, and thoroughly pulverized. Fall plowing is always practiced on heavy lands, or lands new to tobacco culture. Tobacco may safely be grown on the same land year after year. The plant must be richly fertilized; it has thick, fleshy roots, and comparatively little foraging power — that is, ability to send out roots over an extensive tract of soil in search of plant food. The crop needs of plant food are about 170 pounds of ammonia per acre, 70 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 250 to 300 pounds of potash; on the basis of the chemical analysis of the whole crop. As phosphoric acid is apt to take insoluble and unavailable forms in the soil, the quantity is usually more than doubled. The fertilizers recommended for tobacco vary a great deal, but even with the phosphoric acid double the actual need, the ammonia in the fertilizer should exceed the phosphoric acid. Fertilizers for tobacco run from two to four per cent, ammonia, eight to nine per cent, available phosphoric acid. and six to eight per cent, potash, the latter always in the ^°°^ ^°'^ form of sulphate. This fertilizer is used in quantities per ^° ^ acre as low as 400 pounds, and as high as 3,000 pounds. ^' It should always be supplemented by a top-dressing of Nitrate of Soda, along the rows of young plants, ranging from 200 to 600 pounds per acre. Manufacturing tobaccos are particularly benefited by the. application of Nitrated ammoniates, of which class of fertilizer chemicals Nitrate of Soda alone is cheap enough for use as plant food. While the production of leaf may be enormously increased by abundant use of this Nitrated ammonia, the other plant food elements should also be used to secure a well matured crop. In the case of cigar tobaccos. Nitrated ammoniates should be used exclusively, as it is difficult to secure a thoroughly matured leaf unless the supply of digestible ammoniate is more or less under control, a condition not practicable with ordinary ammoniates. Should the crop at any time before mid-August take on a yellow, sickly color. Nitrate of Soda should be broadcasted at once, along the rows, and at the rate of 200 pounds per acre. If this broad- casting can be done just before a rain, the results will appear promptly. Tobacco growing is special farming, and should be carefully studied before starting in as a tobacco planter. For small plantations, the plants are best bought of a regular seedsman. The cultivation is always clean, and an earth mulch from two to three inches in depth should be main- tained — that is, the surface soil to that depth kept thor- oughly pulverized. Formula for Tobacco: Nitrate of Soda 300 lbs. Superphosphate 100 Sulphate of potash ("high grade") 100 " Sweet Potatoes. This crop prefers a soil lighter than Irish potatoes, but the preparation of the soil is much the same. It is an underground crop, and must not have to mine room for its roots. It should follow a clean cultivation crop, and be kept very clean itself. Too much ammoniate fertilizer 82 Food for interferes with the maturity of the crop, producing not only *** a large crop of useless vines, but also few marketable roots, and those of very poor keeping quality. On this account, the ammoniate plant food applied should not be of the ordinary kind which becomes slowly available, and continues to supply active Nitrated ammonia later in the season, thus delaying maturity to such extent that the crop is injured by coLd weather. Formula for Sweet Potatoes : Nitrate of Soda (after slips are rooted) Top-Dressing. . 200 lbs. Muriate of potash 100 " Superphosphate 200 " Sugar-Cane, This is a typical crop of the West Indies, but is also grown successfully in Louisiana and Florida. The Sand- wich Islands are also very successful for cane growing. The method of planting, by planting sections of cane, is pretty generally practiced in all sugar cane countries. The soil is generally selected for its natural fertility, but many cane lands fail simply because the humus, ammonia supplying substance, has been cropped out of the soil. The yields per acre are very high, often reaching 100 tons of green cane. With such heavy cropping, the plant food needs are naturally very high — nearly 400 pounds of ammonia (Nitro- gen) being actually required per acre. The fertilizer used contains ammonia, phosphoric acid and potash. An excess of phosphoric acid is apt to force an early maturity of the crop, especially if ammonia is lacking. Evidences of a too early maturity should be promptly treated with applications along the rows of 400 to 800 pounds of Nitrated ammoniate per acre — Nitrate of Soda. If the soil is very rich in organic matters, the crop will fail to mature properly, and while the yield of cane may be great, the actual sugar produced will be low. Ni- trated ammoniates have the advantage of furnishing ammonia when the plants need it most. If very rich soils must be used it is best to grow a forage crop on the soil one or two years before planting to cane. The proper care of stubble crops is largely a matter of fertilizing; if fertilizers are freely used, the life of the stubble will be greatly prolonged. This is ^°°^ ^°'" particularly Jtrue of the Nitrated ammoniates. As potash ^^^°^^ and phosphates are readily available their use has no restric- ^3 tions, but ordinary ammoniates cannot well be thoroughly worked into the soil, and they fail in a large measure to reach the crop. The Nitrated ammoniate, Nitrate of Soda, being soluble in water, at once acts effectively. Sugar Beets. Select, if'possible, a deep mellow loam, or even a sandy loam. The crop should follow a clean cultivation crop, such as corn, with deep fall plowing and cross plowing in the spring. With a hard subsoil a subsoil plow must be used, and used conscientiously. Work thoroughly into the soil at the last harrowing before seeding, 300 pounds of a fertilizer, consisting of 100 pounds high grade superphos- phate, 100 pounds fine ground bone and 100 pounds potash, and, see that the potash is m the form of sulphate, or Canada wood ashes. As soon as the plants have made two leaves, apply along the rows a top-dressing of 300 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre. As in the case of barley, sugar beets must be thoroughly matured, or the percentage of sugar will be low. Strawberries. This plant requires a moist soil, but not one water- logged at any time of the year. A light clay loam, or a sandy loam is preferable. There are several methods of cultivation, but the matted row is generally found more profitable than the plan of growing only in hills. While some growers claim that one year's crop is all that should be harvested before ploughing down for potatoes, as a mat- ter of fact the common practice is to keep the bed for at least two harvests. In selecting plants care should be exer- cised to see that pistillate plants are not kept too much by themselves, or the blossoms will prove barren. The crop is a heavy consumer of plant food, and the soil cannot be made too rich. Farmyard manure should never be used after the plants are set out, as the weed seeds contained therein will give much trouble, especially as the horse hoe Food for is Qf liftie use in the beds. Use from 400 to 800 pounds ^'^°*^ of phosphate, applied broadcast immediately after harvest; ^4 in the spring, as soon as the strawberry leaves show the bright, fresh green of new growth, and apply broadcast 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda to the acre. Soiling Crops. "Soiling" is rapidly becoming recognized as the most economical method of stock feeding; practically, soiling means keeping stock confined, and using green-cut food. It is now known to be much more economical than pastur- ing, not only that more stock can be kept per acre, but the feeding results are more profitable. The crops chiefly used are vetches, the clovers, rye, buckwheat, spurry, fodder corn, stock beets, cow peas, etc. A succession of crops should be grown, the earliest in most sections being crimson clover, sown the previous summer, and followed by red clover, corn, etc., and ending with cow peas and the vetches. The Silo is used to store green food for the winter months, fodder corn being most commonly used in the Silo. A rank growth of forage is required, and the maturity of the crop is not a consideration. The soil should be made very fertile and fertilizers used with a free hand. Farmers can easily test the value of heavy fertilizer appli- cations in soiling, by comparing different parts of the same field, differently fertilized. Apply per acre, just before, or even with the seed, from 400 to 800 pounds of phosphate, and as soon as the plants are well up, top-dress with Nitrate of Soda, using from 300 to 600 pounds per acre, and experi- ence will more often approve the 600 pound application than the 300. Top-dress in quite the same manner for second crops. It is a quick, rank growth of green substance that is wanted, and for this purpose no other form of ammo- nia is as quick acting as Nitrated ammoniate, or Nitrate of Soda. Small Fruits. Under this head we treat of blackberries, currants, gooseberries and raspberries. Strawberries have been treated separately in another part of this book. All these small fruits are commonly grown in the garden, generally under such conditions that systematic tillage is not practica- ^°°^ ^°^ ble. For this reason such plant food essentials as may exist ^°*^ naturally in the soil become available to the uses of the ^5 plants very slowly. This is as true of the decomposition of animal or vegetable ammoniates as of phosphates and potashes. Consequently, small fruits in the garden suffer from lacky of sufficient plant food. All these plants when planted in gardens are usually set in rows four feet apart, the plants about three feet apart in the rows; about 4,200 plants to an acre. In field culture, blackberries are usually set four feet apart each way. So far as possible, small fruits should be cultivated in the early spring, and all dead canes removed. Work into the soil along the rows from 300 to 600 pounds of phos- phate and potash; when the plants are in full leaf, broadcast along the rows from 200 to 400 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, and work in with a rake. If at any time before August the vines show a tendency to drop leaves, or stop growing, apply more Nitrate. Small fruits must have a steady, even growth; in most cases unsatisfactory results can be directly traced to irregular feeding of the plants. In field culture, the crop must be tilled quite the same as for corn; in the garden in very dry weather irrigation should be used if possible. The yield per acre is very heavy, and, of course, the plants must be given plant food in proportion. Greenhouse Plant Food. The use of rotted stable manure as a source of green- house plant food has been the custom for so many years that more effective forms of plant food make headway slowly; yet this rotted stable manure has many disadvan- tages. It always contains more or less weed seed as well as disease germs, and it supplies its plant food in available form very irregularly. Also, by fermentation it materially influences the temperature of the seed bed, a temperature we have no means of regulating. The ammonia it contains is not Nitrated, hence for forcing it cannot be safely relied upon. For greenhouse work, the fertilizer chemicals should be used, such as Nitrate of Soda, acid phosphate, and sulphate of potash. They should always be used in such proportions that lOO pounds of ammoniate Nitrogen are 86 Food for always accompanied by 30 pounds of phosphoric acid and ^'^°*^ 70 pounds of actual potash. The quantity to be applied should correspond to about three-fourths of an ounce of ammoniate Nitrogen per square yard of surface; that is, to each square yard of bench, use about 5 ounces of Nitrate of Soda, 3 ounces of acid phosphate and 2 ounces of sul- phate of potash. A mixture of these proportions may be dissolved in water and applied in small portions every few days, taking care, however, to cease applications with those plants it is desired to fully mature, as soon as the desired growth is made. Orange Groves. Satisfactory results have been obtained in Florida by fertilizing during the cold season. About two months before the period of growth begins, apply for each full grown tree, a mixture of 7 pounds of high-grade super- phosphate and 7 pounds of sulphate of potash, by working it in the soil; after which one pound of Nitrate of Soda may be sown on the surface. In order to accomplish this appli- cation economically, it is well to mix the Nitrate with two or three times the quantity of fine, dry soil before applying. The working of the soil must not be so deep or thorough as to start the growth of the tree. An excess of Nitrate is to be avoided, but the amount mentioned is not too much. All other ammoniates on the market must be converted into Nitrate by weathering and the action of the soil bac- teria before they can possibly be available for plant food. Nitrate of Soda is a pre-digested ammoniate, and while there is some danger of loss by leaching, this is easily avoided by the use of small and frequent applications. With sulphate of ammonia the danger is much greater, as it must be converted into Nitrate before it is available as food, and during this comparatively long process may all be lost by rains and leaching. Dried blood, cotton-seed meal and all other ammoniates, if used in such quantities as to afford an adequate supply of Nitrate, may cause die-back. No disease results from more than this, but the annual growth of leaves of fruit trees added to the fruit makes a total yearly consumption of the plant food essentials much greater than that of any grain crop. The early decay of orchards as well as failure to set fruit buds, is largely a matter of lack of plant food. ^°°^ ^°^ Orchards should have Nitrated ammoniates, applied early ^'^°^ in the season, as late supplies of ammonia are liable to cause ^7 a heavy setting of leaf buds at the expense of next years fruit. The ordinary ammoniates are not satisfactory for orchard work, as they continue to supply available ammonia all through the season; not enough in the early part of the year to properly set the fruit, hence severe dropping; too much late in the year vsrhen none is needed and which causes the formation of leaf rather than fruit buds. Apply per acre 300 to 600 pounds of a fertilizer high in phosphates and potash, and top-dress with 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda at blossoming or just after, followed by an additional Top- Dressing of 100 to 200 pounds per acre some four weeks later. The soil between the trees should be regularly tilled much as in corn growing. That it is not generally done is no argument against the value of such cultivation methods. Nursery Stock. The soil should be a moderately light loam, somewhat deep and thoroughly worked. It is an advantage if the soil has previously been in corn, or some other clean cultivation crop. Nursery stock should not be planted on turned- under clover stubble. A soil rich in ammoniates produces an overgrowth of wood, which fails to mature. This is caused by continued supplies of natural Nitrate up to the time of frost, and as a consequence new sap wood is con- tinually being formed, only to be killed back in winter. The ammonia in all low grade ammoniates is slowly Nitrated by the action of certain soil organisms, which continue at work so long as there are any ammoniates to work upon, or the soil not frozen. All through the season of growth, more or less Nitrated ammonia is being supplied, which acts to prevent the complete ripening of the summer's growth. This is a marked evil in growing nursery stock. The wood is not matured and is badly killed back by frost, causing serious disfigurement; also the young trees become too slender and suffer more in transplanting. Apply along the rows a fertilizer consisting of 200 pounds of acid phos- phate and 200 pounds of sulphate of potash, at the rate of 400 pounds per acre, and work well into the soil. When 88 Food for fhg young trees are in full leaf, apply in the same manner ^°*^ 300 to 400 pounds of Nitrate of Soda to the acre; and, four weeks later, repeat the Nitrate application, using 150 to 200 pounds. This will ensure a rapid growth early in the season with ample time for thorough maturing before cold weather. The Nitrate of Soda supplies only Nitrated ammonia, which is immediately available for the uses of the plant. Nursery stock must be constantly watched for evidences of disease, and prompt action taken when such are discovered. Melons. The remarks following upon the profitable fertilizing of melons, applies also to cucumbers, cantaloupes, squashes and similar crops. All these crops do best on a rather light loam, or if heavier soils must be used the drainage should be of the best. The method of growing these crops is too well known to require mention here. They should generally follow a clean culture crop, such as corn, as most of these plants cover the ground between rows so quickly that cultivation is limited to the first few weeks of growth. This is also an argument for a thorough preparation of the soil, deep plowing and deep working in preparing the hills. As soon as the plants are well started, work into the soil about the hills a few ounces of a Nitrated ammoniate (Nitrate of Soda), a quantity per hill corresponding to 250 to 350 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre. If at any time the hills should show a sickly yellow, apply Nitrate at once, however late in the season. Cucumbers, squashes and cantaloupes should be planted in hills 5 feet apart each way, watermelons in hills 10 feet apart each way. On very light soils, heavy rains are apt to leach out available plant food, a result soon followed by a yellowing of the stem of the plants. This is invariably a sign of a lack of Nitrated plant food. Level culture rather than ridges seems to be found more generally successful. Formula for Melons: Nitrate of Soda (in two or more applications) 800 lbs. Superphosphate 800 " Muriate of potash 200 " Potatoes. ^°°^ *°' Plants As is well known this crop must have a deep mellow ^7 ~ soil, inclining more to sand than clay. The soil must be fined to a considerable depth, and kept free of weeds through- out the growing season. The most successful growers use only commercial fertilizers, and the amounts applied per acre range from 200 pounds to 1,000 and even 2,000. The fertilizer used should be high in potash, and this potash should be of such form as to be free or nearly free of chlorine, such as sulphate of potash. Early potatoes have a short season of growth, and the Nitrating action in the soil is insufficient to keep up a high pressure of growth during the earlier weeks. For this crop Nitrate of Soda is indispensable, top-dressing along the rows as soon as the plants are well above the ground and at the rate of 200 pounds per acre. For fall potatoes, an application of 50 to 100 pounds of Nitrate will be sufficient. Heavy yields of potatoes can be secured only with good seed. Many of the most successful growers cold-storage their seed potatoes, that the vitality of the seed may not be reduced by freezing and thawing during winter. Seed should be cut to two or three "eyes," and only tubers of the best quality used. The rows should be about three feet apart, and the seed dropped fifteen inches apart in the rows. Formula for Potatoes: Amount of Fertilizer Used Per Acre. Nitrate of Soda 200 lbs. Muriate of potash lOO Superphosphate 300 Hops. A Record of Four Years' Experiments with Hops. The experiments were conducted at Golden Green, Hadlow, near Tunbridge, England, and under the super- vision of Dr. Bernard Dyer. Seven plots were arranged, all except No. 7 receiving equal and ample quantities of phosphoric acid and potash, but varying amounts of Nitrate of Soda, and (plot 7) thirty loads of stable manure. The fertilizing of the plots, and the average crop, kiln dried hops Tood for pej- acre, with the percentage of gain over the plot not ^*^°*^ treated with Nitrate, are shown in the following table: 90 / 3 ^_'J ■■• 00 23 67 " 39 75 " 41 58 " 49 58 " 49 25 " 5 Plot and Fertilizer. Kiln Dried Hops. Gain Per Cent. 1 No Nitrate 9 . 2 2cwt. NITRATE 12. 3 4 " " 13- 4 6 " '■ 13. 5 8 " " 14. 6 10 " " 14. 7 30 loads manure 10 . The results show a material gain in the crop from the use of Nitrate of Soda, but the applications on plots 5 and 6 are perhaps greater than will prove economical. The quality of the crop was given exhaustive examination, with the results that plots 2, 3, 4 and 7 graded all the same, and the highest. The quality on the other plots was not ma- terially different. As a result of the investigation. Dr. Dyer recommends Nitrate of Soda strongly for hop growing, but suggests early applications. Formula for Hops: Nitrate of Soda 600 lbs. Acid phosphate, 200 lbs., or Thomas slag 300 " Sulphate of potash, 100 lbs., or unleached wood ashes . . . 400 " Lime 100 " Com. The crop is especially adapted for making use of age of all sorts. It has a long season of growth and makes its heaviest demand for food late in the season when the conditions are such that soil Nitration is at its highest period of development. It is also a deep rooting crop and capable of drawing its food and water from great depths. It needs vast quan- tities of water, and the tillage must be very thorough that an even earth mulch may be practically con- tinuous. In the early spring it frequently starts off slowly, and on this account should have some help in the form of hill applications of highly available plant food. Sweet corn is quite a diflferent crop from field corn; it has a much shorter period of growth and should be fertilized much more heavily. The rough- Food for Plants 91 FERTILIZER PER VINE, OMITTING NITRATE NITROGEN. 3-5 oz. Muriate or Sulphate of Potash per vine, or 34 lbs. per acre. 2 oz. Acid Phosphate per vine, or 113 lbs. per acre. Food for object in this case is not a matured grain, and Nitrate of ^^^°*^ Soda should be used very liberally in the shape of top- 92 dressings. It is desirable with this crop to guard against a too early maturity, and consequently the available phos- phoric acid in the fertilizer should be kept low, not over 120 pounds per ton. Formula for Corn: Nitrate of Soda 200 lbs. Dry ground fish 200 Tankage 100 Acid phosphate 200 Muriate of potash 200 Grapes. Grape plantations should be located and planted by an expert, and one, too, who has experience with the locality *^^v.i^ jssa^^^^aj^ -A-VS-^sSL selected as >^^^X.-<^^W^^'''''^^a^J'M..<^^^ the site of the vine- yard. The treatment of the young plants is a matter of soil and climate, and for which there are no general rules. When the vines have reached bearing age, how- ► ever, their fertilization becomes a very important matter. The new wood must be thoroughly matured to bear next year's fruit, and an excess of ammoniate late in the season not only defeats this ob- ject, but also lessens the number of • fruit buds. Potash and phosphoric acid must be used freely, about 50 pounds I of potash and 60 pounds of available phos- phoric acid to the acre. This is not a crop for ordinary commercial fertilizers. The fertilizer suggested above should be applied in the spring, and at the Food for Plants 93 FERTILIZER PER VINE, WITH NITRATE xNITROGEN. 3-5 oz. Muriate or Sulphate of Potash per vine, or 34 lbs. per acre. 2 oz. Acid Phosphate per vine, or 113 lbs. per acre. 3 1-3 oz. Nitrate of Soda per vine, or 189 lbs. per acre. Food for same time broadcast along the rows Nitrate of Soda at the ^'^°^^ rate of 200 pounds per acre. If the plants lose color in spots 94 late in the season, work, into the soil about the vine an ounce or so of Nitrate, but this must not be done later than midsummer. Profitable Fertilization of Grapes. Summary of Experiments by Prof. Paul Wagner, Director of Darmstadt Agricultural Experiment Station, Darmstadt, Germany. Systematic fertilizer experiments with grapes have been conducted in' this country so rarely that we must seek in- formation in this line from foreign experimenters. The experiment detailed below was conducted by Professor Paul Wagner, of the Darmstadt Agricultural Experiment Station, Darmstadt, Germany. The vines were grown singly in pots. The fertilizer application in the two pots illustrated herewith were at the rate of 3.3 ounces of Nitrate of Soda, .6 of an ounce muriate of potash and 2 ounces acid phosphate per vine. At the rate of 907 vines per acre (vines 6 by 8 feet) this application is the equivalent of 189 pounds Nitrate of Soda, 113 pounds acid phosphate and 34 pounds muriate of potash per acre. The accompanying illustrations show the growth of vine and also the production of fruit from the two pots, and the excellent effect of Nitrate of Soda is unmistakably shown. The actual yields of fruit were: Per Acre. Potash and acid phosphate without Nitrate of Soda .... 1,024 lbs. Potash and acid phosphate with Nitrate of Soda 4,929 " A remarkable point in this experiment was data to show the growth of leaf and wood for each 100 pounds of grapes, as follows: Wood. Leaf. With Nitrate, for 100 lbs. grapes 47 lbs. 13 lbs. Without Nitrate, for 100 lbs. grapes 119 " 34 " The evidence tends to confirm the belief that insufficient or improperly balanced fertilizers produce wood and leaf growth often at the expense of the fruit; that is, the mer- chantable portion of the crop. In fertilizing grapes the phosphate and potash should be applied early in the spring, before the vines begin to grow; Nitrate of Soda should be Food for Plants 95 « L-i to CO O z u C O Food for applied just at the time the vines commence growth in the ^'^°^^ spring. A better plan perhaps is to apply the Nitrate in 96 two doses, one when the vines start growth in the spring, the second some time three weeks later. Lawns and Golf Links. Lawns and Golf Links. Good lawns are simply a matter of care and rational treatment. If the soil is very light, top-dress liberally with clay and work into the sand. In all cases the soil must be thoroughly fined and made smooth, as the seed, being very small, require a fine seed bed. In the South seed to Bermuda grass or Kentucky blue grass; in the North the latter is also a good lawn grass, but perhaps a little less desirable than Rhode Island bent grass (Agrostis canina). Avoid mixtures, as they give an irregularly colored lawn under stress of drouth or early frosts or maturity. For Rhode Island bent grass use 50 pounds of seed per acre, Kentucky blue grass 40 to 45 pounds, and for Bermuda grass 15 pounds.* If for any reason the soil cannot be properly prepared, pulverize the fertilizer very fine indeed. The grass should be mowed regularly and the clippings removed until nearly mid- summer when they are best left on the soil as a mulch. For a good lawn, broadcast per acre in the spring enough of a fertilizer to supply 100 pounds of actual potash and 50 pounds of available phosphoric acid; also, use at the same time and in the same manner a top-dressing of 300 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda. By the end of June repeat the Nitrate top-dressing, using only 100 pounds of the material. At any time through the growing season, yellow spots or lands should be given a light top-dressing of Nitrate, and thoroughly wet down if possible. Lawns are very different from field crops as they are not called upon to mature growth in the line of seed productions, and they may safely be given applications of Nitrate whenever the sickly green color of the grass appears, which shows that digestible or Nitrated ammonia is the plant food needed. These applications of plant food must be continued each year without fail, and all bare or partly bare spots well raked down and reseeded. If absolutely bare, these spots should be deeply spaded. On very heavy clay soils, and in low situations, a drainage system must be established. Food for Plants 97 Food for Plants How Money Crops Feed. 5^ TTT^i- X i-t. The substance of plants is largely water What the , . . r j cu \. *u ^ J T and variations of woody hber, yet these Food Is. . r 1 • T comprise no part oi what is commonly understood as plant food. More or less by accident was discovered the value of farmyard manures and general farm refuse and roughage as a means of increasing the growth of plants. In the course of time, the supply of these manures failed to equal the need, and it became necessary to search for other means of feeding plants. The steps in the search were many, covering years of careful investigation, and it is needless to go into a lengthy description here; but, as a result we have the established fact that the so-called food of plants consists of three different substances, Ammonia (Nitrogen), Potash and Phosphates. Its Principal These words are popular names, and Tj, .„ are used for the convenience of the general Elements, ... . ^ ^ i ° r i Nitrate Ammo- P"''^'^" . ^.' ^ ™^«^'^ °f ^^""h pl^nt-food nia, Phosphoric 2™™°"!^ '« .^^\ r^a ammonia, but am- Acid Potash rnonia combined with other elements, yet ' ' the valuable factor is always the ammoniate. Nitrate of Soda contains an amount equivalent to about nineteen per cent, of ammonia, or 380 pounds to the ton, and cotton-seed meal, for example, about nine per cent. ; as plant food more than two pounds of cotton-seed meal are necessary to furnish as much plant food as one pound of Nitrate of Soda. We value the plant food on the amount of ammoniate it contains, and on this account ammonia has become a popular standard name for this element of plant food. In like manner. Phosphoric Acid and Potash are standards, hence the importance of farmers and planters in familiarizing themselves with these expressions. We always think of fertilizers and manures as just so much Ammonia, Phosphoric Acid and Potash, as we can then at once com- pare the usefulness of all fertilizer materials. No doubt other substances are necessary for the proper development of crops, but soils so generally supply these in ample quan- tities that they may safely be neglected in a consideration of soil needs and plant foods. The food of plants may therefore be understood to mean simply. Ammonia, Phos- phoric Acid and Potash. Farmyard manure acts in promoting: wi,,. ir^^™ ^°°^ *°' 1 11 1 Ti 1 • Why Farm- plants plant growth almost wholly because it con- ^^^ Manure tains these three substances; green manur- ^^ Other ^^ ing is valuable for the same reason and products are largely for that only. Various refuse sub- y i„„i,ie stances, such as bone, wood ashes, etc., contain one or more of these plant food elements, and are valuable to the farmer and planter on that account. A number of crude chemicals contain Ammonia, or Potash, or Phosphoric Acid, or some two of these, or even all three of the plant food elements, and are valuable to agriculture accordingly. In fact, in whatever form, state or condition this plant food occurs, crops seem to be able to make a more or less ready use of it. However, the manufacturer, the farmer and the planter ... ^, must not overlook the fact that all three -., . r I 1 1 1 TVT Elements oi these elements are needed. JNo excess t j- t,i ^ r , Indispensable, or any one, nor oi any two, can make up for the deficiency of any one. To -illustrate, should a soil be given enough Phosphoric Acid and Potash for a crop of 8o bushels of corn per acre, but only enough Nitrate Ammonia for 40 bushels, the yield cannot go above 40 bushels. The chain is no stronger than its weakest link. The Quality of Manxires and Fertilizers. While plant food is always plant food, Tiitrate a like all other things it possesses the limita- Pre-diffested tion of quality. Quality in plant food means Ammoniate. the readiness with which plants can make use of it. In a large sense, this is dependent upon the solubility of the material containing the plant food — not merely solubility in water, but solubility in soil waters as well. Fertilizer substances freely soluble in water are generally of the highest quality, yet there are differences even in this. For example, Nitrate of Soda is freely soluble in soil liquids and water, and is the highest grade of plant food ammoniate; sulphate of ammonia is also soluble in water, but of distinctly lower quality because plants always use ammonia in the Nitrated form (the form in which it occurs in Nitrate of Soda), and the ammonia in sulphate of am- monia must be Nitrated before plants can make use of it. Food for Xhis is (jone in the soil by the action of certain organisms, ^'^°*^ Tw f i. 4 under favorable conditions. The weather ^°° T • i.1, must be suitable, the soil in a certain con- Losses in the ... 