Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-26
FERTILIZERS.
Their Valuable Ingredients, Means Of
Estimating their worth, Prices

Their Valuable Ingredients, Means of
Estimating their worth, Prices
Asked, etc.
To the President and Secretary of the Bureau
of Agriculture:
Gentlemen: At the meeting Of the
Bureau in March, was directed to prepare
for publication a brief paper, "setting forth
the ingredi eDts Of value in fertilizers, and
the relative values of these ingredients for
the leading crops grown in this State"
The fertilizers meant are the concentrated
manures manufactured, nowadays from
bones, blood, native phosphates, mari, land
plaster, excrements, gUano, sulphuric acid,
etc, and offered for sale in our cities and
towns. There are scores Of these. The
following are examples:
Soluble Pacific GudnO,
WhanR's Rdt1 Bone SupeTpbOSpdte,
The ErcelIenzG AmmOnidted Soluble
Phosphate,
Chicago Blood Manure,
BrOmOphyte Fertilizer.
These fertilizers have generally high
sounding names, and, if there be anything
in name, must have great virtues. Some
are worth to the farmer the price asked for
them, but many are not, the purchase and
use of the latter involving an actual loss.
Names cannot be trusted.
We believe in the use of good fertilizers if
sold at proper price. There can be no ques-
ton as to the benefits resulting from them.
One reason, for example, why England
is so far ahead of the United States in the
yield Of arabic land is that English farmers
make free use of good commercial manuTes.
With an area OF cultivated land not much
larger than the State of Pennsylvania, Eng
land uses 100000 tons of fertilizers yearly;
a larger amount than is used in the whole
United States.
1t becomes us then to apply fertilizers to
our lands. But these must be good, other
wise the application may cost more than it
will come to. To know, therefore, the
composition of these manures, to know
how rich they are in the Ingredients really
needed, is matter of prime importance.
The following are the desirable ingredi-
ents in fertilizers, aud they are the only ones
that give money value to them:
ammonia (including nitrogen or potential
ammonia),
PhospGoric acid in some form soluble in
water,
Potash and
Gypsum, or, what is the same thing,
Land plaster, or, chemically speaking,
sulphate of lime with water
Of these, gypsum, although beneficial to
crops, adds little to the money value of a
fertilizer, and in regions where it is very
cheap ought not to be included in making
estimates. In addition to the constituents
mentioned, fertilizers may contain phOsphO-
ric acid in combinations not soluble, lime,
clay, sand, oxide Ofiron, etc. Manufacturers
may claim that some Of the latter add to
the money value of some ftheir wares, but
tits not so. Insoluble phOSphOTic acid is not
worth more than the expense of putting it
on the land. Lime often does the soil
good, but it is out the question to purchase
it in high priced fertilizer. 1t is often not
worth the additional cost of freight its pres
euce involves.
A few words as to the nature of the four
ingredients mentioned above, and the part
they play in the economy of the plant
i. ammonia. This is alkaline, pungent
gas, very soluble in water,its solution being
well known as aqua ammonia, or spirits OF
hartshorn. Ammonia may exist, free or in
combination with an acid as in carbonate
ofammOnia. 1t is an important part Ofthe
food of plants, supplying them with nitrogen.
Nitric acid aqua fortis) and its cOmbina-
tons may also supply plants with this es-
sential element. Any decOmpoSable mate
rial containing nitrogen, such as urine, eX-
crements, blood, hair, ETC., may yield am
uonia and have value as a fertilizer. Wheat,
oats and grasses, especially, are benefited
by the use of manures containing nitrogen.
2. Phospho-ic acid. = This substance
combined with lime makes, for the most
part. the earthly matter of bones. The acid
itself is more than 4 fourth part of the en-
tire weight Of cattle bones. Phosphoric acid
is found in all agricultural plants and it is
known to be essential to their growth. Ii
not supplied to them either by the soil, or
otherwise, they cannot live. Unproductive
soils are often deficient in this material.
Clover especially is benefited by fertilizers
containing phOsphoric acid.
8. POtdsh.-This likewise is found IN al