The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-12-27
The Ghost that Will Not Down.

The Ghost that Will Not Down.
Editor of The Florida Agriculturist:
Will we ever be able to settle the
questions which arise in our investi-
cations into the Manure Question?
Some persons may think we are play.
ing on a harp with but one STING
instead OF one thousand; but judiclous
fertilizipg lies at the bottom of all
our profitable operations as cultiva-
tors of the soil.
Mr.. Neeld writes a good practical
article, and shows his good sense by
avoiding that dogmatism which some
writers of less experience and sense
assume. His "darned if I know" re-
ply to my question as to whether we
need an artificial supply of phosphor
ic acid is we'll put. 1t seems to me
that none of us know very much
about this subject. I had hoped that
by this time we would have had light
on this subject from the able corps
of practical gentlemen who are said
~ HbtO SOlNO Gu L1OSO vi IuCbO huOUUY
questions, and thus have done away
with any necessity for an experiment.
al farm in Florida. My conclusion
is that Mr.. Neeld is now realizing a
benefit on his grove while running it
on the plowAand>hoe and no very
special plan from what he did several
years ago, when he had the muck
craze and the gather bones in the
woods" delusion.
Your Altamonte correspondent
also pleases me in his style of treats
ing these questions Still, feel that
he has written hastily in his letter of
Nov. IA, published Dec. 6. His open
ing sentence contains good suggess
4saaon. 5tfs VINO viii ..aTsy-i5 our?
When | see vigorous growth of
beggar>lice weed or crab grass on.
ground which is said to be deficient
in phosphoric acid, / simply say /
know that it has enough of this in
gredient for the present, and for that
variety of vegetation. And this leads
me to conclude that it may have
enough for the proper growth of an
orange tree. But [ admit that some
plants may be able to obtain a sup
ply in soil where another plant re.
quiring less, might starve for the
need OF it. 1t might be in form
which that plant could not use.
A certain soil in northern New
Jersey is said TO contain 2 per cent.
of phosphate of lime, and yet it is
said that few hundred pounds of
artifcially prepared phosphate of
lime per acre will increase the wheat
crop on it wonderfully. There are
many questions which chemistry can
not solve. We need practical field
experiments to settle such points.
Such experiments cost, in both time
and money, and the results being OF
interest to all cultivators OF the soil,
there are some of US who are foolish
(?l enough to believe that the people
as whole should bear The expense.
Still, until this is done, much might
be learned from carefully conducted
experiments on small scale.
My object in writing this commu-
nicatlon is more particularly 10 call
the attention of persons who are in
terested in this question to the fact
that by addressing the Mapes Forms
uIa & Guaho Company, 1853 Front
Street, New York City, they can OBJ
tain very interesting pamphlet, is
sued from the Government printing
office, entitled Go operative Exl. eri-
menting as a Means Of Studying the
Effects of Fertilizers, and the Feed.
ing Capacities of Plants" by Prot.
w. o. Aswater.
II those of US who are able would
procure fertilizers of known charac>
ter, as, tor instance, one devoid OF
phosphoric acid, but having potash
and nitrogen in proper proportions,
and apply the same carefully to beds
OF seeding oranges or trees in nur'
sery, and note carefully the results,
we might arrive at a solution OF some
OF the vexed problems which meet
us every day. If my pocket allows
OF the expense, | propose next sea"
son to undertake series OF experi>