11-1 1 -111 U f O d" rv °'^i°"5 ^""> besides, there are considerable . . . losses of valuable substance in the natural Ammoniates. ., ,- tvt- • i • r> sou process of Nitrating the ammonia, oy unfavorable weather conditions, or very wet or acid soils. Nitration may be prevented until the season is too far advanced, hence there may be loss of timie, crop and money. T . ■ ■ Tr 1 The quality of ammoniates, such as Intrinsic Values ^ , ■' , i ■ , ^ i i • i i i ^ of Ammoniates '^otton-seed meal, dried hsh, dried blood, Based on tankage, etc., is limited by conditions some- Nitrate as the what similar to those influencing sulphate Standard °^ ammonia, except that the crude materials are not even soluble in water. With these substances, the loss of Nitrogen in its natural soil conversion into Nitrate is very great. Perfectly authentic experiments and made under official supervision, have shown that lOO pounds of ammonia- in these organic forms have only from one-half to three-fourths the manurial value of loo pounds of Nitrate Ammonia in its Nitrated form of Nitrate of Soda. Phosphates This matter of fertilizer quality is not Potashes ' confined to ammoniates. Potash also must be in soluble form, but as most agricultural potash is in the shape of potash salts, all of which are water soluble, the solubility of potash is not a problem in manur- ing. However, there are grades even in these salts. For some crops materials containing muriates are thought to be injurious, therefore potash in such forms as are free of chlorine or muriates are of higher grade than those containing chlorine. Special Functions of Plant Food. Unusual ^^ stated before, plants must have all Functions of three— Nitrate, Phosphates and Potash- Nitrate. °^ ^^? plant food elements, but notwith- standing this imperative need, each of the three elements has its special use. This may seem of little . importance if for mere growth all three must be used in any event. However, there are many cases in which considera- tions of the special functions of plant food elements become important. For example, a soil may be rich in organic ^ood i°^ ammonia from vegetable matter turned under as green ^°^ manure, and through a late wet spring fail to supply the loi available Nitrate in time to get the crop well started before the hot, dry summer season sets in. In this case the use of a Nitrate ammoniate alone in the highly available form, such as Nitrate of Soda, will force growth to the extent of fully establishing the crop against heat and moderate drouth. This method of manuring is simply Top-Dressing, familiar to us all, but which many of us do not fully understand. In like manner, if the soil is too rich in jj , . . , organic ammoniate, which during the sum- p. , . mer months rapidly becomes available, and as the fall approaches, the crop fails to show signs of manur- ing, liberal top-dressing of acid phosphate will hasten the maturity of the crop. All soils contain more or less plant food as a natural condition, but this plant food is rarely economically balanced for the uses of the farmer or planter. If crops show a tendency to lodge badly, potash is needed. In many ways, in fact, the special functions of the plant food elements are important, and should have the careful attention of those who have to deal with the plant food problem. There is no "royal road" to the under- standing of the fertilizer or manure questions; they must be "worked out." Nitrated ammonia as plant food seems c-g-ioi influ- to influence more especially the develop- ^^^^ ^^ Nitrate ment of stems, leaves, roots, etc., while the ^^ Edible Value formation of fruit buds is held in reserve; , piojit in fact, the growth of the framework of the plant. This action is of course a necessary preliminary to the maturity of the plant, and the broader the framework the greater the yield at maturity. The color of the foliage is deepened, indicating health and activity in the forces at work on the structure of the plant. Nitrates also show markedly in the economic value of the crop; the more freely Nitrates are given to plants the greater the relative proportion in the composition of the plant itself, and the most valuable part of all vegetable substance for food pur- poses at least, is that containing the greatest proportion of combined and modified ammonia. Food (for Potash as plant food seems to influence more particularly ^'^"^^ the development of the woody parts of stems and the pulp i°2 of fruits. It is also essential to the formation of sugar and TT Tvr-* * starch. The flavor and color of fruits is How Nitrate , ... u t r » *u;,. ^i^ jj^ gg also credited to potash. In tact, this ele- g J . , ment of plant food seems to supplement b^^PotasiT ^ *^^ action of Nitrogen by filling out the ^ ° ^^ ■ framework established by the latter. Potash with Nitrate is always an important fertilizer with special crops where the object is to produce sugar, starch, or other products usually more or less a result of the manufacture of agricultural produce. jT ™^-i ^ Phosphoric Acid as a plant food seems Mav B A'd d ^'^ influence more particularly the maturity \.,r r>i,^^«i,«,i„ of plants, and the production of seed or by Pnospnoric r ., ■ i i ■ -i ■ r • .J grain. It seems to aid the assimilation ot the other plant food elements. Its special use in practical agriculture is to help hasten the maturity of crops likely to be caught by an early fall, and to supple- ment green manuring where grain is to be grown. It seems to be used in excess in commercial fertilizers, because it is prone to take insoluble and therefore unavailable forms in the soil. The natural plant food of the soil comes from many sources, but chiefly from decaying vegetable matter and the weathering of the mineral matter of the soil. Both these Sources of processes are somewhat slow except under Natural Plant l^'Y favorable conditions, and both supply PqqiJ Potash and Phosphoric Acid, but only the former supplies Nitrate. Whether the soil has been fertilized or not, there are certain signs which indicate the need of plant food more or less early in the growth of the crop. If a crop appears to make a slow How They May growth, or seems sickly in color, it does not Be Supple- greatly matter whether the soil is deficient mented with ^" Nitrate or simply that the ammoniates pj-ofit. present have not been Nitrated and so are not available; the remedy lies in top-dress- ings of the immediately available form of Nitrated ammo- niate, of which class of plant food materials Nitrate of Soda alone is commercially available. Top-Dressings. Food for Plants Top-Dressing, as commonly understood (,^^^^j^ '°3 means simply the application of plant rood , „. after seeding, and after the crop has made some growth. It has various objects, but chief among them is the fact that fall sown crops should make an early start in the spring in order to establish an extensive root system (foraging both for food and water), and to protect the soil by shading before the hot, dry days come. The earlier growth of crops is largely a matter of Nitrate plant food, but in the spring the soil is usually wet and cold, both conditions unfavorable for the action of organisms which convert the stored ammoniate plant food into the Nitrates. A very late spring may prevent the natural and usual Nitration of this kind of plant food, though „ . i^.. . large quantities may have been applied in „ ^. the form of organic ammoniates and other ,, ,' ., , ° , , , Money, and the crude manures, so that the warm weather ^ finds the crop very backward and a full crop cannot be made. An application of Nitrate of Soda, the most quickly available form of ammoniate plant food in commercial use as a fertilizer, as soon as the crop shows the fresh green color of new growth in the spring, prevents this loss of time and establishes the crop so as to resist drouth and reach and make use of the plant food necessary for the maturity of its stalk and the ripening of its seed. Top-Dressings are also made to advan- tage on fruits and vegetables from which the i ra e on proportion of valuable produce to stalk or vine is so great. With these crops there must be no check in the regular growth of the plants, and Nitrate of Soda alone insures this. With other forms of ammoniate plant food, rains or cool weather interfere with jt_^ „ii the regular supply of Nitrate by checking Ammoniates are, the action of the organisms which cause the - Wecessitv Nitration of crude ammoniate substances, -k,.. . , ', ~ , . , , ,,. Nitrated, and 1 op-dressings are also used on very rolhng cio^-ggg „* lands, in which case the hill tops show ., process lighter colored foliage in prolonged periods of dry weather, and light applications of Nitrate of Soda are found to be profitable. Food for On heavy clay soils, spring working is impracticable, 5?^ as it results in puddling the top soil. In this case fertilizers i°4 cannot be worked into the soil even for spring planting, and Nitrate of Soda is used in the form of a top-dressmg spread broadcast; Phosphoric Acid and Potash are usually applied in the fall for such soils. In top-dressing soils, it is very impor- How to lop- ^^^^ ^^ secure an even application over the ^®^^' whole area. As the ordinary application per acre is about lOO pounds, it is difficult to get an even distribution unless the bulk of the material is increased. The best method of doing this is to crush the Nitrate of Soda thoroughly, and mix carefully with about three times its weight of fine dry loam. This mixture should be made immediately before using, though the Nitrate may be crushed at .any time if mixed at once with an equal bulk of fine, clean sand and tightly packed in bags. In the latter case, just before using, mix with an equal weight of dry loam. Where top-dressings are made with a machine, it is necessary that the mixture be dry, so that the feeders will not clog. Top-Dressing Experiments. _ . - The official Agricultural Experiment Sta- „. tions have made many experiments to IN ltr£Lt6 on . .| ir* 1* r M CroDs determme the value of top-dressmgs of Nitrate of Soda, particularly the New Jersey Station. The work of this Station demonstrated the profit value of Nitrate top-dressing on various fruits and vegetables. The Rhode Island Experiment Station made (see Bulletin 71) atop-dressing test on grass land and the results also indicated a profitable use of this chemical fertilizer. The experiment was made on three plots, all of which were treated with ample quantities of Phosphoric Acid and Potash. One plot received no Nitrate, one plot a top- dressing of 150 pounds per acre, and the remaining plot a top-dressing of 450 pounds of Nitrate per acre. The seed used was one-quarter red clover, one-quarter redtop, and one- half timothy. The yield in barn-cured hay was as follows: No Nitrate i . 60 tons. 150 lbs. Nitrate 2.24 tons. 450 lbs. Nitrate 3 . 28 tons. The season was not good hay weather on account of an ^°°^ ^°'^ early and severe drouth, yet the top-dressing of 150 pounds ^^^'^^^ of Nitrate of Soda per acre increased the crop of hay 40 per ^°5 cent., and the top-dressing of 450 pounds gave an increase of 105 per cent. In summarizing the results the Station reports that in spite of weather so unfavorable that there was practically no second crop, a top-dressing of l^O pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre increased the crop in value $6.^4., at a cost for Nitrate of $3.30; a top-dressing of 4J0 pounds per acre increased the value of the crop $i6.g8 at a cost of $g.go. Plant Food Needs of Crops, The chemical analysis of plants shows ^^u j. n , , r • 11 What Crops the actual amounts of ammonia, potash and t, , . , , , . • J 1 . ' *^ , . Take out of phosphoric acid they contain, and is a g ., fairly good guide for the composition of fertilizers. The value of plant food, so called, is not solely through its use as simple food, but at the same time there • is a fair degree of uniformity in the fertilizer needs of plants as shown by their chemical analysis. At least it is the only practical method of comparison we have. In an examination of the fertilizer requirements of plants by studying their analysis, we must keep in mind the fact that the whole plant must be considered — not only the grain, straw, etc., but also the stubble and roots. While it is true the stubble and roots remain in the soil, there is invariably a considerable loss in the process of transforming crude fertilizing substances into available forms. The Storrs Experiment Station of Connecticut reported on an experiment with timothy hay, with results as follows : Yield per acre. Ammonia(Nitrogen). Potash. Phos. Acid. Hay 3,980 lbs. 39.0 lbs. 51.5 lbs. 13.9 lbs. Stubble and roots .. 8,223 " 90.1 " 55-8 " 25.2 " Total 12,203 lbs. 129. 1 lbs. 107.3 It's- 39-1 ""• The quantities of plant food actually Eauivalent contained in the crop, computed to the best Ouantitv of known fertilizer materials, are represented Nitrate Food by 807 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, 215 pounds of muriate of potash, and 280 pounds of acid- Food for phosphate. This illustration is interesting as showing the ^°*^ really heavy consumption of plant food by ordinary farm '°^ crops. While the yield in this case is a large one, it is precisely such yields all farmers are striving for. It is probably true that an acre application of 800 pounds of Nitrate of Soda would not give a profitable return with this crop; but such crops actually make use of soil Nitrogen and the roughage of the farm, and to do this most effectively, top-dressings of Nitrate are advised to "start the crop off" in the spring. In actual farming operations, the greater part of the timothy crop will be returned to the soil in the form of farmyard manure, much of which will be applied in the fall. A considerable portion of the ammoniate (Nitrogen) con- tained in this manure will be converted into Nitrate during the fall and winter, and such of this as the plants fail to take up is dissipated by the spring rains and other causes. Consequently, there is a lack of Nitrate Ammoniate in the early spring, when the plants most need it, and this shortage continues until the soil warms and becomes less charged with water, when the organisms of the soil are enabled to ' convert the vegetable substance containing ammonia into the form suitable for the uses of the plants. Until this action, the plants really starve for Nitrate; a situation instantly relieved by top-dressings of Nitrate of Soda. Part Played by ^^^ following table shows the plant food Nitrate in Plant necessary to accompany each 100 pounds Nutrition. °^ ammonia (Nitrogen) assimilated by crops figured on a fair yield per acre: Crop Ammoma(Nitrogen). Potash. Soda. Phos Acid. ^' Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Barley 100 74 — 25 Buckwheat 100 59 — 21 Corn 100 55 — 48 Of' '°° 93 - 33 Wheat 100 43 g 34 Onions 100 83 — 42 Potatoes 100 132 2 38 Rye 100 72 — 42 Timothy 100 69 7 26 The figures of the table are based on the complete crop, including stalks, straw, vines, etc. The table shows roughly the proportions which various crops store within their ^°°^ ^°' substance of the three elements of plant food; in estimating ^^^°*^ the composition of a fertilizer for any of these crops, the ^°7 table serves as a suggestion. Suggestions for Top-Dressing Crops. It must be understood that fertilizers do not take the place of tillage. However thoroughly a crop may he fertilized, with- out proper preparation of the soil the result must be more or less a failure. In top-dressing it is very important that the IN ttrate of Soda be thoroughly ground, that an even distribu- tion can be made; the fertilizer must go to the plant, not the plant to the fertilizer. The Alfalfa, Cow Pea and Clover Question. This class of plants has the property of taking -^ , inert ammonia (Nitrogen") from the air and x r • • • I ■ • 1 Legumes, transiormmg it mto combinations more or less useful as plant food. This feature is of great value to agriculture, but not so much from the plant food point of view as from the fact that these plants are rich in that kind of food substance commonly called "flesh formers." Liberally fertilized, and not omitting Nitrate in the fertilizer, we have a crop containing more Nitrogenous food (protein or flesh formers) than the Nitrogen actually given as fertil- izer could have made by itself. The most common plants of this class are: alfalfa, alsike clover, crimson clover, red clover, Japan clover, cow peas, lupines, Canadian field peas, the vetches, etc. All these forage crops should be sown after clean culture crops. The best method of fertilizing is to apply from 300 to 500 pounds of fertilizer, in the early autumn, and every autumn; in the spring, top-dress with 200 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, and repeat with about 100 pounds after each cutting. It is true that clovers may supply their own ammoniate plant food, but this is an experiment experienced farmers do not often repeat. A fair green crop of clover, for example, removes from the soil some 160 pounds of ammonia, while in 500 pounds of Nitrate of Soda there are less than lOO pounds. Undoubtedly, the ammonia taken from the air is a great aid, but we Food for should not expect too much of it. The method of seeding '^^^^^ clovers depends much upon locality and soil needs with i°s reference to previous crops. Crimson clover and Canadian field peas are usually sown in August, after earlier crops have been removed, or even in corn fields. Red clover is commonly sown in the spring on wheat or with oats. Cost of Transportation of Fertilizers. A striking illustration of the difference in the cost of trans- portation by four different ways is given by Representative Brownlow, of Tennessee, in a recent speech before Congress. Mr. Brownlow is the author of the bill asking for national aid to road improvement and in support of the measure he gave the following table which is based on the most careful estimates : Cost of Transportation Per Ton. Horse power, 5 miles i?i ■ 25 Electric power, 25 miles 1 . 25 Steam cars, 250 miles i ■ 25 Steamships on the lakes i ,000 miles i . 25 It will be seen that the same amount of money it takes to haul a given amount of produce five miles on a public highway of the United States will pay the freight for 250 miles on a railroad and 1,000 miles on a steamship line on the lakes. This is too great a difference as will be admitted by all, and when we think of the fact that the railroad companies are ever at work repairing and improving their highways while the farmer is apparently so little awake to his own inter- ests in regard to furnishing himself with better roads we wonder why it is. The lesson seems plain and clear and as farmers let us continue to aid the good road movement throughout the country. Nitrate of Soda is essentially a seaboard article; at the present time facilities for supplies at interior points have not been provided. In ordering Nitrate of Soda make the request that in the event of purchasing, that it be sent as "Fertilizer," and that it be marked "For Fertilizing Purposes." It has been the custom of the railroad companies to discriminate heavily against Nitrate of Soda by charging almost prohibitory rates, and it is hoped by correctly designating the material the discrimination will not be practiced. RETABULATION SHOWS THAT: $1.25 Will Haul a Ton— 5 miles on a common road, I2i to 15 miles on a well-made stone road, 25 miles on a trolley road, 250 miles on a steam railway, 1,000 miles on a steamship. Farm newspapers generally are quite willing to publish wholesale quotations on all those things which the farmer has to sell, and they have not, as a rule, published wholesale quotations on those articles which he has to buy. Among the latter, agricultural chemicals occupy a position of prime importance, not only as to actual effect on farm prosperity, but as to the actual amount of cash which the farmer has to spend, for his produce comes out of the soil and its amount and quality is determined by the character of the chemicals he puts in it. Agricultural journals generally, which profess to be friends of the farmer should make a continued effort in the direction of enhancing his purchasing power, hy endeavoring to make him more prosperous. This cannot be done under old conditions of helping to make him, at the outset, pay such a large bonus for agricultural chemicals under one pretext or another. As Nitrate is a powerful plant tonic and energizer, it is NOT a stimulant in any sense of the word; a very small quantity does a very large amount of work. Evenly Top- Dress by broadcasting the Nitrate as soon as the frost leaves the ground in the spring, or as soon as verdure first appears. I never recommend the use of Nitrate of Soda alone, except at the rate of not more than one hundred (100) pounds to the acre, when it may be used without other fertilizers. The phosphatic and potassic Vnanures should usually be applied in connection with Nitrate of Soda at the rate of about two hundred and fifty (250) pounds to the acre of each. A rate of one hundred pounds (100) per acre you will Food for Plants 109 Food for generally find profitable for all crops. It will be found ^!!^ quite satisfactory also in its after-effect in perceptibly sweet- ening sour land. Orange Groves. An orange that weighs a pound would sell in New York for a dime. When it takes six to weigh a pound they are worthless., Satisfactory results have been obtained in Florida by fertilizing during the cold season. About two months before the period of growth begins, apply for each full grown tree a mixture of 7 pounds of high-grade super- phosphate and 7 pounds of sulphate of potash, by working it in the soil; after which one pound of Nitrate of Soda may be sown on the surface. In order to accomplish this application economically, it is well to mix the Nitrate with two or three times the quantity of fine, dry soil before applying. The working of the soil must not be so deep or thorough as to start the growth of the tree. An excess of Nitrate is to be avoided, but the amount mentioned is not top much. All other ammoniates on the market must be converted into Nitrate by weathering and the action of the soil bacteria before they can possibly be available for plant food. Nitrate of Soda is a pre-digested ammoniate, and while there is some danger of loss by leaching, this is easily avoided by the use of small and frequent applications. With sulphate of ammonia the danger is much greater, as it must be converted into Nitrate before it is available as food, and during this comparatively long process may all be lost by rains and leaching. Dried blood, cotton-seed meal and all other ammoniates, if used in such quantities as to afford an adequate supply of Nitrate, may cause die-back. No disease results from the proper use of Nitrate of Soda. Besides the possible losses indicated, when other ammoniates are used, there is an actual loss of Nitrogen during the process of Nitration, and all ammoniates must undergo Nitration — must be Nitrated before living trees or plants will feed on them. From six weeks to two months after the above appli- Plants cations Nitrate may be used again as above indicated. If ^°°^ *°' desirable, two to three months later a further application of one and a half pounds of Nitrate of Soda and potash may be made. In the case of your particular soil, it may well be that it is suflEciently rich in potash, and therefore, may not require a large application of it. In any event, the grower must be governed by the condition of his grove and the general character of soil and climate in his particular locality. Strawberries. Prof. W. F. Massey (all farmers know him) writes: "I top-dressed an old strawberry bed in its fifth year of bearing with 300 pounds Nitrate of Soda per acre. I had intended ploughing it up the previous summer as it was in an exhausted condition and foul with white clover and sorrel. "The eflFect was amazing, for this bed of an acre and a quarter, from which I expected almost nothing, gave seven thousand quarts of berries." This plant requires a moist soil, but not one water- logged at any time of the year. A light clay loam, or a sandy loam, is preferable. There are several methods of cultivation, but the matted row is generally found more profitable than the plan of growing only in hills. While some growers claim that one year's crop is all that should be harvested before ploughing down for potatoes, as a matter of fact the common practice is to keep the bed for at least two harvests. In selecting plants care should be exercised to see that pistillate plants are not kept too much by themselves, or the blossoms will prove barren. The crop is a heavy consumer of plant food, and the soil cannot be made too rich. Farmyard manure should never he used after the plants are set out, as the weed seeds contained therein will give much trouble, especially as the horse hoe is of little use in the beds. Use from 400 to 800 pounds of phosphate, applied broadcast immediately after harvest; in the spring, as soon as the strawberry leaves show the bright, fresh green of new growth, apply broadcast 200 pounds Nitrate of Soda to the acre. Food for Table Showing Prices of Nitrate of Soda -^ on the Ammoniate Basis. Figured on Basis of 380 Pounds Ammonia in One Ton Price per Ton of Nitrate. of Nitrate of S loda. Equivalent Price AmmOTiia per Ton unit. Price per Cwt. of Nitrate. Price Ammonia per lb. as Nitrate. Equivalent Cost of Nitrogen per lb. $1.85 $37.00 $0,097 $1.95 $0,118 1.90 38.00 0.100 2.00 0.122 1.95 39.00 0.103 2.05 0.125 2.00 40.00 0.105 2.10 0.128 2.05 41.00 0.108 2.16 0.131 2.10 42.00 0.111 2.21 0.134 2.15 43.00 0.113 2.26 0.137 2.20 44.00 0.116 2.31 0.140 2.25 45.00 0.118 2.37 0.144 2.30 46.00 0.121 2.42 0.147 2.35 47.00 0.124 2.47 0.150 2.40 48.00 0.126 2.53 0.153 2.45 49.00 0.129 2.58 0.156 2.50 50.00 0.132 2.63 0.159 2.55 51.00 0.134 2.68 0.162 2.60 52.00 0.137 2.73 0.165 2.65 53.00 0.140 2.78 0.168 2.70 54.00 0.143 2.83 0.173 This table enables one to compare commercial quota- tions on ammoniates with accuracy. The figures themselves are not quotations in any sense of the word, and all the figures of the table refer only to one grade of Nitrate of Soda, namely: that containing 15.65 per cent, of Nitrogen, equivalent to 19.00 per cent, of ammonia. It is prepared merely in order that purchasers may compare the price of Nitrate of Soda which is always quoted by the hundred pounds, with the other ammoniates, which are quoted by the ton unit. In the first column, therefore, are given the prices per hundred weight of Nitrate of Soda; in the second column, the corresponding prices per ton; in the third ^o°i for column, the cost of the contained ammonia per pound, a ^°*^ figure which is always discussed, but almost never explained ^'3 in Station Bulletins; in the fourth column, the equivalent price of the Ammonia per ton unit, and in the fifth column, gives the corresponding prices of the cost of the Nitrogen per pound, a figure also much discussed, but not explained in Bulletins. The important figures to remember are the price per hundred weight, the price per ton and the equiv- alent price of the ammonia in the Nitrate per ton unit. The table IS prepared to cover ■fluctuations in price running from one dollar and eighty cents per hundred, to two dollars and seventy cents per hundred; or from thirty-six dollars, to fifty- four dollars per ton. From New^ Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 172. The Use of Fertilizers. A Review of the Results of Experiments with Nitrate of Soda. Professor Edward B. Voorhees. The Use of Fertilizers. Great gains have been made in the past few years in our knowledge of the necessity of using, and in the methods of use of, commercial fertilizers. A point of primary impor- tance that has been learned is that their application is neces- sary for the most profitable culture of many of the crops grown, not only in the East and South, but also in sections of the country where it was formerly believed that the natural fertility of the soil would suffice for many genera- tions. Their use has spread from the States of the East and South to those of the Middle and Northwest and Pacific slope — Wisconsin, Colorado, Minnesota and California now use many tons annually. The question as to the need of fertilizer settled, the next in importance is how to use the Food for materials containing the essential plant-food elements in ^'^°*^ such a manner as to contribute to the best growth and devel- "4 opment of the plants under the wide variety of conditions that exist, and thus secure the largest financial return from their application. While the three constituents — Nitrogen, ° phosphoric acid and potash — are all essen- Attention ^ tial, because all are liable to exhaustion, ^° ■ Nitrogen is the one that should receive more careful attention than the others, first, because it is the most expensive of the three to supply. Nitrogen is more expen- sive than either phosphoric acid or potash, largely because it costs more to produce it. The great natural deposits of phosphates in America and other countries make the possi- bilities of their exhaustion very remote; besides, the com- parative ease of mining, combined with the facilities with which these phosphates may be converted into superphos- phates, materially reduces the cost of immediately available phosphoric acid. In the case of potash, the vast deposits of Germany furnish unlimited quantities of crude material, which are readily converted into concentrated salts of potash, free from deleterious substances, and which furnish potash in immediately available forms, and, because of their high content of the essential element, the transportation charges are relatively low per unit of constituent. Nitrogen, on the other hand, is less abundant, and even though found in the form of Nitrate of Soda as a natural deposit, the quantity is limited in extent, as compared with the deposits of phosphates and potash salts. The location of the deposits in a barren country makes it more expensive, too, to concentrate and to remove impurities, and even when in its most concentrated commercial form, it is comparatively bulky, as compared with the manufactured potash salts, thus increasing the cost of transportation per unit of the constituent. Second, because Nitrogen exists in three forms — as organic matter, as ammonia and as Nitrate — and which differ widely in their rate of availability or immediate use- fulness to the plant. The Nitrogen in the first and most common form (organic) generally undergoes a change into a Nitrate before plants can make a large use of it; this change requires a longer or shorter time, according to the character of the material. If, therefore, we desire a large and reason- ably quick use of the constituent when apphed in organic ^°°^ ^°^ materials, it is necessary, first, to select those likely to change ^° rapidly, and second, to depend upon favorable weather con- ^^s ditions — i.e., warm and moist — in order that a rapid change into soluble and available forms can take place, and thus permit the plant to obtain its nitrogenous food — that is, it is possible, in the use of these forms, which must undergo a change, to get very meagre returns, though an amount is applied largely exceeding that necessary for the crop, either because the Nitrogen may have been in such combination as to strongly resist decay, or the season may have been such as to render the change, in even high-grade materials, so slow as to prevent the plant from obtaining a sufficient amount to meet its demands. The second, or ammonia, form of Nitro- gen is immediately soluble, and is readily distributed in the soil by means of the soil water; it is then fixed until changed into the Nitrate form, which takes place rapidly under average seasonal conditions, though an appreciable time must inter- vene between the date of its application and the time it can be used. In the case of the third form, the Nitrate, no condi- tions modify its availability; it is readily soluble, and imme- diately distributes itself by means of the soil water every- where in the soil, and as it comes in contact with the roots of the plants is at once absorbed by them, and continues to be absorbed until used up, or so long as there is sufficient moisture in the soil to cause activity in the plant itself. The availability of the Nitrogen in the various materials may, therefore, range from practically nil to lOO per cent., making the matter of selection of material exceedingly important. In the third place, because Nitrogen, in this immediately available form, is so readily soluble and so completely carried in the soil water, there is danger of its loss by leaching — that is, while there is no question as to the usefulness of this form of Nitrogen — i.e., Nitrate — so far as its absorption by the plant is concerned, the best results are not always obtained from its use, because advantage is not taken of its peculiar and valuable characteristics; it is completely soluble in the soil water and distributes itself readily everywhere in the soil, and wherever it comes in contact with the feeding rootlets it is bound to be taken up, hence, when the applications are not properly adjusted, there may be an abnormal and inferior development of plant, because of too large a use of Nitrogen, Food for or, as it forms no fixed compounds in the soil, there may be a ^!^ loss from leaching into the drains when applied previous to "6 the growth of the plant or in too large quantities at the wrong time. In the fourth place, it should receive careful attention, because its right use as a Nitrate — its most available form — permits, not only an economical utilization by the plant, but a control of its growth; it may be used in such a way as to change the natural tendency, and thus improve it for specific uses; thus, in addition to the increase in yield which it may cause, it enhances the market value of the plant. , .... As already pointed out, the mineral ele- Pnosphoric Acid -^ ^, j i u • „ ,j „,„ . p , ments — potash and phosphoric acid— are relatively cheap as compared with Nitrogen. 1 er rom j^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ potash, the availability of the ^ ■ different forms in which it is usually ob- tained is not a matter of great importance, since all forms are soluble in water, distribute freely in the soil and are readily absorbed by plants, while in the case of phosphoric acid the soluble and immediately available forms contained in superphosphates may be obtained quite as cheaply as many of the insoluble forms, as animal bone and tankage, which are not so immediately useful; besides, these mineral elements, however soluble when applied, are fixed by the soil, and are thus not liable to rapid loss by leaching. When the farmer applies the "minerals," or materials containing potash or phosphoric acid in their best forms, his initial expenditure is not so great as for an equal amount of Nitrogen; besides, he can depend upon their presence there during the growing season, and also that the plants can make use of the constitu- ents; if the one season's growth of the plant does not use the entire amount supplied, the residues will remain for future crops, though they may be less readily acquired by them. These conditions are quite different from those obtaining when available nitrogenous materials are used, and are the basis of the suggestions frequently made to furnish the soil with an excess of the minerals, but adjust the Nitrogen to the needs of the plant. A very important thing to remember in the application of Nitrogen, however, is that, though it may appear very efficient, it cannot fulfill all the conditions of a complete fertilizer — it is not a complete food in itself; it is only an element of food, and its value as an element is measured ^°°^ *°'^ largely by the content of minerals in the xhe Best Use of ^'^"^' soil, with which it must associate and com- „. " _ "7 bine, in order to fully meet the food needs of . plants. Hence, where Nitrogen in any ., , , J- • J J r -I • ■ Abundance of form IS recommended as a fertilizer, it p, y, ' x 'A should be understood that the phosphoric , -A ^ , . • J J 1 r 1 1 and Potash m acid and potash necessary for the growth , „ ., of the crop must either be supplied with it, or have been previously applied, or should have existed naturally in the soil. On poor soils, therefore, the application of the minerals must be made with the Nitrogen, while in cases where the soil is naturally rich in minerals, if Nitrogen only is added, the crops are largely increased, because, by virtue of the presence of Nitrogen, they are able to gather the phosphoric acid and potash needed from the natural supplies in the soil, previously inaccessible to them, because of the deficiency in Nitrogen. Under such circumstances, it is a commendable practice to use Nitrogen only, as it enables a use of soil constituents, which are of no service while in the soil. The fear that such use of Nitrogen will result in an undue exhaustion of phos- phoric acid and potash, which is sometimes expressed, is not well founded, since, where an increase in crop is caused by the use of Nitrogen only, the amounts of phosphoric acid and potash removed in the crop would not be relatively greater than the amounts removed were some other condition responsible for the increased yield. The chances of recovering, in the form of produce, the minerals used in excess are greater than are the chances of recovering all of the Nitrogen used in excess of the needs of the plants, or even that used in moderate amounts, because of the differences in the fixing power of soils for the different elements when in a condition to feed plants. The Nitrogen, when in its available form, the Nitrate, does not form again any fixed compounds with the soil; hence, if the plant does not take it up, it may be lost by virtue of further changes of form, which results in its loss as a gas. This applies to the Nitrogen in organic and ammonia forms, as well as to the Nitrate. In the use of Nitrogen, the aim should be to feed the plant; in the case of the minerals, excessive quantities may be used, as the accumulations are not liable to escape. Food for In the next place, the best use of Nitrogen P'^°t^ The Best Returns ^^ ^^^^^^^j ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^I'^j ^„ ^„ ■/, ^„ good jj8 from the Use of c:ondition, rather than to poor or worn-out ;;"^°F°t^,? soils. The soils to which high-grade ferti- ObtamedWhen j.^^^^ ^^^ ^ jj^^ ^^^^^^ p^^^g^g good ^b- Q^M w n P° sorptive and retentive properties, in order Soils, Well Pre- ^j^^^ ^^^ materials applied may be retained pared for Crops. ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^.