The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-05-01
THE AGRICULTURAL REPORT.
NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FkRrrIIzras-sr
Plus cRoPs-cLovER.

From advance sheets of the report of the
commissioner of agriculture we select the
following interesting items;
Though half Of the counties in the United
States are cultivated almost literally without
fertilizers Of any sort, and another fourth with
The casual aid Of green manuring, or little
lime, or plaster, or cotton seed, or q 'cow.
penned'' lot, or some trifing saving of farm
yard manure, il is still true the practice Of sys
tematic fertilization is increasing. II is no.
only increasing, but is followed with a better
adaptation Of means to ends, and with supe-
rior economy in the choice of material.
As to commercial fertilizers, farmers gen
orally appreciate their value for specific uses;
acknowledge their utility in supplying lacking
material for plant growth; accord to them a
positive value in Fastening growth and ma.
tariiy, but persist ia the opinion that there is
srand in the manipulation Of some kinds, aud
that the genuine are held at too high price.
They know that for the rugular uses of farm
fertilization they can OBTAIN the needed ele.
ments at cheaper rate. Reports from
Maryland as 10 the use of commercial fertili.
zers are as follows:
Queen Anne's county reports that they are
used freely, principally snperphosphates, in
the wheat crop, and that even when wheat is
low they pay well, as they viii double the
succeeding crop; Charles, that 90 per cent. Of
all fertilizers are commercial, and are specially
profitable on the after crop of clover for i'm
provment of land; Calvert, 90 per cent. most
" Peruvian guano and superphosphates, and
profitable for the tobacco crop; Montgomery,
also 60 per cent and Caroline so, and prof
table 10 both; Hartford, that they are the
principal fertilizers used, by far the largest
part being bone dust, and deemed profitable
al abont $40 per ton; Carroll, that bone fer
tilizers are profitable, but none others; Wash
ington, that bone fertilizers are profitable on
all soils. On the other hand, ia Worcester,
though 81 per cent. Of all fertilizers are com
lnereial, they are deemed improbable
many instances the result has been injurious
70 the land and disastrous to its eultivator;n
in Talbot, though the chief reliance is on
them, they are mot always proftable;'' in
Prince Georges about 10 per cent Of the
fertilizers are commercial, chiefly used on
tobacco, but nov so adulterated as not to be
profitable; aud IN Cecil the price is found too
high 10 admit Of much profit.
RENOVATION OF WORKOUT SOILS.
Many examples are given Of the renovation
Of worn and apparently worthless soils, and
The increase offertility in fresh but unpromis.
ing lands. Fields that haze been cultivated
ezhaustively for twenty and even forty years
have been restored to original productiyeness,
rot by guancs and superphosphases, at $50 10
$50 per ton, but BY inexpensive local sources,
the cheapest and most reliable of which Is
found IN clovering. In one case in Butler
county, Pa secti== Of thin, gravelly land,
On which j was thought no one could secure
decent living, came into the possession Of
German ilnInigrats at nominal rates. They
cleared Of the brush, pIowed, cultivated
turned under green crops saved every fertili-
King material available, never duplicated a
crop IN FIVE or six years rotation, and that
tract j. now garden, and from worthlessness
has advanced 70 the falue Of 500 per acre,
And y yeHFiJ incoming more productive. In
the South, region which many Northern
writer's cnagrieuliure assume most enormously
70 Be nnsaited 70 grass culture, and which
Southern farmers have strangely neglected as
neai'pfodneins section for obvions reasons,
new era y daunipe, and clover and orchard.
grass are ia many places found 10 be sources
Of inmed.afo and heavy profit. and Of greatly
increased Fertility Ii light lands 81 moro
ioffid Temperature diem COW pea performs
qaiekly and inskpepsisely ,be work Of anne.
liafasien assigned % red clover ii ar gillaee-
Gus soils. Ilis = plant literally Rarlh mil
iiaas Y he South possibly l. good al
sn.a'oai. satheser - clover: perhaps equally a.
good ipr fai,ening swine, and grown With
greater faeiIiiy II poorer seils. This invest.