Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-05-26

The amount that can be profitably used
varies, of course, with circumstances
From 100 to 240 pounds of potash salt,
$50 to 400 pounds of superphosphate, 300
to 600 pounds of bone dust, 200 to 800 or
400 pounds Of Peruvian guano, $50 to 200
pounds of dried blood, or nitrate of soda,
and 100 to $50 pounds of sulphate of am
monia are moderate dressings per acre.
Where several articles are used together,
somewhat less of each would naturally be
applied than where they are employed
separately. When used with farm man
ures, still smaller quantities suffice. Two
hundred pounds of superphosphate, or 100
pounds of muriate of potash, do very well
'to supplement a dressing of stable manure.
Indeed, on farms removed from the larger
markets this is usually the best way to
employ such costly plant food ready for
immediate use and thus the crop is apt to
get better start, ripen earlier, and be
larger than with farm manure alone. A
moderate excess of the fertilizer above the
demands of the crop does itlno harm unless
it is concentrated too closely about the
roots. The associative power of most
soils suf1ices to retain most of the phos-
phoric acid and potash until they are used
by plants, but nitrogen is exposed to more
or less rapid loss by being leached away
by drainage water, forming inert com
pounds in the SOIL or by escaping into the
air. If the phosphates and potash salts,
therefore, are not taken up by the first
crop, the soil will usually hold them fol
succeeding ones, while more or less of the
nitrogen will run to waste.
HOW TO APPLY COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS
The safest way is to apply broadcast,
but they may be put in the hill or drill
provided they are well diffused through
the soil. This last point is very impor.
tant.
Farmers are apt to think the manur,
must he put close to the seed or the plan
will not get the benefit of it. This is wrong
1t is not Just the terminated plantlet thai
needs the manure, but the plant from the
time that it is well started until its growth
is done. We want. not only to give the
crop good start, but to help it out on the
home stretch as we'll. The roots and thei
branching rootlets run out in all directions
in search of food, and the fertilizers ough
TO be where as many of the rootlets az
possible can get at them. If we distribute
the fertilizers rs well as we can, the water
in the soil, aided by the chemical ant
physical forces that nature keeps in oper
alton, will do the rest. In illustration Of
this remember how well barn manure act
when applied as Il top-dressing long before
the seed is put in
But if we concentrate the fertilizers in
one place, fewer roots will get at them
and these may be injured by coming in
contact with them OF with their concen
trated solutions in the soil. The roots
will find their way to the manure where i
lies, it is true, still we should not obligt
them to huldle together in one place, bu
should rather encourage them to spread
around, where with the increased capaci
ty the fertilizer gives them. they can ge
the more from the soil. Roots Join with
other natural agents in rendering liner
stores of plant food available.
Above all, do not let the fertilsers come
too close to the seed. A coarse. dilut,
material like yard manure may do The
plants no harm. but snch concentrated
fertilizers as guano, potash salts, dried bloot
or high grade superphosphates may xii
them.
Some of the best results in the expert
ments have come where the fertilizers
were spread broadcast over space Is
inches or two feet wide along the low. II
they are to be put in the hill or drill they
ought to be first mixed with three or four
times their bulk of mellow earth. If the
latter is rich in vegetable mould, so much
the better. Moist saw dust or muck may
be used in place Of the earth, ii more con-
venicnt.
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.