^p^ ^^^ ^he physical character also should be such as to permit a ready penetra- tion of heat and an easy circulation of water — conditions which are essential in order that the activities within the soil may be unimpeded, thus making it possible for the plants to easily obtain their needed food. In too many cases good plant- food is wasted because applied to mixtures of sand, clay and other materials, rather than to soils in the true sense, or to soils that have not been thoroughly prepared, the clods and lumps preventing a proper distribution of the material, as well as a ready absorption of moisture and free circulation of the plant-food. „, „. . , Whether it will pay to use any one or more The Kind of ,- -i- ■ • • i fertilizer constituents is a question that can- ^ r T, ^ . " not be answered positively, except by the tant Factor m , ,' t-l i Z- r^u . . person who uses them. 1 he relation oi the e ennining e ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ fertilizer to the value of the in- Agricultural J • ui r ^ J J I creased crop is a variable factor, and, aside from weather conditions, is influenced by ^ ■ the availability of the constituents — that is, the proportion that a crop can obtain of the amount applied, the character and composition of the crop grown, and upon the market value of the crop. Because of the facts already pointed out in reference to the constituent Nitrogen, viz., its cost, its variability in usefulness, and its liability to escape in the drains or air, it is of more importance than either of the other two in its bearing upon this point. For example, the liberal application of materials contain- ing Nitrogen to crops which possess a low market value may result in a maximum production — that is, as large an increase in yield as it is possible to obtain — yet, because the Nitrogen is so expensive, the value of the increased yield may not be equal to the cost of the Nitrogen applied. On the other hand, its application to crops of a high commercial value, though not so completely used and not causing so large a propor- donate gain in crop, may result in a large profit, because ^°°^ *"' the cost of the Nitrogen, though considerable, is relatively a ^°^^ small item when compared with the increased value of the "9 crop obtained from its use. It is shown in the experiments conducted with Nitrate of Soda, on different crops, that in the case of grain and forage crops, which utilized the Nitrate quite as completely as the market garden crops, the increased value of crop, due to Nitrate, does not in any case exceed ^14.00 per acre, or a money return at the rate of ^8.50 per 100 pounds of Nitrate used, while in the case of the market garden crops the value of the increased yield reaches, in the case of one crop, the high figure of over ^263 per acre, or at the rate of about $66 per 100 pounds of Nitrate. The Nitrate applied was not better in the one case than in the other, but in the case of the bulky crops the plant required a larger amount of Nitrogen to make a unit of crop than in the case of the market garden group; besides, it is a crop of low market value — dry hay will bring, say, $12 per ton, and a good yield is two tons per acre; the market garden group of crops shows a high market value — succulent vegetables will bring as much per ton and the yield will be five to ten times as great. These relations of cost of material applied to value of crop are exceedingly important, and should be carefully looked into before plan- ning for the purchase of materials. In the next place, the form of Nitrogen „ ^ . _, , . . ' TLir ° Certam Crops used IS very important. Many crops, as, ^ . ,, r example, those grown tor early sprmg ^ fit d >, forage, or for hay or grain, as rye, wheat, NhmteNitrlgen. timothy, orchard and other grasses, are unable to obtain the Nitrogen from soil sources early enough to permit of a rapid and maximum development; the agen- cies which promote the activities which cause a change of organic forms of Nitrogen into Nitrates are dormant, hence an application of Nitrogen in a completely soluble and imme- diately available form supplies the plant with what it needs at the time of its greatest need, and great gains in yield are made. In the culture of early market garden crops, too, or such as are improved in quality, and thus increased in value, by virtue of quickness of growth, the Nitrate is of the greatest service. Such crops as tomatoes, cabbage, turnips, beet and others, in order to be highly profitable, must be grown and Food for harvested early, as anyone can grow them in their regular ^^^"*^ season; their growth must be promoted or forced as much as "° possible in a season when the natural agencies are not active in the change of soil Nitrogen into available forms, and the plants must, therefore, be supplied artificially with the active forms of Nitrogen, if a rapid and continuous growth is to be maintained. Their edible quality is dependent, to a marked degree, upon this rapidity of development; hence a supply of plant-food in reasonable excess of ordinary demands is essential, in order that unfavorable conditions of season may, in part at least, be overcome. . Owing to the fact that Nitrate of Soda is f'w't ^!.^^^^^ frequently used after the seed has germin- o 1 ra e ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^p made a partial grovsrth, ° ^' this method of use is referred to as "top- dressing" — that is, broadcasting over the entire surface, or, in the case of hoed crops, alongside the row. This form of Nitrogen is peculiarly adapted for this method of application, since it is so completely soluble that but a slight amount of moisture is necessary in order to distribute it throughout the soil, and, because of its ready availability, it is used by the plant as soon as it comes in contact with its roots. It is the only form that possesses both these characteristics, and is, therefore, to be particularly recommended for those crops which need an early and abundant supply of Nitrogen. _, ,.^ _ The aim usually in the use of artificial Profits From r i- i i i- , „ ^ fertilizers is to so supplement sou supplies „ ... of plant-food as to obtain a profit, and, as already intimated, the profits for the differ- ent crops will, to some extent, be in proportion to their economical use of the constituents applied. Still, one should not be deterred from the use of fertilizing materials, even if the conditions should render the application apparently wasteful, or a small recovery of the constituents applied, provided the increase in yield will more than pay the cost of the application. The farmer should calculate what increase in crop is necessary for him to obtain in order to make the use of fertilizers profitable, and if only this is obtained, he should not condemn their use. Many persons seem to have gotten the impression that there is some mystery connected with fertilizers, and that their use is a gamble at best, and are not satisfied unless the returns from the investment in them are disproportionately large. We very often hear the statement that, by the use of certain fertilizers, the crop is doubled or tripled, as if this were a remarkable occurrence and partook of the nature of a mystery. Such results are not mysterious — they can be explained; they are in accordance with the principles involved. In an experiment on celery it was shown that the weight of celery from an application of 400 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda was two and one-half times greater than that obtained on the land upon which no Nitrate was used, and that very great profit followed its use. This result, while remarkable in a way, was not mysterious; if all the Nitrogen applied had been used by the crop, there would have been a still greater increase. It simply showed that where no extra Nitrogen had been applied the plant was not able to obtain enough to make the crop what the conditions of the season and soil, in other respects, permitted. In other words, that the soil dtd not contain a complete food; the Nitrogen was necessary to supply the deficiency. Favorable conditions are, how- ever, not uniform, and variations in return from definite applications must be expected. It is quite possible to have a return of ;^50 per acre from the use of ;^5 worth of Nitrate of Soda on crops of high value, as, for example, early tomatoes, beets, cabbage, etc. This is an extraordinary return for the money invested and labor involved; still, if the value of the increased crop from its use was but $10, or even $^, it should be regarded as a profitable investment, since no more land and but little more capital was required in order to obtain the extra ^5 or $3 per acre. It is the accumulation of these little extras that oftentimes change an unprofitable into a profitable practice. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS AS A RESULT OF EXPERIMENTS. I. For Crops of High Comma-cial Value. It is well understood by all market gar- ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ deners that, m their busmess, liberal manur- „ ing must be practiced, and that the man- ures used must contain an abundance of Nitrogen, that may be quickly used by the plant, if rapidity of growth and early Food for Plants Food for maturity are to be attained. The experiments with Nitrate ^^^°*^ of Soda were, therefore, planned to show in which directions 12^ the benefits from its use were observed — ^whether, for ex- ample, in the larger yield of a crop of the same general char- acter, or whether, together with the larger yield, there was an earlier maturity of those crops in which early maturity is an important factor, or whether the marketable quality was improved, thus returning a larger profit for the same yield, or whether all of these factors were involved, and the results showed that, as a whole, benefits were obtained in all these directions. The more important crops of this class were included in these experiments. _ , . In the growing of this crop, whose value /^ may range from ^300 to ;^6oo per acre, the amount of plant-food annually applied is usually far in excess of that removed in the crops of any year, in order to guarantee against any shortage of food should unfavorable weather conditions intervene; the crop must be kept growing at all hazards. In good practice an application of from fifteen to twenty tons of manure and about one ton of a high-grade commercial fertilizer are used per acre. The plants are usually grown under glass, and transplanted as soon as the land is fit to work. Hence the questions asked by the experimenter were, first, whether an additional application of Nitrogen in the form of a Nitrate would be a profitable practice in connection with this heavy application of all of the plant-food constituents, and second, how much should be used. The applications, therefore, ranged from 400 to 700 pounds per acre. The results from the experiments of two years were emphatic in showing an increase in yield and a considerable profit each year, and though the profits were not in proportion to the amount of Nitrogen applied, the largest net returns were obtained from the heaviest applications; the average net return per acre from 400 pounds was ^24.40, and from 700 pounds, ;^47.55. The influence of the Nitrate was noticeable mainly upon the earliness of crop. In the first experiment the yield of the first picking was 63 per cent, greater from the Nitrated plots than from the one upon which no additional Nitrate had been added. The extra early yield, for which the highest prices were obtained, was increased from 8.3 per cent, on the plot on which 400 pounds were added to 12.8 per cent, on the plot which received 700 pounds per acre, an increased yield at a ^°°^ ^°^ , • r I • • r • Plants less cost per unit 01 harvesting — points or great importance. The amount used may range from 400 to ivr *t, -1 f tt • ^^'^ 1 1 1 * 1 jyLctiioG. ox u sm^ 000 pounds per acre, depending upon the , „. conditions, always remembering that the richer the soil and the better its condition the larger will be the amount of Nitrate that can be used to advaritage. The beets are usually transplanted, and one-half of the amount of Nitrate of Soda used may be applied either before trans- planting (as the danger of leaching will not be serious) or immediately after, and in about three weeks the balance may be applied. In applying Nitrate after the plants have made considerable growth of top, care should be taken to distribute it as near as possible between the rows, or, if broadcasted, only when the leaves are perfectly dry, so that all of the salt may reach the soil, and thus not be liable to injure the plants. Where it does not seem practicable to make the application of Nitrate of Soda separately, then the Nitrate, in the quantity desired, may be mixed with the commercial fertilizer and all applied at the same time. This practice saves labor and danger of injuring the foliage, though it may result in a slight loss of the Nitrate, as it should be ap- plied long enough before the plants are set to permit of its thorough distribution in the soil. Still, the danger of loss is not great, unless the season is so extremely wet as to pre- vent cultivation. In the case of asparagus, which is a per- , ennial, the final results of the experiments have not yet been secured, though the experience of prac- tical growers is unanimous in favor of its use. This crop, as is the case with early beets, requires heavy manuring or fertilizing, or both, for the highest profit. The advantage of the extra dressings of Nitrate of Soda over other forms of Nitrogen lies chiefly in the fact that it may be appropriated immediately, either for supplying the needs early in the season or to stimulate the growth of tops after cutting has ceased and the crowns exhausted. Where manure is used alone in liberal amounts, the top-dressing with Nitrate would not be likely to be so useful an adjunct as where commercial fertilizers, containing high percentages of minerals, have been used, as it must be remembered here, as always, that Nitrogen is not a complete food, but an element of food, and Food for cannot exert its full effect except in the presence of the neces- ^If^ sary supply of the mineral elements. 124 In the early spring, as soon as the land is Methods of g^ ^^ cultivate, the beds are ploughed or Using Nitrate. cultivated, throwing the earth away from the crowns, and commercial fertilizers, rich in Nitrogen — 5 to 6 per cent. — are applied, over the row, at the rate of 800 to 1,000 pounds per acre. The fact that asparagus is a perennial, and the growth in the spring depends largely upon the food stored up in the roots in the fall, the effect of the spring application is not so noticeable in the early cuttings, but materially benefits the later cutting. Commercial beds are usually cut for about two and one-half months, and this long period of continuous removal of shoots reduces the vitality of the crowns, and because the vigor of growth and size of the tops measures, to a marked degree, the size of the next crop, as soon as cutting is finished from 250 to 400 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda should be applied. The roots immediately absorb this available form of Nitrogen, which stimulates and strengthens the plant, and enables it to appropriate the excess of minerals which have been applied, and, as a consequence, a large, vigorous and healthy growth of top is made, which not only results in storing the food in the roots for use the next season, but it enables the plant to resist the ravages of the rust. There is no other form of Nitrogen that can be used or other means by which this object can be so readily accomplished as by a liberal supply of Nitrate of Soda, and the result is, not only a larger yield, but a greater proportion of large shoots, which increases the market value of the crop; the growers who practice this system have no difficulty in contracting their entire crop from year to year at very remunerative prices. ^ , ^ ^ A careful study of the special needs of plants Early Tomatoes. , 1 1 • i 1 shows that there is no other one crop that responds more favorably to the use of immediately availaljle Nitrogen than early tomatoes. The influence of the use of Nitrate is not only shown in the increase in the yield — in some cases practically doubling it — but in the improved quality of crop, and because of the larger crop an increased maturity is virtually secured. These are all points of ex- treme practical importance. The results of all the experi- ments conducted in different parts of the country and in different seasons show an average gain in yield of about 50 ^°°^ • ^°^ per cent., with an average increased value of crop of about ^° _! $100 per acre. "5 In the growth of this crop two methods tut ly. j t are used, depending largely upon the char- „ acter of the soil and its previous treatment in reference to commercial fertilizers or manures. In the first, where the farmyard manure and commercial fertilizers, rich in minerals, have been used on previous crops, then Nitrogen in the form of Nitrate only is used, and the application ranges from 150 to 250 pounds per acre. By this method the yields are not so large, but the crop is usually earlier, and the net profit is quite as great as if larger applications of manure or fertilizer were made at the time of setting the plants. The object is early tomatoes, and, under average conditions of season and markets, any application of fertilizer or any prac- tice which would tend to encourage a later growth or longer season would reduce proportionately the net profits. In the other method, farmyard manures are usually spread upon the soil in the fall or winter, thoroughly worked into the soil in the spring. A fertilizer containing chiefly phosphoric acid and potash is applied broadcast previous to setting the plants, and at the time of setting an application of 100 to 150 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda is applied around the hill or over the row. After two or three weeks, depending upon the season and the relative growth of the plants, another application of Nitrate of Soda at the same rate is applied. This, because it minimizes the interruption in the feeding of the plant by furnishing immediately avail- able Nitrogen, causes not only an increase in the yield and marketable quality of the entire crop, but it materially increases the quantity of early fruit. The results of four years' experiments show that, by this method, the value of the increased yield of what may be regarded as extra early fruit averaged about ^45 per acre. As in other cases, care should be used „ t a 1 in the application of Nitrate; it should not „. come in too close contact with the plants, and, if broadcasted after the plants are set, it should be done when they are dry, so that all of the Nitrate may reach the soil, where a larger quantity is used, as, for example, 300 pounds or more, it is very desirable that fractional dressings Food for should be made, though care should be used not to make ^^^°^^ the second application too late, as it ern-ourages a later 126 growth of plants and retards maturity. The cabbage is a gross feeder, and the ar y a age. ^^^^ ^^^ utilize large quantities of plant- food to good advantage. The experiments with this crop show that even where the land has been fertilized with what would be regarded as reasonable amounts of fertilizers adapted for the purpose, extra dressings of Nitrate have given very profitable returns. The yield has been increased from 40 to 80 per cent., and the net value of crop from 1^53 to ^80 per acre. The experiments also show that what may be regarded as a large quantity of Nitrate, namely, 400 pounds per acre, is superior to any smaller quantity, and further, that this would better be applied in two rather than in a greater number of fractional dressings, as the later applications have a tendency to disproportionately increase leaf growth and retard heading. The most remarkable effect of the Nitrate is shown in the influence it exerts upon the marketable quality of the crop. In the experiments conducted the addition of Nitrate resulted in more than doubling the value of those heads which were marketable — that is, where no Nitrate was applied, ;^i per hundred was received, and where 400 pounds of Nitrate were used the price was ^2.50 per hundred. These results suggest a reason for the lack of success of many growers, who depend solely upon applications of mixed fertilizers. Methods of ^" ^°^^^ ^^'' adapted for the crop — me- Application dium sandy loams — the land should be plowed early and well cultivated. If ma- nures are readily attainable, a dressing of ten tons per acre may be applied and well worked into the soil; previous to setting the plants a fertilizer rich in Nitrogen, one containing 6 to 7 ammonia, 6 to 8 phosphoric acid, and 6 to 8 potash, should be applied, preferably broadcast, at the rate of 800 to 1,000 pounds per acre. At the time of setting, or very shortly after. Nitrate of Soda, at the rate of 200 pounds per acre, should be applied, preferably along the row, and culti- vated in; this followed two or three weeks later with a second dressing of 200 pounds. The effect of these applications — that is, the presence of an abundance of available Nitrogen — will be to stimulate and strengthen the plant, so that it will make use of all of the other food in the soil, and be able to ^°°^ ^""^ overcome, in a groat degree, any unfavorable conditions that _^i may prevail later in the season. The natural tendency of ^*7 the plant to absorb food is gratified, and a maximum crop is the result. This is a crop of very considerable im- t? i t w portance in market garden districts, and in x certain sections is very profitable. The ' profit, other things being equal, is measured by the earliness with which the crop may be gotten into the market. Owing to the fact that the crop is planted very early, often before the weather is settled, heavy dressings of soluble Nitrogen at time of planting would be liable to considerable loss from leaching. Hence fractional dressings have proved the most satisfactory. The gains obtained in the experiments from the use of Nitrate have ranged from 30 to over 100 per cent., according to the amount applied and method of application. The increased value of crop, due to the Nitrate, averaged about ^30 per acre — a very handsome return from the use of the extra fertilizer. Where soils have been previously liberally Tjr fu a f fertilized, particularly with the mineral ele- , ,. ^. , '^ ■' J . /. p .,. Application, ments, the recommendations for fertilizers, ^^ which have in practice proved very satisfactory, are as fol- lows: Prepare the soil early and apply a ligjit dressing of manure, either previous to plowing or after plowing, and harrow in well, and apply a commercial fertilizer rich in minerals, say, with a composition of 2 per cent. Nitrogen, 8 per cent, phosphoric acid and 5 per cent, potash, at the rate of 1,000 pounds per acre. After the plants have ger- minated and well started apply, broadcast, 150 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda, following this in two or three weeks with a second application of 150 pounds. The first dressing will serve to stimulate leaf grovtth and a deep penetration of root, and the second dressing will encourage a rapid growth of the turnip, so necessary if high quality is to be obtained. Applications made later than one month after the seeding usually encourage too large a leaf growth, thus reducing the yield of early crop. In the experiments three equal dressings of 133 pounds each reduced the yield by over 3,000 pounds per acre below that which was obtained in two equal dressings of the same amount as suggested Food for herewith. The effect of the third dressing seemed to be to ^^^^^^ induce growth of top rather than root. The increase in the ^^^ maturity — that is, the quantity of early crop — ^will be directly increased, in so far as the Nitrate induces a larger crop, which is one of the first results of its application. „ ^ _, Very great progress has been made in the Sweet Com. ? r r^i. i i^ growth of sweet corn for the early market, due both to the development of hardier varieties and to greater care in the selection and use of fertilizing materials. These hardy varieties of sweet corn are now frequently planted as early as March as far north as New Jersey, and, when planted so early, the soil supplies of Nitrogen are yet unfavorable for the change of organic or other forms of Nitrogen into the Nitrate form. Hence Nitrate should con- •stitute a large part of the nitrogenous food of the plant if «arly maturity is to be accomplished. Owing to this fact, the utilization of the Nitrate by the plant is liable to be less than if applied later, as the season for heavy rains, which are liable to carry away part of the soluble Nitrogen, is not yet over, besides, the weather is not warm enough to cause a rapid growth. Practice, however, has shown that, by small fractional dressings of Nitrate early, maximum results may be obtained. In the preparation of the soil for the growth of this crop, therefore, considerable organic nitrogenous material may be used to advantage. , , , A good practice is to manure the soil, either JlletllOdS 01 t . 1 r 11 * 1 r . durmg the fall or wmter, with from ten to twelve tons per acre, and apply previous to planting or setting the plants (in many cases the plants are started in the plant-house), a fertilizer rich in phosphoric acid and potash, also containing organic forms of Nitrogen. At time of planting use a compost in the hill, and use the Nitrate as a side dressing after the corn is well rooted. The advantage of the compost and organic forms of Nitrogen is that they supply the soil with an abundance of readily- fermentable material, which, to some extent, warms the soil, besides containing substances useful in later stages of growth. Nitrate may be applied in three dressings, at the rate of lOO pounds per acre in each dressing, and the dressings should be so distributed as to cover the season of growth — that is, as soon as plants begin to form ears the last application of Nitrogen may be made, which encourages a quick growth ofthe ears and also makes them much larger. The increased ^°°^ ^°'^ gains per acre when the Nitrate has been used in this way _^ have ranged from ;^i8 to $4.0 — a very profitable use of Nitro- '*9 gen, as the gain is really in excess of that which would be obtained by average methods of manuring. Soils suitable for the growth of musk- „ , . melons are preferably light, sandy loams, not naturally well supplied with any of the constituents of plant growth. The crop does not require large quantities of plant-food, but must have the needed amount in available form early in the season. Experiments that have been con- ducted through several seasons show that the best form of Nitrogen for this crop is the Nitrate, and that preferably two applications should be made. The increase in yield from the addition of Nitrate of Soda has averaged, practically, 100 per cent., with an average increased value of crop of ;^ioo per acre. It is shown, further, that as in the case of very early crops, that the earliest ripened fruit is not found upon the plants which received the extra fertilizer, but rather upon those insufficiently nourished, and thus forced to maturity because of a lack of food ; besides, these specimens are usually small and of poorer quality. The increased value is obtained because of a large crop of finer quality, as a very marked influence of the added nitrogenous sub- stance is noticed in marketable quality of the total crop, reducing very materially the percentage of culls. The experiments showed that, while the percentage of culls, where no Nitrogen was applied, averaged 40 per cent., the average per cent, of culls on the fertilized area was but 25 per cent., indicating that the normal development of fruit requires a sufficient abundance of available Nitrogen. On light soils, apply broadcast during fall m tVi d f or winter, 8 to 10 tons of manure, which p should be plowed in early in spring. After the land is prepared, a high-grade fertilizer should be applied broadcast, at the rate of 600 to 800 pounds per acre, and harrowed in previous to planting. After the plants are well started, apply 100 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda; before the vines begin to run, make an additional application of 100 pounds per acre. Care should be taken in the applica- tion of the Nitrate, as suggested in the case of the other Food for crops, not to allow the salt to come in contact with the ^'^°*^ foUage of the plants. 130 c h ■'■" *^^ ^^^^ °^ cucumbers, heavier soils ucum ers. ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ larger quantities of ferti- lizers applied. In our experiments, the application of Nitrate in addition to regular methods of fertilization resulted in a very large increase in crop— over 100 per cent.— and an increase in net value of over ^60 per acre. The amounts of Nitrate applied may range from 250 to 350 pounds per acre, and it should preferably be distributed more evenly throughout the season than in the case of the melons; 300 pounds per acre, in three applications, gave the best results. The effect of the Nitrate here, as in the case of melons, was particularly noticeable in maintaining a rapid and con- tinuous growth of vine and fruit, thus materially reducing the proportion of culls. For growing this crop to best advantage, the soil should either be well manured or a com- mercial fertilizer, rich in all of the constituents, should be applied at the rate of 400 to 600 pounds per acre, previous to planting; and after the plants have well started, 100 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda should be applied; this to be followed with two further dressings of the same amount. The time between the dressing may range from two to three weeks, according to season. p . Celery is a crop that responds most profit- ^' ably to an application of an abundance of available Nitrogen. This fertilizer not only increases the yield, but very materially improves the quality of the crop. Where the soil is naturally rich, or where what may be regarded as good methods of practice, in reference to ferti- lizers, are followed, extra applications of Nitrate result in very largely increased yields and proportionate improve- ment in quality. In the experiments that were conducted, it was shown that where ordinary treatment was given, and a small and unprofitable crop was obtained, the addition of a few dollars' worth of Nitrate changed the crop into a very profitable one ; and in the case of a soil that was regarded as good enough to produce a fair crop, the addition caused a large increase in total crop, and a very marked improve- ment in the quality. The selling price of roots grown with Nitrate was 150 per cent, greater than where none was applied, and 100 per cent, greater than where an insufficient amount was used. The increased value per acre of the crop ^°°^ *<"^ from the best use of the Nitrate was over ^2 'JO. ^°*^ , The celery crop is expensive, both in m tli rl f '''' plants and in labor, and since the cost of * r +* these items is the same whether the crop is large or small, intensive systems of feeding the crop usually give excellent returns. The crop is also very much improved in quality if the conditions are made favorable for continuous and rapid growth, hence an abundance of moisture and of immediately available food are prime essentials. The former can be controlled to a large extent by good methods of culture, but the best culture of the best soils is not capable of providing the necessary food, and, of the essential elements of food, Nitrogen seems to be the one that contributes espe- cially to rapidity of growth and to the formation of stalk which possesses that peculiar crispness which in so marked a degree measures marketable quality. Soils that are deep, moist and rich in organic matter are best suited for the crop; these should be heavily manured, say, at the rate of ten to fifteen tons per acre, and should also receive liberal amounts of high-grade commercial fertilizer, at the rate of 600 to 800 pounds per acre, all applied broadcast previous to setting the plants. After the plants are well started, apply 200 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda along the row, and, if the weather is dry, cultivate it in, though, ordinarily, the moisture in the soil is sufficient to cause an immediaite distribution of the salt; and in three to four weeks make a second application of Nitrate of the same amount and in the same manner. The two applications of Nitrate, of 200 pounds each, will, it is believed, give, on the average, better returns than smaller amounts or a greater number of applications, though the conditions of season may warrant such changes from this method as the judgment of the grower may dictate. The growing of peppers has become a p considerable industry in market garden dis- tricts in recent years. Studies of the special needs of the crop show that, on good soils, well adapted for the plant, additional dressings of Nitrate are necessary for best results — the gain in yield averaging 35 per cent., and the increased value of crop due to the added Nitrates averaging ^30 per acre. A large quantity — 300 pounds per acre — seems to be much superior to any less amount, and, owing to the fact Food foi that peppers continue to form during the entire period of P^^^^ growth, the distribution of the Nitrate throughout the season 132 is desirable where large quantities are applied. Where more convenient the first application of Nitrate may be applied at time of setting the plants, in order to prevent any delay in growth after setting. The later fractional applications are distributed throughout the season, two or three weeks apart. In the growing of early potatoes it is essen- Early Potatoes. ^j^j ^j^^^ ^^ abundant supply of Nitrogen be at the disposal of the plant. The experience of growers has clearly demonstrated this fact, and, until commercial fertilizers came into general use, most growers used large quantities of yard manure, in order that the plant should suffer no lack of this element. With the introduction of commercial fertilizers, the question of greatest importance has been the source of Nitrogen best suited to meet the demands of the special early growth. The experiments which have been conducted with a view to answering this question have shown clearly that while Nitrate is most use- ful, a combination of the Nitrate with quickly-available organic forms, as dried blood, or with both organic and ammonia forms, is preferable to the use of any single form. M fTi H f ^" good potato soils, therefore, a good „ ,. fertilization should consist of from 800 to 1,000 pounds of a fertilizer containing Nitrogen, 4 per cent. ; available phosphoric acid, 8 per cent. ; and potash, 10 per cent.; one-third of the Nitrogen at least to be derived from Nitrate of Soda and the remainder from quickly-available organic forms. On soils in good condition the fertilizer may be applied in the row at the time of plant- ing, though many prefer to apply one-half of the desired amount broadcast previously and the remainder in the row with the seed. Where there appears to be a deficiency of Nitrogen, due to the fact that Nitrates have been carried to lower levels by rains, or to the fact that the season has not permitted the change and appropriation of organic forms, then the application of 100 pounds of Nitrate per acre at the time of blossoming will encourage the rapid growth of tubers, though retarding, to some extent, the time of ripening. „ xn + + The sweet potato finds its most congenial oW66t irOt3.t06S* i 1*1 1 *ii 1*1 home in a light, sandy sou, the physical character of the soil measuring, to a large extent, the quality of the crop, though the method of fertilization will also ^°°* *"'■ influence this to a certain extent. This plant seems to have the power of acquiring from the soil Nitrogen that is inaccess- '33 ible to other plants, and thus, where large applications of this element are made, a tendency to undue vine growth seems to be encouraged, and also to change the marketable quality of the tubers, causing a long, rooty growth, rather than a compact, nodular form. The use of a small amount of Nitrogen is, however, desirable, an increase of from fifty to seventy bushels per acre being secured from such use. Hence, soils rich in Nitrogen, or those upon which Nitrogen has been previously applied in considerable quantities, do not produce -fubers of the character demanded by our northern markets — a small, round tuber, which cooks dry and has a nutty flavor. These characteristics of quality cannot be secured in crops grown on heavy soils, nor on sandy soils too liberally supplied with Nitrogen. The fertilizer may be applied at the time tw fVi h r or making up the rows, m order that it „ may be evenly distributed before the slips are planted. This will encourage immediate growth of plant, and the small quantity of Nitrate which is applied early in the season will not militate against the proper de- velopment of the tuber, as an absence of Nitrogen in the soil after the Nitrate has been taken up will discourage the formation of the rooty form of tuber, which is market- able at a lower price. Experiments have also demonstrated the necessity in the soils of an abundance of minerals, and a fertilizer containing 2.5 per cent. Nitrogen, 7 per cent, available phosphoric acid and 10 per cent, potash, one-half the Nitrogen to be drawn from Nitrate, seems to meet the requirements better than one containing a larger amount of Nitrogen. II. For Crops of Low Commercial Value. The growth of hay and the cereals, wheat „ An- and rye, forms a very important part of the farming interests of the Eastern, Middle and Southern Coast States. The areas of these crops in eighteen States, includ- Food for ing Tennessee and Kentucky, are, in round numbers, as P'^'^^^ follows: 134 Hay 15,000,000 acres. Wheat 8,000,000 Rye 772,000 " In most of these States large quantities of commercial fertilizers are used, either because the soils are naturally poor or because they have been depleted of their original constituents by continuous cropping, and, even with added fertilizers, the yields are not large enough to make the crops in themselves highly profitable. In many States the yield in particular districts is large, but the average yield of hay is but 1.25 tons per acre; of wheat, but 13 bushels per acre, and but 15 bushels of rye. The aggregate production of these crops is, however, very large, and, because of the condi- tions which prevail, it is likely that their growth will continue for some time to come, though it is eminently desirable that the average yield should be increased. One