The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-08-09
so. We have reached that point in this
industry where full discussion is in or
American Stockman.
FARM FERTILIZERS.

4
There is no soil SO rich in fertilizing ell
ement that it will bear constant cropping
without some return of fertility. And
there are none that can be employed that
will accomplish greater amount of good
TO the soil than those which are or can be
made upon the farm. That there is
great waste of fertilizers upon most farms
in proposition that requires only small
share of observation. This is often the
case where owner or occupier the farm
complains of a want of manures, and sup
ply which resorts to the uncertain process
of using commercial fertilizers of uncer-
tain value. Such a condition is no index
to successful farming; on the contrary,
common observation that those farmers
are more advanced in prosperity, had bet
ter kept and more fertile farms, who not
only make the saving of manure study,
but exercise Judgment in its use. 1t is pos
sible that the free use of phosphates, or
purely mineral manures, may be the means
of obtaining fair returns from the crops TO
which they are applied but cases that
have come under observation are INSULT
Gent to prove any marked permanent adj
vantage to the soil. A field that was con.
siderably reduced in fertility was brought
under the pillow and cropped for three
years, and average crops obtained by
liberal use of standard superphospate; but
but when seeded down with oats, the oat
crop, though fair, closed the volume; the
first subsequent cutting of hay was little
if any better than il would have been to
simply to have turned over the sod and
reseeded.
While the soil requires an application
of fertility, it also requires combination
of the chemical and mechanical efforts
that are produced by the use of farm ma
nures and for that reason it requires, in
different localities, according to its natural
characteristics, all the great variety ofma
nures tina: the farm furnishes.
Muck, that by some much despised
substance, formed from decayed vegetable
accumulations, exercises an important of
fee in sandy soils by aiding in retaining
moisture, besides adding to the fertility;
sand, too, may be used as an absorbent of
urine, and so becomes extremely valuable
as fertilizer, and also a diviso1 of the
more compact, clayey soils that are too
adhesive for ordinary culture. So, too, all
the coarse h.ly, straw and rushes that can
be accumulated may be used for bedding
purposes, where they serve the purpose
of absorbing liquid manures, and most
valuable purpose in aiding the disintegra-
ton of compact loan when incorporated
with it by being plowed in. Any unde-
composed manure aids nature'in bringing
the soil more completely into the condi-
ton necessary to furnish food for plants,
and produces about the same condition as
is produced by much blowing or harrow
ing. So these conditions seem to be nee
essary; if manure becomes thoroughly de-
composed by its own action before being
applied to the soil, it seems to be more
necessary that there should be such use of
the harrow as will bring the soil to as
fine condition as would have been effec-
ted by its decomposition in the SOIL
Night soil is very valuable fertilizer, |
that on many farms is allowed to go to |
waste because of the unpleasantness of !
handling it without some preparation;
but if dry earth is applied in the vault in |
sufficient Quantity, this is very largely re- |
moved. Urine, too, is lost for the want |
of load of dry earth, chip dirt or some
absorbent upon whieh it may be thrown
as It aecumulates. If every farmer would |
for one year accumulate all the manure, |
solid and liquid, possible, upon his farm,
with all substances of a vegetable charac |
ter that are susceptible of decomposition,
there would be great increase of manu-
rial substance as well as a great surprise |
to the farmers Nm. II. 2eomans, IN |
Ohio Farmer