The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-03-06

keepers, mechanics and others, grving per-
sonal experience Of any topic Of general an
terest to persons lring in the country. Tile
name and posto6ice address Of the acrifer
should accompany each letter, not necessarily
for publication, but as a guarantee of good
faith. 1t as our purpose TO open this column
to a free exchange Of experience and opinions
bctween its readers.
ONE YEARS USE OF ARTIFICIAL FERTIII-
ZERS.
Can artificial fertilizers be protitably used?
is question Of vital Importance to farmers.
1t cannot be settled by one years trial, but
by noting the results each year the solution
viii come in due time. Except when solling
is practised, or large amount of grain is
purchased for food, most farmers on the old
er worn soils must resort to.the use of pur-
chased manures or fertilizers, in order to
utilize the normal fertility Of his land. The
writer has been using artificial fertilizers for
two years past, not so much as an expert
ment as from the necessity of growing crops
on fields which otherwise must have lain
idle. A trial was made in 1877 OIL one-tenth
of an acre nearly, or exactly 4,287 square
feet. Common western field corn was plan
ted in the usual manner, but fortified with
fifty pounds of the Mapes corn manure. The
crop was nine bushels Of sheled corn equal
to ninety bushels) per acre. No other fertil-
izer or manure was used. In 1878 the same
ground, with more adjoining, in all 7,77o
square feet, was dressed with 100 pounds of
the same fertilizer and planted with ''white
prolific" corn procured from Tennessee. The
crop was forty three baskets of ears weigh
ing.1 1928 pounds, which when shelled yielded
q little over twenty five measured bushes OF
grain. The ground little more than one
sixth of an acre, making the yielG about one
hundred and fifty bushels of grain per acre.
Doubtless much of this large yield was ow-
ing to the character of the corn, which bore
from three to five ears upon each stalk, and
well deserved the name ''prolfic." Allowing
sufficiently for this, the crop was satisfacto-
ry-the cost of the fertilizer being about SIS
per acre, and the value of the grain about
$75. In 1878 twenty acres of rye were
dressed with 6,0a0 pounds of '.grass and
grain fertilizer one hundreds pounds per
acre being used in the fall, broad-casted af-
ter the seed was sown, and two hundred
pounds in the spring. The crop at thresh-
ing measured twenty-three and cne-half
bushels to the acre. One acre without ma
nure yielded seven bushels. One acre of
Clawson wheat dressed the same as the rye
produced IS bushels per acre; and one acre
OF silver chaff wheat without fertilizers was
too poor to pay for threshing, and was scat
tered for the fowls. A piece OF three acres Of
common white field corn was dressed with six
hundred pounds per acre OF ''corn fertilizer''
one-half scattered on the ploushed ground
and narrowed in, and the rest sown on the
surface after planting. The yield was four
hundred and eighty nine bushels of ears,
which were not shelied, being ground Who'll
for cows. A plot Of three acres OF s'white
prolific corn adjoining, and treated ia the
same way, turned out three hundred and
seventy-nine bushels of ears; large por-
ton OF this plot was sheltered on the west
and south by close, tall woods, so that the
yield OF grain on nearly half of it was very
light lone acre of evergreen sweet corn,
fertilized like the previous plots, produced
over 5000 ears, which were sold green for
SSl.lG, and large quantity OF small I'M
marketable ears we're left in the fodder.
This corn was planted in rows three feet
apart, and when growing there were two to
three stalks eighteen inches apart in the
row. Half an acre OF the same kind of
sweet corn, planted in the same way, and
manfred with $3.50 worth of New York
City manure, produced s3426 worth of
green ears. The fodder on the acre plot
was far heavier than on the hall acre. Three
acres of potatoes dressed with 1880 pounds
ofpotato fertilizer produced three hundred
and forty bushels the potatoes were very
small in size on account of the dry weather
and the potato beetles. Two rows, without
fertilizer. produced only small pota toes unfit
for table use. few rows of the field corn
without fertilizer did not bear an ear worth
husking. The soil upon which these crops
were grown was light sandy loan, and
had been cropped without any manure for
the previous year, and for several years be-
fore that only portions of it with few
pounds of guano and bone-dust. Ali that
was grown was due to the manure and fer
tilizers applied. The potato and corn plots
are now sown to rye without any manures,
to test the effect of the fertilizer in the soil.
So far, although sown very late, the rye
promises very fair crop. There is now
large quantity OF manure making OH the
farm, rendered possible by the results OF
these fertilizers; nevertheless there will still
be necessity for the use of them next sea-
son.-American Agriculurist.
POLISHING FURNITURE.