Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-10-06
found other than official neglect
Possibly you, reader, may have failed
to properly support them.
superphOsphate in the Wheat Field.

this county, TO much greater extent
than ever before, and the question of
the ultimate profit TO be derived from
their use receives a large share OF
attention whenever and wherever
farmers congregate. In view of this
interest in the subject the following
paragraphs are not untimely, though
the wheat for the season is sown, and
the corn nearly harvested:
The quantity of superphosphate
usually used in this section, where
this fertilizer has been extensively en-
ployed in wheat culture for several
years past, and where the soil is much
of the character described by an in
quirer-"light clay"-is from $50 to
200 pounds per acre, with which is
usually mixed so or 100 pounds of
gypsum Gland plaster). 1t has been
my practice to drill in about 200
pounds per acre, deeming that a lib
eral dressing, and it has not failed to
add largely 10 the crop, and in some
cases the superphosphate would seem
TO be the making Of fair crop,
when without it there would have
been failure, as shown by leaving a
cast of the drill without the fertilizer.
/ have grown forty bushels of wheat
( per acre where no other fertilizers
had been used for three preceding
crops. The quantity that can be
used with profit will doubtless de-
pend much on the condition of the
soil. 4 crop can assimilate only a
certain amount of mineral plant food
and We assume that the maximum
crop of wheat in our climate is sell
dom above fifty bushels per acre,
hence If we apply directly to the
plant the mineral element contained
in that bulk of grain We have sup
piled all the crop can use.
A soil that is much exhausted will
use profitably a larger quantity Of
superphosphate than a soil that is
less exhausted. Observation has
taught me that in some cases a much
greater quantity than Is usually APP
piled can be made profitable on lands
reduced low, and less quantity Is
all that is profitable on land in good
state of fertility. ] have used super
phosphate on land in such state of
fertility that no effect could be seen
from it, and have observed instances
where a double quantity had been
sown with proportionate increase of
growth. On an occasion the feed
bottom of my drill became so worn
that two drills sowed about double
the quantity Of phosphate that others
did and those drills of wheat showed
a rauker and heavier growth of wheat,
which was observed by many during
the season. In the use of super
phosphates the farmer must be gov
erned by circumstances, as in most
other farm operations, 10 gain the
most profitable result. On a fertile
soil no = / tan be gained; on an
ex II there may be profit in
using 5IO pounds mixed with plaster.
: When yard manure is applied TO
wheat land, a sufficient growth of
1 straw Is usually produced, but some
times there will be a failure in the
plumpness of grain--which is the
effect of too much ammonia and not
enough phosphate in proportion. The
application of superphosphate will
improve the quality OF grain and will
give a profitable return In such case,
but less quantity is needed | think
$50 pounds per acre is enough for
profit. IN preparing land for wheat
last year, a field of twenty acres was
partly top-dressed with fermented
barnyard manure; the remainder of
the field without manure. With the
seed the usual quantity OF phosphate
was drilled in, except on about two
sacres where the manure was applied,
there was no phosphate used. At
harvest time there was a marked diff
ference in favor Of that portion where
manure and phosphate were both APP
piled. The next best portion was
where phosphate was applied without
manure and the poorest wheat on the
field was that portion where manure
was applied and no pkosphate.--F.
r. Root, IN The Tribune.
The corn could hardly be much
better and the only dressing the plot
has received Is the common bdrRyard
maasre. This plot is as far ahead of
the plot with the commercial fertilizer
as the plot with the commercial fer
till ger Is ahead of the plot with no
dressing whatever Orange County
Farmer.
Stable manure must not be lost
sight Of. in this increasing interest In
these concentrated fertilizers, for We
/ o.unz.s zz=nszauna rur crona and hasa