News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-05-04
FARM AND GARDEN.

FERTILIZERS NEEDED BY CORN
Something of importance in regard to
fertilizers for corn has OF late years
been learned. The chemical compost
ton of the corn crop shows that large
amount of nitrogen is contained IN 1t;
consequently it was inferred that fertll-
izers for corn should be rich In nitrogen.
The Stockbridge formula for a corn fer
tilizer sufficient for yield OF fifty bush
els per acre contained sixty-four pounds
of nitrogen, which at twenty cents per
pound, would cost $12 80, or over TWEEN
ty-five cents per bushel of corn Tor nj
trogen only. Other fertilizers had to
be used along with the nitrogen, SO that
the total cost of fertilizers was about
fifty cents per bushel of corn, or nearly
as much as the lowest market price OF
corn. Certainly there was not a pros
pect of much profit from corn raising
on such a basis. Prof. Atwater OF the
Connecticut Experiment Station has
shown by his own experiments at the
analysis of other experiments that,
generally, nitrogen is less important
than other fertilizers in corn growing,
and that corn in some way seems capa-
BILE of obtaining its own supply OF nj
trogen either from soil or air. Out OF
$50 carefully constructed experiments
in the use of nitrogen in corn raising,
the crop was increased enough to pay
the cost of the nitrogen in only thirty
of the number. With the use of mineral
fertilizers alone, the crop gathered about
sixty pounds of nitrogen per acre. Phos-
phoric acid as a fertilizer for corn was
found to take the leading place; some
times potassa proved to be the most
useful, and in a few instances nitrogen
ranked first in Importance. In expert
ments performed by Prof. J. W. San.
born, of the New Hampshire Agricul-
tural College, the yield of corn in 1878
was increased in 1879 it was dimin-
ished, and in 1880 it was not materially
aided by the use of nitrogen. Joseph
Harris, in his "Talks on Manures, "
says: CHOW, it would seem that Indian
corn can get more nitrogen out of soil
than wheat, barley or oats, and TO this
extent, at least, we may consider Indian
corn renovating CROP" If corn gen.
orally can obtain its own nitrogen from
the soil or air, it 1s highly important
that farmers should bear that in mind,
and not be at the expense of purchasing
costly heterogeneous fertilizers for crop
which does not need them.
IMPROVED METHODS OF CULTIVATION.
One serious obstacle to corn raising IN
the East has been the cost of cultiva-
ton. When cultivation was done largely
with the hand hoe, cheap corn raising
was not attainable. But now, by the
adoption of methods by which planting
is done with planters operated by. horses
and hoeing with horse hoes, the cost OF
cultivation has been greatly reduced.
The cost of cultivation in the East now
need not very much exceed the cost of
the same in the Westras the better
markets of the East afford an advantage
which will do much toward compensat-
ing for the cost of necessary fertilizers.
With the proper selection of seed, the
use Of fertilizers suited to the crop, and
the use of horse instead of hand Guilt
vators, the yield of corn can be in
creased and the cost of production
diminished. HENRY REYNOLDS.