of the chief reasons for the low average yield is that the farming is on the "extensive," rather than on the "inten- sive" plan. The relatively large areas used are not well pre- pared for the seed, and the fertilizers applied do not fully supplement soil supplies of plant-food. These conditions too, are not liable to change at once, because the farmers are not yet prepared to adopt the more rational intensive system; the adjustment to new conditions requires time. The sug- gestions here given as to the use of top-dressings of nitro- genous substances are therefore of primary importance, because, if followed, it will enable the farmer to obtain more profitable crops, and will encourage the gradual adop- tion of better systems of practice. The farmers have, however, reached the point where they are asking the general question: "How shall I profitably increase the yields of these crops .?" They are not satisfied with present conditions, nor with the general advice to supply the crops with additional plant-food. The advice is not definite enough, and they are not sure that the cost of expen- sive plant-food will be returned in the immediate crop, and they cannot afford to wait for future crops to return' an interest on the invested capital. As soon as it is made clear that a profitable increase in crop from the use of fertilizers is a reasonable thing to expect, then the questions are — first. "What shall I use?" second, "How much shall I use per ^ood for acre?'; and third, "When and how shall it be applied?" ^^^^^ ' Experiments that have been conducted with the use of Nitrate ^35 of Soda answer all of these questions in a definite and specific way. In the case of hay, from timothy and other ^r grasses, the experiments that have been ^' conducted answer the first question — "What shall I use" — as follows: Use Nitrate of Soda, because it is a food element that is especially needed; it is soluble in water and can be immediately taken up by the plants and supplies them with that which they need at the time they need it — it can be used by them early in the spring before other forms of applied Nitrogen are usable and before other soil supplies are avail- able. The results of experiments conducted through a period of nine years, and in different sections of the State, show that upon soils which will produce crops ranging from one to three tons per acre, a gain in yield of from 9 to 54 per cent., or an average increase of 32.7 per cent., may be ex- pected from the use of from 100 to 150 pounds per acre, which would show an average gain in yield of 654 pounds per acre; based on the average yield of this section of the country of 1.25 tons per acre, the gain would be 820 pounds. This increase, at an average price of ;^i2 per ton, would mean about ^5 per acre, or $z more than the cost of the material. A very satisfactory profit, when it is remembered that it is obtained at the same cost of labor and of capital invested in land. The second question, as to how much „ „ , , „ , T J • 1 1 How Much shall be applied, experience teaches that on „ good soils, in a good state of cultivation, 150 . pounds per acre would be regarded as the most useful amount, though on poor soils, 100 pounds would be better, and on richer soils, as high as 200 or 250 pounds per acre may be used with advantage. The reason why a smaller amount is recommended on poor soils is because on such soils there is liable to be a deficiency of the mineral ele- ments, and inasmuch as the Nitrate is not a food complete in itself, but an element of food, the plant would be unable to utilize it to the best advantage in the absence of the necessary minerals. Where the soils are good, or under the intensive plan, larger amounts may be used, as under this system all Food for the constituents are supplied in reasonable excess, besides ^'^°*^ every precaution is taken to have the physical condition of '3^ the soil so perfect as to provide for the easy distribution and absorption of the food applied. In experiments conducted in Rhode Island the largest profit was obtained from the application of 450 pounds per acre, together with the neces- sary minerals. This method of practice is one which should be the ultimate aim, and can be accomplished by gradually increasing the amounts as the profits from the crops grown from the application of smaller amounts warrant. „ ^, J ^ The experiments, the results of which are Methods of r j l • 1 ^u confirmed by experience, also answer the ^^ ^ ^ °' third question, as to when it shall be ap- plied. Apply as a top-dressing in spring, after the grass has well started, when the foliage is dry, and preferably just before or just after a rain. If applied earlier than this there will be a slight danger of loss, because the roots will not be ready to appropriate it, and, as it is entirely soluble, it may be washed into the drains. If applied when vegetative func- tions are active, it is immediately absorbed, and not only strengthens the plant but causes it to throw its roots deeply into the soil and to absorb more readily the mineral food, and thus utilize to a fuller degree the amount of Nitrate applied. It has been shown that, even under the best seasonal and soil conditions, a part of the Nitrate will disappear in any case, and that only about 75 per cent, can be expected to be returned in the increased crop, and if this 75 per cent, is all returned in the crop, a maximum of about 1,500 pounds would be produced if the yield only was increased. Frequently, however, not only is the yield in- creased, but the quality of the hay is improved — that is, there is proportionately more nitrogenous substance in the hay than in that obtained where no Nitrogen has been used, so that, unless the Nitrate has been absorbed uniformly, we cannot expect the yield that may be calculated from the amount of Nitrogen applied. These experiments suggest, further, that, owing to the difficulty of evenly distributing a small amount of Nitrate of Soda, and owing, also, to the fact that, on soils that have been seeded with grass, there is frequently a deficiency of mineral elements, a mixture may preferably be used which is rich in Nitrate, usually one-half, the balance consisting of acid phosphate, ground bone and muriate of potash. The soluble minerals are readily carried ^°°^ ^°^ to the roots of the plants, and the ground bone feeds the ^°^ surface roots, and the Nitrate is absorbed quite as readily '37 as if not used with any other material. This method is to be recommended whenever the land is in good condition, and it is desired to keep up the content of the mineral constituents in the soil, as well as to avoid any danger of overfeeding with Nitrogen, which would have a tendency, particularly in the warmer climates, of causing a softer growth and formation of mildew. This is liable to occur where the Nitrogen is in excess and the ration is not well balanced. A good mixture for top-dressing may be made up as follows: Nitrate of Soda 500 lbs. Ground bone 20o Acid phosphate 200 " Muriate of potash 100 " 1,000 lbs. Applied at the rate of 200 to 300 pounds per acre. The answer to the questions as applied to ,^, wheat are, in essence, the same, though modified in particular points, owing to the fact that the wheat is grown for grain, rather. than for weight of total produce, as in the case of hay, and also because wheat, being seeded in the fall, has not so large a root system as the grass, and therefore greater care should be used in the application of the material. Nitrate of Soda is, however, the substance that is likely to give the most satisfactory results as a top- dressing, because, as already pointed out, it is soluble, and can thus reach every point of the soil without the necessity of cultivation and it is immediately available, and thus supplies food at once or at the time most needed, energizing the plants weakened by the winter and strengthening those already vigorous and enabling them to secure a larger pro- portion of the mineral elements. The time of application should be early in spring, or after growth has started. The results of experiments conducted to ^ . , ^. , . . "^ 1 .... Gains from the answer this question show a gam in both f wt t grain and straw from the top-dressing of , „ , Nitrate of Soda. The yields per acre, with- out the top-dressing, ranged from eleven to twenty-seven bushels of grain per acre and from 1,500 to 1,800 pounds of Food for straw, thus showing a wide variation in the character of the ^'^°*^ soils used and in seasons, making the average of the results 138 generally applicable. The gain in yield of grain ranged from 25.9 to 100 per cent., while that of straw ranged from 54 to 100 per cent., or an average of 60.8 per cent, increase in the case of the grain, and 83.8 per cent, increase in the case of the straw. The value of these increased yields, at average prices, shows a large profit in all cases. Applying this to the average yield per acre of wheat and straw, namely, thirteen bushels of wheat and 1,600 pounds of straw for the Eastern and Southern States included in our discussion, we find a gain of 7.9 bushels of wheat and 1,340 pounds of straw, and a valuation of seventy-five cents per bushel for wheat and ^6 per ton for straw, which prices probably represent the average, though not as high as are now prevailing, the total value of the increase is 1^9.95, or a net gain of ^6.20 per acre, using the high price of ^50 per ton for the Nitrate of Soda. The profit here indicated is a good one and should make wheat raising more encouraging, besides stimulating the farmer to better practice in other directions. The calculated yields from the use of Nitrate are not unreasonable to expect, since on good wheat soils and with fairly good management, with- out the additional Nitrate, the average yield is over twenty bushels per acre. In reference to the second question, as to how much Nitrate shall be applied, the ^^ ^' experiments show that on soils in a good state of cultivation, those that will produce from, say, fifteen bushels per acre, without top-dressing, 150 pounds per acre, the average amount used in the experiments, would be the most useful; though, on poorer soils, which would average ten to twelve bushels per acre, 100 pounds would be better, for the reasons already discussed in the case of hay. On better soils, where quantities larger than 150 pounds per acre seem desirable, it is strongly recommended that two applications of equal weight be made; the first, when the plants have well started, and the second, when the crop is coming in head. Very often the season is such as to encour- age a rapid change of the insoluble Nitrogen in the soil, in which case too large an application in the spring would tend toward an undue development of leaf and the ripening would be impaired, hence the advantage of dividing the amount is ^°°^ ^"'^ apparent, as, if the season is good and the grovpth normal, ^°*^ the second application may be dispensed w^ith. Where the ^39 soil is liable to be deficient in minerals, and this is often the case, the Nitrate may be mixed with other materials, as recommended for hay, the excess of minerals not used for the v^heat providing for the following crop. The three experiments with rye in 1894 _ confirm the conclusions reached in both ^ * the experiment on hay and wheat, that Nitrate of Soda as a top-dressing proves desirable in eff^ectually increasing the yield of both grain and straw, and which is accomplished at a profit. The average yield of crops without top-dressing ranged from 9.3 to 15.4 bushels of grain, and the increase from the application of 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda ranged from 21 to 37 per cent, for grain, and from 33.5 to 37 for straw, or an average increase of 28.5 per cent, for grain and 35.7 for straw. The yield obtained without top-dressing is not so large as in the case of the wheat, nor is the increase proportionately as large, due undoubtedly to the fact that the rye is usually grown on poorer land than wheat, and that only 100 pounds are used, though this small amount is recommended because of the relatively lower price of grain. Applying this percentage increase, however, to the average yields, as shown by the States mentioned, namely, fifteen bushels of rye, and 1,800 pounds of straw per acre, we have a gain of 4.28 bushels of grain and 603 pounds of straw. At sixty cents per bushel for the grain, and ;^I2 per ton for the straw, the gain is ^6.18, or a net profit from the use of Nitrate •of Soda of ^^3.93 per acre, a very handsome return for the investment. The suggestions as to the amount and time to apply are practically the same as for the wheat and hay, though, owing to the fact that the straw is relatively more valuable than the grain, the larger applications may be made for the rye than for wheat, as an abnormal increase in the proportion of straw would not result in lowering the total value of the crop. At this Station during the years 1890 to ^^ . ^ ° ■' J T Expemnents 1 002 seven experiments were conducted .f. ^ < L TVT- J • r with Forage with Nitrate as a top-dressing on forage ^ crops, the Nitrate being used in addition to the manures and fertilizers generally used, and the follow- I40 Food for ing tabulations show the yield and gain per acre obtained. ^^°*^ It will be observed that in all cases a very marked increase due to the application of Nitrate occurred, ranging from 34.1 per cent, for corn to 96.6 per cent, for barley — a profitable return from the use of the Nitrate on all crops except the barley, which, owing to unfavorable weather conditions, did not make a large yield. Applying this percentage increase to what has been shown to be average yields of these crops without Nitrate, we have the following table, which shows the gain per acre and the value of the increase on all crops at an assumed value of $T, per ton : Yield of Forage Crops Per Acre. Rye Wheat Barnyard Millet Corn Oats and Peas. . Barley Fertilizer. -a ^c ■a -6 c V > e s D Q. ii S-3 T3 f a ■s ^(A Z z^ < a lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. I 9,520 13,100 3.580 .37-6 10,000 3.760 I 9,280 15,000 5.720 61.6 10,000 6,160 2 14,355 21,540 7.ISS5 50.0 14,000 7,000 I 20,400 26,800 6,400 31-4 20,000 6,280 I 6,250 9.530 3,280 52-5 10,000 5.250 I 2,400 4,720 2,320 96.6 8,000 7,728 It will be observed that the value of the increased crop ranges from $S-6^ to $11.59 P^'' ^^""^ — ^ profitable increase in every case, as the average cost of the Nitrate did not ex- ceed $3.60. This profit does not take into consideration the fact that the average increase for all the crops was over 50 per cent., thus reducing, in this proportion, the area required for the production of a definite amount of food — a point of vital importance in the matter of growing forage for soiling purposes. In other words, it is shown that, not only is there a profitable gain, but that with these crops the application of Nitrate of Soda made it possible to double the number of cattle or the number of cows that could be kept on a definite area. ' In the case of the wheat and rye the application was made when the plants were well started in the spring. In the case of the spring or summer-seeded crops the applica- ^°°^ *°'' tions were made after the plants were well started and root ^°^^ systems well established and ready for the ,, ^, . r '"^^ -^•ji • rrjT ■ ■ r Methods of rapid absorption or rood. In raising torage . .. . crops the best results, in fact, satisfactory results, can only be obtained when grown under the inten- sive system. The soil must be well prepared and an abundance of all the elements of plant-food supplied. Hence, the application of Nitrate may be greater than is usually recommended for grain crops under the extensive system. Although there are many valuable suggestions offered by the experiments, at least two are of fundamental im- portance, and cannot be too strongly urged upon the atten- tion of farmers : 1. That the constituents Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, as found in commercial supplies furnishing these elements, do serve as plant-food, nourishing the plant in the same manner as those in home manures, and should, there- fore, be liberally used, in order to guarantee maximum crops. 2. Of these constituent elements Nitrogen is of especial importance, because it is the one element which, in its natural state, must be changed in form before it can be used by the plants. Hence, its application in an immediately-available form IS especially advantageous for quick-growtng vegetable, crops, whose marketable quality is measured by rapid and continuous growth, and for those field crops which make their greatest development in spring, before the conditions are favor- able for the change of the Nitrogen in the soil into forms usable by plants. FARMERS' BULLETIN No. 107. Editor: W. H. BEAL. Prepared in the Office of Experiment Stations. A. C. TRUE, Director. Page 7. " Under existing conditions farmers are advised to purchase fertilizer materials and to make their own mixtures rather than to purchase mixed or complete special fertilizers. This course is believed to be advisable for two reasons: First, Food for lecause the 'specials' are not properly compounded, and second, ^^^^^ because the needed plant food can be thus procured at lower 142 cost."* The continuous use of muriate of potash may so far deplete the soil of lime that an occasional application of this material may be required in case of such use. The sulphate of potash may he a safer material to use where a growth of clover is desired than the muriate, and therefore it may often be wise to use the sulphate. The high-grade sulphate should be selected. These materials should as a rule be mixed just before use, and applied broadcast (after plowing) and harrowed in just before planting the seed. Where Nitrate of Soda is to he used in quantities in excess of I^O pounds per acre, one-half the amount of this salt may he withheld until the crop is 5 or /f. inches high, when it may he evenly scattered near the plants. It is unnecessary to cover this, though it may prove more promptly effective in absence of rain if cultivated in. The quantities recommended are in most cases moderate. On soils of good physical character it will often prove profit- able to use about one and one-half times the amounts given. SUMMARY OF INCREASED YIELDS. From Application of 100 Pounds per Acre of Nitrate of Soda. _,.._,. , It should be pointed out that in the Rise in Price of , , ■ ^ • 1 tvt- r r j _ n J i. recorded experiments with JNitrate of Soda Farm Products. i.^ V, , ^ 1 i- 1 j • on Money Crops heretofore published in Experiment Station Reports and Bulletins, farm products were much lower in price. The prices of agricultural products have risen to a high water mark, and in certain cases the advance has been to extreme figures, and all farm commodities are now higher than they have been for some years. Our statements heretofore published, showing the ■mr • t-n at profit resulting from the crop increases Margin of Profit •; . .u r m- ro j r g . due to the use of Nitrate of Soda, if re- arranged on a basis of present values for crops, would show more profit than before. It should also *U. S.i Department Agricultural, Farmers' Bulletin, 65 and 84 (Experiment Station V ork, II, page 27 ; Vll, page 5). . . be remarked that the prices of other Ammoniates have ^°°^ ^°'^ risen higher than Nitrate of Soda, and it is _ , . _f^i — as heretofore the cheapest of all Ammo- . ^ __. , ^^^ , , ^ mates Higher, mates m the market. Economists of authority tell us that the _, , , , ox vi-^ r , • • ■ r J LI Probable Stability cost oi living IS to remain tor a considerable , ^ ,, , ,",.,,• LT 1 1 of Farm Values, time on the high basis now established, so that it is to be expected that the prices of agricultural products will remain at a high level. In this connection your attention is called to many ex- periments with Fertilizers in which Nitrate „ , „ .^ T^ '^roj- -J i_ L J- J Good Results Due oi boda is said to have been used m order ^. to produce results to be exploited as due to materials other than this Standard Money Crop Producer. Further, one may add, that when Ni- ,, ,^ „,. , ^ J , -' r J Result Shght trate is used at the rate or lOO pounds per . , , ° acre, the actual cash increase in l*ertilizer . , ^ „ J , J Acre and per Ton cost per acre is very small, and when used , _ ^.,. '^ r J , . Z ' of Fertilizer, in mixed goods it cheapens the cost per ton of the Fertilizer. The highest agricultural authorities ^hat Nitrate Has have established by careful expenmenta- _ t r tion that lOO pounds of Nitrate of Soda applied to the crops quoted below has produced increased yields as tabulated hereunder: Barley 400 pounds of grain. Corn 280 pounds of grain. Oats 400 pounds of grain. Rye 300 pounds of grain. Wheat 300 pounds of grain. Potatoes 3,600 pounds of tubers. • Hay 1,000 pounds, barn-cured. Cotton 500 pounds seed-cotton. Sugar Beets 4,000 pounds of tubers. Beets 4,000 pounds of tubers. Sweet Potatoes 3,900 pounds of tubers. Cabbages 6,100 pounds. Carrots 7,800 pounds. Onions 1 ,800 pounds. Turnips 37 per cent. Strawberries 200 quarts. Asparagus 100 bunches. Tomatoes 100 baskets. Celery 30 per cent. Food for ii should be remembered that plants take up most of ^^^"*° their Nitrogen during the early period of their growth. '44 It is now known that there ts not as much danger of it being leached out of the soil by the rains during the growing season as has been generally believed, since the rains seldom reach lower than the bottom of the furrow, and the movement of the soil moisture is up instead of down. Besides, soil moisture is strongly held by good soils by capillary attraction. Nitrate of Soda looks somewhat like common dairy salt, and horses, cows and sheep, if they can get to it, may eat it to an injurious extent. The emptied bags, especially in damp weather, have more or less Nitrate adhering to them. After emptying, it is a good plan to soak in water, which. will make an excellent liquid manure, say one empty bag to a barrel of water. // lumpy, the Nitrate should be broken up fine, which is easily done by pounding it on the barn floor with the back of a spade or shovel, or by a hand grinding machine made especially for home mixing, which is now in common use in Europe and beginning to be used in America. If the Nitrate is to be mixed with superphosphate or other fertilizers, put the desired quantity of each in a heap on the floor and turn it over until it is uniformly mixed. Nitrate of Soda, unlike sulphate of ammonia, dried blood and other complete mixed fertilizers, can be mixed with lime or ashes without loss of Nitrogen. FROM BULLETIN No. 67. Maryland Experiment Station on the Culture and Handling of Tobacco in Maryland. H. J. PATTERSON, Director and Chemist. From Page 140. Tobacco. ^^^ following materials are well adapted for use in making fertilizers for tobacco: Dissolved South Carolina rock, dissolved bone, dried fish, bone-tankage, cotton-seed meal. Nitrate of Soda, sulphate of ammonia, high grade sulphate of potash, car- bonate of potash and magnesia, and cotton-seed-hull ashes. As a rule, in mixing fertilizers there is not as much Nitro- ^°°'^ ^°'' gen and potash used as would be beneficial and profitable. By the use of crimson clover and cow-peas for adding ^''^ humus to the soils the amount of Nitrogen or ammonia furnished by commercial fertilizer could be either kept low or reduced. Farmers should generally aim to mix their own fertilizers, as by this means they are sure of what goes into the fertilizer, and, as a rule, they get the plant food cheaper than by purchasing it in ready mixed goods. The mixing of fertilizer can be easily and cheaply done on the barn floor, by the aid of a hoe, shovel and coarse sand screen. The following figures give the approxi- „ ,,. . o o o r r .O.0ID.6 JzLlXlUET mate percentage which each loo pounds of the various ingredients will represent when they are added to a mixture and the whole made up to a ton or 2,000 pounds. Each 100 pounds of dissolved South Carolina rock represents 7-10 per cent, of phosphoric acid in a ton mixture. Each 100 pounds of standard dried fish or tankage will represent § per cent, of ammonia and 4-10 per cent, of total phosphoric acid in a ton mixture. Each 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda will represent about one.(i) per cent, of ammonia when made up in a ton mixture. Each 100 pounds of high-grade sulphate of potash will represent about 2^ per cent, of potash when made up into a ton mixture. For illustration, a fertilizer which has been used with good results on the Station farm for tobacco was made up as follows: Dissolved South Carolina rock . 1,300 lbs. Tankage (10 per cent.) 400 lbs. Nitrate of Soda 100 lbs. High-grade sulphate of potash 200 lbs. Total, 2,000 lbs. This contained approximately: Phosphoric acid (P, O,) 9 to 10 per cent. Potash (Kj O) 5 " Ammonia 3 Food for Terms Used in Discussing Fertilizers. Plants ° 7^ Nitrogen may exist in three distinct forms, viz., as Nitrates, as Nitrogenous organic matter, as ammonia salts. Nitrates furnish the most readily available forms of Nitrogen. The most common is Nitrate of Soda. Nitration, or nitrification, is the process by which soluble Nitrate is formed from the less available and less soluble Nitrogen of dried blood, cotton-seed meal, tankage and ammonia salts. It is due to the action of microscopic organisms, and all nitrogenous fertilizers must undergo this process of nitration before plants can use them. Phosphoric Acid, one of the essential fertilizing ingre- dients, is derived from materials called phosphates. It does not exist alone, but in combination, most commonly as phosphate of lime in the form of bones, Peruvian guano and Rock phosphate. Phosphoric acid occurs in fertilizers in two forms — available and insoluble phosphoric acid. Superphosphate. — In natural phosphates the phos- phoric acid is insoluble in water and not available to plants, except in the form of very fine powder. Superphosphate is prepared from these by grinding and treating with sulphuric acid, which makes the phosphoric acid more available. Superphosphates are sometimes called acid-phosphates. Peruvian guano contains much available phosphate when finely ground. Potash, as a constituent of fertilizers, exists in a number of forms, but chiefly as sulphate and muriate. The chief sources of potash are the potash salts, muriate of potash, sulphate of potash. Canada wood ashes and cotton-hull ashes are also sources of potash and also Nitrate of Potash. Ammoniates. Per Cent Lbs. Ammonia Ammonia. Per Ton. Nitrate of Soda ig 580 Dried blood H-S 2Q5 Tankage 13.3 266 Dry fish scrap 10 200 Cotton-seed meal 8.5 170 Barnyard manure 0.6 12 Phosphates. Food for Per Cent Lbs. Phosphoric Plants Phosphoric Acid. Acid Per Ton. Superphosphate 14 280 '''^ Ground bone _ 22 440 Bone tankage 12 240 Thomas slag 16 320 Barnyard manure 0.32 6.40 Potashes. Per Cent Actual Lbs. Potash Potash. Per Ton. Nitrate of Soda i to 3 20 to 60 Muriate of potash 50 1,000 Sulphate of potash 52 1,040 Canada wood ashes 6 120 Cotton-seed hull ashes 25 400 Waste from gunpowder works 18 360 Com cob ashes 23 460 Maryland marls i -25 25 Peruvian guano 2.61 52 . 2 Castor pumace 1.5 30 Tobacco stems 6.5 130 Barnyard manure 0.43 8.6 Sodas. Per Cent Actual Lbs. Soda Soda. Per Ton. Carbonate of Soda 50 1,000 Sulphate of Soda 43 860 Nitrate of Soda 35 700 SOUTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. From Bulletin No. 56. Wheat. I. Comparison of VaTieties. IF. Home Manures. II. Quantity of Seed per Acre. V. Commercial Fertilizers. III. Experiment with Nitrogen. FI. Tillage. Page 5. If wheat is sown upon land deficient in „ ^.,. . . r , Fertilizers, organic matter, it is wise to use a complete fertilizer, containing Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. Food for Jj yjheat shows an unhealthy appearance in early spring, P'^°*^ especially upon sandy lands, an application of seventy-five 148 pounds o/Nitrate of Soda will prove beneficial provided there is enough phosphoric acid in the soil to co-operate with it to make the grain. Experiment with Nitrogen. To compare effects of Nitrogen from cot- ^^i^^^- ton-seed meal and Nitrate of Soda and the latter applied with the seed and as a top-dressing. The intention was to use on each plot a constant quan- tity of phosphoric acid and potash as the equivalent of these ingredients in 200 pounds of cotton-seed meal. )US. The first plot received cotton-seed meal alone, yield ... 17.5 bi The second, phosphoric acid and potash and Nitrate of Soda all applied with the seed, yield . . . .20.8 bus. The third received only phosphoric acid and potash, yield 176 bus. The fourth received in addition to phos- phoric acid and potash applied with the seed, Nitrate of Soda as a top-dress, yield. 19 4 bus. UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. Timely Hints for Farmers, No. 31. PROF. W. W. SKINNER. A fertilizer of about the composition given below has frequently been advised by the Station for fertilizing orange orchards, and is believed to be in every way suited to the purpose. It should be applied at the rate of from 500 to 1,500 pounds to the acre, according to age of trees and quality of soil, and "plowed in deeply at the edge of the ^°°^ ^""^ branches, about the beginning of the growing season." *°*^ Formula : Pounds. Bone tankage (lo per cent, ammonia) l,ooo Nitrate of Soda 140 Sulphate of potash 60 Dissolved bone (16 per cent, available phosphoric acid) 800 2,000 PURDUE UNIVERSITY, INDIANA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, LAFAYETTE, IND. C. S. PLUMB, Director. Bulletin No, 84. Growing Lettuce With Chemical Fertilizers. BY PROF. WILLIAM STUART. The subject of lettuce culture with chemical fertilizers was undertaken by the writer some years ago, and has been continued. Page 134. It IS safe to infer that for any quick . ., , ...^ , ' 7 • '^ ■' r Availability of growing crops, or where an application of „. Nitrogen is desirable in the maturing of a crop, the Nitrate of Soda is preferable to dried blood. The results obtained from the several Conclusions experiments enumerated seem to invite the Pertaining to following conclusions : Nitrate of Soda. 1. That in order to study the action of the three essen- tial elements of plant food. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, a soil must be used that is fairly deficient in plant food. 2. That potash when used in any considerable amount, either alone or in connection with Nitrate of Soda, pro- duced conditions unsuitable to plant growth. 3. When phosphoric acid was used alone or in con- nection with Nitrate of Soda or muriate of potash, even in 149 Food for large amounts, a marked increase in the growth of the ^'^°^^ plants was obtained. 150 4. The muriate of potash proved somewhat superior to the sulphate, the increase in each case being but shght. 5. But Httle difference seems to obtain in the efficiency of different forms of available phosphoric acid. 6. In each instance chemical fertilizers proved slightly superior to stable manures. 7. The application of liquid fertilizers from below by the sub-watering method proved perfectly feasible and gave satisfactory results. 8. Nitrate of Soda gave quicker returns than did dried blood, and seems best adapted to lettuce culture. 9. The sub-watered plants made a better growth than the surface watered ones. MASSACHUSETTS EXPERIMENT STATION. „ ..,. t Since 1802 the Massachusetts Hatch Sta- ll ertilizers tor • 1 1 ^ ■ ■ r- Garden Crops. *'°" ^^' ''^^" conducting series of experi- ments to test the relative value of Nitrate of Soda, sulphate of ammonia, and dried blood, as sources of Nitrogen for different garden crops; and, at the same time, to make a comparison of muriate with sulphate of potash, when used with each of the three Nitrogenous fertilizers for the same class of crops. Dissolved bone-black was applied equally to all plats from the first. These experiments were continued unvaried until 1897. Sulphate of potash in connection with Nitrate of Soda generally gave the best crop; in cases where it did not, it gave one but slightly inferior to the best except in the case of one crop, sweet corn, a plant which makes much of its growth in the latter part of the season. Nitrate of Soda in almost every instance proved the most valuable source of Nitrogen, whether used with muriate or sulphate of potash. Sulphate of ammonia and muriate of potash when used together gave the poorest yield in every instance. Up to 1897, as has been already stated, only chemical fertilizers were used, but in 1898 a change was made in the plan of the experiment. In view of the fact that market gardeners, in whose interest chiefly these experiments were Food for Plants carried out, almost invariably use large quantities of stable manure, and employ commercial fertilizers, if at all, simply to supplement the manure, it was decided to apply equal '^i amounts of thoroughly mixed stable manure to each plat and to use in addition the same fertilizers as before. Further, in order to have the best data for determining whether the fertilizers should prove in any degree useful, another plat was added to which manure alone was applied. A number of different garden crops were grown, including spinach, lettuce, table beets, tomatoes, and cabbage; and, as a second crop, turnips. Spinach gave by far the best results with „ . , Nitrate of Soda. With sulphate of am- monia it was almost an absolute failure, many plants dying soon after germination and most of the others becoming yellow and sickly. Sulphate of potash gave better returns than the muriate. Similar results were obtained with beets. Most of the plants on the sulphate of ammonia plats became weak and sickly and many died. The results with tomatoes were also in part similar. Sulphate of potash gave better returns than the muriate, and Nitrate of Soda gave the best yield of any of the sources of Nitrogen. This is thought to be due to the fact that the tomato is not set until about the first of June, and makes most of its growth when the season is well advanced. By this time the injurious compounds formed by the sulphate of ammonia have been washed away by rain or destroyed by further chemical changes. The crops that were injured by the sulphate of ammonia — spinach and beets — are sown early and make most of their growth before the season is far advanced. Lettuce yielded better on barnyard manure alone than on the plats to which fertilizers were also applied. The result is in line with results obtained at the New York State Station, where it was found that " after the soil has received a heavy application of stable manure, any further addition of chemical fertilizers is only thrown away." Here, as before, sulphate of ammonta was found to be highly injurious. Cabbage appeared to be somewhat benefited by the addition of fertilizers to barnyard manure. The difference in the effect of the different fertilizers was not very marked. Nitrate of Soda appeared to be the best source of Nitrogen. Food for Xhe plats from which the beets, lettuce and spinach had ^^^ been harvested were plowed and sowed to turnips without 152 further fertilizing. In this case the crop was decidedly better on the plats which had received fertilizers in addition to manure. MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. Bulletin No. 91. Page 44. Table 7. Nitrate of Soda vs. No Nitrate of Soda Applied on Wheat; Wheat Unfertilized in Fall. Plot No. Yield of Grain per Acre, Bushels. 