The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-02-25
farm and 0araem.
Commercial Fertilizers Continued

erS Tor the expenditure. one reason that
they had failed to pay in many instances,
has been their high price, and a great
cause of this is the unfortunate, and SEEM
ingly almost unavoidable credit system.
The Fertilizers are sold to great degree
on credit, and bad debts very frequently
made-and to make up for this loss, those
who pay have to pay high price. OF
late years the price of these articles has
declined considerably. Of course one
reason of the failure of Fertilizers to pay
is deficiency in their quality, This has
been remedied in a considerable measure
by analyses. Manufacturers are general
ly deferred now from putting Indifferent
articles on the market for fear of exposure
of the want of proper plant food in
their compounds We will recur to this
part of the subject again, and indicate to
the farmer some means of Judging of the
quality of Fertilizers. Wewill say here,
that each farmer should test some Fertil-
izers on his soil and crops in a small way,
before purchasing largely.
There are persons who take extreme
views on the use of Fertilizers-somee x-
tol them very highly and some condemn
them utterly. One farmer residing near.
a city where he can get stable manure,
and whose rather limited experience in
the use of Commercial Fertilizers has not
been favorable, recently said to the "Com-
missioner of Agriculture, that he thought
it was his duty to advise the farmers to
discard Fertilizers entirely. But there
are evidently two sides to the question.
Fertilizers, particularly the Phosphates,
are extensively used in England, coun-
try containing as good farmers as any in
the world. Some of the best farmers in
Virginia use them-they are largely used
in the valley" country with lands
alread Y good, and noted for its good farm
ers. They are largely used in the North
ern and Eastern United States, and we
all know that this section is inhabited by
shrewd and calculating farmers.
DR.. Nichols, owning farm near Haver-
hill, Mass, some time last year delivered
what he called Barn Floor Lecture"
at his farm in the presence of hundred
farmers. In the support of "the efficacy
and advantages of well prepared and well
applied Fertilizers" he says:
1T is here Lakeside FARM that for period
of sixteen years have studied and experimental
upon improved methods of farm management
and the fertilization of crops. 1t is here as long
ago as 1868, that was commenced systematic ex
periments with what are known as chemical fer
tllizers, and probably there is no farm in the
country which has been so long an experimental
one as this to which you have been called to-
day. During the time it has been in my posses
sion 1t has more than trebled in 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 a
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 under
stand that | must have sustained fertility
through some other sources than the manure
neaP. during the intervening period between
1868 and 1872 heard of seventeen animals
mostly cows, was kept at the farm, and the use
OF chemical fertilizers was suspended, except
upon experimental fields. The productiveness
OF the farm diminished during that period and
my anticlpations were verified by the results
The farm is now mainly devoted to raising bav
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 corn crop has not been raised There
is field upon\the hill yonder from which has
been taken two fine corn crops and one of rye
In the past three years, using only our farm
made chemical fertilizers The land was rouob
pasture, covered with stones and briars. before
1T was put under the plough The field opposite
this barn IS an experimental field or rather was
Tor 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 consecu
tive years, and the dressings have been solely
chemical food, such as the crops required At
the expiration OF ten years it received thorough
dressing OF barn-yard manure eight cords to the
acre and diminuton of crops followed and If
is not now IN a satisfactory filth A good ilIus
tratlon OF the value of chemical fertilizers pro-
Perly adjusted and compounded for grass NAV
be seen In the richness and luxurance of the
lawns connected with the stone mansion on Win
neken hill. These lawns are four acres in ex
tent, and no part has ever received anv barn
yard or stable dung"
Lawes e. Gilbert in England have bv
numerous experiments, conducted on their
experimental farm oryears, demonstrated
the value and efficacy of chemical or Com
mercial Fertilizers, and their experiments
have been of great value and very inter
esting.
Besides dry seasons, failures of crops
from bad and unsuitable weather. bad fer
tllizers want of adaptability of particular
fertilizers to particular soils, and high
prices, another reason of failure is. In
some instances, perhaps in many. hasbeen
their improper application. On this point
l quote from DR.. Nichols lecture:
1t is very important that the compounds
should be applied to lands with great care and
skill. As a rule thew are better sovvn broadcost