The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-04-21
farm and Garden.
Commercial Fertilizers

portant artificial fertilizer that the farmer
has to apply to his lands, and one he
should understand If kind Provi-
dence had not come to the aid of the sg-
riculturist in furnishing immense beds OF
the phosphates in most of the countries
in the world, it would be bad to conJec-
ture the evil consequences which would
have ensued. Animal bone of course
would not have met the emergency
Crops would have been continually draw
ing from the soil what phosphates they
contained grains and the grasses would
animal life would have dwindled. BY
great economy in saving all the manures
of all Sorts feeding almost every thing
raised on the land, and carrying off moth
ing, and by preserving every bone of
every animal that died, or was slaugh-
tered, the evil day would have been post
poned perhaps a longer time. But as
population increased, and became Dense
the production of the earth would have
been decreasing, and difficulty CT living
would have been great. In most of the
countries of Europe the phosphates have
been discovered. In the cabinet of the
Department of Agriculture will be found
the "Apatite" from Norway, Bordeaux
Phosphate" from France, "Coprolite"
from France and England, the " Lain
Phosphorite' from Germany, the "Esmer-
aldo Caceres" from Spain, and "Phos-
pilates, from Spain and Russia, and the
South Carolina Phosphates," from the
coast and rivers of South Carolina These
are all forms of phosphoric acid, depos-
NV h. a.
tiers, and are much used in all these coun-
tries as fertilizers. Besides these we
have Canadian Phosphates" the " Ne
vassa Phosphates, " "Orchilla, peruvian
Guano,' etc, which are rich in phos-
pilates. The trade in the South Carolina
phosphates involves millions, and the use
of the material is largely extending to
England and other countries The roy
atty to South Carolina from her phos-
pilates is getting to be very large. A
practical illustration of the need of soils
for the phosphates, is the fact that the
tennessee country of New York, by CON
tinual cropping in wheat, and returning
very little to the SOIL the yield had re-
duced from 90 to 80 bushels of wheat, to
from to 10 bushels The deficiency
was principally in phosphoric acid The
farmers went to work, applied ground
and dissolved bone, and now the produc-
ton has been carried back to about the
original amount. There is but little
doubt that the cause of the few crops of
good wheat we have had in Virginia for
many years, particularly in Middle and
Underwater Virginia, has been due, in a
good measure, to the deficiency of phos
Phoric acid in the soil, caused by con-
slant cropping and returning little of
this material to the land Stable manure
would furnish this material to the soil if
we could get enough of it, as we'll as
nitrogen and potash, being in itself
complete manure Thus 1000 parts
stable manure, airdried, contain thirty
pounds of nitrogen, eighteen pounds of
Phosphoric acid, and twenty pounds of
potash.
Nitrogen Is the next most important of
the three substances so necessary to plant
food. We could get along in good
measure, without supplying nitrogen di
rectly to the soil, but not SO without
phosphoric acid. By outstanding all ami
NAL manures as the Chinese do, and sow
ing peas and clover, we can obtain a
large amount of nitrogen for the soil.
The air contains nitrogen, and the rains
carry 1t down to the soil, where it meets
with something to make it available in
the form of ammonia and nitric acid.
The air also contains nitrogen and am
mona. the product of animal and vege-
table decomposition. 1t may be said that
considerable portions of our lands will
not produce clover and peas sufficient for
a fallow. This is particularly true of
clover. Then let 200 lbs. of ground
South Carolina phosphate, and 300 lbs
OF KANT, of Ravenels "Ash Compound
(the exact formula for which we d. not
know be applied, and peas be seeded
this will produce good growth of peas
even on poor land Then let these be
turned under, and wheat and clover be
seeded. If it is feared that the land is
too poor for wheat, then sow clover alone
IN fall and spring both, to be certain of
stand, using the roller. But much nitro
gen IS purchased by farmers, compounded
IN manufactured fertilizers, and some in
chemlcals-as nitrate of soda and sui
phate OF ammonia. These two materials
with dried blood, flesh of animals. fish
and leather scraps, are the principle
sources OF nitrogen used in commercial
fertilizers. The leather scrap is very OBJ