1. Neither fertilizer nor Nitrate of Soda 10.4 2. Nitrate of Soda, with no Other Fertilizer j8 . i" Comparison of Nitrate of Soda and Sulphate of Ammonia Both W^ith and Without Lime. As has already been explained, the Nitrate of Soda and Sulphate of Ammonia represent the mineral sources of Nitro- gen commonly found on the market. The Nitrate of Soda is readily soluble in water and is directly available to plants; while the Sulphate of Ammonia, though quite soluble, has to he changed into a nitrate before it can be used by crops. Hence the action of these two materials is not the same on different soils and under varying weather conditions. The Sulphate has been preferred by some because it would act slower and was not so liable to leach from the soil; yet if conditions for nitration were unfavorable, it might not be available to the crop when needed. Again, under some circumstances. Sulphate of Ammonia has been found to be actually harmful to plants. The use of Lime in connection with the Sulphate of Ammonia has been found by Professor Wheeler, of Rhode Island, to be valuable, in many cases, as a correction of its harmful effects and to be necessary for its nitrification. Professor Wheeler has made a very exhaustive study of the use of Lime with these mineral sources of Nitrogen; they agree, in the main, with the results obtained at this Station. •Gain of 7.8 bustaelM, or seventy-five per cent. Food for Plants Some Practical Hints Regarding Nitrate. '53 It is the quickest acting plant food known. It is immediately available for the use of plants as soon as it goes into solution. It does most of its work in one season. More must not be expected of it, as it gives quick returns and large profits when properly applied. It tends to sweeten sour land. When applied broadcast it should be evenly distributed. In applying lOO pounds to an acre, one pound has to be evenly spread over 48 square yards, and this requires care and skill. It is well to mix it with sand, marl, ashes, land plaster or some other finely divided material of about the same weight in order to secure a more even distribution. Where plants are grown in hills or drills it should be applied near the growing plants and thoroughly mixed with the soil. It does not matter whether it is sown in dry or wet weather except that when applied broadcast to crops like cabbage, which have a large leaf surface, it should be done when the leaves are not wet from rain or dew. It does not blow away, and dews are almost sufficient to dissolve it. It is not necessary to wait for rain. It should be sown early in the spring for cereals, just as they are starting to make their first growth; for roots, after they are transplanted or set out. Autumn sowing is generally not advisable except as an extra top-dressing for Danish or winter cabbage just as they are starting to head, which is practiced very profitably by large cabbage growers. It enables the plant to make use of the necessary mineral elements in the soil to the best advantage. There are no unknown conditions that enter in, in refer- ence to the solubility, and hence the availability of Nitrate of Soda. Food for Plants 154 The Use of Nitrogenous Fertilizers on Vegetables. Kale. An application of 50 pounds of Nitrate of Soda and 100 pounds of Dried Fish per acre, in May, increased the growth 30 per cent. Lettuce. An application in March at the rate of 250 pounds of Nitrate of Soda and 750 pounds of Dried Fish per acre, to Lettuce, in cold frames, made the crop ready to market one week sooner and increased the yield five pounds per sash or 12,000 pounds per acre; which at two cents per head would have a value of ^240 per acre. Potatoes. Several experiments have been tried on the use of Nitrate of Soda as a top-dressing for early potatoes. This was applied at the rate of 100 pounds per acre, after the potatoes were up and started to growing. One year this treatment increased the yield of merchantable potatoes 100 bushels per acre, and the average of several years was 20 per cent, increase. Tomatoes. Some of the early work of this Station was with fertilizers for tomatoes. The results in detail are given in Bulletin No. 91, but it showed that Nitrate of Soda was particularly active with this crop and produced a larger increase than any other single ingredient. An application of 160 pounds per acre caused an increase of as much as five tons of tomatoes. There has been much valuable work conducted upon the use of Nitrogenous Fertilizers with various crops, and par- ticularly vegetables. This work has proven that this plant food is a potent factor in increasing the yields and improving the quality. With regard tq the matter of fertiHzing cantaloupes, con- ^°°^ ^°^ tinuous and rapid growth is essential to earliness and a good _^_! crop, and Nitrate of Soda under the proper n t \ ^^^ conditions and with proper care, will yield such results. A dressing of Nitrate of Soda alongside the rows in cultivating, in addition to the general fertilizer used, has been most successful. A general fertilizer may be made up as follows: Dried Blood or Cotton-Seed Meal 400 lbs. Superphosphate (14 per cent.) or Peruvian guano 600 lbs. Sulphate of potash 200 lbs. The points to be observed in the use of „ ,-,,.. TVT- r o J A ■ J J General Points as Nitrate 01 boda are: Avoid an excess, and ^ ,, ,, , , .J ■ 1 r 1- • 1 1 • r to Method of avoid wetting the toliage with solutions or . .. . it, and do not sprinkle the wet foliage with dry Nitrate, and in general Nitrate must not be allowed to come in contact with the stems or leaves of plants. Nitrate of Soda is a nitrated ammoniate, and is immediately available as plant food. The general fertilizer above suggested may be applied at the rate of 1,200 pounds to the acre, and subse- quent applications of Nitrate of Soda may be made at the rate of 100 pounds to the acre, say about two weeks apart, during the growing season, and best by placing the Nitrate well mixed with land plaster or fine dry soil before applying, say one-quarter of an ounce to one-half of an ounce to each hill. There is no Nitrogenous Fertilizer in the market at the present time which sells as low as thirteen cents a pound for the Nitrogen contained in it, which is what Nitrate Nitrogen would cost at the price of ;^2.oo per cwt. In looking at quotations Nitrogen in Sulphate of Ammonia costs fifteen or sixteen cents wholesale; and Dried Blood, Tankages and Mixed Fertilizers anywhere from sixteen to twenty cents. Nitrate is, therefore, the cheapest Ammjniate in the market even at its present quoted price of two dollars and twenty-five cents a hundred. The latter price is wholesale and applies only to lots of five tons or more. The prices for all Nitro- genous Fertilizers are likewise wholesale for five to fifteen- ton lots, and smaller amounts cost more. It should be borne in mind that prices for all agricultural crops have risen pro- portionately much higher than Nitrogenous Fertilizers, and especially so as to Nitrate of Soda. Food for Nitrate for Experiments. ^ As Nitrate is a Powerful Plant Tonic and Energizer it is NOT a stimulant 156 tn any sense of the word; a very small quantity does a very large amount of work. Broadcast the Nitrate as soon as the frost leaves the ground in the spring. I never recommend the use of Nitrate of Soda alone, except at the rate of not more than one hundred (100) pounds to the acre, when it may be used without other fertilizers. The phosphatic and potassic manures should usually be applied in connection with Nitrate of Soda at the rate of about two hundred and fifty (250) pounds to the acre of each, or if used on the plots (20 ft. by 20 ft.) not more than three pounds of each should be applied thereto. One hundred pounds per acre you will generally find profitable for all crops. It will be found quite satisfactory also in its after efi^ect and in perceptibly sweetening sour land. „ According to Dr. Wheeler's experiments in Rhode Island soils are less exhausted when complete fertilizers are used with Nitrate than when no Nitrate is used. The Soda always left behind after the Nitrate of Soda is used up conserves always the Lime and Potash, and unlocks the soil Silicates and thereby frees Lime and Magnesia. The Feeding value of Hay is far greater when Nitrate is used as a fertilizer in this con- nection. Rhode Island Formula: Nitrate of Soda 300 lbs. Sulphate of potash 200 lbs. Acid phosphate or its equivalent in Thomas slag 400 lbs. Manures. Dr. Voelcker, F.R.S., made analyses of fresh and rotted farmyard manures. These analyses show a larger percent- age of soluble organic matter in rotted than in fresh manure. The fresh manure contains more carbon and more water, while in the rotted manure the Nitrogen is in more available form for root-absorption. If the process of fermentation has been well managed, both fresh and rotted manures contain the same amounts of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. Litter. There should be a sufficient amount of litter to absorb and retain the urine and also the ammonia formed in the decomposition of the manure. Leaves, straw, sawdust, moss, etc., to which is added some peat, muck, or fine, dry, loamy earth, mixed with gypsum (land plaster), may be used for litter. The relative value of the ^°°^ ^°^ Plants manure is diminished by the use of too much litter, but on the contrary, if insufficient absorbent material is used, too much ^57 moisture prevents fermentation and the consequent chemical changes in the nitrogenous constituents of the manure. The best method for the management of ,, . , r , 111- Management of larmyard manure is to make and keep it _ tr ^ , ■' ■ I J L -11 • Farm- Yard under cover, in sheds, or better still, m ,_ J . -. 1-11 1 Manure, covered pits irom vphich there can be no loss by drainage. It should also be kept sufficiently moist, and by the addition of charcoal, peat, or vegetable refuse and gypsum the volatilization of ammonia may be reduced to a minimum. Manure so made is v^rorth 50 per cent, more than that thrown into a heap in the barnyard to be leached by the storms of months before being spread upon the land. Where pits cannot be provided the manure pile should rest upon a hard, clay bottom, or on a thick layer of peat or vegetable refuse, which acts as an absorbent and prevents the loss of much liquid manure. The time-honored custom of hauling manure upon the land and of dumping it in small heaps from two to three feet in height, is a wasteful and clumsy practice that should be abandoned by every farmer. A simple and effectual way of disposing ^ „ ^ , . f ., r ■ r to Farm Sewage or the night-soil on a farm is to so construct _.. . the closet that the urine will at once drain to a lower level, and there be mixed with an equal quantity of quicklime. The solid excrement should be covered daily with a small quantity of quicklime mixed with a little fine charcoal or peat. Such a receptacle can be made by any farmer at comparatively little cost, and will more than com- pensate for the care it entails by doing away with ill-smelling odors and the disagreeable and often dangerous task of cleaning vaults, besides furnishing a very rich manurial product for admixture with farm-yard manure or compost. Such receptacle should be made in the form of a shallow drawer or box with an inclined bottom, and should rest upon stout runners like a stone boat or drag, so that, at frequent intervals, it can be drawn by a horse to the manure pile' or compost heap. On the bottom of the drawer should be kept a thin layer of quick-lime mixed with peat, wood-pile dirt, or loam. Food for As an alkali, soda has no advantage over potash, since the P^^°*^ decomposing action of the soda is rarely due to its alkalinity. 158 Potash, if used in the form of vs^ood-ashes, the lime car- bonate of the ashes, will neutralize the acid properties of the peat, and the grovsrth of the Nitrate ferment will thus be greatly promoted. Soda is, in rare instances, needful as a plant food; if needed it would be better economy to use soda ash. In these composts the writer invariably substitutes kainit, or other products of the German mines, for common salt. Sawdust, leaves, cornstalks, tan bark, and How to ave ^jj j^jj^ jg ^f coarse vegetable materials are umus. more rapidly decomposed by the aid of caustic alkalies than by any other means. Coarse materials, like cornstalks, trimmings from fruit trees, hedges, grape vines, etc., are rich in plant food, and instead of being burned should be composted with potash and lime in separate heaps. More time must be allowed for the decom- position of coarse materials, and they should always be composted in large heaps and kept moist. The process of nitration in the niter-bed, !J-|"^f-'^^*^°° °^ the compost heap, or in the soil is precisely the same. The formation of Nitrates is due to the continuous life and development of a micro- organism known as the nitric ferment or nitric bacteria, which lives upon the nitrogenous organic matters, ammo- nium compounds, and other things present in the soil. The nitric ferment is a microscopic plant somewhat like the yeast used for leavening bread, and for fermenting malt liquors; and under favorable conditions of temperature and moisture, and in the presence of oxygen is propagated with marvelous rapidity in the soil. One of the results of the life of this minute plant is the formation of Nitrates. Nitration is extremely feeble in winter and at tempera- tures below 40° F. almost entirely ceases. It is most active at about 98° F. to 99° F., and is more rapid in the dark than in bright sunlight. At temperatures above 100° F. the formation of Nitrates rapidly decreases and at 131° F. en- tirely ceases. As we have just stated, it has been noticed that the nitric ferment thrives best in the dark, and, hence, one good reason for making compost beds under sheds or in sheltered situations. When so made the conditions for nitrification are more favorable and the beds are protected ^°°^ ^°^. from the leaching action of storms. ^'^°^^ To ensure rapid nitrification all the food elements required '59 by the nitric ferment must be present. The ash ingredients of plants, phosphates, ammonia, carbonaceous matter, and an excess of oxygen must be present. Peat containing much copperas, coal-tar, gas-lime con- taining sulphites and sulphides, kill the ferment. The Nitrate ferment is developed during the slow decay of organic matter in all soils. How to Make Commercial Valuations. First, of unmixed chemicals. Multiply the guaranteed per cent, of ^a-* *■ f a a JNitrate oi boda by 10.47, which gives the per cent, of Nitrogen; multiply the per cent, of Nitrogen thus obtained by the trade value of Nitrogen in the form of Nitrates (15 cents per pound), then multiply the last result by 20, v^hich gives the value per ton. Example. — A Nitrate of Soda is guaranteed to be 95 per cent, pure; that is, the total impurities in it amount to 5 per cent.: 95 X 16.47 == 15-64 per cent, of Nitrogen; 15.64 X ^5 (trade value for 1892) z=. 234 cents, or $2.34, value of Nitro- gen in 100 pounds; ;^2.34 X 20 z= $46.80, value per ton. Multiply the per cent, of ammonia by c 1 1, t f .8235, and then multiply the result by the . trade value of Nitrogen in ammonia salts, 17^ cents; multiply the result by 20, which gives the value per ton. Example. — A manufacturer guarantees his sulphate of ammonia to contain 22 per cent, of ammonia: 22 X -8235 t=. 18.12 per cent, of Nitrogen; 18.12 X I7i =^ 317 cents, or $3.17, the value of Nitrogen in 100 pounds of sulphate of ammonia; $3.17 X 20 ^ ;^63.40, value per ton. Multiply the guaranteed per cent, of sul- ^ , t. ^ r , r 1 L 111 1 Sulphate of phate 01 potash by .54; multiply the result p + ii by the trade value for potash in high-grade sulphate (5 cents) and multiply the last result by 20. Example. — A high-grade sulphate of potash is guaranteed by the manufacturer to contain 45 per cent, of sulphate of potash: 45 X -54 ^= 24.30 per cent, of actual potash; 24.30 Food for X ^ — 122 cents, or ^1.22, the value of actual potash in ^'^°*^ lOO pounds of sulphate; ^1.22 X 20 = ^4.40, value per ton. 160 ^T, . , Multiply the guaranteed per cent, of ^""^^7^^°*^'^ muriate (chloride) by .63; then multiply (Chloride;. ^j^^ result by the trade value for potash in the form of muriate (4^ cents per pound for 1892), and multiply the last result by 20. Example. — A muriate of potash is guaranteed to contain 80 per cent, of muriate (chloride): 80 X -63 == 50.40 per cent, of actual potash; 50.40 X 4^ cents = 227 cents, or fc.27,the value of actual potash in 100 pounds of sulphate; fc.27 X 20 :zr ;^45.40, value per ton. Second. How to make a commercial valuation of a fer- tilizer from a guarantee-analysis as given by manufacturers . The statements of guarantee-analysis as used by manu- facturers differ considerably in form, and the amount of each constituent is usually stated as being between two more or less widely varying limits. Thus, we are offered a fer- tilizer which in the guaranteed analysis is stated to contain : Ammonia, from 2 to 3 per cent. ; available phosphoric acid, 8 to 10. per cent.; insoluble phosphoric acid, 2 to 3 per cent.; and potash, equal to 3 to 5 per cent. In estimating the valuation from such form of statement of analysis the lower numbers should be always used, for the manufacturer is held legally only to the lower figures given in the guarantee. The per cent, of Nitrogen in the guarantee-analysis is most usually given in the form of ammonia, and the per cent, of potash may be given in the. form of sulphate or muriate (chloride) of potash. When the per cent, of organic Nitrogen is given multiply the per cent, of Nitrogen by the trade value adopted for organic Nitrogen in mixed fertilizers. But if the Nitrogen is stated in the form of ammonia, multiply the guar- anteed per cent, of ammonia by .8235, which will give the per cent, of actual Nitrogen; then multiply the result by the trade value for organic Nitrogen in mixed fertilizers, which will give the value of the Nitrogen in 100 pounds of fertilizer. Thus, in the fertilizer given above the per cent, of ammonia in the guaranteed analysis is from 2 to 3 per cent. As directed, we take the lower number, 2 per cent.: 2 X -^235 zz 1.65 per cent, of Nitrogen; 1.65 X 15^ cents := 25.58 cents. The per cent, of available phosphoric acid is guaranteed ^°°^ *<"■ to be from 8 to lo per cent.: 8 X 4i cents =. 36 cents. ^'^'^^^ Insoluble phosphoric acid: 2X2 cents r= 4 cents. i^i The guaranteed per cent, of potash is 3 to 5 per cent. But the statement of analysis does not tell the form in which the potash is present. All we know is that there is from 3 to 5 per cent, of actual potash contained in the fertilizer, so we will give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and assume the potash to be in the form of muriate (chloride) : 3 X 4^ cents rr 13^ cents. We now have the value in cents of the Nitrogen, available and insoluble phosphoric acid, and potash. Add these together and the sum is the value in cents of the total fertiliz- ing constituents in 100 pounds of fertilizer. This sum multiplied by 20 gives the value in cents of one ton. Example: — Nitrogen 1.65 X 15^ = 25.5 cents. Available phosphoric acid 8 X 7 J = 36.0 " Insoluble phosphoric acid 2X2 = 4.0 " Potash 3X 4^=13-5 " Total value of 100 pounds 79 -O cents. 79 X 20 zr 1580 cents, or ^15.80 value per ton. If the potash is given in the form of sulphate we find the equivalent of actual potash by multiplying the per cent, of sulphate by .54 and the result by the trade value, 5 J cents. If the potash is given in the form of muriate (chloride), multiply the per cent, of muriate (chloride) by .63 and the result by the trade value, 4^ cents. Example I. — ^A manufacturer's guarantee-analysis is 8 to 10 per cent, of potash as sulphate: 8 X -54 ^= 4-32 per cent, of actual potash; 4.32 X 5i cents r: 23.7 cents, the trade value of actual potash as sulphate in 100 pounds of fertilizer. Example 2. — A manufacturer's guarantee-analysis is 6 to 8 per cent, of potash as muriate (chloride): 6 X -63 = 3-78 per cent, of actual potash; 3.78 X 4^ = i7-0 cents, trade value of actual potash as muriate in 100 pounds of fertilizer. Summary of the methods heretofore used tn converting one chemical compound into an equivalent of another chemical compound. (a) To change Nitrogen into an equivalent amount of ammonia, multiply the given amount of Nitrogen by 1.214. FoocWor (Jj-^ Xo convert ammonia into an equivalent amount of ^^^^^ Nitrogen, multiply the given amount of ammonia by .8235. 162 (c) To convert a guaranteed per cent, of Nitrate of Soda to an equivalent of Nitrogen multiply the per cent, of Nitrate of Soda by 16.47. (d) To convert a guaranteed per cent, of sulphate of potash to an equivalent of actual potash multiply the per cent, of sulphate by .54. (e) To convert muriate (chloride) of potash to an equiva- lent amount of actual potash, multiply the per cent, of muri- ate (chloride) by .63. (/) To convert actual potash to an equivalent per cent, of sulphate of potash, multiply the per cent, of actual potash by 1.85. {g) To convert potash to an equivalent per cent, of muri- ate (chloride) of potash, multiply the per cent, of actual potash by 1.585. We nov^r have the data for estimating the commercial values of fertilizers from the guarantee-analyses as usually pubUshed by manufacturers. We may in a few moments calculate the comparative commercial values of different trade-brands, and be governed in buying by their actual commercial values and by the requirements of our soil and the crops to be grown. Or, if we have an eye to saving from twenty to thirty per cent, by mixing our own fertilizers dur- ing the idle winter months, when we can usually buy agri- cultural chemicals cheaper than at any other season of the year, we can now proceed intelligently and prepare chemical manures containing just such percentages of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, as soil and crop requirements demand. We ascertain the cheapest source of raw materials, esti- mate our wants and buy for cash on guaranteed analyses. Or, better still, by co-operating with several other farmers we purchase, at wholesale, sufficient raw materials for our com- bined use. With a few hoes and shovels, a good-sized ash sieve, and an even barn floor we are ready for work. Mixing Raw ^^ proceed to spread the weighed raw Materials materials in thin layers on the barn floor, building them layer upon layer to a height convenient for easy manipulation; then intimately mix with hoes by working the piles over from the outward edge inward. pass the mixed materials through the sieve, and having secured an even admixture, store the finished materials away in bags or barrels until needed for use. Examples. — ^We want a complete high-grade fertilizer for general use, and decide it shall contain from 4 to 5 per cent, of Nitrogen, 8 to 9 per cent, of phosphoric acid, and from 6 to 7 per cent, of potash. In making an approximate estimate of our wants we will take the higher numbers given. Then for one ton we want — Nitrogen 5 per cent. (or 5 pounds in each 100 pounds of fertilizer) X 20 rz 100 pounds, phos- phoric acid (available) 9 per cent. X 20 3: 180 pounds, and potash 7 per cent. X 20 = 140 pounds. The tables of analyses in the appendix have been care- fully consulted before purchasing and our raw materials have been bought upon guaranteed analyses, are of good merchantable quality and are up to the standard of guarantee. We conclude to get our three essential components from a variety of materials and proceed thus : Food for Plants 163 Mater- ial, Lbs 200 250 100 350 800 100 2,000 Nitrate of Soda Sulphate of ammonia.. . . Dried blood Dissolved bone meal Dissolved bone-black. . . . Muriate of potash (chlor- ide) Sulphate of potash (high grade) Total quantities in I ton. Per cent, in I ton Nitro- gen, Lbs. 31 -5° 51.25 10.52 9. 10 102.37 5. II Phosphoric Acid, Lbs. Avail- able. 47-35 133.60 180.95 9.04 Insolu- ble. 1. 91 14.24 2.40 18.55 .92 Total. 1. 91 61.59 136.00 199.50 9-97 Potash, Lbs. 104.92 38.60 1+3-52 7.17 Now let us suppose that out of these same materials we wish to make a fertilizer containing from i to 2 per cent, of Nitrogen, 6 to 8 per cent, of phosphoric acid, and from 2 to 3 per cent, of potash. We have four ingredients that supply Nitrogen, namely. Nitrate of Soda, sulphate of ammonia, dried blood, and dissolved bone meal, and they supply it in the three forms of nitric acid, ammonia, and organic Nitrogen. i64 Food for "W^e want from 20 to 40 pounds of Nitrogen, 120 to 160 pounds ^"^^^ of phosphoric acid, and from 40 to 60 pounds of potash. In compounding our formula we will take the higher number for Nitrogen (40 pounds), and will take the Nitrogen in about equal proportions; that is, 10 pounds of Nitrogen from each of the four nitrogenous constituents. We begin with Nitrate of Soda, containing 15.75 pounds of Nitrogen in each 100 pounds of the Nitrate. Now, how many pounds of Nitrate of Soda must we have to get 10 pounds of Nitrogen .? It is a very simple calculation; since in 100 pounds there are 15.75 pounds of Nitrogen there must be in i pound of Nitrate of Soda the one-hundredth part of 15.75 pounds, or .1575 pounds of Nitrogen. Hence, we must have about 63^ pounds of Nitrate of Soda.* We make a similar calculation for sulphate of ammonia, as follows: 100 pounds of sulphate of ammonia contain 20.50 per cent, of Nitrogen. Therefore, i pound of sulphate of ammonia contains the one-hundredth part of 20.50, or .2050, and we have .2050 -^ 10,000 ■zz 48.7 pounds, or we simply take 50 pounds of sulphate of ammonia, which con- tain 10.25 pounds of Nitrogen. Like calculations for all the raw materials are made, and, after estimating the required quantities for all the constituents, we have: Mater- ial, Lbs. 63i 50 100 400 515 100 45 i,273i Nitrate of Soda ....:. Sulphate of ammonia.. . . Dried blood Dissolved bone meal Dissolved bone-black Sulphate of potash (high grade) Muriate (chloride) Total quantities in i ton.. Per cent, in i ton Nitro- gen, Lbs. 10.00 10.25 10.52 10.40 41.17 2.05 Phosphoric Acid, Lbs Avail- able. 54.12 86.00 Insolu- ble 140.12 7.00 16.28 1-54 17.82 0.89 Total. 1.91 70.40 87-54 15985 7-99 Potash, Lbs. 38.60 23.60 62.20 3" ••'575 -r- 10,000 X 63!^ pounds. We have the required percentages of Nitrogen, available ^°°'' ^°^ phosphoric acid, and potash, but instead of i ton of 2,000 _^;^J__ pounds we have only 1,273^ pounds of materials. We ^^^ may add 72 1^ pounds of land plaster, peat, coal ashes, or loam to make up the ton. This formula illustrates the question often raised by farmers: "Why does the sum of the fertilizing constituents in the analysis of a fertilizer amount to so much less than the total weight of the fertilizer, and what is used by the manufacturer to make up the difference.?" We find that when the percentages of Nitrogen, total phosphoric acid, and potash are added together, the sum of their weights range between 16 and 30 per cent, of the total weight, and that in each ton of fertilizer there is from 70 to 84 per cent, of something else. This great difference is not due to dishon- esty on the part of manufacturers or dealers in agricultural chemicals. The essential elements are always combined with other substances which often are of no use whatever to growing crops. Thus, in 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda we have only 15.75 pounds of Nitrogen and 84.25 pounds of sodium, oxygen, and moisture, and so it is with all other constituents of fertilizers — the greater part of the weight is made up of moisture, dirt, etc. In many States of the Union there is much greater protection against fraud in buying commercial fertilizers than in the purchase of food or clothing. But commercial fertilizers or raw materials, for mixing, should never be bought except upon guaranteed analyses, and with strict regard to soil requirements and the character of the crop to be fed. In the above forqgula we might slightly change the per- centages of fertilizing constituents, and probably get a better crop effect by the change. We might drop out the muriate of potash and reduce the sulphate of potash to 50 pounds, and then substitute 82 li pounds of unleached wood ashes for the sulphate and muriate of potash left out. In the wood ashes there will be 45.21 pounds of potash and 15.20 pounds of phosphoric acid. Our formula would then stand : Food for Plants i65 Mater- ial, Nitro- gen, Lbs. Phosphoric Acid, Lbs. Potash, Lbs. Lbs Avail- able. Insolu- ble. Total. 63i 50 100 Nitrate of Soda Sulphate of ammonia.. . . 10.00 10.25 10.52 10.40 54-12 86.00 16^28 1-54 1. 91 68.40 87-54 15.20 400 515 5° Dissolved bone meal Dissolved bone-black Sulphate of potash (high grade") 19.30 45.21 82ii Wood-ashes (unleached) 2,000 Total quantities in I ton. Per cent, in i ton 41.17 2.05 140.12 7.00 17.82 0.89 173-05 8.65 64.51 3-22 The Unit System. In the wholesale fertilizer trade some raw materials are bought and sold on the "unit system." The unit is I per cent., or 20 pounds per ton. Thus, a lot of dried blood, containing 10.50 per cent, of Nitrogen, equivalent to 12.75 per cent, of ammonia, is said to contain 12I units of ammonia, and, quoted at fc.50 per unit, a ton will cost: 12I X ^2.50 = ^31. 87^. A quotation of ^1.50 per unit of available phosphoric acid means ^1.50 for each 20 pounds contained in the material quoted. Illustration. — A manufacturer offers dissolved bone black guaranteed to contain 16 units of available phosphoric acid, at ^0.70 per unit: 16 X $°-70 = ;^i 1.20 per ton. Materials Used in Making Commercial or Chemical Manures. Nitrate of Soda Nitrate of Soda or Chili saltpetre occurs in or Chili ^^^^ deposits in the rainless districts on the Saltpetre. ^^^* ^°^.^} of South America, chiefly in Peru, Chili, and Bolivia, from whence it is imported to this country for use in chemical manufacture and in agriculture. As imported into the United States, Nitrate of Soda usually contains from fifteen to sixteen per cent, of Nitrogen. Nitrate of Soda resembles common salt, ^°°^ ^°^ with which and sodium sulphate it is often adulterated. __^_! This salt is at once available as a direct fertilizer, and being ^^'^ very soluble in water is therefore liable to be washed from soils. Whenever practicable its hould be applied as a top- dressing to growing crops, and if possible the dressings should be given in two or three successive rations. Nitrate of Soda is usually applied at the rate of from lOO to 200 pounds -per acre on land previously dressed with farm-yard manure. To secure an even distribution, the Nitrate should be previously well mixed with from three to five parts of fine loam or sand. Much has been said and written about Nitrate of Soda exhausting the soil. This is all a mistake and is the out- come of incorrect reasoning. Nitrate of Soda does not exhaust soils. It does promote the development of the leafy parts of plants, and its effects are at once noticeable in the deep, rich green, and vigorous growth of crops. The growth of plants is greatly energized by its use, for the Nitrate in supplying an abundance of nitrogenous food to plants, imparts to them a thrift and vigor which enables their roots to gather in the shortest time the largest amount of other needed foods from a greater surface of surrounding soil. Nitrate of Soda adds nothing of value to the soil but nitric acid. The thirty-seven to forty per cent, of soda which it contains is practically of no use to agricultural plants. In the increased crop contained by its use there must necessarily be more potash and phosphoric acid than would have been contained in a smaller crop on which the Nitrate of Soda had not been used. The increased con- sumption of phosphoric acid and potash is due to the in- crease in the weight of the crop. The office of the Nitrate is to convert the raw materials of the soil into a crop; for we obtain by its use, as Dr. Griffiths has tersely said, "the fullest crop with the greatest amount of profit, with the least damage to the land." On cereals Nitrate of Soda should be used „ .,. , , . , . , . , , How Used. alone or mixed with dry superphosphate and applied as a top-dressing. On grass lands it may be applied as a top-dressing at the rate of 150 to 200 pounds per acre. Food for Some of our most successful onion growers use Nitrate of ^'^°^^ Soda at the rate of from 500 to 700 pounds per acre, applying '^^ the Nitrate in three successive top-dressings, the last ration being given when the crop is about half grown. From what is known of the fertilizing action of Nitrate of Soda, the following conclusions may be safely drawn, viz. : First. The Nitrate of Soda is, in most cases, a reliable manure for cereals, roots and grasses, increasing the yield over other nitrogenous manures. Second. Many crops grown with Nitrate of Soda mature from one to two weeks earlier than when grown with other nitrogenized manures. Third. The best results are obtained by applying the Nitrate to crops in fractional top-dressings during the active stages of growth. Fourth. Crops grown with Nitrate of Soda generally have a higher feeding value than those grown with other forms of Nitrogen. Fifth. Crops grown with Nitrate of Soda seem to resist the attacks of parasitic organisms better than those grown without its aid. Sixth. Nitrate of Soda does not exhaust the land. Phosphatic Although in the phosphatic guanos the g Nitrogen compounds and the potash which they originally contained have been washed out by the rains, much of the phosphoric acid is in a form that can be more readily dissolved by the roots of plants and by the carbonic acid water of the soil than is the case with many of the finely ground rock-derived phosphates. Phos- phatic guanos, when finely powdered, do excellently for moist grass lands and in soils rich in humus, and are also excellent materials for working into composts or manure heaps. But the phosphatic guanos, of which the Jarves, Baker, and Rowland Islands are types, are rarely applied directly to the soil. They are chiefly valuable for the phos- phate of lime which they contain, and are used almost altogether in the manufacture of superphosphates. The phosphoric acid of natural phosphates, when finely enough powdered, is somewhat soluble in weak acids, and hence can be readily absorbed by the acid secretions of the roots of plants. This manure is specially recommended for peat, clay, ^°°^ ^°^ and sandy soils, also for moorlands and wet meadows. ^°*^ It can be mixed with Nitrate of Soda, but such mixtures i^9 should only be made just before spreading on the land; this phosphate must not be mixed with sulphate of ammonia, as a part of the ammonia will be liberated and lost. English authorities recommend that basic slag phosphate, when used alone, be applied from six to eight weeks earlier than super- phosphate, because of the greater solubility of the super- phosphate; and that the basic phosphate be used in prefer- ence to superphosphate on wet, peaty, and marshy soils on account of its containing an excess of free lime, which neutralizes the organic acids of the soil. Dr. Paul Wagner recommends four and one-half hundredweight (five hundred and four pounds) of basic slag phosphate per acre for gen- eral crops. Economy in the Purchase of Fertilizers. Home Mixtures. Economy in the purchase of fertilizing materials or of agricultural chemicals depends not only on the price paid per pound or per ton, but also on the relation existing between the price paid and the amounts and forms of the Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash furnished. To illus- trate, we will assume that two fertilizers, both made from the best class of materials, are offered by a manufacturer at thirty dollars and thirty-five dollars per ton. The first is guaranteed to contain three per cent, of Nitrogen, seven per cent, of available phosphoric acid, and three per cent, of potash. The second is guaranteed to contain five per cent, of Nitrogen, ten per cent, of available phosphoric acid, and seven per cent, of potash. We have but to calculate the commercial values of these fertilizers to ascertain their true relation to the prices asked by the manufacturer. By simply multiplying the actual content of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash by the trade values for these constituents in mixed fertilizers, we find that there is an actual difference of nearly ^14 in their commercial values, whereas the difference in price made by the manufacturer is only ;^5. Food for No. I has a commercial value of less than $24., while No. P'^°^^ 2 has a commercial value of nearly $^^7 per ton; or in No. i 170 we are asked ^1.50 per 100 pounds for a fertilizer worth about ;?i.i6, and in No. 2 we are asked ^1.75 per 100 pounds for a fertilizer worth ^1.85. The fertilizer materials in the higher priced fertilizers are about thirty-three per cent, cheaper than those in the lower priced article. As a general rule the more concentrated the form of fertiliz- ing materials in commercial fertilizers, or the higher the grade of unmixed raw materials purchased by the farmer for home mixing, the greater will be the saving in actual cost. The higher the grade of materials the less will be the expense for freight, mixing, and spreading upon the land. There are these decided advantages about the mixing of materials at home, viz., each raw material can be sepa- rately examined, and if there is any cause for suspecting inferior forms of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, or potash, samples may be sent to the State Experiment Station for analysis. The detection of error or fraud is more certain and much easier in unmixed raw materials than in mixed fertilizers. Another important advaiitage of home-mixing is the opportunity afforded the intelligent farmer to adapt the composition of a fertilizer to the special soil require- ments of his land and to the wants of the crop to be grown. And, lastly, home mixtures have, as a rule, proved to be much cheaper than ready-made fertilizers. However, the economy of home-mixing should in every instance be deter- mined hy actual calculation. Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, as we have already seen, are necessary for the complete development of farm crops, and are the c.onstituents most likely to be defi- cient in cultivated soils; different crops have different capac- ities for consuming these plant foods, so that when no increase in crop production follows a rational application of one, two, or all three of these constituents the soil evidently contains them in sufficient stores to develop crops to limita- tions fixed by season and existing climatic conditions. By a careful study of the capacities of different crops for using Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, we may, within rea- sonable limits, approximate the quantities, which, under average conditions of crop, soil, and season, should be restored to the land to balance the consumption of growing ^°°^ *<"■ crops. Tables exhibiting the average amounts of Nitrogen, phos- ^^^' phoric acid, and potash found profitable for different crops are given on pages 163, 164, 172. In using complete fertilizers, or in special crop feeding, it should be borne in mind that lands in a high state of cultivation generally respond to heavy fertilization with much greater immediate profit than those of ordinary fertility. Home-Mixing. The following formulas, together with the analyses and valuations, are taken from the Twelfth Annual Report of the New Jersey State Agricultural Experiment Station for 1891. They prove most conclusively that farmers can make even mixtures of raw materials which in mechanical condi- tion compare favorably with the best manufactured brands of complete fertilizers, and that the cost of mixing by the manufacturers may be saved without increasing the cost of farm labor. The results also show that in this particular instance there was a total difference of thirty-one per cent, in cost in favor of home-made mixtures. "In making these mixtures two important points were taken into consideration. First, that the value of a Complete fertilizer depends upon the kind and quality of the essential ingredients. Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash con- tained in it; and second, that the higher the grade of the materials used in making the mixture the less will be the expenses of freight and handling per pound of essential ingredients. "High grade materials were used in the preparation of all of these mixtures, and the different combinations were, as a rule, adopted after a careful study. of the plant-food requirements of the soil for different crops. "Chemical analyses were made of all the materials used in the mixtures: Food for Formulas. P^^'^^^ For General Crops: 172 Nitrate of Soda 2°° lbs. Dried blood 200" Ground bone 4°° |] Superphosphate i,aoo Sulphate of potash 2°° 2,000 lbs. For Potatoes: I- Nitrate of Soda loo lbs. Dried blood 20° Ground fish 20° Ground bone 4°° Superphosphate "0° High-grade sulphate of potash 3°° 2,000 lbs. II. Nitrate of Soda 250 lbs. Tankage 5°° Bone-black superphosphate 800 High-grade sulphate of potash 45° 2,000 lbs. III. Nitrate of Soda 250 lbs. Sulphate of ammonia 400 Bone-black superphosphate 800 Double sulphate of potash and magnesia 675 Land plaster 5°° 2,625 lbs. For Peach Trees: Nitrate of Soda 300 lbs. Dissolved bone 400 South Carolina rock superphosphate 700 Muriate of potash 600 2,000 lbs. "The mechanical condition of these mixtures was all that could be desired; they were fine, dry, and in every respect equal to the best brands of mixed fertilizers on the market in the State." What "Was Shown by the Analyses. "The main objects of the analyses were to determine, first, whether farmers using the ordinary tools and labor of the farm could make even mixtures of the materials used, and, second, whether in the cost of actual plant food home 173 mixing presented any advantages over the usual method of ^°°^ ^°^ buying manufactured fertiHzers. "In the following table the actual composition of the different mixtures is compared with the calculated composi- tion of a perfect mixture in each case, the analyses of the raw materials and the weights used in the formulas serving as a basis for the calculation. The estimated commercial value of the mixture is also compared with the estimated value of an even mixture of the materials used. Table of Analyses and Guarantees. Valuation i roTAL Total Phos- Potash. AT Station's R NiTROGf :n. phoric Acid. Price. P z ij ■J 1 __■ '•J li „ — tu - n 5 - ■z ll = ■u-O ■/. < « fe ' >= a i. <= r. (^3 5 " '- 3 (=5 396" 4.01 4.01 13-34 13.69 +o.3'i S'13 5-40 —003 S3570 S3634 4002 4.43 4.ZI — 22 10.69 11.45 +075 7.65 696 —0.69 3392 37- "o ^'m 5 12 4.92 — 20 7 00 7.20 +0 20 II. 16 11.29 +013 4003 40.16 3978 3 55 387 +0.^2 9-50 9.57 +0.07 11.25 11.79 +0.54 39-19 3618 4246 4.59 452 — 07 4.73 5.04 +0.31 6.86 . 7-22 +0.36 32-49 30-92 "The plus, +, and minus, — , signs in the difference column, indicate the percentage more or less found by analyses than was guaranteed. "There is a very close agreement between the calculated and actual composition of these mixtures ; the widest varia- tion is 0.32 per cent, for Nitrogen, 0.76 per cent, for phosphoric acid, and 0.69 per cent, for potash. In home-made mixtures the value of exactness in composition depends very largely upon the value of the relative proportions of the plant food applied to the soil for the different crops. A pound per acre, more or less, of either Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, or potash would probably not be observed in the results secured from their use. Taking the widest variation in the above mixture it would require 313 pounds to make a difference of one pound in the Nitrogen, 133 pounds in the phosphoric acid, and 145 pounds in the potash. The mixtures do con- tain practically the amount and proportion of plant food that they were intended to furnish, and, therefore, show that farmers are able to make even mixtures of such raw materials as the market affords. Food for Plants 174 "A comparison of the commercial value per ton of the materials used with that of an actual mixture also confirms the results of analyses, the average difference between the two values being but thirteen cen.ts per ton. This is a severe test, since in three cases out of the five the three forms of the expensive element Nitrogen were used, each of which has a different commercial value, and also because in three mix- tures ground bone or tankage was used, materials which in themselves are valued in a different manner than when they are used in a mixed fertilizer. Valuation. " In Nos. 3960 and 4002 the cost of raw materials included freight charges to point of consumption; in the others the average cost of freight was i^i.oo per ton. The cost of mix- ing was variously estimated, ranging from 50 cents to $1.50 per ton. In the table showing cost and value of the mixtures ^i.oo per ton has been assumed as the average cost of mixing. Station Number. 3960 4002 3986 3978 4246 4207 Cost per ton ^9.06 1 .00 30.06 35.70 5.64 ?30 . 60 1 .00 31 .60 33 92 2.32 ^6.76 2.00 38.76 40.03 1.27 ^33-00 2.00 35.00 39-19 4-19 fc7-74 2.00 29.74 32-49 2.75 ;?3o.io 2.00 32. 10 33-45 1-35 Freight and mixing Total cost per ton Station's value Value exceeds cost "The average value per ton of these mixtures is ^2.92, or 8.9 per cent, greater than their cost at point of consump- tion. This sum, while worthy of careful consideration by the farmers, by no means represents the actual saving in the cost of plant food that this method of buying offers over the usual haphazard method of buying on credit from small dealers and without regard to the source of materials used or reliability of the manufacturer. The following results shown by study of the analyses of complete fertilizers, made in 1890, clearly illustrate this point, viz., that the value per ton of the average of over 200 brands of complete fertilizers was 1^28.37 and the average selling price ^34.64, a difference of ^6.27 per ton, or a cost of 22.1 per cent, greater than the value; this added to the 8.9 per cent, would make a total difference in favor of home mixtures of 31 per cent.; in other ^°°^ ^°^ words, an amount of plant food in a mixture that would cost on the average $100 when bought in the form of raw materials ^75 and mixed at home would, on the average, cost $1^1 when bought in the usual manner in the form of manufactured brands. "The best forms of fertiHzing materials are used in the preparation of these formulas, as they will probably be found to be the cheapest in the majority of cases. These are, as a rule, in good mechanical condition, and can be bought direct from the leading dealers or manufacturers, and should in all cases be accompanied by a guaranteed composition. It is important that the materials should be evenly mixed. This can be easily done by forming on the barn floor or other dry and level place, a series of layers of the different materials, and working the heap over from the edge outward, breaking all the lumps in the process; a few turnings will suffice to answer the purpose. Screening is also advisable if suitable apparatus is at hand. It is not claimed that the buying of raw materials and mixing at home is the best and cheapest method of getting fertilizers under all conditions; however, the important points in favor of the system will bear repeat- ing, viz.: "i. That a definite knowledge of the quality of the materials is secured; and "2. That where farmers know what they want, and unite in purchasing car lots, there is a decided saving in the cost of plant food." The elaborate investigations of the New Jersey Experi- ment Station plainly indicate that there is a decided saving in the cost of plant food by buying the unmixed raw materials and mixing them at home. Farmers and farmers' clubs should give the method a practical trial. They will have the ready co-operation of their State experiment stations in so far as it may be neces- sary to test by analyses the materials to be used. A matter of paramount importance in purchasing raw materials for home mixture is to take advantage of market fluctuations in laying in a season's supply. Marked variations in cost occur, and a saving of from 10 to 20 per cent, is often the result of buying early in the year before the spring work has fully begun, and there is no better time for mixing than durine the idle winter months. 175 Food for Two Good Home Mixtures. Plants I. Mixture for General Use. (Connecticut Experiment Station.) Dissolved bone-black 834 lbs. Tankage 666 Sulphate of ammonia 208 Muriate of potash 292 2,000 lbs. II. Mixture for General Use. (Connecticut Experiment Station.) Tankage 45° lbs. Sulphate of ammonia 170 Dissolved bone-black 1,000 Muriate of potash 280 Bone (meal) 100 2,000 lbs. "The actual cost in many, if not all, of these cases has been very considerably reduced by special rates which are given where a number of farmers give a cash order for a car lot or more. "The average cost of materials in these home-mixed fertilizers has been thirty-four dollars and twenty-three cents per ton delivered at the purchaser's freight station. Two dollars will- fully cover the cost of screening and mixing. (From a dollar to a dollar and a half is the estimate of those who have done the work.) The average valuation has been thirty-four dollars and eighty-five cents per ton. On the basis of these figures the average difference between cost and valuation has been less than six per cent. In factory-mixed goods it has averaged in round numbers eighteen per cent. "There is no longer any question as to the expediency of home-mixing in many cases. From such raw materials as are in our markets, without the aid of milling machinery, mixtures can be and are annually made on the farm which are uniform in quality, fine and dry, and equal in all respects to the best ready made fertilizers." Amounts of Manure Produced by Farm Animals. From Bulletin 27, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. f. In the experiment with cows, eighteen Jersey and Holstein grades in milk were kept in their places during the whole twenty-four hours. Plants 177 and the manure carefully collected as it was excreted, and a ^°°^ ^°^ sufficient quantity of bedding and absorbents of known com- position and weight were used to make the collection complete. The cows consumed 114 pounds of hay, 893 pounds of ensilage, 186 pounds of beets, and 154 pounds of a mixture of 12 parts wheat bran, 9 parts cotton-seed meal, 3 parts corn meal, and i part malt sprouts. The other details of the experiment are shown in the table: Weight of cows, pounds. . Food consumed, pounds.. Water drunk, pounds. . . . Total excretion, pounds. . Nitrogen, pounds Phosphoric acid, pounds. Potash, pounds Value of Nitrogen Value of phosphoric acid. Value of potash Total value Eighteen Cows for One Day. 20,380 1,347 876 1,452 7 5 7 $1 ■5 ■35 .01 .40 .10 •35 •33 .78 Average Per Cow Per Day. 1,132 75 49 81 .41 .28 •41 I0.06 .02 .02 .10 51 per cent. 35 " 51 " 46 Composition of the mixed excrement: Nitrogen Phosphoric acid Potash Value per ton $2. A few days later a second trial was made with four of the same cows and the solid and liquid excrement carefully collected and analyzed separately. The conditions of food, water, etc., were almost identical. ^.^^^ .^,^.^1 ^^^^^^ J,^.^^^ Average weight 1,132 1,178 Average food eaten 75 76 Average water drunk 49 40 Average total excrement voided 81 82 The four animals yielded in twenty-four hours 255 pounds of solid and 72.25 pounds of liquid excrement, which had the following composition: Solid, Liquid, Mixed, Per Cent. Per Cent. Nitrogen 26 i . 32 Phosphoric acid 28 .... Potash 20 1 .00 Value per ton ;?2.o8 Per Cent. ■49 .22 •38 Food for Xhe average of the two trials shows that well-fed cows, ^'^"^^ yielding milk heavily, may be counted upon to return nearly ^^78 ten cents' worth of valuable fertilizing materials per day, and the last trial shows that the liquid excrement is of equal value with the solid. The determination of the amount of excre- ment was made by carefully collecting the manure made by the ten horses in the University barn during the time they were in the stable, for a period of eleven days, including one Sunday. During this time the bedding used was also weighed and separately analyzed. The horses were mostly grade draft horses of about 1,400 pounds weight, doing heavy work and liberally fed on oats and hay. Dur- ing the eleven days of the experiment 3,461 pounds of clear excrement of the following percentage composition was voided: Nitrogen 47 per"cent. Phosphoric acid 39 Potash 94 " Value per ton fc ■ 79 The amount and value of the fertilizing materials would, therefore, be : jO Horses for Average per Jl Dayi. Horse per Day. Nitrogen, pounds 16.27 -'S Phosphoric acid, pounds 13-50 -12 Potash, pounds 32-53 - 30 Nitrogen, value ^2.44 $0.02 Phosphoric acid, value 81 .01 Potash, value i .46 .01 Total ?4-7i .043 The horses, therefore, returned in the manure during the time that they were in the stable rather more than four cents each per day, in about thirty-two pounds of excrement. Sheep ^°'^ ^^^^ *"^'' ^^^^^ galvanized iron pans, covering the whole surface of the pen, were used; the sheep were kept continuously upon them, and enough weighed straw bedding of known composition was used to keep them dry and clean. The sheep were grade Shropshires, of medium size, and were fed on grain, beets, and hay. The experiment lasted for thirty-three and two- thirds days with three sheep, during which time 923 pounds of clear excrement of the following percentage composition ^°°^ ^""^ were obtained: P'^°*^ 179 Nitrogen i .00 per cent. Phosphoric acid 08 " Potash . . ! 1 . 21 " Value per ton $4.. 19 The other details of the experiment were as follows : 3 Sheep for Average per 33% Days. Sheep per Day. Weight of sheep 426 142 Food consumed 536 5.3 Water drunk 765 7.5 Total excrement 723 7 . 2 Nitrogen, pounds 7.21 .071 Phosphoric acid, pounds .60 .005 Potash, pounds 8 . 74 .086 Nitrogen, value Jl .08 ;?o.oi Phosphoric acid, value .04 .0004 Potash...' .39 .004 Total value ^i .51 i?o.oi5 The most striking thing in regard to the sheep manure is the extremely low percentage of phosphoric acid. It will be noted that we obtained, in valuable fertilizing materials, about one and one-half cents' worth per sheep per day. The determinations of the amount of „ . J J , . J . Swine, manure produced by swme were made m the same general way as the sheep, i.e., by keeping the swine continuously upon tight galvanized iron pans and weighing and analyzing the bedding separately. Two determinations were made with two lots of swine fed on different rations; one lot, known as the carbonaceous lot, was fed nothing but corn meal; the other lot, known as the nitrogenous lot, was fed a ration of two parts corn meal and one part flesh meal. It will be noted that the excrement difi^ered very materially both in amount and quality, as is shown by the following analysis : Nitrogenous, Carbonaceous, Average, Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Nitrogen 92 .74 .83 Phosphoric acid 06 .01 .04 Potash 64 .58 .61 Value per ton i?3-4i fc-94 ^3-i8 Food for Plants i8o Other Details of the Experiment. Nitrogen- ous. Carbona- CEODS. Average. Four Pigs in Seven Days. Four Pigs in Seven Days. Four Pigs in Seven Days. Per Pig Per Day. WeiP'ht of swine 600. 122. 146. 1-34 .09 •93 ^0.20 .006 .04 ■25 426. 78. 48. •36 .007 .28 $o.os .005 .01 .07 "nI^. 128. 100 97 ^0 85 05 61 13 005 03 t6 3 3 $0 fi Total excrement ^ 03 Phosphoric acid, pounds. . . Potash, pounds Nitrogen, value Phosphoric acid, value Potash, value 002 02 005 001 006 Summary. Horse* Horsef Cows. . Sheep. Swine. Value Per Ton. 79 27 19 18 Value Per Animal Per Day. ;?0.044 •073 •093 .015 .006 Value Per Thousand Pounds Live Weight Per Day. fr.031 .052 .082 .106 .047 Value Per Thousand Pounds Live Weight Per Year. ^11.47 19. 12 29.82 38-55 17.11 Analyses of Commercial Fertilizing Materials. Name of Substance. 3 1 d t 2 J5 Phosphoric Acid. Avail- able. Insolu- ble. Total. /. Phosfhatic Manures. Apatite 16.70 0.30 36.08 35.89 28.28 17.00 Bone ash 7.00 4.60 Bone-black Bone-black (dissolved) .... * Manure voided while at work not included. t Total excrement calculated on the basis that three-fifths was collected in the stable. Analyses of Commercial Fertilizing Materials. Continued. Food for Plants Name of Substance. /. Phosphatic Manures. — Continued. Bone meal Bone meal (free from fat). . . . Bone meal (from glue factory) Bone meal (dissolved) Caribbean guano Cuban guano Mona Island guano Navassa phosphate Orchilla guano Peruvian guano S. Carolina rock (ground). ... S. Carolina rock (floats) S. Carolina rock (dissolved). . //. Potash Manures. Carnallite Cotton-seed hull ashes Kainit Krugite Muriate of potash Nitrate of potash Spent tan-bark ashes Sulph. potash (high grade). . . Sulph. potash and magnesia. . , Sylvinite Waste from gunpowder works . Wood-ashes (unleached) Wood-ashes (leached) ///. Nitrogenous Manures. Ammoniate Castro pomace Cotton-seed meal Dried blood Dried fish Horn and hoof waste Lobster shells Meat scrap 7-47 24.27 12.52 7.60 7-31 14.81 1.50 7-33 3.20 4.82 2.00 1-93 6.31 1.25 4-75 7.25 2.75 12.00 4.12 20 13 85 09 43 o 61 Phosphoric Acid. Avail- able. 8.28 13-53 7-55 8.36 0.60 II .60 05 Insolu- ble, 15 14 07 33 90 27-43 60 Total. 23.50 20. 10 29.90 17.60 18.90 13-35 21.88 34-27 26.77 15.26 28.03 27.20 15.20 50 85 40 3-43 2. 16 I I 45 91 25 83 52 07 Food for Plants 182 Analyses of Commercial Fertilizing Materials. Continued. Name of Substance. ///. Nitrogenous Manures.- Continued. Malt sprouts Nitrate of Soda Nitre-cake Oleomargarine refuse Sulphate of ammonia Tankage Tobacco stems Wool waste IV. Miscellaneous Materials. Ashes (anthracite coal) Ashes (bituminous coal) Ashes (corn-cob) Ashes (lime-kiln) Ashes (peat and bog) Gas lime Marls (Maryland) Marls (Massachusetts) Marls (North Carolina) Marls (Virginia) Muck (fresh) Muck (air-dry) Mud (fresh water) Mud (from sea-meadows) Peat Pine straw (dead leaves or pine needles) Shells (mollusks) Shells (crustacea) Shell lime (oyster shell) Soot Spent tan Spent sumach Sugar-house scum Turf o 7.40 1.25 6.00 8.54 1 .00 13.20 10.61 9.27 15-45 5.20 4.40 1-73 18.18 1.50 15.98 76.20 21.40 +0-37 53-50 61 .50 7.80 19.50 5-54- 14.00 30.80 50.20 19.29 4.04 15-75 2.30 20.50 6.82 2.29 5-64 0.30 0.30 1.30 1-37 0.20 0.75 0.30 o. 10 6.20 0.20 1. 00 2.10 1-9+ 40 o, 10 0.40 23.20 0.86 0.70 1 .25 0.04 0.49 0.22 0.20 O. 10 0.04 0.20 0.04 1-83 O. 10 0.30 Phosphoric Acid. Avail- able. Insolu- ble. 23 Pure Dry (N H^ ), S O4 has 21.21 N— 25.76 N H3. Pure Dry NaNOj has 16.47 N — 20.00 N H,. Analyses of Farm Manures, Taken Chiefly from Reports of the New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut Experiment Stations. Food for Plants 1S3 Name of Substance. /. Cattle (solid fresh excrement). . Cattle (fresh urine) Hen manure (fresh) Horse (solid fresh excrement). . . Horse (fresh urine) Human excrement (solid) Human urine Poudrette (night soil) Sheep (solid fresh excrement). . . Sheep (fresh urine) Stable manure (mixed) Swine (solid fresh excrement). . . Swine (fresh urine) Moisture. 77 95 73 20 90 27 Nitrogen. 0.29 0.58 1.63 0.44 1-55 1 .00 0.60 0.80 0-55 1,95 0.50 0.60 0-43 Potash. 10 49 85 35 50 25 20 30 15 26 60 13 0.83 Phosphoric Acid. 0.17 1-54 o. 17 1 .09 o. 17 1 .40 0.31 0,01 0.30 0.41 0.07 Analyses of Fertilizing Materials in Farm Products.. Analyses of Hay and Dry Coarse Fodders. Name of Substance. //. Hay and Dry Coarse Fodders Blue melilot Buttercups Carrot tops (dry) Clover (alsike) Clover (Bokhara) Clover (mammoth red) Clover (medium red) Clover (white) Corn fodder Com stover Cow-pea vines Daisy (white) Daisy (ox-eye) Hungarian grass Italian rye-grass June grass Lucern (alfalfa) Moisture. 9 9 6 II 10 28 9 9 76 93 36 41 72 24 00 65 15 29 26 Nitrogen. 92 02 13 33 77 23 09 75 80 12 ,64 ,28 80 16 15 05 ,07 Potash. 2.80 0.81 4.88 2 I I , 2, I , 01 67 22 20 81 0.76 1.32 6.91 1.25 2.23 1.28 0.99 1.46 I .46 Phosphoric Acid. 0.54 0.41 0.61 0.70 44 55 44 52 51 30 53 44 27 35 55 37 0-53 Food for Plants Analyses of Fertilizing Materials in Farm Products. Continued. Name of Substance. II. Hay and Dry Coarse Fodders — Continued. Meadow fescue Meadow foxtail Mixed grasses Orchard grass Perennial rye-grass Red-top Rowen Salt hay Serradella Soja bean Tall meadow oat Timothy hay Vetch and oats Yellow trefoil ///. Green Fodders. Buckwheat Clover (red) Clover (white) Corn fodder Corn fodder (ensilage) Cow-pea vines Horse bean Lucern (alfalfa) Meadow grass (in flower). Millet Oats (green) Peas Prickly comfrey Rye grass Serradella Sorghum Spanish moss Vetch and oats White lupine Young grass IF. Straw, Chaff, Leaves, etc. Barley chaff Barely straw Bean shells Moisture, 82.60 80.00 81.00 72.64 71 .60 78.81 74-71 75-3° 70.00 62.58 83-36 81.50 70.00 82.59 60,80 86.11 85-35 80.00 13.08 13-25 18.50 Nitrogen, Potash. 9 ■79 II 26 8 84 9 13 7 71 12 48 5 36 7 39 6 30 7 52 II 98 0.94 1-54 1-37 1-31 1.23 1. 15 1-75 1. 18 2.70 2-32 1. 16 1.26 1-37 2.14 °-5i °-53 0.56 0.56 0.36 0.27 0.68 0.72 0.44 0.61 0.49 0.50 0.42 0.57 0.41 0.40 0.28 0.24 0.44 0.50 1 .01 0.72 1.48 2.01 2.19 1-54 1.88 1-55 1 .02 1.97 0.72 0.65 1.08 1 .72 1-53 0.90 0.98 0-43 0.46 0.24 0.62 0-33 0.31 1-37 0-45 0.60 0.41 0.38 0.56 0-75 0-53 0.42 0.32 0.26 0-79 1-73 1. 16 0.99 1. 16 i.;!8 Phosphoric Acid. 0-34 0.44 0-35 0.41 0.56 0.36 0.46 0.25 0.78 0.67 0.32 0.46 0-53 0.43 O. II 0.13 0.20 0.28 o. 14 0.98 0-33 0.15 0.15 o. o, o, o, o, o. 19 13 18 II 17 14 0.08 0.30 0.09 0-35 0.22 0.27 0.15 0-55 Analyses of Fertilizing Materials in Farm Products. Continued. Food for Plants ^85 Name of Substance. IV. Straw, Chaff, Leaves, etc. Continued. Beech leaves (autumn) Buckwheat straw Cabbage leaves (air-dried) Cabbage stalks (air-dried) Carrots (stalks and leaves) Corn cobs Corn hulls Hops Oak leaves Oat chafF Oat straw Pea shells Pea straw (cut in bloom) Pea straw (ripe) Potato stalks and leaves Rye straw Sugar-beet stalks and leaves. . . . Turnip stalks and leaves Wheat chaff (spring) Wheat chaff (winter) Wheat straw (spring) Wheat straw (winter) V. Roots, Tubers, etc. Beets (red) Beets (sugar) Beets (yellow fodder) Carrots Mangolds Potatoes Rata bagas Turnips VI. Grains and Seeds. Barley Beans Buckwheat Corn kernels Corn kernels and cobs (cob meal) Hemp seed Linseed Lupines Moisture. 15.00 16.00 14.60 16.80 80.80 12.09 II .50 11.07 15.00 14-3° 28.70 16.65 77.00 15.40 92.65 89.80 14.80 10.56 15.00 10.36 87 84 90 90 87 79 87 87 73 65 60 02 29 75 82 15.42 14.10 10.88 10.00 12.20 11.80 13.80 N t rogen. 0.80 1.30 0.24 0.18 0.51 0.50 0.23 2-53 0.80 0.64 0.29 1.36 2.29 1 .04 0.49 0.24 0-35 0.30 0.91 1 .01 0.54 0.82 0.24 0.25 o. 19 o. 14 o. 19 0.21 0.21 0.22 2.06 4.10 1.44 1.82 I .46 2.62 3.20 5-52 Potash. 0.30 2.41 1. 71 3-49 0-37 0.60 0.24 1.99 0.15 1 .04 0.88 1.38 2.32 1 .01 0.07 0.76 0.16 0.24 0.42 o. 14 0.44 0.32 0.44 0.29 0.46 0.54 0.38 0.29 0.50 0.41 0-73 1 .20 0.21 0.40 0.44 0.97 1 .04 1. 14 Phosphoric Acid. 0.24 0.6l 0.75 1 .06 0.21 0.06 02 75 34 20 II 55 68 35 06 19 0.07 0.13 0.25 0.19 0.18 O.II 0.09 0.08 0.09 O.IO 0.09 0.07 0.13 O. 12 0-95 1. 16 0.44 0.70 0.60 1-75 1 .30 0.87 Food for Plants i86 Analyses of Fertilizing Materials in Farm Products. Continued. Name of Substance. VI. Grains and Seeds. — Continued. Millet Oats Peas Rye Soja beans Sorghum Wheat (spring) Wheat (winter) VII. Flour and Meal. Corn meal Ground badey Hominy feed Pea meal Rye flour Wheat flour VIII. By-products and Refuse.. Apple pomace Cotton hulls Cotton-seed meal Glucose refuse Gluten meal Hop refuse Linseed cake (new process). . . . Linseed cake (old process) Malt sprouts Oat bran Rye middlings Spent brewer's grains (dry). . . . Spent brewer's grains (wet). . , . Wheat bran Wheat middlings IX. Dairy Products. Milk Cream Skim-milk Butter Butter-milk Cheese (from unskimmed milk). Cheese(from half-skimmed milk) Cheese (from skimmed milk). . . Moisture 13.00 20.80 '9 .10 14.90 18.83 14.00 14-75 15.40 1352 13 43 8 93 8 «5 H 20 9 83 80.50 10 63 8.10 8.53 8.98 6.12 7-79 10.28 8.19 12.54 6.98 75.01 II .01 9,18 87.20 68.80 90.20 13.60 90. 10 38.00 39.80 46.00 Nitrogen. ,40 IS 26 76 3° 48 36 83 05 55 63 08 68 21 Potash. 0.23 0.75 6.52 2.62 5-43 40 02 67 25 5- 6. 3- 2. 1.84 2°S 0.89 2.88 2.63 .58 .58 .58 .12 .64 .05 ■75 •45 0.47 0.41 1.23 0.54 1.99 0.42 0.61 0.50 0.44 0-34 0.49 0.99 0.65 0.54 o. 13 1.08 1.89 0.15 0.05 O. II 16 16 60 66 81 55 0.05 1.62 0.63 17 09 19 09 29 29 20 Phosphoric Acid. 91 48 26 82 87 81 89 68 0.71 0.66 0.98 0.82 0.85 0.57 0.02 0.18 .78 .29 ■43 .20 ■42 .65 .40 .11 .26 ,26 31 .87 95 0.30 0.15 0^34 0.15 0.80 0.80 0.80 Analyses of Fertilizing Materials in Farm Products, Continued. Name of Substance. X. Flesh of Farm Animals Beef Calf (whole animal) Ox Pig Sheep XI. Garden Products. Asparagus Cabbage Cucumbers Lettuce Onions Moisture. Nitrogen. Potash. 77.00 3.60 0.52 66.20 2.50 0.24 59.70 2.66 0.17 52.80 2.00 0.90 59.10 2.24 0.15 0.32 0.12 0.30 0-43 0. 16 0.24 0.20 0.25 0.27 0.25 Phosphoric Acid. Food for Plants 187 43 38 86 44 23 09 II 12 II 0.13 Table Showing the Number of Pounds of Nitrogen, Phos- phoric Acid, and Potash Withdrawn Per Acre by an Average Crop. (From New York, New Jersey and Connecticut Experiment Stations' Reports.) Name of Crop. Barley Buckwheat Cabbage (white) Cauliflower Cattle turnips Carrots Clover, green (trifolium pratense) .... Clover (trifolium pratense) Clover, scarlet (trifolium incarnatum). Clover (trifolium repens) Cow pea Corn Corn fodder (green) Cotton Cucumbers Esparsette Hops Hemp Lettuce Lucern Lupine, green (for fodder) Lupine, yellow (lupinus luteus) Meadow hay Nitrogen. 78 63 213 202 187 166 171 37 95 89 254 146 122 no 142 239 200 41 .289 219 80 166 Phosphoric Acid. 35 40 125 76 74 65 46 18 17 29 64 69 66 32 94 36 54 34 17 65 46 37 53 Potash. 62 17 514 265 426 190 154 29 57 58 169 174 236 35 193 i°3 127 54 72 181 63 155 201 Food for Xable Showing the Number of Pounds of Nitrogen, Phos- P'^°*^ phoric Acid, and Potash Withdrawn Per Acre i88 by an Average Crop. Continued. Name of Crop. Oats Onions Peas (pisuni sativum) Poppy Potatoes Rape Rice Rye Seradella Soja bean Sugar cane Sorghum (sorghum saccharatum) Sugar beet (beet-root) Tobacco Vetch (visia sativa) Wheat Nitrogen. 89 96 153 87 119 154 39 87 128 Phosphoric Acid. 35 49 39 30 55 79 24 44 57 297 518 62 37 44.6 90 95 44 127 32 149 35 III 45 Potash. 96 96 69 87 192 124 45 76 1 96 87 107 561 200 148 113 58 Fertilizer Experiments on Meadow Land. (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin, No. 23, February, 1890.) On low and decidedly wet land : English Blue Grass. Fertilizers Used Per Acre. Sulphate of potash. . . Muriate of potash . . . Nitrate of Soda Sulphate of ammonia No fertilizer Stable manure Tobacco stems Amount Per Acre in Pounds. 160 160 160 13° 20 loads. 4,000 Yield of Hay in Pounds Per Acre. 3,000 2,950 3,100 3,600 2,850 2,970 4,700 Fertilizer Ezperiments on Meadow Land. — Continued. Timothy. Kind of Fertilizer Used. Sulphate of potash. . . Muriate of potash . . . Nitrate of Soda Sulphate of ammonia No fertilizer Stable manure Tobacco stems Yield of Hay in Pounds Per Acre. 1,900 2,320 2,670 2,520 1,620 2,200 3.350 Food for Plants 189 Time Required for the Complete Exhaustion of Available FertiUzing Materials and the Amounts of Each Remain- ing in the Soil During a Period of Seven Years. (From Scottish Estimates.) ON UNCULTIVATED CLAY LOAM. Kind of Fertilizer. Exhausted Per cent. remaining in the soil unex- (in years), hausted at the end of each year. I Z 3 4. 5 6 7 Lime 12 80 65 55 45 35 25 20 Bone meal 5 60 30 20 10 00 00 00 Phosphatic guanos 5 50 30 20 10 00 00 00 Dissolved bones and plain superphos- phates 4 20 10 5 00 00 00 00 High grade ammoniated fertilizers, guano, etc 3 30 20 00 00 00 00 00 Cotton-seed meal 5 40 30 20 10 00 00 00 6am-yard manure 5 60 30 20 10 00 00 00 ON UNCULTIVATED LIGHT OR MEDIUM SOILS. Lime 10 75 60 40 30 20 15 Bone meal 4 60 30 10 00 00 00 Phosphatic guanos 4 50 20 10 00 00 00 Dissolved bones and plain super-phos- phates 3 20 10 5 00 00 00 00 High grade ammoniates, guanos 5^ 30 20 00 00 00 00 00 Cotton-seed meal 4 40 30 20 10 00 00 00 Barn-yard manure 4 60 30 10 00 00 00 00 ON UNCULTIVATED PASTURE LAND. Lime 15 80 70 60 50 45 40 35 Bone meal 7 60 50 40 30 20 10 00 Phosphatic guano 6 50 40 30 20 10 00 80 Dissolved bone, etc 4 30 20 10 00 00 00 00 High grade ammoniated guanos 4 30 20 10 00 00 00 00 Cotton-seed meal 5 40 30 20 10 00 00 00 Barn-yard manure 7 60 50 40 30 20 10 00 Food for Sulphate of ammonia, Nitrate of Soda, sulphate, ^^^°*^ Nitrate and muriate of potash are generally held to be en- 190 tirely exhausted by the crops grown the season of their application. The figures given above are always used in fixing the price for new tenants. In this country no such careful esti- mates have been made, but the proportions probably vary but little from those in other countries. Amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid, and Potash Found Profitable for Different Crops Under Average Conditions Per Acre. (Taken Chiefly from New Jersey Experiment Station's Reports.) Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid, Potash, Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Wheat, rye, oats, corn 16 40 30 Potatoes and root crops 20 25 40 Clover, beans, peas and other leguminous crops. . . 40 60 Fruit trees and small fruits 25 40 75 General garden produce 30 40 60 The Various Potash Salts and Their Composition. A. Kainit Carnallite.. Kieserite.. Natural Products of the Mines. ■{!: Sylvinite , £. Concentrated Products. a. Sulphates of f^tash. 1. Sulphate of potash, high-graded, 96%, 2. Sulphate of potash, high-graded, 90% 3. Double sulphate of potash and sulphate of magnesia (double manure salt) 4. Calcined kieserite , d. Muriates of J^tash. ) 90-95% Muriate of potash V 8o-8s% J 70-75% Calcined manure salt, high grade , Calcined manure salt, low grade , 21.3 50.4 1-7 24.7 II. I 14.0 V V •a a as 14.5 12. 1 5-8 tl.8 II. 8 0.7 65.6 0.2 0.4 0.8 "■5 3' -I Ed- •gen en a e ^ o (J " 12.4 31-5 17.2 4.0 8.1 9-3 ctt ex fi-U 34.6 22.4 26.7 46.2 38.2 34-9 7 14-5 12.4 10.3 06 15-7 0.2 0.2 0.5 10.6 12.7 26 20.7 8.4 9-7 8.3 II. 6 II. I 7.8 12.6 9 C V o (0 12.8 9.8 7 19.4 16.3 17.6 28.6 35- 5 39.5 U.7 23.5 24-7 52-7 49 9 27.2 57-9 46.7 28.1 16.2 34-9 7»-3 30.0 40.6 Rotation on Crops. In the changed conditions of agriculture elaborate systems of crop rotation are no longer necessary. With the help of chemical manures and the judicious use of renovating crops farmers are no longer subject to rigid rule, but may adapt rotations to the varying demands of local market conditions. Food for Plants 191 Some American Rotations. Potatoes. Wheat. Clover. Clover. Wheat, oats or rye. Roots. Wheat. Clover. Clover. Corn, oats or rye. I. Potatoes. 2. Wheat. 3- Grass, timothy and clover 4- Grass, timothy and clover 5- Corn. I. Roots. 2. Wheat. 3- Clover. 4- Clover. 5- Wheat. 6. Oats. Of General Interest. How to Copyright a Book, Map, Chart, Etc. Every applicant for a copyright must state distinctly the name and resi- dence of the claimant, and whether the right is claimed as author, designer or proprietor. No affidavit or formal application is required. A printed copy of the title of the book, map, chart, dramatic or musical composition, engraving, cut, print, or photograph, or a description of the painting, draw- ing, chromo, statue, statuary, or model or design for a work of fine arts, for which copyright is desired, must be sent by mail or otherwise, prepaid, addressed "Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C." This must be done before publication of the book or other article. A fee of 50 cents, for record- ing the title of each book or other article, must be inclosed with the title as above, and 50 cents in addition (or one dollar in all) for each certificate of copyright under seal of the Librarian of Congress, which will be transmitted by return mail. Within ten days after publication of each book or other article, two complete copies must be sent prepaid, to perfect the copyright, with the address, "Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C." Without the deposit of copies above required, the copyright is void, and a penalty of $2^ is incurred. No copyright is valid unless notice is given by inserting in every copy published, "Entered according to act of Congress, in the year , by , in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington"; Food for or, at the option of the person entering the copyright, the words, "Copyright Plants ig — ^ by ." The law imposes a penalty of ;?ioo upon any person who ^^ has not obtained copyright who shall insert the notice, " Entered according to act of Congress," or "Copyright," or words of the same import, in or upon any book or other article. Each copyright secures the exclusive right of publishing the book or article copyrighted for the term of twenty-eight years. Six months before the end of that time, the author or designer, or his widow or children, may secure a renewal for the further term of fourteen years, mak- ing forty-two years in all. Any copyright is assignable in law by any instru- ment of writing, but such assignment must be recorded in the office of the Librarian of Congress within sixty days from its date. The fee for this record and certificate is one dollar. A copy of the record (or duplicate certificate) of any copyright entry will be furnished, under seal, at the rate of 50 cents. Copyrights cannot be granted upon trade-marks, nor upon labels intended to be used with any article of manufacture. If protection for such prints or labels is desired, application must be made to the Patent Office, where they are registered at a fee of $6 for labels and $2^ for trade-marks. An American author, who is within the British dominions at the time of the first publishing of his book, and who publishes it there, is entitled to the protection of their copyright laws. Centenarians. The most remarkable were: The Countess of Desmond, killed by falling from a cherry-tree, in her 146th year. Thomas Parr, died after a dinner party, in his I52d year. Cardinal de Salis, who recommended daily exercise in all weathers, aged no years. John Riva, of Venice, who chewed citron bark daily, died at the age of 116 years, leaving a son of 14 years. Besides the foregoing, Mrs. Ann Butler died at Portsmouth, England, January, 1883, at the age of 103 years. Mrs. Betty Lloyd died at Ruabon, Wales, in March, 1883, in her 107th year, her funeral being attended by two of her children, aged over 80 years. What Machinery Accomplishes. 1. A sewing-machine does the work of 12 women. The United States export 100,000 of these machines yearly. 2. A Boston "bootmaker" will enable a workman to make 300 pairs of boots daily. In 1880 there were 3,100 of these machines in various coun- tries, turning out 150 million pairs of boots yearly. 