The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-21
Homemade Fertilizers for Wheat.

| MesTS. Editors american Farmer:
Upon my wheat crop this season my phos-
pilates gave great satisfaction, producing for
me double the amount of wheat which would
have been produced had not used them.
On poor part of one OF my fields which
only gave me, without phosphate, five bushels
per acre two years ago, this season, with my
own manipulated phosphate, gave me fifteen
bushels. | used no phosphatcs last fall save
my own, being satisfied with their effects
upon my wheat last year. They produced
me hundred per cent. increase over wheat
seeded without phospbates, and seventy.fiye
per cent. over city-made phosphates which
Used, This year think it has acted equally
well. / shall change my formula Slightly this
season. Think the more concentrated these
mauures ale the better I; it is useless to apply
inert bodies to the soil; these are'sometimes
added to increase the bulk Of mixtures, and
we have to pay rs much for them as if they
were composed of the purest salts of am
MONA, potash, soda, and phosphoric acid,
Magnetism salts, used in my mixture last
wear. shall dispense with this, owing to the
fact that stone lime, rich in magnesia, has
been recently applied to my lands. Plaster
shall also dispense with, owing to the fact
that | expect to have the use of machinery
in making my mixture, which will enable
ne to dry my dissolved bones without its
use. Plaster acts well upon clover, but is
of little importance to the growth of wheat.
l shall also substitute Peruvian gllano for
the sulphatc of ammonia used in my mix
ture last year, because l tiud ii difficult to
obtain the sulphatc Of ammonia free from
Objectionable impurities. Hence my mixture
this season will be: Muriate potash, 800
pounds; nitrate soda, SO pounds Peruvian
guano, $50 pounds; common salt, 70 pounds ;
dissolved bone, 1900 pounds. Total per tor,
1000 pounds.
consider this mixture as near perfect AS |
ann capable of compromising it, and look tor
ward to good results from its use. 1t is
quite an expensive mixture, costing me 500
per ton when mixed and bagged. / shall
make small amount over what I shall use
myself, and any of your subscribers would
llketo try it l can furnish them at 81 per
toD, delivered on board at Baltimore. My
COMPOUNDS have acted SO well OH my own
lands that | would IKE to see them tried
elsewhere. / find making these mixtures ON
the farm to be very. laborious, and the diff
Guilty of getting the ingredients thoroughly
incorporated very great. Farmers should
club together In every county and build
phosphate mills. Byso doing, a large amount
of money would be kept at home. The
fertilizer trade is becoming immense; it
drains more money from the rural districts
than any other. Why not keep the profits
on the manufacture Of phosphates at home !
AT present nearly Ralf the wheat crop goes
to the large cities to pay fertilizer bills. Can
we wonder at there being no money in the
country when so Vasf an amount IL ahsorha6
by the capitalists of the large towns, by
them invested in stocks, &C., to lay dormant,
so far AS the ruralist arc concerned?
EDWARD EMORY.
/ queen dimes county, Nd, July IA, 1878.