Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-04-28
Professor Atwater on Fertilizers.


In the experiments upon which these ar
ticles are based the nitrogen is said to be
rarely, the potash often, and the superphos.
phate generally, profitable. While it is true
that so strong growing cereal as corn is more
independent of an artificial supply ofnitrogen
than the smaller cereals, wheat, rye, ETC., we
believe that the acceptance of the results OF
these experiments in this respect as abso-
lutely indicative of the useessness of nitro
genous mauures for corn, especially in Yer
mont, and northern New England generally,
would be misleading, and would result in
loss. heterogeneous manures are costly, and
as we farm for profit quite as much as for
pleasure, we have spent good deal of time
in trying to settle just how much of such
manures we must use for corn and how iMie
we can get along with. Nearly every year
our planting is conducted so as to aid in
throwing light upon this point Our con-
clusion, briefly stated, is that upon our soil
"a loamy sand, or sandy loan, in good
hearty some added nitrogen is necessary to
produce satisfactory crop. More will give
extra LEAKAGE without much increase OF
grain, while heavy application will give
very rank growth of stalks with decrease
of corn. A heterogeneous superphosphate of a
high grade Qike Bradleys XL), used at the
rate of two barrels TO the acre, ten or fifteen
loads of good manure having been previously
al t.. .,.~ \ 81,
maximum yield on fields previously dressed
with ashes rather literally. From such
field we never get under seventy bushels of
of dry, shelled corn to the acre. Last year.
upon two-thirds of the field, manure and
ashes were used; and on the other third
ashes, with sulphate of ammonia at the rate
of one pound to every fifty feet of row. The
manure was extra, the liquids being all
saved. That part of the field gave the best
looking crop when in the height of its
growth, the LEAKAGE being thirty per cent
heavier, and of darker green; but the
number of baskets of corn to the row was
practically the same on both pieces. Rows
on the ashed part without the sulphate of
ammonia were still lighter in color and
smaller in growth, and the ears smaller, the
crop being apparently lessened one-third by
leaving out the ammonia salt. 1t is sim
gular, yet an explainable, observation from
our experiments, that while moderate sup
ply Of nitrogen makes corn earlier, heavy
supply makes it later. The small supply
pushes the corn forward at the start, but is
gone too soon to cause the rank growth that
is sure to result from too free use Of
the stimulant (where potash and phosphoric
acid are also present in suffciency.) For
folder corn we say use strong heterogeneous
fertilizers (hog manure, hen manure, dried
blood, or nitrogen salts) freely, but for grain,
moderately.
FOR POTATOES.
Potatoes" says Professor Atwater, shave
responded well to all the Ingredients, nitro
gen, phosphoric acid and potash. The COM
plete fertilizers have been the most profitable
in nearly all cases where soil and weather were
not too adverse" Agreeing with this, we
Wioh W itBtdJ utIt WlIdU we nave DtlOTt
said, that for successful potato crop We
must use nitrogen cautiously, and not in
too crude or rank form, except for early
potatoes, to be dug and marketed before
maturity. You may dung these as high as
you choose,-the higher the better,-but for
the general crop heterogeneous phosphate,
with ashes, or a complete fertilizer, gives
much better results than fresh manure We
want some nitrogen for potatoes, but we
want it mild. If dung is used better grow
corn on it the first year. then the next sea-
son plant your potatoes with phosphate and
ashes about (not in) the hill, or with com
plete chemical fertilizer in which only
little nitrogen is used, preferably as sulphate
Of ammonia. Too much nitrogen, or in too
rank form, gives us scab and wet rot on
potatoes. Without any nitrogen you are in
danger of rust, and with rust always comes
dry rot.
FOR TURNIPs.
"The experiments with turnips have
shown the best results with the complete fer
tilizer, though they responded well to the
superphosphate in every case" Phosphoric
acid in abundance is as much a necessity
for turnips as potash is for potatoes yet
phosphoric acid alone will not give crop
OF turnips, nor will ashes alone give crop
OF potatoes. We must have some meat with
our bread. The stoutest turnips we saw
last season grew where earth dug up from
where horse was buried three years before
was spread on the ground. This earth was
saturated with the phosphoric and nitrogen
Gus products of decayed animal matter
Plenty of phosphate, with fair amount of
nitrogen and of potash, make turnip fer
tilizer. Turnips, like potatoes, if a good
crop, exhaust the land severely. A writer
in the Country Gentleman has lately stated
that fiat turnips, grown as stolen crop"
upon a grass seeding, did not injure the
grass. Some people think big crop of
pumpkins does not hurt the corn in which
they grow. Some people also think you can
get something out of nothing; which is
where they make a mistake.
FOR GRAIN AND GRASS
For wheat oats, rye and barley, general
experience favors nitrogen and phosphoric
acid, though potash is frequently profitable.
Peruvian guano, fish bone, superphosphates
and sometimes potash salts are apt to be
profitable. For grass land, bone, superphos.
pilates and often potash salts are found use
full. Clover is especially benefited by pot
ash. and gets little good from nitrogen.
Sometimes heterogeneous fertilizer like sui
phate of ammonia is excellent as top-dress
ing in spring, to force backward crop of
grass or grain. The old pastures and mead.
ows of our dairy farms are very commonly
deficient in phosphates Bone supplies this
lack cheaply. 1t IS slow and lasting in its
action, and hence particularly good for seed
ing down to grass" All of which is fright
as trivet." But if we add barrel of salt
to the acre to our small grain fertilizers, we
shall make them better every time" For
clover, plaster is cheaper than ashes or pot
ash salts, unless the land is destitute of un.
developed potash, which is rarely the case
Vermont.
QUANTITIES.
Professor Atwater discusses the question
of the amannt nf ohan,;ooI ~, II