3. Glenn's California reaper will cut, thresh, winnow and put, in bags the wheat of 60 acres in 24 hours. 4. The Hercules ditcher, Michigan, removes 750 cubic yards, or 700 tons of clay per hour. 5. The Darlington borer enables one man to do the work of seven in making a tunnel, and reduces the cost to one-third of work done by hand; it also permits a week's work to be done in two days. Average Annual Rainfall in the United States. Inches. Place. Inches. Food for Plants Neah Bay, Wash 123 Sitka, Alaska. 83 Ft. Haskins, Oregon 66 Mt. Vernon, Alabama 66 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 60 Meadow Valley, California 57 Ft. Tonson, Indian Ter 57 Ft. Myers, Florida 56 Washington, Arkansas 54 Huntsville, Alabama 54 Natchez, Mississippi 53 New Orleans, Louisiana 51 Savannah, Georgia 48 Springdale, Kentucky 48 Fortress Monroe, Virginia 47 Memphis, Tennessee 45 Newark, New Jersey 44 Boston, Massachusetts 44 Brunswick, Maine 44 Cincinnati, Ohio 44 New Haven, Connecticut 44 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 44 Charleston, South Carolina 43 New York City, N. Y 43 Gaston, North Carolina 43 Richmond, Indiana 43 Marietta, Ohio 43 St. Louis, Missouri 43 Muscatine, Iowa 42 Baltimore, Maryland 41 New Bedford, Massachusetts 41 Providence, Rhode Island 41 Ft. Smith, Arkansas 40 Hanover, New Hampshire 40 I93 Ft. Vancouver 38 Cleveland, Ohio 37 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 37 Washington, D. C ■ ■ ■ -37 White Sulphur Springs, Va 37 Ft. Gibson, Indian Territory 36 Key West, Florida 36 Peoria, Illinois 35 Burlington, Vermont 34 Buffalo, New York 33 Ft. Brown, Texas 33 Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas 31 Detroit, Michigan 30 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 30 Penn Yan, New York 28 Ft. Kearney 25 Ft. Snelling, Minnesota 25 Salt Lake City, Utah 23 Mackinac, Michigan 23 San Francisco, California 21 Dallas, Oregon 21 Sacramento, California 21 Ft. Massachusetts, Colorado 17 Ft Marcy, New Mexico Ter 16 Ft. Randall, Dakota 16 Ft. Defiance, Arizona 14 Ft. Craig, New Mexico Ter II San Diego, California 9 Ft Colville, Washington 9 Ft. Bliss, Texas 9 Ft. Bridger, Utah 6 Ft. Garland, Colorado 6 Number of Years Seeds Retain Their Vitality. Vegetables. Years. Cucumber 8 to 10 Melon 8 to 10 Pumpkin 8 to 10 Squash 8 to 10 Broccoli 5 to 6 Cauliflower 5 to 6 Artichoke 5 to 6 Endive 5 to 6 Pea 5 to 6 Radish 4 to 5 Beets 3 to 4 Cress 3 to 4 Lettuce 3 to 4 Mustard 3 to 4 Okra 3 to 4 Rhubarb 3 to 4 Spinach 3 to 4 Turnip 3 to 6 Vegetable.''. Years. Asparagus 2 to 3 Beans 2 to 3 Carrots 2 to 3 Celery 2 to 3 Corn (on cob) 2 to 3 Leek 2 to 3 Onion 2 to 3 Parsley 2 to 3 Parsnip 2 to 3 Pepper 2 to 3 Tomato 2 to 3 Egg-Plant I to 2 HERBS. Anise. 3 to 4 Caraway 2 Summer Savory i to 2 Sage 2 to 3 Food for How Deep in the Ground to Plant Corn. ^^^°*^ The following is the result of an experiment with Indian Corn. That 194 which was planted at the depth of 1 inch, came up in ^^ ^^y^- 1% inch, came up in 9J2 days. 2 inches, came up in 1° days. 2}i inches, came up in I'^ days. 3 inches, came up in 12 days. 3>^ inches, came up in 13 days. 4 inches, came up in ISK days. The more shallow the seed was covered with earth, the more rapidly the sprout made its appearance, and the stronger afterwards was the stalk. The deeper the seed lay, the longer it remained before it came to the surface. Four inches was too deep for the maize, and must, therefore, be too deep for smaller kernels. Amount of Barbed Wire Required for Fences. Estimated number of pounds of Barbed Wire required to fence space or distances mentioned, with one, two or three lines of wire, based upon each pound of wire measuring one rod (16^ feet). I Line. 2 Lines. 3 Lines. I square acre 50% lbs. lOlVa lbs. 152 lbs. I side of a square acre. . . 12% lbs. 25% lbs. 38 lbs. I square half-acre 36 lbs. 72 lbs. 108 lbs. I square mile 1280 lbs. 2560 lbs. 3840 lbs. I side of a square mile . . 230 lbs. 640 lbs. 960 lbs. I rod in length I lb. 2 lbs. 3 lbs. 100 rods in length 100 lbs. 200 lbs. 300 lbs. 100 feet in length 6%6lbs. I2ys lbs. l8%e lbs. How Grain will Shrik. Farmers rarely gain by holding on to their grain after it is fit for market, when the shrinkage is taken into account. Wheat, from the time it is threshed, will shrink two quarts to the bushel or six per cent, in six months, in the most favorable circumstances. Hence, it follows that ninety-four cents a bushel for wheat when first threshed in August, is as good, taking into account the shrinkage alone, as one dollar in the following February. Corn shrinks much more from the time it is first husked. One hundred bushels of ears, as they come from the field in November, will be reduced to not far from eighty. So that forty cents a bushel for corn in the ear, as it comes from the field, is as good as fifty in March, shrinkage only being tak«n into account. In the case of potatoes — taking those that rot and are otherwise lost — together with the shrinkage, there is but little doubt that between October and June, the loss to the owner who holds them is not less than thirty-three per cent. This estimate is taken on the basis of interest at 7 per cent., and takes no account of loss by vermin. One hundred pounds of Indian meal is equal to 76 pounds of wheat, 83 of oats, 90 of rye, in of barley, 333 of corn stalks. Length of Navigation of the Mississippi River. Foo>^ " ^H " 2 2}( " 2>^ " 2X " 3 3X " ■ ■■yA " 4 " 4^ " 5 " 5^ " fence 2 " " 2/, " " 3 " " 3^ " Number Per Lb 760 nails 480 300 200 160 L28 92 72 60 44 32 24 18 14 12 80 50 34 29 Name. L OZ ''A ■ 2 ■2% 3 4 6 8 Id 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 .%6 % .%e ■ Yi .Vie. .%8 ■H .Hie :% .1 .1% inch Number Per Lb, . 16,000 .10,666 . 8,000 . 6,400 • 5,333 . 4,000 . 2,666 . 2,000 . 1,600 ■ 1-333 ■ ',143 . 1,000 . 888 . 800 • 727 . 665 The Longest and Greatest Rivers in the World. Name. Miles. Amazon 3, 600 Nile 3,000 Missouri, to its junction with the Mississippi 2,900 Missouri, to the sea, forming the longest in the world 4>ioo Mississippi, proper 2,800 Lena 2,600 Niger, or Jobila 2,600 Obe 2,500 St. Lawrence 2,200 Madeira 2,000 Arkansas 2,000 Volga 2,000 Rio Grande 1,800 Danube 1,600 St. Francisco 1,3°° Columbia 1,200 Nebraska 1,200 Name. Miles. Red River 1,200 Colorado in California 1,100 Yellowstone 1 ,000 Ohio 950 Rhine 95° Kansas 900 Tennessee 800 Red River of the North 700 Cumberland 600 Alabama 600 Susquehanna 500 Potomac 500 James 5°° Connecticut 45° Delaware 400 Hudson 350 Kennebec 300 Thames 233 Food for Plants 204 Number Brick Required to Construct any Building. (Reckoning 7 Brick to Each Superficial Foot.) Superficial Feet of Wall. I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 goo icoo Number of Bricks to Thickness of 7 15 23 30 38 45 53 60 68 75 150 225 300 375 450 525 600 675 750 1,500 2,250 3,000 3,750 4,500 5.250 6,000 6,750 7,500 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 300 450 600 750 900 1,050 1,200 1,350 1,500 3,000 4.500 6,000 7,500 9,000 10,500 12,000 13,500 1 5 ,000 12 inch 23 45 68 90 113 1.^5 158 180 203 225 450 675 900 1,125 1.350 1.575 1,800 2,025 2 250 4,500 6,750 9,000 11,250 13.500 15,750 18,000 20,250 22,500 16 inch. 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 600 900 r.200 1,500 1,800 2,100 2,400 2,700 3,000 6,000 9.000 I2,00O 15, coo 18,000 21, 000 24,000 27,000 30,000 38 75 113 150 ]8S 225 263 300 338 375 750 1,125 1,500 1,875 2,250 2,625 3,000 3.375 3.750 7,500 11,250 15,000- 18,750 22,500 26,250 30,000 33,750 37,500 24 inch. 45 90 135 180 225 270 3'5 360 405 450 goo 1,350 i,8oo 2,250 2,700 3,150 3,600 4,050 4,500 9 000 13.500 18,000 22,500 27,000 31.500 36,000 40,500 45,000 Facts for Builders. One thousand shingles, laid 4 inches to the weather, will cover 100 square feet of surface, and 5 pounds of shingle nails will fasten them on. One-fifth more siding and flooring is needed than the number of square feet of surface to be covered, because of the lap in the siding and matching. One thousand laths will cover 70 yards of surface, and II pounds of lath nails will nail them on. Eight bushels of good lime, 16 bushels of sand, and one bushel of hair, will make enough good mortar to plaster 100 square yards. A cord of stone, 3 bushels of Hme and a cubic yard of sand, will lay 100 cubic feet of wall. Five courses of brick will lay one foot in height on a chimney; 16 bricks in a course will make a flue 4 inches wide and 12 inches long, and 8 bricks in a course will make a flue 8 inches wide and 16 inches long. Cement l bushel and sand 2 bushels will cover 3^ square yards one inch thick, 4i square yards J inch thick, and 6J square yards ^ inch thick. One bush, cement and I of sand will cover 2^ square yards i inch thick, 3 square yards f inch thick, and 4^ square yards, J inch thick. Weight of a Cubic Foot of Article. Pounds. Alcohol 49 Ash wood 53 Bay wood 51 Brass, gun metal 543 Blood 66 Brick, common 102 Cork i,S Cedar 35 Copper, cast 547 Clay 1 20 Coal , Lehigh 56 Coal, Lackawanna 50 Cider 64 Chestnut 38 Earth, loose 94 Glass, window 165 Gold ",203/^ Hickory, shell bark 43 Hay, bale 9 Hay, pressed 25 Honey go Iron, cast 450 Iron, plates 481 Iron, wrought bars 486 Ice 57K Lignum Vitas wood 83 Logwood 57 Lead, cast 709 Earth, Stone, Metal, Etc. Article. Pounds. Milk 64 Maple 47 Mortar no Mud 102 Marble, Vermont 165 Mahogany 66 Oak, Canadian 54 Oak, live, seasoned 67 Oak, white, dry 54 Oil , linseed 59 Pine, yellow 34 Pine, white 34 Pine, red 37 Pine, well seasoned 30 Silver ^^5)^ Steel, plates 487^ Steel , soft 489 Stone, common, about 158 Sand, wet, about 128 Spruce 31 Tin 455 Tar 63 Vinegar 67 W^ater, salt 64 Water, rain 62 Willow 36 Zinc, cast 428 Food for Plants 205 What a Deed to a Farm in Many States Includes. Every one knows it conveys all the fences standing on the farm, but all might not think it also included the fencing-stuff, posts, rails, etc., vyhich had once been used in the fence, but had been taken down and piled up for future use again in the same place. But new fencing material, just bought, and never attached to the soil, would not pass. So piles of hop poles stored away, if once used on the land and intended to be again so used, have been con- sidered a part of it; but loose boards or scaffold poles merely laid across the beams of the barn, and never fastened to it, would not be, and the seller of the farm might take them away. Standing trees, of course, also pass as part of the land; so do trees blown down or cut down, and still left in the woods where they fell, but not if cut, and corded up for sale; the wood has then become personal property. If there be any manure in the barnyard, or in the compost heap on the field, ready for immediate use, the buyer ordinarily, in the absence of any contrary agreement, takes that also as belonging to the farm, though it might not be so, if the owner had previously sold it to some other party, and had collected it together in a heap by itself, for such an act might be a technical severance from the soil, and so convert real into personal estate; and even a lessee of a farm could not take away the manure made on the place while he was in occupation. Growing crops also pass by the deed of a farm, unless they are expressly reserved; and when it is not intended to convey those, it should be so stated in the deed itself; a mere oral agreement to that effect would not be, in most States, valid in law. Another mode is to stipulate that Food for possession is not to be given until some future day, in wliich case the crops or Plants manures may be removed before that time. 7 As to the buildings on the farm, though generally mentioned in the deed, ^° it is not absolutely necessary they should be. A deed of land ordinarily carries all the buildings on it, belonging to the grantor, whether mentioned or not; and this rule includes the lumber and timber of any old building which has been taken down, or blown down, and packed away for future use on farm. Relative Value of Different Foods for Stock. One hundred pounds of good hay for stock are equal to: Articles. Pounds. Lucern 89 Clover, red, dry 88 Buckwheat 78/^ Corn 62>^ Articles. Pounds. Beets, white silesia 669 Turnips 469 Rye-Straw 4^9 Clover, Red, Green 373 Carrots 37' Mangolds 3(>^/4 Potatoes, kept in pit 35° Oat-Straw 347 Potatoes 360 Carrot leaves (topsj '35 Hay, English 100 Oats 59 Barley 58 Rye 53 J^ Wheat 44^ Oil-Cake, linseed 43 Peas, dry 37^ Beans 28 Weights and Measures for Cooks, Etc. I pound of Wheat Flour is equal to I quart I pound and 2 ounces of Indian Meal make i quart I pound of Soft Butter is equal to I quart 1 pound and 2 ounces of Best Brown Sugar make i quart I pound and i ounce of Powdered White Sugar make .... ■ quart I pound of Broken Loaf Sugar is equal to i quart 4 Large Tablespoonfuls make '4 gill I Common-sized Tumbler holds /4 pint I Common-sized Wine-glass is equal to yi gill I Tea-cup holds i gill I Large Wine-glass holds 2 ounces I Tablespoonful is equal to >4 ounce Capacity of Cisterns for Each lo Inches in Depth. 25 feet 20 feet 15 feet 14 feet 13 feet 12 feet ir feet 10 feet 9 feet S feet n diameter n diameter n diameter n diameter n diameter n diameter n diameter n diameter n diameter n diameter holds, holds, holds, holds, holds, holds, holds, holds, holds, holds. 3059 "958 IIOI . 959 . 827 705 ■ 592 . 4«9 ■ 396 ■ 3>3 gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons gallons 7 feet n diameter holds. 239 gallons 6J feet n diameter holds. 206 gallons 6 feet n diameter holds. 176 gallons 5 feet n diameter holds. 127 gallons 44 feet n diameter holds. 99 gallons 4 feet n diameter holds. 78 gallons 3 feet n diameter holds. 44 gallons 2j feet n diameter holds. 30 gallons 2 feet n diameter holds. . 19 gallons Surveyor's Measure. 7.92 inches i link, 25 links i rod, 4 rods I chain, 10 square chains or 160 square rods i acre, 640 acres I square mile. Sizes of Boxes for Different Measures. Food for Plants A box 24 inches long by 16 inches wide, and 28 inches deep, will contain a barrel, or three bushels. 207 A box 24 inches long by 16 inches wide, and 14 inches deep, will contain half a barrel. A box 16 inches square and 8 2-5 inches deep, will contain one bushel. A box 16 inches by 8 2-5 inches wide, and 8 inches deep, will contain half a bushel. A box 8 inches by 8 2-5 inches square, and 8 inches deep, will contain one peck. A box 8 inches by 8 inches square, and 4 1-5 inches deep, will contain one gallon. A box 7 inches by 4 inches square, and 4 4-5 inches deep, will contain half a gallon. A box 4 inches by 4 inches square, and 4 1-5 inches deep, will contain one quart. A box 4 feet long, 3 feet 5 inches wide, and 2 feet 8 inches deep, will contain one ton of coal. Strength of Ice of Different Thickness. Two inches thick — ^Will support a man. Four inches thick — Will support a man on horseback. Five inches thick — ^Will support an eighty-pounder cannon. Eight inches thick — Will support a battery of artillery, with carriages and horses. Ten inches thick — Will support an army; an innumerable multitude. Amount of Oil in Seeds. Kinds of Seed Per Cent. Oil. Kinds of Seed. Per Cent. Oil. Rapeseed 55 Oats 6>^ Sweet Almond 47 Clover hay 5 Turnipseed 45 Wheat bran 4 White mustard 37 Oat straw 4 Bitter almond 37 Meadow hay 3>^ Hempseed 19 Wheat straw 3 Linseed 17 Wheat flour 3 Indian corn 7 Barley lyi, Results of Saving Small Amounts of Money. The following shows how easy it is to accumulate a fortune, provided proper steps are taken. The table shows what would be the result at the end of fifty years by saving a certain amount each day and putting it at interest at the rate of six per cent: Daily Savings. The Result. Daily Savings. The Result. One cent $ 95° Sixty cents $57,024 Ten cents 9,504 Seventy cents 66,528 Twenty cents 19,006 Eighty cents 76,032 Thirty cents 28,512 Ninety cents 85,537 Forty cents 38,015 One dollar 95,o4l Fifty cents 47,52o Five Dollars 465,208 Food for Nearly every person wastes enough in twenty or thirty years, which, if Plants saved and carefully invested, would make a family quite independent; but 208 the principle of small savings has been lost sight of in the general desire to become wealthy. Savings Bank Compound Interest Table. Showing the Amount of $1, from One Year to Fifteen Years, with Compound Interest Added Semi-Annually, at Different Rates. One year Two years. . . . Three years. . . Four years. . . . Five years .... Six years . . . Seven years Eight years . . . Nine years. . . . Ten years .... Eleven years . . Twelve years.. Thirteen years Fourteen years Fifteen years . . Three Per Cent $1 03 I 06 I 09 I 12 I 16 I 19 I J.-i I 26 I 30 I 34 I 3M I 42 I 47 I 5' ' 56 Kour . Per Cent. $1 04 I 08 I 12 I 17 1 21 I 26 I 31 I 37 I 42 1 48 I 54 1 60 1-67 I 73 I So Five Per Cent ' 05 1 10 I 15 I 21 1 28 I 34 1 41 I 48 I 55 I 63 I 72 1 80 I go 1 99 2 09 Time at which Money Doubles at Interest. Rate. Simple Interest. Compound Interest. Two per cent 50 years 35 years, 1 day Two and one-half per cent 40 years 28 years, 26 days Three per cent 33 years, 4 months 23 years, 164 days Three and one-half per cent 28 years, 20S days 20 years, 54 days Four per cent '. 25 years 17 years, 246 days Four and one-half per cent 22 years, 8[ days 15 years, 273 days Five per cent 20 years 15 years, 75 days Six per cent 16 years, 8 months 1 1 years, 327 days One Dollar Loaned One Hundred Years at Compound Interest Would Amount to the Following Sum: One per cent $ 2.75 Twelve per cent $ 84,675.00 Three per cent ' 19.25 Fifteen per cent. ... . 1,174,405.00 Six per cent 34o.oo Eighteen per cent. .. . 15,145,207.00 Ten per cent 13,809.00 Twenty-four per cent. 2, 55 1,799, 404.00 Food for Plants Fertilization and Cultivation of Corn and Cotton. ~^ Bulletin of North Carolina Department of Agriculture. By DR. B. W. KILGORE, Raleigh, N. C. Culture. Com It unquestionably pays well to thoroughly break and broadcast harrow land for corn. Using a two-horse plow and running it 8 to lo inches deep, and afterwards harrowing with large smoothing harrow, puts the land in nice condition. It is also well to run a small- tooth harrow across corn rows about the time the plants are coming up, and even after they are several inches high, slant- ing the teeth of the harrow backward. Harrowing in this way saves after-cultivation, and is a quick way of getting over the land. The land being thoroughly broken before the corn is put in the ground, only shallow, level cultivation with some one of the considerable number of good cultivators need be given during the growing season. The one-horse cultivators cover corn rows in two to three furrows, and the two-horse ones at a single trip. The cultivation should be frequent — about every ten days — and if possible just after rains, so as to break any crust formed by showers, leaving a dust mulch to retard the loss of moisture added to the soil in the previous rains. Toward the end of the growing season the cultivators should only be run one to one and a half inches deep, so as to disturb as little as possible the roots of the plants, which, by that time, are well into the middle of the rows. The experimental work on the sandy soils ^ .... of the east, reports of which have been made r p__„ previously, has progressed far enough, we feel, to draw some conclusions in reference to the best amounts and proportions of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash for corn. As the results of the past two years' work have not yet been published, the following formulas, based on the result of the first two years' tests and tests in other Food for States with similar soil and climatic conditions, are given as Plants J r good ones tor corn: 2IO For Corn on Land in Fair Condition. Acid phosphate, 14 per cent, phosphoric acid 1,045 '^s. Cotton-seed meal, 6.59 per cent, nitrogen, 2.5 phos- phoric acid and 1.5 potash 520 lbs. Nitrate of Soda, 15 per cent, nitrogen 225 lbs. Kainit, 12.5 per cent, potash 210 lbs. 2,000 lbs. In this formula one-half of the nitrogen is supplied by nitrate of soda and the other one-half by cotton-seed meal. This mixture will contain: available phosphoric acid, 8.0 per cent.; potash, 1.7 per cent.; nitrogen, 3.4 per cent, (equal to ammonia, 4.0 per cent.). Acid phosphate, 14 per cent, phosphoric acid 965 lbs. Cotton-seed meal, 6.59 per cent, nitrogen, 2.5 phos- phoric acid and 1.5 potash 750 lbs. Nitrate of Soda, 15 per cent, nitrogen no lbs. Kainit, 12.5 per cent, potash 175 lbs. 2,000 lbs. In this formula one-fourth of the nitrogen is supplied by nitrate of soda and the other three-fourths by cotton-seed meal. This mixture will contain: available phosphoric acid, "]."] per cent.; potash, 1.7 per cent.; nitrogen, 3.3 per cent, (equal to ammonia, 4.0 per cent.). This material is quick-acting because of its Nitrate of Soda, easy solubility in water. For this reason when used in a considerable quantity in fertilizers at time of planting on light sandy land, there is danger of its being leached beyond the reach of the roots of the plants before they can use it. On clay lands and loams having good subsoils, to them this danger does not exist, certainly not to the extent that it does on light soils. A small amount of nitrate of soda in the mixture will give the crop a quick start and make its cultivation easier and more economical. On light lands it would likely be better to omit the nitrate from the mixture and apply it as a top dressing between the tenth and last of June on early corn. Nitrate of soda may take the place of a portion of the other nitrogen- furnishing rnaterials in any of the formulas, one pound of nitrate being equal in its content of nitrogen to 2.2 pounds cotton-seed meal, 2 pounds fish scrap, 1.2 pounds dried blood. Nitrate of soda is frequently used as a top dressing ■^°°'* ^°^ for corn and is a valuable material for use in this way. A ^"*^ good application is 50 to 75 pounds per acre, distributed ^'^ along the side of the row or dropped beside the plants and three or four inches from them, or else where there is a ridge in the centre it may be distributed on this and when it is thrown out the nitrate will be thrown to the two sides of the row. On clay lands and loams having good sub- soil the fertilizer should be applied in the Application of drill, at or just before planting, at the rate ^^^^^ of two to four hundred pounds per acre. On light sandy lands it is best to use 50 to 100 pounds (of nitrate) in the drill at time of planting, to give the crop a good start, and the balance of the fertilizer as a side-dressing when the corn has begun to grow well. Cotton. The remarks regarding the preparation Culture and cultivation of corn also apply with equal force to cotton, unless it be the part regarding breaking the land well before planting. Some doubt the necessity of this for cotton. Cotton is generally grown on ridges. This is necessary on wet soils, but on all fairly well-drained upland and sandy soils we are convinced that level and frequent shallow cultivation, as was indicated for corn, is the best and most economical method to follow in growing cotton. Ridge culture may give better results in very wet years,*but taking the seasons as they come the advantage will lie^we think, with flat culture. The preliminary remarks regarding fertil- Fertilizers izers for corn also apply to cotton, the follow- j^^. QQ^^Q^ ing formulas being offered tentatively and as the result of our best judgment, after studying the best obtainable data on the subject: For Cotton on Land in Fair Condition. Acid phosphate, 14 per cent, phosphoric acid i>oi5 lbs. Cotton-seed meal, 6.59 per cent, nitrogen, 2.5 phos- phoric acid and 1.5 potash 415 lbs. Nitrate of soda, 15 per cent, nitrogen 180 lbs. Kainit, 12.5 per cent, potash 39° lbs. 2,000 lbs. Food for Plants Without Manure. Brown Cotton. 4 Cwt. Kainit. 12 Tons Farm- Yard Manure. 4 Cwt. Superphosphate. 2 Cwt. Nitrate of Soda. 2 Tons of Poudrette. 5 Cwt. Superphosphate. Abbasi White Cotton, Lower Egypt. 12 Tons Yard Manure. 4 Cwt. Kainit. Without Manure. 5 Cwt Superphosphate. 2 Cwt. Nitrate of Soda. 4 Cwt. Superphosphate. 2 Cwt. Nitrate of Soda. Results on Cotton Grown in Lower Egypt. In this formula one-half of the nitrogen is supplied by ^°°^ ^°'^ nitrate of soda and the other one-half by cotton-seed meal. _?!L! . This mixture will contain : available phosphoric acid, 7.6 per ^'•' cent.; potash, 2.7 per cent.; nitrogen, 2.7 per cent, (equal to ammonia, 3.3 per cent.). Acid phosphate, 14 per cent, phosphoric acid 955 lbs. Cotton-seed meal, 6.59 per cent, nitrogen, 2.5 phos- phoric acid and 1.5 potash 605 lbs. Nitrate of soda, 15 per cent, nitrogen go lbs. Kainit, 12.5 per cent, potash 350 lbs. 2,000 lbs. In this formula one-fourth of the nitrogen is supplied by nitrate of soda and the other three-fourths by cotton-seed meal. This mixture will contain : available phosphoric acid, 7.4 per cent.; potash, 2.6 per cent.; nitrogen, 2.6 per cent, (equal to ammonia, 3.1 per cent.). The remarks under corn regarding Cotton Seed and these two materials apply also to cotton, as ^^^^^^^ ^^ g^^^ do the suggestions concerning the change in the quantity of nitrogen-supplying materials in the for- mulas, should cotton follow peas or any other leguminous crop. In Formula No. 3 one-fourth of the Nitrogen is sup- plied by Nitrate of Soda, with the view of giving the crop a quick start, and in No. 2 one-half of the Nitrogen comes from this source. On light lands it will be good practice to omit this Nitrate from the mixture and apply it as a side- dressing about the middle of June. Good results come from the use of it in this way on heavy types of land. Where land does not produce a good stalk of cotton, and fertilizers are used which contain only a moderate amount of nitrogen, or ammonia, good results are obtained from a side-dressing of 50 to 100 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre. The nitrate should be distributed along one side of the row, or where there is a ridge in the middle it may be put on this and when the ridge is thrown out the nitrate will be ^Application of thrown on two sides of the row. Fertilizer to The fertilizer should be applied in the r'„4.+«« . .„ . , r 1 • T^i • Cotton, drill at or just before planting. 1 he quantity used for cotton varies from 200 to 1,000 pounds per acre. ^°Pian°s Fertilizers for Tobacco. 214 There are few products whose quality and quantity are more affected by kind of soil and fertihzer than is tobacco. For bright tobacco, the main kind grown in this State, the fine and deep sandy loam with yellow-colored sandy clay subsoil is the type of land most largely used and the one which grows the best grade of this character of tobacco. Generally, the kind of soil that is suited to the production of tobacco is better understood than the fertilizer that should be used on it. Evidence of this is seen in the great variation in the composition of fertilizers sold in the State, especially for use on the tobacco crop. In 1901 there were registered with the Department of Agriculture one hundred and eight (108) special fertilizers for tobacco. It is interesting in this connection to note the wide variation as well as the average composition of these fertilizers. The highest amount of available phosphoric acid guaranteed in any of them was 9.25 per cent., the lowest, 5 per cent., and the average 8.12 per cent. The highest amount of ammonia guaranteed was 10 per cent., the lowest 2 per cent., and the average 2.73 per cent. The highest amount of potash guaranteed was 5 per cent., the lowest i per cent., and the average 2.64 per cent. These wide variations in the amounts of the valuable fer- tilizer constituents indicate that the fertilizers themselves must have had very varying effects on the quality and quantity of the tobacco crop. A study of the experiments in tobacco-growing and a consideration of the experiences of good tobacco growers show that the amounts of ammonia and potash in the aver- age tobacco fertilizers, as stated above, are not as large as are needed to give the best results. It would appear that the largest amount of ammonia (10 per cent.) in any of these "specials" is greater than is required for bright tobacco, while the maximum quantity of potash (5 per cent.) in any of the 108 brands is less than is used by numbers of our best bright tobacco growers, especially in the eastern part of the State. A considerable number of these growers either mix their own tobacco fertilizers, or else have them put up according to formulas of their suggestion. Below are given five formulas for mixing fertilizers for tobacco. The grade of those fertilizers will be higher and they will, of course. cost more than the goods that are generally used in the State ^°°^ ^°'^ on tobacco, but I feel confident that the increased yield will more than justify the additional expense. In The Bulletin ^^^ of the Department of Agriculture and in our correspondence with farmers we have been recommending formulas of about the composition of these for a number of years, and evidence is accumulating which shows that the character of tobacco fertilizers is undergoing quite a considerable change. No. I— Cotton-seed meal goo lbs. Nitrate of soda loo lbs. High-grade sulphate of potash 250 lbs. Acid phosphate, 14 per cent 750 lbs. 2,000 lbs. This mixture will contain: available phosphoric acid, 6.3 per cent.; potash, 6.9 per cent.; nitrogen, 3.7 per cent, (equal to ammonia, 4.5 per cent.). No. 2— High-grade dried blood 500 lbs. Nitrate of soda 125 lbs. High-grade sulphate of potash 310 lbs. Acid phosphate 1,065 "'^• 2,000 lbs. This mixture will contain: available phosphoric acid, 7.4 per cent.; potash, J. J per cent.; nitrogen, 4.3 per cent, (equal to ammonia, 5.2 per cent.). No. 3- Fish scrap 725 lbs. Nitrate of soda 100 lbs. High-grade sulphate of potash 300 lbs. Acid phosphate 875 lbs. 2,000 lbs. This mixture will contain: available phosphoric acid, 7.2 per cent.; potash, 7.5 per cent.; nitrogen, 3.8 per cent, (equal to ammonia, 4.6 per cent.). N0.4— Dried blood 500 lbs. Nitrate of soda 100 lbs. High-grade sulphate of potash 400 lbs. Acid phosphate 1,000 lbs. 2,000 lbs. Food for This mixture will contain: available phosphoric acid, 7 ^^^°*^ per cent.; potash, 10 per cent.; nitrogen, 4.1 per cent, (equal 216 to ammonia, 5 per cent.). No. 5- Cotton-seed meal 700 lbs. Nitrate of soda 100 lbs. High-grade sulphate of potash 300 lbs. Acid phosphate 900 lbs. 2,000 lbs. This mixture will contain: available phosphoric acid, 7.2 per cent.; potash, 7.7 per cent.; nitrogen, 3.1 per cent, (equal to ammonia, 3.8 per cent.). Four hundred to one thousand pounds of these mixtures should be used to the acre. The mixtures made from formulas Nos. 2 and 3 are some- what more concentrated than that from No. i, on account of cotton-seed meal containing less ammonia than fish scrap and dried blood. The three formulas are given to enable the use of any one of the three main organic, nitrogenous mate- rials — dried blood, fish scrap and cotton-seed meal. In the coast sections, fish scrap and meal are both easily obtained; some distance inland meal is more accessible, while in the more western end of the tobacco belt it will be found con- venient to use dried blood. All three are good sources of ammonia for tobacco. The other materials— nitrate of soda, sulphate of potash and acid phosphate — are the same for all mixtures. Occasional requests are made for formulas furnishing ■ as much as 10 per cent, of potash, and No. 4 has been arranged to meet needs of this nature. It is known that excellent tobacco, in quality and quantity is grown by the use of fertilizers of this class, and some of our farmers greatly prefer them to others containing less potash. It takes con- siderable observation and experimentation to determine the best practice in matters of this kind. A limited quantity of stable manure is very beneficial to tobacco and it succeeds well after peanuts. These materials add ammonia to the soil, and where heavy applications of fertilizers are to be made in connection with manure, and on peanut land, it would be well not to have so much ammonia in the fertilizers as is used in the ones employed on land not having other ammonia materials put on them. Formula No. 5 is destined to meet cases of this kind. A good many ^°°^ ^""^ Eastern tobacco growers plant tobacco after peanuts, and _fi^L! some of them grow peas between the hills of tobacco, plant- ^'^ ing them with hoes and putting six to ten peas in a place the latter part of June or early in July. This improves the soil for after-crops, but tobacco grown after tobacco and peas is said not to be of good quality; though, as would be expected, the growth is very large. Good results will come from the use of high grade fertili- zers, such as are suggested above, or similar ones, and we believe that when once tried there will be no inclination to go back to the lower grade ones now so largely used. Fertilizing Hay Crops. The experiments with fertilizers on hay crops, begun in 1901, were continued during the season of 1902-3. During the season of 190 1-2 it was found that the use of Thomas phosphate slag and sulphate of potash with Nitrate of Soda did not pay as we'I as Nitrate of Soda used alone. The experiments during the last season were planned to test the availability of the phosphate after the first season. It was thought last year that there was a possibility that the in- soluble slag phosphate Would become more available the second season after applying it. The plots used in the 1901-2 experiments were subdivided and given different applications of Nitrate of Soda used alone and in combina- tion with sulphate of potash used at the rate of 300 pounds per acre. The yield of hay was lower on both fertilized and unfer- tilized plots during the season of 1902-3 than it was in 1901-2. This difference is undoubtedly due to an unfav- orable season. The late spring rainfall failed almost entirely, and to this no doubt must be attributed the decreased yield. An inspection of the summary of results tabulated below shows that the heaviest yields of hay on both red and Food for granite soils and the largest money returns per acre were ^ obtained from the plots which were fertilized with phos- ^'^ phate during 1901-2. On red soil with oats the gain from the use of Nitrate of Soda on the plot which had phosphate the year previous was ;^ 11.70 per acre, as against only $3.72 per acre where the nitrate was used on land having no previous fertilization. On granite soil with oats, there was no gain from the phosphate. The use of Nitrate of Soda alone without pre- vious fertilization yielded ^9.44 per acre profit, while on the plots having phosphate applied the previous year, the gain was only ^^5.74 per acre. The heaviest yield of hay and the largest profit per acre in 1903 were obtained with wheat on granite soil which had an application of Thomas slag, sulphate of potash, and lime in 1902. Nitrate of Soda was used at the rate of 320 pounds per acre in 1903. The yield of hay was 5,772 pounds per acre, and the resulting profit ;^I2.89 per acre. It should be remarked here, however, that this plot was fertilized at a loss of 1^21.50 per acre in 1902; and as the application of nitrate was larger than was used on any other plot, the increased returns were at least partly due to the increased supply of the nitrate. Through some misunderstanding, there was no no corresponding wheat plot on granite soil with nitrate only. The use of sulphate of potash in combination with Ni- trate of Soda, on granite soil, did not pay in 1903. Potash was used at the rate of 300 pounds per acre. In most cases the fertilizer cost more than the increased crop of hay; hence its use incurred a loss of from 76 cents to $4.57 per acre. The experiments with Nitrate of Soda used alone were broadened in 1903 to test the efficacy of different amounts per acre and the division of the application into two doses. The results show that in 1903, 160 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre in one application yielded the largest profits, viz.: ^9.44 and ^8.90 per acre, respectively, on two plots on granite soil. In all cases the yield was reduced when the fertilizer was put on in two applications; thus, with 160 pounds per acre applied in two doses, only $4.82 and $7.27 per acre were yielded by two plots on granite soil. RHODE ISLAND EXPERIMENT STATION. ^''°^ f"-^ Plants WTiat Percentage of Water Does Hay Lose During Storage ? Hay which had been stored during the summer of igoi was removed from the mow the following February, and found to contain 12.21 per cent, of water. A careful com- parison of other moisture determinations of hay leads to the conclusion that 12.21 is a fair general average of the per- centage of water in the best quality of barn-cured hay. RESULTS IN NEW YORK. The general practice among farmers is to buy complete medium or low-grade fertilizers in preference to high-grade fertilizers. In high-grade goods, the cost of plant-food is considerably less than in fertilizers of lower grade. Available phosphoric acid is cheapest in the form of dissolved rock (acid phosphate). Bone-meal furnishes a cheap source of phosphoric acid in less available form. Nitrate of Soda is one of the cheapest sources of Nitrogen, while bone is another. Nitrogen in the form of dried blood is rather high. Potash in the form of muriate is the cheapest source of potash. In mixtures of fertilizing materials, whether complete or incomplete, the plant-food usually costs more than in unmixed materials. When purchasing mixed fertilizers, farmers are ad- vised to purchase only high-grade goods, and then to make a commercial valuation to compare with the selling price. Even in high-grade goods, the selling price should not exceed the commercial valuation by more than $^. For greatest economy, farmers are advised to purchase unmixed materials and do their own mixing; or, in the case of clubs, several farmers can purchase their unmixed materials and hire a fertilizer manufacturer to do the mixing for them. The following data, taken from the last U. S. Census Report, are of interest in this connection as indicating in what portions of the State the largest amount of money is expended for commercial fertilizers: 219 Food for Long Island (Counties of Nassau, Queens and Suffolk) ^Sl, 24.1,280 Plants Monroe County 214,000 ~ — Erie County 186,370 Cayuga County 131,260 Oneida County 1 12,630 Onondaga, Ontario, Wayne, Ulster, Chautauqua, each from ;gio2,ooo to ■ 110,000 These twelve counties use about one-half of the com- mercial fertilizers used in the entire State. Composition of Fertilizers in Different Classes. If we compare our four different classes of complete fertilizers in respect to the average amounts of Nitrogen, available phosphoric acid and potash contained in them, we have the following table: Composition of Different Grades of Fertilizers. Class of Fertilizers. In 100 Pounds of Fertilizer. Pounds of Nitrogen, Pounds of Available Phosphoric Acid. Pounds of Potash. Pounds of Total Plant-food. Low-grade Medium-grade Medium high-grade. High-grade 1 .22 1 .70 2.47 4.00 8.18 g.io 8.82 8.36 2.60 3-48 6.02 7.22 12.00 14.28 17-37 19.60 In the fourth column, under the heading "pounds of total plant-food," we give the sum of the Nitrogen, available phosphoric acid and potash. We notice the following points in connection with this table: 1. The percentage of phosphoric acid does not vary greatly in the different classes of fertilizers. 