Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-06-06


What wonderful help it would be to
every cultivator, if he could say to
this soil and that one, s'tell me what
you are made uD of; what is lacking in
your composition to make you grow a
good crop of this or that kind" and the
soil should answer: 81 lack potash"
or II lack phosphoric acid" or II lack
lime," etc. With such answers we
could go right to work and supply the
deficient element or elements. Now it
is guess-work. We put on stable
manure, and as that generally contains
all kinds of needed elements, it pro-
duces good results. Yet, IN doing this.
we often add great deal that is not
needed, as soils usually lack only one
or two elements. Stable manure, if
purchased, is one of the most costly
fertilizers in fact, or would be, if he
knew just what else to buy. In all the
older States we need. or could very
pro6tably use, much more manure than
can be obtained. Now comes the all
important question, what shall we use
what will be the cheapest and best
paying fertilizers? Formerly agricul-
tural chemists proposed to analyze our
soils, and tell us what was lacking !;
but they now know that in the present
state of agricultural chemistry, at least,
that this is not practicable. The ferti-
lizer manufacturers come along, and
tell US, each in turn, that his article is
just the thing we need. We try this
one, and then that one, at great deal
of expense, sometimes with good re-
suits, and sometimes quite otherwise.
In the former case we go on and buy
and use more. A nighbor, having a
different soil, follows our example, and
fails, and is Disguised, not to say dis
couraged. five fail in our first trials,
we too are disguised, and pronounce
all artificial fertilizers, and agricultural
science itself. a humbug. But even
when we succeed, we are not sure that
we have got the best Or cheapest ferti-
lizer. Something else might have fur
nished our soil with just what we want
ed at half the cost.
Now the best way to get at the root
Of the matter is, not to go into costly
experiments, buying by the ton, or
score of tons, a fertilizer that is highly
commended, but to put few simple
questions to our fields, in the form of
experiments that any ordinary cultiva-
tor can carry on at small cost, which,
ifmade carefully, will afford q large
amount of most important information.
In an average field, lay eff few long
plots, and try on one plot single ferti-
lizer, another on next plot, and so on,
using various mixtures Of the fertilizers
on some plots. Across these plots
plant or SOW several leading crops, and
watch carefully the effects upon each,
of the different fertilizers. A single
trial Of a season, will give a great deal
Of information; while repeated trials
will be Of still greater value. Thus
ascertaining what will pay best, we can,
in future, buy and use largely just that
fertilizng element, and only that one,
or only those which are needed. If
potash is the thing, we shall not have
to buy and pay for lot of other things,
to get what we want. The chemists
can tell US accurately what is in this
or that fertilizer, and whether we get
what we pay for, Or intended to. The
eultivators who make these experiments
who thus ask direct questions Of the
soil-will be the most successful, and
they should be begun at onee.-Amert-
can AgricuHura1ist.