The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-07-16
ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZERS.

BY Dr. James R. Nichols, of the Massachusetts State
Board of Agriculture

Board of Agriculture.
GENTLEMEN: / have invited you
here to-day in tulfillment of desire
long entertained, of bringing around
me, for a couple of hours, on my
farm premises, body of practical
men-workers in the field-that l
might illustrate and explain to them
methods OF procuring, manufacturing
and combining those important ele-
ments OF plant food which modern
science has brought to view within
the past quarter Of a century. We
meet under peculiar circumstances
and in a peculiar place, but in one
most appropriate. We are under
the same roof that shelters the pro-
ducts OF these fields, and the animals
we so highly prize, and here around
lis are the implements of husbandry,
and it is here, that, for a period of
sixteen years, have studied and ex-
perimented upon improved methods
of farm management, and the fertili-
cation of crops. 1t is here that so
long ago as 1868, was commenced
systematic experiments with what are
known as chemical fertilizers, and
probably there is no farm in the coun-
try which has been so long an exper-
mental one as this to which you have
been called today. During the time
it has been in my possession, Lake
side farm has more than trebled It's
productiveness; and when tell you
that not load of animal eXcrement
has been purchased, and that the only
animals maintained the first five years
were couple of COWS and two horses,
and that during the past five years
but six animals, all told, have been
kept to supply excrement, you will
understand that | must have main
tanned fertility through some other
sources than the manure heap. Dur
ing the intervening period between
1868 and 1872, herd of seventeen
animals, mostly COWS, was kept at the
farm, and the use Of chemical fertil-
izers was suspended except upon ex-
detrimental fields. The productive
ness of the farm diminished during
that period, and my anticipatlons
were verified by the results.
The farm is now mainly devoted
to raising hay, as the soil is well
adapted to the growth of grass. Our
crop the present season is probably
not far from fifty tons. The present
is the first season that corn crop
has not been raised. There is field
upon the hill yonder, from which has
been taken two fine corn crops,and one
ofrye, in the past three years, using only
our farm-made chemical fertilizers.
The land was rough pasture, covered
with stones and briars, before ID was
put under the plow The field oppo.
Site this barn is All experimental
field, or, rather, was for period OF
ten years. From that field has been
gathered three crops of corn, Two OF
rye, one of wheat and four OF hay, IN
ten consecutive years, and the dress
ings have been solely chemical food.
suchas the crops required. At the expi'
ration OF ten years it received thor
ough dressing of barn-yard manure
eight cords to the acre, and diminu
ton of crops followed, and 1t is not
now in satisfactory filth. A good
illustration of the value of chemical
fertilizers, properly adjnsted, and
| compounded for grass, may be seen
in the richness and luxuriance of the
lawns connected with the stone man
sion in view on Winnekeni hill. These
lawns are four acres in extent, and nc
part has ever received any barn-yard
or stable dung. The soil was com
mon pasture, and never, probably, re
reived any manure other than the
droppings OF the ANIMALS feeding
upon it's grasses. At the close OF the
meeting, 1 trust you will find time
to examine the grounds.
But, gentlemen, this is not properly
a field meeting. it is a farmers barn
meeting, or, for the time being, we
will call it our Agricultural College
and | promise to graduate you all in
about an hour, without diplomas
You are to learn how to prepare
combine, and use the new fertilizers
about which so much talk is made IL
these modern times. have. always
taken the ground that farmers can and
should prepare their own fertilizers
on their own premises. This has been
advocated in addresses before oul