2. The percentage of Nitrogen and of potash increases in the higher grades. 3. The total amount of plant-food in 100 pounds of fertilizer increases in the higher grades, this increase being due to increase of Nitrogen and potash. 4. Representing the amount of Nitrogen in each grade of fertilizer as i, we have the following proportions of avail- able phosphoric acid and potash in the different grades: Composition of Different Grades of Fertilizers. Food for Plants Low-grade Medium-grade Medium high-grade High-grade Nitrogen . Available Phosphoric Acid. 7 5-5 3-5 2 Potash. 2 2 2-5 1.8 Cost of One Pound of Plant-Food in Different Grades of Fertilizers. Cost of one pound of Nitrogen. Lowest Highest Average Cost of one pound of Available Phos- phoric Acid. Lowest Highest Average Cost of one pound of Potash. Lowest Highest Average Low Grade. Cents. 20 36.8 26.3 6.1 II. I 8.0 5-2 9-5 6.8 Medium Grade. Cents. 17.9 28.3 23.2 S-4 8.6 7-0 4.6 7-3 6.0 Medium High- Grade, Cents. 17 26 51 8.1 6.4 4-4 6.9 5-4 High Grade Cents. 13-3 26.0 19.6 4.25 7-9 6.0 3-4 6.7 5-° From these data, we readily see the truth of the following statements : 1. The cost of one pound of plant-food, whether Nitrogen, phosphoric acid or potash, is greatest in low-grade, and least in high-grade, fertilizers. One purchaser of low-grade goods paid 36.8 cents a pound for Nitrogen, while the highest price paid in high-grade goods was 26 cents, which is less than the average paid for Nitrogen in low-grade goods. The least amount paid for one pound of Nitrogen in low- grade goods was 20 cents, in high-grade goods 13.3 cents. Similar relations hold good in respect to the other elements of plant-food. 2. In general, the higher the grade of goods, the lower the cost of each pound of plant-food. Food for Plants Cost of Nitrogen in Nitrate of Soda. In the samples of Nitrate of Soda examined by us in 1902, the percentage of Nitrogen varied from 15.21 to 16.20, averaging 15.77. The selling price varied from ^42 to ^48.50, averaging ^44.12. The commercial valuation varied from ^45.63 to ^^48. 60, averaging 1^47.30, vs^hich was con- siderably in excess of selling price. The cost of one pound of Nitrogen in this form varied from 13 to 15 cents and averaged 13.9 cents. This was much cheaper than the cost of Nitrogen in the form of complete fertilizers. Tabulated General Summary. In the table following, we give a general summary of the data that have been presented, showing the cost of one pound of plant-food in different forms to consumers : Cost of One Pound of Plant-Food to Consumers. Lowest Highest. Cents. Cents. 20 36.8 17.9 28.3 17 26 13-3 26 14.8 22.9 II. 5 32 13 15 Average. Nitrogen in Low-grade complete fertilizers Medium-grade complete fertilizers Medium high-grade complete fertilizers. High-grade complete fertilizers Dried blood Bone-meal Nitrate of Soda Phosphoric Acid in Low-grade complete fertilizers Medium-grade complete fertilizers Medium high-grade complete fertilizers . High-grade complete fertilizers Phosphoric acid and potash mixtures. . . Acid phosphate or dissolved rock Bone (total) Potash in Low-grade complete fertilizers Medium-grade complete fertilizers Medium high-grade complete fertilizers. High-grade complete fertilizers Phosphoric acid and potash mixtures. . . Muriate of potash .1 •4 .1 •25 ■3 •4 . I 5-2 4- 4- II .1 8.6 8.1 7-9 195 II. o 8.6 9 7 6 6 16 4 Cents. 26.3 23.2 21 19.6 18.5 14.9 139 8.0 7.0 6.4 6.0 6.6 5-1 396 6.8 6.0 5-4 5-0 5.6 4.6 Plants can take up Nitrogen only in the form of Food for Nitrates — that is, in combination with alkaline base, such ^'^°*^ as lime or sodium. 223 The Nitrogen contained in all fertilizers, with the exception of Nitrate of Soda, must first be nitrified — that is, converted into Nitrate — before the plant can take it up. This nitrification is always attended with greater or less loss of Nitrogen. A sufficiency of lime in the soil hastens nitrification, while a scarcity of lime retards it. Nitrate of Soda is the only nitrogenous fertilizer that will do its work perfectly without lime, because it already contains Nitrogen in a form that is capable of absorption by plants. Leguminous plants assimilate free Nitrogen from the air through the medium of the micro-organisms inhabiting the nodules found in their roots. Leguminous plants, in the early stages of their growth, avail themselves of the Nitrates in the soil. Nitrate of Soda has been very profit- ably used in the cultivation of Lucern, or "Alfalfa," etc. Crops that have suffered from wintering, from insects, etc., can, in most cases, be considerably improved by top- dressing with Nitrate of Soda. When the soil is very poor in potash, the soda contained in Nitrate of Soda will, to a certain extent, serve as a sub- stitute for potash. It is not, however, a perfect substitute. Poverty in potash can be fully made good only by applying a sufficient quantity of a potash fertilizer. Nitrate of Soda is easily soluble, and it distributes itself immediately through the soil. Distribution of Nitrogen in the Grain and Straw of the Principal Cereals. Nitrogen per Two and One-Half Acres. GRAIN. Oats, Barley, Wheat, Rye, 82.42 lbs. 86.61 lbs. 81.10 lbs. 67.44 lbs. Rape Seed, Peas, Vetches, Broad Beans, 176.32 lbs. 117.03 lbs 143.92 lbs. 181. 16 lbs. STRAW. Oats, Barley, Wheat, Rye, 26.4 lbs. 26.4 lbs. 33.06 lbs. 29.31 lbs. Rape Seed, Peas, Vetches, Broad Beans, 29.75 lbs. 118.35 'bs. 112.40 lbs. 79.34 lbs. Food for Plants 224 Sugarbeet, 105.79 lbs Distribution of Nitrogen in the Principal Root Crops Nitrogen per Two and One-Half Acres. ROOTS. Beetroot, Swedes, 138.85 lbs. 165.30 lbs. Carrots, Potatoes, 145.46 lbs. 112.40 lbs. Tubers. Sugarbeet, 52.89 lbs. Beetroot, 80.66 lbs. LEAF. Swedes, 55.1 lbs. Carrots, Potatoes, 168.60 lbs. 15. 1 1 lbs. Shaws. The figures in this table show how many pounds of Nitrogen are withdrawn from two and one-half acres of ground by an average harvest. The table shows clearly that the principal quantity of Nitrogen is always in that portion of the crop that is sold, only a small quantity of Nitrogen being found in the straw and leaves, the portion that is retained for use upon the land; consequently, unless a sufficient quantity of nitrogenous fertilizers be applied, the soil will very soon suffer from impoverishment of Nitrogen. POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION AS TO PRICES OF FARM PRODUCTS AND NITRATE PRICES. " I ^ROM the farmer's point of view, a reduction in cot- ri ton and produce prices is to be deplored, but the point to be considered is whether abstention from the use of Nitrate is a wise way of meeting the situation. The utility of a fertilizer obviously depends upon its pro- ductivity, and as its productivity is not affected by its price, an increase in the latter justifies abandonment of the fer- tilizer only when its productivity ceases to be profitable. The profit to be reasonably expected from the use of fer- tilizer, although somewhat less than when it was cheaper, is not so materially interfered with by any rise in price of Nitrate as to economically justify any substantial reduction in its consumption." GRADES OF HAY AND STRAW. F°°d ^"^ Plants THE following are the rules and regulations adopted 225 by the Chicago Board of Trade for the inspection of hay and straw: Choice Timothy Hay: Shall be timothy not mixed with over one-twentieth of other grasses, properly cured, bright, natural color, sound and well baled. No. I Timothy Hay: Shall be timothy mixed with not more than one-eighth clover, red-top, and other tame grasses, properly cured, good color, sound and well baled. No. 2 Timothy Hay: Shall include all timothy not good enough for No. i, not over one-third mixed with other tame grasses, fair color, sound and well baled. No. 3 Timothy Hay: Shall include all hay not good enough for other grades, sound and well baled. No. I Clover Mixed Hay: Shall be timothy and clover mixed, with at least one-half timothy, good color, sound and well baled. No. 2 Clover Mixed Hay: Shall be timothy and clover mixed, with at least one-third timothy, reasonably sound and well baled. No. I Clover Hay: Shall be medium clover, not over one-twentieth other grasses, properly cured, sound and well baled. No. 2 Clover Hay: Shall be clover, sound, well baled, not good enough for No. i. No Grade Hay: Shall include threshed timothy and all hay badly cured, musty, stained, or in any way unsound. Choice Prairie Hay: Shall be upland hay, of bright color, well cured, sweet, sound and reasonably free from weeds. No. I Prairie Hay: Shall be upland, and may contain one-quarter midland, of good color, well cured, sweet, sound and reasonably free from weeds. No 2 Prairie Hay: Shall be upland of fair color or midland of good color, well cured, sweet, sound and reason- ably free from weed's. No. 3 Prairie Hay: Shall be midland of fair color or slough of good-color, well cured, sound and reasonably free from weeds. No. 4 Prairie Hay: Shall include all hay not good enough for other grades and not caked. Food for No grade Prairie Hay: Shall include all hay not good' ^'^°*^ enough for other grades. 226 No. I Straight Rye Straw: Shall be in large bales, clean, bright, long rye straw, pressed in bundles, sound and well baled. No. 2 Straight Rye Straw: Shall be in large bales, long rye straw, pressed in bundles, sound and well baled, not good enough for No. i. Tangled Rye Straw: Shall be reasonably clean rye straw, good color, sound and well baled. Wheat Straw: Shall be reasonably clean wheat straw, sound and well baled. Oat Straw: Shall be reasonably clean oat straw, sound and well baled. All certificates of inspection shall show the number of bales and grade in each car or lot inspected and plugged; and when for shipment the final inspection and plugging, in order to ascertain the sound condition of each bale, shall take place at the time of shipment. The fees for inspection shall be ^3.00 per car, to be divided equally between the buyer and seller. GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR STAPLE CROPS. THE use of Nitrate of Soda alone is never recommended, except at the rate of not more than one hundred pounds to the acre. It may he thus safely and profitably used without other fertilizers. It may be applied at this rate as a Top-Dressing in the Spring of the year, as soon as vegetation begins to turn green; or, in other words, as soon as the crops begin new growth. ""At this rate very satisfac- tory results are usually obtained without the use of any other fertilizer, and the Soda residual, after the Nitrogenous Ammoniate Food of this chemical is used up by the plant, has a perceptible elTect in sweetening sour land. When it is desired to use a larger amount than one hundred pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda as a Top- Dressing, or in any other way, there must be present some form of Phosphatic and Potassic Fertilizer, and we recom- mend not less than two hundred and fifty pounds of either Acid Phosphate; or Thomas Phosphate; or fine ground Raw ^°°^ ^°'^ Rock; or Peruvian Guano; and two hundred and fifty pounds ^^^"^^ of some high-grade Potash Salt, preferably the Sulphate. 227 yf much larger amount than one hundred pounds of Nitrate per acre, when used alone on staple crops, is generally sure to give an unprofitable and unbalanced food ration to the plant. For Market Gardening Crops, however, somewhat more may be used alone. When the above amounts of Phosphatic and Potassic Fertilizers are used, as much as three hundred pounds of Nitrate of Soda may be applied with profit. In applying Nitrate in any ration it is desirable to mix it with an equal quantity of land plaster or fine, dry loam or sand. Generally, on the Pacific Coast, nitrate may be applied as a top-dressing after the heavy spring rains are over, but before crops attain much of a start. The statement fraudulently made that Nitrate of Soda is a stimulant, is false and misleading, as the Nitrogen (which is the essential element for the growth of all plants) is the same in Nitrate of Soda as it is in stable manure, and has the additional advantage that it is thirty times as abundant and of a hundred-fold greater immediate avail- ability. Its after eflFect is also marked in subsequent sea- sons, owing to the energy and increased size and feeding capacity which it imparts to the roots of plants. It also has a sweetening influence on sour lands, and hence is of direct as well as indirect benefit to the land. As a healthy plant tonic it has no equal, and owing to its complete digestibility as a plant-food there is absolutely no roughage or raw matter in it. Food for Plants 228 FERTILIZERS. Contributed by J. L. Hills, Vermont Experiment Station. Average cost of a pound of plant food in low, medium and high grade (Vermont, 1903.) |}2.g 22J c4s.. 'itroaen ©.© sils. ic©(?te. IS &i*: Available Fhosphoric Acid IM, dg. ©o^stte. ijeii& Potash im' GRIPE MEDIUM HIGH □ Food for Plants 229 FERTILIZERS. Contributed by J. L. Hills, Vermont Experiment Station. For $30 there was purchased in Vermont, in 1903, in average high grade, medium grade and low grade fertilizers the toUowmg amounts of actual plant foods: LOWGRADE MEDIUM '• HIGH •• □ W^^s^msMmS^ss- m, Dte= Available Phosphoric Acid WSi Dfes. MtW^.: (m Dfes. Potash Food for Plants 230 PLAN FOR TOP-DRESSING EXPERIMENTS. The above simple plan for Top-Dressing Experiments has been in satisfactory use in Europe for several years. The plots may be of any size from a square 20 feet x 20 feet, and upwards. The squares marked O are not fertilized, and serve as check plots. The Nitrate application recommended for a square 20 feet x 20 feet is one pound, which is equiv- alent to one hundred pounds to the acre. For further details, see General Directions for Staple Crops. Index. Abbasi White Cotton, Lower Egypt (lUus.) 2I2 Acid Phosphate, Use of loi Adaptability of the Onion to All Soils 33 Alkaline Soil Necessary for Grass y4 All Three Elements Indispensable gg Always Use Chemical Fertilizers for all Market Garden Purposes, Without Fail 54 Ammoniates 146 Ammoniates, Higher, Other 143 Amount of Barbed Wire Required for Fences 194 Amounts of Manure Produced by Farm Animals. From Bulletin 27, Cornell University, Agricultural Experimental Station 176 Amounts of Nitrogen Phosphoric Acid and Potash Found Profitable for Different Crops Under Average Conditions per Acre (Taken Chiefly from New Jersey Experiment Station's Reports) 190 Amount of Oil in Seeds 207 Amount of Ration of Plant Food for One Tree 40 Analyses of Commercial Fertilizing Materials 180, 181, 182 Analyses of Farm Manures (Taken Chiefly from Reports of the New York,' Massachusetts and Connecticut Experiment Stations 183 Analyses of Fertilizing Materials in Farm Products; Analyses of Hay and Dry, Coarse Fodders 183, 184, 185, 186, 187 Apples, Nitrate of Soda on 61 Application of Fertilizer to Corn 211 Application of Fertilizer to Cotton 213 Apply and Mix Nitrate of Soda and Other Fertilizers, How to 19 Applying Fertilizers for Potatoes 24 Are the Farmers of Little Europe More Intelligent than Those of America ? 12 Asparagus 19, 40, 41, 123 Availability of Nitrogen in Various Forms 26 Availability of Nitrogen _. 149 Average Annual Rainfall in the United States 193 Barley ". 56, 57 Barley and Oats 15 Basic Slag Phosphate, or Thomas Slag Phosphate Powder 57 Beets 43 Beets (Table) Grown on Nitrate, Ready for Market Sixteen Days Earlier 43 Beets, Onions and Carrots 25 Best Returns from Use of Nitrogen are Obtained when Applied to Good Soils Well Prepared for Crops, The 118 Best Use of Nitrogen Requires an Abundance of Phosphoric Acid and Potash in the Soil, The 117 Better Quality Resulted as Well as Saving in Time and Increase in Crop ■. 42 Brown Cotton (Illus.) 212 Buckwheat 5^ Business Laws in Brief 197 Cabbage 44 Cabbages, Corn and Cauliflower 22 Cantaloupes 52, 155 Capacity of Cisterns for Each Ten Inches in Depth 206 Carrying Capacity of a Freight Car (This Table is for Ten-Ton Cars). 196 Catch-Crops 57 Cauliflower, Cabbages and Corn 22 Celery 22, 45, 130 Centenarians 192 Certain Crops are Especially Benefited by Nitrate Nitrogen 119 Character of Plant-Food Required by the Onion 36 Chemical Manures, Nature of 54 Chili Saltpetre or Nitrate of Soda 166 Chloride (Muriate of Potash) l6o Clark's Grass Cultivation, Nitrate of Soda as Used in 78 Common Salt, Use of , 38 Comparative Availability of Nitrogen in Various Forms 26 Comparison of Nitrate of Soda and Sulphate of Ammonia, Both With and Without Lime 152 "Complete Fertilizers" and "Phosphates" the Most Expensive Plant Food 6 Composition of DiflPerent Classes of Fertilizers '. . . . 220 Composition of Fertilizers in Different Grades 220, 221 Conclusions Pertaining to Nitrate of Soda.. 140 Corn go, 209 Corn, Sweet ^.6 Corn, Cabbages and Cauliflower 22 Cost of Nitrogen in Nitrate of Soda 222 Cost of One Pound of Plant Food in Different Grades of Fertilizers . . 221 Cost of One Pound of Plant Food to Consumers 222 Cost of Transportation of Fertilizers 108 Cost of Transportation per Ton of Material 108 Cotton 211 Cotton Fertilizing • 27 Cotton and Fibre Plants ,0 Cotton-Seed Meal and Nitrate Compared on Wheat re Cotton-Seed Meal Compared with Nitrate rr Cotton Seed and Nitrate of Soda 211? Cows j^6 Crops Especially Benefited by Nitrate Nitrogen nq Crop Was Saved From. Total Failure, How a .n Cucumbers . _ j -^ Cucumbers, Squashes and Melons 26 Cultivation __ Culture of Corn ^ ................... ! 209 Currants, Gooseberries, Raspberries 23 Defects and Losses in the Use of Ordinary Ammoniates 100 Directions and Formulas 56 Distribution of Nitrogen in the Grain and Straw of the Principal Cereals, Nitrogen per Two and One-half Acres 223 Distribution of Nitrogen in the Principal Root Crops, Nitrogen per Two and One-half Acres 224 Dollar Spent in Nitrate Returned ;?2i.oo in Increased Crop 44 Early Cabbage 43, 126 Early Growth of Plants 103 Early Lettuce 47 Early Peas 49 Early Potatoes 49, 132 Early Table Beets 122 Early Table Turnips 127 Early Tomatoes 50, 124 Economy in the Purchase of Fertilizers. Home Mixtures 169 Economical and Profitable Practice 76 Edible Value of Plant, Special Influence of Nitrate on loi EfiFect of Nitrate on Quality of Hay 73 Egg Plant. 47 Eminent Scientists Well Acquainted with Value of Nitrate 63 Equivalent Quantity of Nitrate Food 105 Estimating Measures 202 Excess of Value of Hay Over Cost of Fertilizers 76 Experiments in England, Wheat 55 Experiments on Tobacco at the Kentucky Experiment Station 16 Experiments, Other Details of 180 Experiments, Summary of, on Farm Animals 180 Experiments with Fertilizers on Cotton 28 Experiments with Fertilizers on Sweet Potatoes 16 Experiments with Fertilizers on Tomatoes 18 Experiments with Forage Crops 139 Experiments with Nitrate on Cotton, South Carolina, 1904 29 Experiment with Nitrogen 148 Extraordinary Returns on Celery 45 Facts for Builders 204 Farm Sewage Disposal 157 Farm Values, Probable Stability of 143 Farmers' Bulletin, No. 107. Editor, W. H. Beal. Prepared in the Office of Experiment Starions. A. C. True, Director. Page 7. . . 141 Farmyard Manure Compared with Nitrate 55 Farmyard Manure, Management of 157 Farmyard Manure and Other Products are Valuable, Why 99 Fertilizer Experiments on Meadow Land (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin, No. 23, February, 1890) 188, 189 Fertilizers per Vine, Omitting Nitrate Nitrogen (lUus.) 91 Fertilizers per Vine, with Nitrate Nitrogen (lUus.) 93 Fertilizers 147. "8, 229 Fertilizers for Corn 209 Fertilizers for Fruits (Bulletin 66, Hatch Experiment Station) 61 Fertilizers for Garden Crops 150 Fertilizers for Tobacco 214 Fertilizers for Vegetables and Small Fruits 25 Fertilizers in Use for Garden Crops, What 25 Fertilizers to Buy, What 27 Fertilizing 3° Fertilizing Cotton 27 Fertilizing Hay Crops 217 Figs 33 Financial Profit from Use of Nitrate. 75 Food Necessary for Plants 3 Food, Plant, Amount of Ration of, For One Tree 40 Food, Plant, Character of. Required by the Onion 36 Forage Crops, Experiments with 139 Forage Crops, Nitrate of Soda for 17 For Crops of Low Commercial Value 133 For Melons, Cucumbers, and Squashes 26 Formulas 172 Formulas and Directions for Mangolds 56 For Wheat, the Best Form of Nitrogen 12 Franklin's Words of Wisdom 199 Free Use of the Harrow and Pulverizer 37 From Bulletin No. 67. Maryland Experiment Station on the Culture and Handling of Tobacco in Maryland. H. J. Patterson, Director and Chemist. From Page 140 144 From New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin 1 72. The Use of Fertilizers; A Review of the Results of Experiments with Nitrate of Soda. Professor Edward B. Voorhees. The Use of Fertilizers 113 Fruits 32 Fruit Formula, General, per Acre 62 Fruits Generally, Nitrate of Soda for 62 Fruits, Nitrate on 103 Functions of Nitrate, Unusual 100 Gains from Use of Nitrate of Soda 137 Gain in Time Remarkable, Two Weeks in Advance 46 Garden Crops, Fertilizers for 150 Garden Crops, Market 22, 121 General Directions for Staple Crops 226 General Fruit Formula per Acre 62 General Points as to Methods of Application 155 Good Results Due to Nitrate 14.7 Gooseberries, Currants, Raspberries 23 Grain and Hay 173 Grains, Grasses, Root Crops, Pastures, Soiling Crops, Nitrate as a Top-Dressing for c^ Grapes 02 Grass 1 56 Grass Growing for Profit 6q Grasses, Grains, Root Crops, Pastures, Soiling Crops, Nitrate as a Top-Dressing for ca Greenhouse Plant Food 85 Growth (Early) of Plants 100 Guano, Phosphatic 168 Harrow and Pulverizer, Free Use of the 37 Hay 135 Hay and Grain 133 Hay, How Nitrate Improves the Quality of the 73 Highland Experimental Farms (lUus.) .'.... 59 Hints for Right Use of Nitrate 53 Home-Mixing 145, 171 Hops. A Record of Four Years' Experiments with Hops 89 Horses 178 How a Crop was Saved from Total Failure 43 How All Ammoniates are, of Necessity, Nitrated, and Slowness of Process 103 How all Crops Grow 54 How and Where to Buy Fertilizing Materials . . 23 How Careful Cultivation May Aid in the Profitable Use of Nitrate. . . 78 How Deep in the Ground to Plant Corn 194 How Grain Will Shrink 194 How It Pays 75 How Money Crops Feed 98 How Much Shall be Applied 135 How Nitrate Benefits the Farmer 62 How Nitrate Increases Wheat Crops 54 How Nitrate Improves the Quality of the Hay 73 How Nitrate May be Aided by Phosphoric Acid 102 How Nitrate May be Supplemented by Potash 102 How Nitrate Neutralizes Soil Acids and Sweetens the Soil 75 How Nitrate Saves Time, Money and the Crop 103 How Supplemented with Profit 102 How'to Apply Nitrate 125 How to Apply Nitrate of Soda to Wheat 14 How to Apply Phosphatic Fertilizers 25 How to Copyright a Book, Map, Chart, Etc 191 How to Make Commercial Valuations 159 How to Measure Corn in Crib, Hay in Mow, Etc 195 How to Mix and Apply Nitrate of Soda and Other Fertilizers 19 How to Preserve Eggs 202 How to Remove the Smell of Paint from a Room 197 How to Rent a Farm 1 99 How to Save Humus 158 How to Save Money on Fertilizers 8 How to Top-Dress 104 How to Treat Sunstroke 197 How to Use Chemical Fertilizers to Advantage. Abstract of Lecture by Dr. Dyer : 54 Ideal Formula for Oats 59 Ideal Formula for Wheat 61 Increase in Crop and Better Quality Resulted as Well as Saving iii Time 42 Increase of Crops from Same Quantity of Nitrogen from Different Sources 26 Increased Yield on Turnips and Swedes 5^ Indispensable, Why Nitrate is 3 Intrinsic Values of Ammoniates 100 Kale 154 Kind of Crop an Important Factor in Determining the Agricultural Value of Nitrogen, The 118 Late Carrots (Illus.) 51 Late Potatoes 5° Late Spinach (Illus.) 52 Lawns and Golf Links 9^ Length of Navigation of the Mississippi River 195 Lettuce 154 Lime and Thomas Slag, Use of 38 Litter 156 Losses and Defects in the Use of Ordinary Ammoniates 100 Making Two Blades of Grass Grow Where One Blade Grew Before . . 71 Management of Farmyard Manure 157 Margin of Profit Greater 142 Mangolds 56 Manures 156 Market Garden Crops 22, 121 Market Gardening with Nitrate 41 Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin No. 91, page 44, Table 7. Nitrate of Soda vs. No Nitrate of Soda, Applied on Wheat; Wheat Unfertilized in Fall 152 Massachusetts Experiment Station 150 Materials Used in Making Commercial or Chemical Manures 166 Melons 88 Melons, Cucumbers and Squashes 26 Methods of AppHcation 126, 127-131, 136, 141 Methods of Practice 125, 128, 129, 132, 133 Methods of Using Nitrate 123, 124 Mix and Apply Nitrate of Soda and Other Fertilizers, How to 19 Mixing, Home 145 Mixing Raw Materials 162 Modern Agriculture, Position of Nitrate in 63 Moisture in Soil, Necessity of 36 Money Crops, Results of Nitrate on 104 Muriate of Potash (Chloride) 160 Muskmelons 129 Nature of Chemical Manures 54 Natural Plant Food, Sources of 102 Nearly Always Deficient, Nitrate 4 Necessity of Moisture in Soil 36 Neutralizes Soil Acids and Sweetens the Soil, How Nitrate 75 Nitrate » Nitrate, Its Uses Ought to Increase 66 Nitrate on Fruits 103 Nitrate for Experiments 156 Nitrate Nearly Always Deficient 4 Nitrate a Pre-digested Ammoniate 99 Nitrate in Plant Nutrition, Part Played by 106 Nitrate Compared with Farm- Yard Manure 55 Nitrate Test at Kentucky Experiment Station 15 Nitrate of Soda as Used in Clark's Grass Cultivation 78 Nitrate and Cotton-Seed Meal Compared on Wheat 57 Nitrate as a Top-Dressing for Grains, Grasses, Root Crops, Pastures, Soiling Crops 54 Nitrate of Soda 3. i37. 159; 210 Nitrate of Soda, Amount to Apply 138 Nitrate of Soda, How Used 167 Nitrate of Soda on Apples 61 Nitrate of Soda for Forage Crops 17 Nitrate of Soda or Chili Saltpetre 166 Nitrate of Soda for Fruits Generally 62 Nitrate of Soda Nitre in Fertilizing. (Bulletin 24, California State Mining Bureau, May, 1902.) By Dr. Gilbert E. Bailey 66 Nitration or Nitrification : 158 Nitrogen Should Receive Special Attention 114 Number of Nails and Tacks per Pound 203 Number of Years Seeds Retain Their Vitality 193 Number Bricks Required to Construct any Building (Reckoning Seven Bricks to Each Superficial Foot) 204 Nursery Stock ■ 87 Oats 55, 58 Oats, Ideal Formula 59 Of General Interest 191 Onions 48 Onion, Adaptability of the, to All Soils 33 On Uncultivated Clay Loam 189 On Uncultivated Light or Medium Soils 189 On Uncultivated Pasture Land 189 On What Crops Nitrate Should be Used 24 Orange Groves 86, no Other Ammoniates Higher 143 Part Played by Nitrate in Plant Nutrition 106 Pastures, Soiling Crops, Root Crops, Grains, Grasses, Nitrate as a Top-Dressing for 54 Peaches 61 Peppers 131 Philosophical Facts 200 Phosphates 147 Phosphates, Potashes 100, 147 "Phosphates" and "Complete Fertilizers'" the Most Expensive Plant Food , 6 Phosphoric Acid ". 4 Phosphatic Guano i68 Phosphoric Acid and Potash Differ from Nitrogen 1 16 Phosphoric Acid, How Nitrate May be Aided by 102 Pioneer Farmers' Wasteful Methods 63 Plan for Top-Dressing Experiments 230 Plant Food Needs of Crops 105 Position of Nitrate in Modern Agriculture 63 Potashes 4. '47 Potashes, Phosphates 100, 147 Potash and Phosphoric Acid Differ From Nitrogen 116 Potatoes 49, 154 Potatoes, Sweet 81 Potatoes, How to Apply to 20 Potatoes, Applying Fertilizers for 24 Practical Conclusions 7^ Practical Suggestions as a Result of Experiments, i. For Crops of High Commercial Value 121 Pre-digested Ammoniate, Nitrate a 99 Price of Farm Products, Rise in 142 Principal Elements, Nitrated Ammonia, Phosphoric Acid, Potash .... 98 Probable Stability of Farm Values 1 43 Profit, Margin of 142 Profits from Use of Fertilizers 120 Profitable and Economical Practice 76 Profitable Fertilization of Grapes. Summary of Experiments of Prof. Paul Wagner, Director of Darmstadt Agricultural Experiment Station, Darmstadt, Germany 94 Profitable Onion Cultivation 33 Profitable Use of Nitrates, How Careful Cultivation May Aid in the. . 78 Pulverizer and Harrow, The Use of the 37 Purdue University, Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Lafay- ette, Ind., C. R. Plumb, Director. Bulletin No. 84.) Growing Lettuce With Chemical Fertilizers. By Prof William Stuart. ... 149 Quantity (Equivalent) of Nitrate Food 105 Quantities Required and Time to Apply 33 Raspberries, Currants, Gooseberries 23 Raw Materials, Mixing 162 Ready for Market Sixteen Days Earlier, Table Beets Grown on . Nitrate 4^ Relative Value of Different Foods for Stock 206 Results (Good) Due to Nitrate 143 Results in New York 2ig Results of Nitrate on Money Crops 104 Results of Saving Small Amounts of Money 207 Results on Cotton Grown in Lower Egyp t 212 Result, Slight Added Cost per Acre and per Ton of Fertilizer 143 Results in an Unfavorable Season with Low Prices for Products .... 41 Returns on Celery Extraordinary 45 Rise in Price of Farm Products 142 Root Crops, Pastures, Soiling Crops, Grains, Grasses, Nitrate as a 54 Top-Dressing for Rotation on Crops 191 Rules for Business Farmers 196 Rye 59. 139 Save Humus, How to 158 Save Money on Fertilizers, Hovy to 8 Savings Bank Compound Interest Table, Showing the Amount of |Si, From One Year to Fifteen Years, With Compound Interest Added Semi-Annually, at Different Rates 208 Saving in Time and Increase in Crop, as Well as Better Quality Resulted 42 Sewage (Farm) Disposal 157 Sheep 178 Sizes of Boxes for Different Measures 207 Slight Added Cost Per Acre and Per Ton of Fertilizer, Result 143 Small Fruits 84 Small Fruits and Vegetables, Fertilizers for 25 Snap Beans 42 Sodas 147 Soiling Crops 84 Soiling Crops, Root Crops, Pastures, Grasses, Grains, Nitrate as a Top Dressing for 54 Some American Rotations 191 Some Practical Hints Regarding Nitrate 153 Sources of Natural Plant Food 102 South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. From Bulletin No. 56 147 Special Crops 24 Special Functions of Plant Food 100 Special Influence of Nitrate on Edible Value of Plant lOI Spinach 151 Spirits of Turpentine a Valuable Remedy 198 Squashes, Cucumbers and Melons 26 Stable Manure and Artificial Fertilizer Upon Fruit Trees 39 Stability (Probable) of Farm Values 143 Strawberries 22, 83, iii Strength of Ice of Different Thickness 207 Sugar Beets 83 Sugar Cane 82 Suggestions for Top-Dressing Crops 107 Sulphate of Ammonia 1 59 Sulphate of Potash 159 Summary of Increased Yields. From Application of One Hundred Pounds Per Acre of Nitrate of Soda 142 Surveyor's Measure 206 Sweet Corn ^ 46, 128 Sweet Potatoes 81, 132 Sweetens the Soil and Neutralizes Soil Acids, How Nitrate 75 Swine 179 Table Beets Grown on Nitrate Ready for Market i6 Days Earlier 43 Table of Analyses and Guarantees I73 Table, Showing the Number of Pounds of Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid and Potash Withdrawn Per Acre by an Average Crop. (From New York, New Jersey and Connecticut Experiment Stations' Reports 187 Table Showing the Number of Pounds of Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid and Potash Withdrawn Per Acre by an Average Crop. (Con- tinued) 188 Table Showing Prices of Nitrate of Soda on the Ammoniate Basis. Figured on Basis of 380 Pounds Ammonia in One Ton of Nitrate of Soda 112 Tabulated General Summary 222 Terms Used in Discussing Fertilizers 146 The Amount to Apply 138 The Alfalfa, Cow-Pea and Clover Question 107 The Best Form of Nitrogen for Wheat 12 The Best Use of Nitrogen Requires an Abundance of Phosphoric Acid and Potash in the Soil 117 The Great Canals of the World 195 The Kind of Crop an Important Factor in Determining the Agricul- tural Value of the Nitrogen 118 The Longest and Greatest Rivers in the World 203 The Most Expensive Plant Food, "Phosphates" and "Complete Fer- tilizers " 6 The Quality of Manure and Fertilizers 99 The Use of Nitrogenous Fertilizers on Vegetables 154 The Unit System 166 The Various Potash Salts and Their Composition 190 Thomas Slag and Lime, Use of 38 Time at Which Money Doubles at Interest 208 Time to Apply and Quantities Required 33 Time Required for Digesting Food ig8 Time Required for the Complete Exhaustion of Available Fertilizing Materials, and the Amounts of Each Remaining in the Soil During a Period of Seven Years. (From Scottish Estimates.) On Uncul- tivated Clay Loam 189 Tobacco 16, 80, 144 Tomatoes i8, 79, 154 Top-Dress, How To 104. Top-Dressings 64, 103 Top-Dressing Experiments loj. Top-Dressing Grass Lands 75 Top-Dressings of Nitrate of Soda 120 Top-Dressing for Grains, Grasses, Root Crops, Pastures, Soiling Crops, Nitrate as a c^ Turnips and Swedes r6 Two Good Home Mixtures 176 University of Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station. Timely Hints for Farmers, No. 31. Prof. W. W. Skinner 148 Unusual Functions of Nitrate loo Use of Acid Phosphate loi Use of Common Sah 38 Use of Legumes 107 Use of Thomas Phosphate Powder and of Lime 38 Use Ought to Increase 66 Valuation 1 74- Value of Nitrate, Eminent Scientists Well Acquainted With It 63 Vegetables and Small Fruits, Fertilizers for 25 Wasteful Methods Pioneer Farmers 63 Weight of a Cubic Foot of Earth, Stone, Metal, Etc 205 Weights and Measures for Cooks, Etc 206 What a Deed to a Farm in Many States Includes 205 What Crops Take Out of Soils 105 What Fertilizers to Buy - 27 What Food Is , 98 What Fertilizers to Use for Garden Crops 25 What Housekeepers Should Remember 201 What Machinery Accomplishes 192 What Nitrate Has Done for Crops 143 What Nitrate is in Agriculture 62 What Nitrate Looks Like; Its Chemical Properties 62 What Percentage of Water Does Hay Lose During Storage ? 219 What was Shown by the Analyses 172 Wheat .55, 60, 137, 147 Wheat and Oats, Rye and Barley. (Bulletin 44, Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station.) 57 Wheat Crops, How Nitrate Increases 54 Wheat, Cotton-Seed Meal and Nitrate Compared on 55 Wheat Experiments in England 55 Wheat, How to Apply Nitrate of Soda to .' 14 When to Apply Nitrate 38 Where It is Found 63 Where and How to Buy Fertilizing Materials 23 Why Farmyard Manure and Other Products are Valuable 99 Why Nitrate is Indispensable 3 Yield of Cured Hay Under Different Rates of Nitrogenous Fertilization. 72 Yield of Vine Fertilized Omitting Nitrate Nitrogen, 1.13 lbs. of Grapes (Illus.) 95 Yield of Vine Fertilized with Nitrate Ration, 5.45 lbs of Grapes (Illus.) 97 Yield of Forage Crops Per Acre 140 -Km* ^ =^ \ 3 WT Vl The McWhorter Manufacturing Company Riverton, New Jersey The above machine is recommended for Top-Dressing Nitrate, and has been found to do excellent work in practical trials. For specific information, write to the above address.