The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-03-21
Nitrate Of Soda and Superphos
plate.

plate.
Last week | made my third an
nual purchase of these two f~ertili-
zers, both Of which | have found.
after two years trial, to produce
valuable and profitable, if not re-
markable results. OF the super
phosphate, | have sos lbs. costing.
delivered, s2.15 per leo lbs, and
OF the nitrate Of soda, 4l2 lbs,
costing s4.5O; total cost, s31.54.
Reserylng about 200 pounds Of the
superphosphate for some corn crop
experiments IN a small way. | shall
SOW, some time in March. equal
quantities Of both, on two small
pastures, both containing not far
from nine acres, and expect to be
able to lncreas the grass growth, to
the extent that the pastures viii
yield grass enough to feed nine
mich cows, from Mayt to November.
One Of them did better than that
last year, having been twice fertil-
lied IN two successive seasons: and
IT the present summer does not
prove an unusually drv one, | see
no reasons why the grass yield of
1878 will not be as large Us that Of
1877 or the year before. The pas
lures lie within the corporate linn
its of a town of 5000 Inhabitants,
and have been fed down by mich
COWS for the past ten years, the
owner Thereof being willing to pay
a fair price for grass, water, quiet
and security through the entire
summer. The grass income for the
last five years on the nine acres has
not been far from SIS per acre,
which with increased age and more
fertilization may be augmented, no
doubt, to $50 an acre.
independent of any special ad-
vantages these two fertilizers may
possess (and Mr.. J. B. Laws 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
pastures is cheaper than gather
ing and hauling off manures
from pig. pens, cow-houses and
horse stables, even where such
manures may be had for the haul
ing. My method of applying the
fertilizer is first to sift both through
a coarse sieve, SO as 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 su~perhosphate
stand mixed many hours before
sowing, for the reason that there
comes a few hours after mixing, a
chemical change, which is not
pleasant to the hands. After SOW
ing, the field should be twice gone
oyef with a sharp-toothed harrow,
and no stock turned on before the
first Of May. With such treatment
doubling the nitrate Of soda the
first and second year, timothy
meadows will, by the first of June,
look more like wheat fields than
what they really are, the growth
will be so much increased, and
white clover and blue grass pastures,
at the same date, will carry a mat
and mass of heritage which must
be seen to be believed. | have
thus particular IN stating kind,
cost and quantity of fertilizers to
be used, profit, method of applica-
ton and result, for the purpose of
anticipating the calls for informa-
ton from those who might feel in
clined to follow the example Of
your correspondent. Where grass
lands are scarce and pasturage is
high, as in the neighborhood OF
towns and cities, large OF small. |
am sure there is no better way OF
practically increasing the one and
cheapening the other than IN the
use together Of nitrate of soda and
superphospate Of lime.
Champaion. Ill. b. +. j.