The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-16
FERTILIZERS.
THEIR BEST FORMS.


The best form OF fertilizer is that in which
it is of easier conveyance, exempt OF extrane-
Gus matter, being perfectly soluble, asSimfla-
BILE, economical, Invisible and capable OF inn
proving the physical qualities Of the soil or
medium In which the fertilizable plants are
growing.
The easily conveyable or transportable form
Is necessary because the fertilizer must be
prepared, transferred from place to place,
scattered on and Incorporated into the soil.
The bulk of fertilizers should be free from
matter foreign to their substance because
that matter or those materials not necessary
to constitute their form or to aid in the ac-
com plishment Of their action are useless or
sometimes contrary to their action.
Fertilizers being soluble, must be scattered
on and Incorporated with the soil in such q
manner as that any minute root filament can
find some nourishment in the medium OF its
location. Hence the fertilizers should be as
infinitely divided, or In the ground state, as
soil itself,
THE ACTIVE ELEMENTS OF FERTILIZERS
are usually employed in the state of salts, as
for instance: Phosphoric acid in the condi-
ton of super phosphate OF lime, potash in the
state of chlorine of potassium; azote, or
nitrogen, in the condition of ammoniacal
salts Ortnitrates, and lime and magnesia in
the state OF sulphates.
In this state, their usual commercial form,
those agents of fertility are easily available
more fit for uniform distribution on and in
CORPORATION with the soil.
In this condition they contain no noxious
materials, and their volume Is
TWENTY TIMES LESS THAN THAT OF MANURE.
Being more soluble than other fertilizing
substances they are consequently Of superior
active power. Their perfectly assimilable
form is the most remarkable point OF their
superiority above other fertilizers.
Such is the fertilizer complete and perfect
in every respect.
But there Is difference between this excel
lent fertilizer of science and that Of practice,
which We must carefully ascertain.
PRACTICAL FERTILIZERS
The agents of fertility employed In the state
of salts to constitute chemical fertilizers are
not always found in q pure condition in
commerce. They contain various elements
combining also to form plants, but it is not
necessary to give them with the fertilizer to
the soil, because plants can procure them
otherwise and In quantities sufficient for their
sustenance.
Among those plant constituents found In
commercial salts there are few whose pres
ence Is commended by some chemists, among
the constituent elements OF the fertilizing
substance magneSia and iron being two Of
those.
Iron conveys dark tint to vegetation,
hence It's cOmmandGtion.
Magnesia is always mixed with lime In
nature, hence the use Of calcareou5 salts i'm
plies proportionate use OF magnesia.
Experiments and subsequent Investigations
have thereafter demonstrated that, for prac-
teal use and considering their unmentfoned
but real cOmplexity, the agents Of fertility
could be reduced to these four: PhosphOric
acid, potash, lime and nitrogenized matter.
This system has been tested by Mr.. George
Vile at VinCennes, and has since remained
the illustrative expression Of the practical
fertilizer, as compared with the theoretically
perfect one of scientists.
The latter, although perfect, were unavail-
able on account Of their cost while the former,
being cheap and convenient to procure, con-
tain all that is necessary to form a complete
fertilizer.
The scientific form as employed for expert
ments would not pay on large application,
and they are usually employed so as to pro-
duce vegetation In any condition whatsoever
The practical form, on the contrary, will
suffice In any soil, even If exhausted, and its
cost will permit the realization of some profits
on the crops produced with it.