Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-02

With the number of commercial fcrti-
izcrs put on the market, and with that
number increasing yearly, it is becoming
question of great Importance, what is
their absolute value and how it can be
certainly determined. Among these fer
tlizers none have attained so sudden pop
ularity and widespread use rs the "Stock-
bridge formulas The professor of agr-
culture in the Massachusetts Agricultural
College, n scientific man, his formulas
came with the power of authority. and
though the articles are furnished by firm
dealing in fertilizers, they have the en-
dorsement of Prof. Stockbridge, and the
formulas are put in their hands to prepare
so there shall be no errors in their putting
up either from lack of knowledge or luck
of integrity.
These formulas indicate the amounts of
given material necessary to be supplied 10
produce given amount Of the expected
product, and viewed by the light of these
predicted or expected results, the use of the
Stockbridge formula has been very much
of failure
First on the list rs scientific authority
stands DR.. L. Lewis Sturtevant Of East
birmingham, and editor of the Scientific
Farmer, who says: Having MANFRED for
sixty bushels, our crop of forly-seven bush
els per acre must be considered II failure,
it being only a little over two-thirds of the
crop anticipated.'
We notice in the Record and Farmer an
account of meeting of Maple Grove
Grange, where the business of the evening
WAS the hearing of reports from those who
had experimental with the Stockbridge
fertilizers, The reporter preEces rs fol-
lows:
The pamphlet issued by W. II. Bowker
& Co., manufacturers of the Stockbridge
fertilizers, gives the amount to be used for
any kind of crop, and price of same It,
states that for IN acre of corn, four bags,
costing twenty-five dollars, will produce
forty to sixty bushels of sheled corn. For
n quarter of an acre of beets or turnips,
one bag, costing six dollars, will produce
one hundred to one hundred and fifty
bushels. For an acre of potatoes, two
bags, costing twelve dollars, will produce
one hundred to one hundred and fifty
bushels. As the above are the only crops
E,r ,uhiab tho fault al 7
quote no further from the pamphlet, and
will only add that to produce the amount
named above, something will depend on
the soil and season, Some of the members
Of the Grange reported as follows;
George Campbell.-I used two bags of
Stockbridge manure, costing twelve dol
lars, on one acre of potatoes, and harvest
ed eighty bushels more per acre than
where no manure was used. On half an
acre of loan, without any manure. har-
vested thrty-sevcn bushels of ears. On
half an acre, with two bags Stockbridge
fertilizer, costing eleven dollars, harvest
ed fifty bushels Ars-a gain of thirteen
bushels ears at II cost of eleven dollars.
l.. A. Wilder.-I used one bag Stock.
bridge fertilizer, costing five dollars and
fifty cents, on one-eighth acre corn. appli-
cd according TO directors, and harvested
ten bushels shelled corn. Applied it on
potatoes, and could sec no special benefit.
On the same kind of soil where | used
ashes of the same value of Stockbridge,
double the quantity of potatoes were PRO.
duCed
Reuben Miller.-I used one bag, costing
five dollars, on corn in hill, and think it
was damage to my crop.
ii. ID. Ranney.-I used the Stockbridge
fertilizer on corn in hill, and did not get
rs much corn us where no fertilizer was
used.
VIM. B. Nutting.--I used one bag of
Stockbridge fertilizer, costing six dollars,
for bects and turnps, on q quarter Of an
acre. The soil was sandy loan, deep and
moist. The fertilizer was applied accord
ing to direction of manufacturers, spread
broadcast and narrowed in. | harvested
tiity-two bushels beets and turnips. On
one-sXteenth of on acre last year, with
stable manure, had seventy-ive bushels
also used it on corn in the hill, but as
the wire worms worked it badly, can give
no satisfactory result
~ " bOllIln SdNc experiments Win
other fertilizers and character of soil and
method Of cultivation rs follows:
No. Soil light and gravely; barn
yard manure applied on the soil at the
rate OF twenty loads to the acre, and plow-
ed in the spring. Rows three feet apart
each way. | took forty rows on which to
try different fertilizers.
Ten rows Stockbrdge, eighteen bushels
ears, eighty-two pounds to bushel.
Ten rows Goes Superphosphate, nine.
teen and one-half bushels, eighty-two
pounds to bushel.
Ten rows hen manure and plaster, TWEEN
ty bushels, eighty-two pounds to bushe.
Ten rows no manure, eighteen bushels,
eighteen pounds to bushel.
Goes Superphosphate made the most
rapid growth, and heavier growth of fod-
der, but the hen manure was the best ear
ed
No. "A field of eight acres. This
field fifty years ago, was sown with rye as
long as it would grow. and then turned to
pasture, and for years produced moss,
golden rod and brakes. And twenty years
ago it would take ten acres to keep COW
through the summer. About twelve years