Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-04-03

NITRATE OF SODA AND SUPERPHoS
PuATE.-Last week made my ihild an
nual purchase of these two fertilizers, both
of which have found after two years
trial, to produce valuable and profitable.
if not remarkable results. OF the super
phosphate. have COS lbs, costing, deliv
cred, $2.l5 per 100 lbs, and of the nitrate
of soda, Az lbs, costing 81 SO; total cost,
Sl3.54 Reserving about 200 pounds Of
the superphosphate for some corn crop
experiments in small way, shall sow,
some time in March, equal quantities Of
both, on two small pastures, both contain
ing not far from nine acres. and expect to
be able to increase the grass growth, to
the extent that the pastures will yield
grass enough TO feed nine mich cows
from MAY to November. One of them did
better than that last year, having been
twice ferlilized in two successive seasons !;
and if the present summer does not prove
an unusually dry one, see no reasons
why the grass yield of 1873 will not
be us large rs that of 1877 or the year be-
fore. The pastures lie within the corpor-
alton limits of II town of 5000 inhabitants,
and have been fed down by mich COWS
for the past ten years, the owners thereof
being willing to pay fair price for grass,
water, quiet and security through the
summer The grass income for the last
five years on the nine acres has not been
far from Sl5 per acre, which with increas-
ed age and more fertilization may be aug
mented, no doubt, TO 500 an acre.
Independent of any special advantages
these two fertilizers may possess land Mr..
j. B. Lawes says he would never use any
dung OF any kind for pasture or grass
lands, where nitrate Of soda could be had),
find this manner of enriching the pas
turee is cheaper than the gathering and
hauling of manures from pig-pens, cow
houses and horse-stables, even where such
manures may be had for the hauling My
method of applying the fertilizer is first to
slit both through Il coarse seive, SO us to
get at and reduce the Jumps, then mix in
equal parts, just previous to using, and
SOW broadcast any time in March. Care
should be taken not TO have the soda and
superphosphate stand mixed many hours
before sowing, for the reason that there
comes Il few hours after mixing, Il chemi-
cal change, which is not pleasant TO the
hands. After sowing, the field should be
twice gone over with Il sharp. toothed har
row, and no stock turned on before the first
of May. With such treatment doubling
the nitrate of soda the first and seconC
Year,, timothy meadows will, by the frs
of June. look more like wheat fields thar
what they really are, the growth will be
so much increased, and white clover anC
bluegrass pastures, al the same date, will
carry mat and mass of heritage whcl
must be seen TO be believed. have beer
thus particular in stating kind, cost an
qu nifty of fertilizers TO be used, profit
meth, d of application and result, Tor tn,
pu pose of anticipating the calls for infor
nation from those who might feel inclined
to follow the example of yonr correspon
dent. Where grass lands are scarce ant
llaslurage is high, rs in the neighhorhoo,
of towns and ci les, large or small, | an
sure there is no better way of PRACTICAL
increasing The one and cheapening tn,
other than in the use together of nitrate O
>oda and superph"sphate Of lime.-B. 4
j., Champaign, III.