Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1880-07-08
AGRICULTURAL.
Fertilizers.

plant food. Such are dried blood;
tmeat.scraps, sulphate Of ammonia and
nitrate of soda. Others, as phosphates
and super-phosphates, owe their effect
'iveness mainly to their phosphoric &C
id. Still others contain both nitrogen
and phosphoric acid. Such are Peru
~ian guano, fish guano, bone and lam
moniated' superphosphates. peruvi-
an guano and fish supply considera-
bic Of both nitrogen and phosphoric
acid, while bone and "ammoniated'
super -phosrhates contain large pro-
portion of phosphoric acid and but lit
Tile nitrogen. Potash is supplied in
the German potash salts, the "mur-
ate Of potash, "sa'phste Of potash"
aud kainit. The "comp)ete fertilizers
or special fertilizers" prepared accor-
ding to formulas for special crops, as
corn, potatoes, turnips, etc, contain
all the above ingredients. Farm ma
nures, stable manure, hen manure, etc.
supply all the scil.ingredients Of
plant FOOD. Wood ashes contain all
but nitrogen.
There are many cases in which
crops fail because the soil does not
supply enough phosphoric acid, and
where an application Of super-phos-
phate or bone-dust brings a bountifui
harvest. There are likewise many in
which potash is especially deficient,
and potash salt or unleached ashes
will supply The need. In others nitro
gen and phosphoric acid are needed
and Peruvian guano or fish may be
used with great profit. In still other:
d mixture Of super phosphate or bone
dust and potash salt, supplying pAos.
phoyic acid and potash, is the most
economical material. Again, on some
soils and for some crops nothing short
of conn lete' fertilizer vii! suffice.
And finally, while most soils respond
to the application Of manures, there
are many on which ali fertilizers fail.
The experiments were arranged to
furnish nitrogen, phosphoric acid and
potash, one by one,two by two, aad
all three together, in the same manner
as in experiments which have been
previously reported in our columns.
Most Of tle trials were upon Worn
sout grass lend. The weather was gem
orally favorable; but in some cases so
wet or 50 dry, so warm OF SO cold, as
TO materially injure the crop.
On the whole the results vary wide
ly with the SOLE. But these figures
'alone ere net satisfactory without fur,
thor considerations which will appear
thereafter. Meanwhile it may be no.
ted that the largest average results
were obtained with the complete
chemical fertilizer, which excelled ey-
EN- the farm manures.
The most profitable fertilizer on the
average was the mixture of super.
phosphate and .potashsslt. These two
materials, rightly applied, have
proved extremely profitable for corn.
According'to The very emphatic testi,
mony Of these experiments, Vermont
farmers willlfnd'it very much to their
advantege'to raise corn by the aid Of
super, phosphate or bone dust and mu-
riots Of potash.
AS to The efficiency Of the materials
separately, the Nitrate Of soda by it.
self was seldom Of much use, the SUI
phate oflime was frequently, the mu.
rate of potash very often, and the SUI
per-phosphate generally profitable
Doubtless considerable of the effect Of
the super-phosphate was due in many
cases to its snl pluric acid and lime.
ArE6cixS fertiliznrS We Eu.,n
ManMres.
AS appears from the figures the
complete" chemical fertilizer bror ght
a larger, and the mixture of supcc.
phosphate and potash salt about the
same, average increase as the farm ma
nures, taking these as actually used.
The quality of the produce was gener.
ally as good or even better with the
chemicals thar with the farm manures
Potatoes especially were finer in quail
lty nnd less disposed to rot with the
artificial fertilizers than with the G, rm
manuFes. So 'coun.erbGlance the bet
Ter produce with the chemicals and
their greater convenience in handling
and applying, the farm manures have