Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-05-02
Essential Fertilizers.

EsStHttat EtTtillLtTs.
Agricultural chemists tell us, and expert
ence shows. that on all ordinary soils requir-
ing fertilization the only articles of plant
food which need to be articially added, are
potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen
either one two, or all three of them.
Well saved stable manure contains all
three of these substances, and is, therefore, a
"perfect manure that is, it supplies to
the plants everything that they require
which is not naturally and sufficiently pres
ent in every tllabe soil
But it is sometimes the case that soil
has enough of one, or even two, of these
Essential fertilizers y and that, therefore,
but one, or two. need be furnished to pro-
duce perfect crop In such soil com
plete or perfect manure is not required. 1t
is to such soils as these that especial
fertilizers" i. e., those which supply only
one or two of the three essential fertilizers
are applicable, and are capable of giving
a perfect crop.
How are we to know that, on a given plat
of ground, perfect, or only a special ferti
izer is called for? This is an important
question. If there is any way of knowing
that few barrels of ashes, a few hundred
weight of some phosphate, or similar
amount of heterogeneous fertilizer, or any
two of them will give perfect crop we
NAV save the cost of the unneeded one or
two substances.
There is only one way known at present,
by which we may get a perfect answer to
this question, and that is, to task the soil"
1t was once supposed that an analysis of the
soil would give us the desired answer. The
presence or absence of any of these sub
stances in the earth may be detected with un-
erring certainty by chemistry. Yet practi-
caly, analysis, besides being costly, is
very uncertain guide, for the following rea-
son. Not only must the soil contain potash
and phosphoric acid and heterogeneous sub
stance, but these substances must all of
them be present in soluble condition. so that
they may be taken M by the plant roots, dis
solved in the water of the soil. Now chem
istry uses powerful solvents in making an
analysis and with these is able to take out
a,.o.,, ,ut;a,a IS .o.oah ,,ho,,,ho.;..;1,
,;.ra.,,, - $685., - - ~,
1T. 49,, Ill.,, II, I'LL, -,
as they exist in the soil, they may all be in
A..
80
r. '.''
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n,
a.l -; - 80 Eli,
'''''''
rrs' S'''p, No'h'ng'
Mil ,,ri, p,a,,ta.,.' o",,
Fourth strip. A heterogeneous fertilizer
Fifth strip ........ Potash and phosphoric acid
Sixth strip - Potash and il heterogeneous fertilizer
seventh strip rhos ACID and heterogeneous fertilizer
h'sl'" ''''p' '''''' '''''''''''''''''' All 'nree
lhese substances must be used on each
strip IN quantity just Sulhcieht 10 give 1uil
crop, PROVIDED the others were present IN the
SOIL In suihc'eht quantity 10 give crop
NOW IL Is pam that II no iertillzer Is
heeoeu laliu 'he SEASON. Is Suioaoie) luii
crop VIII oe go' upon Tue hrs' s.riP, ana .he
h'a'ureu seriPS VIII DE no oe'ter' II mourning
put potash Is needed then we snail get a full
crop OH 'he Secohu' nith' sixth ana e'ghth
s"lPS N'o al Vi winch we nave aPpieu
Potash)' anu ueiec'lVe crops on the othel
Strips' II hothihg out Phosphoric dcm is
necessary, 'he'' we snail get iuil crops on the
ohiru' hiVh' seventh ana eighth STRIPS and
oeiec'iVe crops Oh ehe olher strlpS' IL
no'"'ns o"' '''''osehous 'i'a''er Is required
"'e" l"'i o'oPS VIII NC Soo On the lourth
SAUL '''en'" anu e'sn'n sVriPS' "hile 'ht
crops Oh the other strips VIII be detective
II hovhihg ouC a ""'o9e"ous Jerf"tser Is de
na"ueu' '''e'' iu'' crops VIII DE grown on th'
i'"''"' SAUL seventh" a'" eiShth stilps' aho
'n'le'ieo' o''es o'i ''e o.herS' flhaiiy' II al
"'ee are required " iu'i crop would be go
o"iS u" ','e e'sn'n S''lP'
lniS' 'neoleVicaiiy' Is Ihe way 10 ASK th'
SOL "i'aV wants. rractically, upon
piece OIL i"'iu WIN the ''llage and crops o
W''c' ior several years one mas been familiar
ne may II ne understands the main facts o
as''cu,'urai chemistry relating 10 the ques
.on' give a pre'ty close guess as TO what TN
in',n 'e .
10 Illustrate 'f's' we VIII take case II
our own experience a piece OF groun'
'na' ''n oeeil heaVily mahured with ashe
ana ground bone Tor nursery trees, wa
seeded to oats, which grew weakly an,
rusted. Here was case where, almost cer
tainlv nitrogen was lackir and a droos;,,
~ '"'p""'' VI "'''''o'''" \" "'''osenous lei
tilizer) would have ensured heavy croE
Another case, where piece OF ground fair