The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-04-25
What IS the Best Fertilizer.

of stable manure? TINS question IS
often asked, and the only true way
TO answer it is to let the soil and
crops answer for themselves, by care
full experimenting with nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash Oh small
plots, and on different crops, keep
inc accurate account Of the cost, and
the profit and loss. This cannot be
done without a sacrifice Of some time,
and great care must be taken 10 ac-
curalcly weigh the materials and cal
culatc the results. These three
things, nitrogen phosphoric acid and
potash are the most expensive elc-
ments Of all fertilizers, and the ones
most often wanting in the soil. There
are few cases, however, where all
three are equally needed. Some
times only one OF these essential in
gradients Is required to transform
what before sccmeda poyorty-stricken
field, to one Of IuXuriant productive
ncgs. 1t is obvious. then, that it
would be waste Of means to apply
all three where only one was needed.
or course il one Of these elements
should be applied 10 field for a num-
Der Of years in succession, it might
become exhausted Of the other cle-
menNs, and Il change he necessary.
IT, however, a systematic course Of
rotation is fol owed, it will often
be found that the fertilizer that is
best suited TO one crop is not the one
most needed by the crop to follow ii;
aud by an application Of the cleme@ts
to the various crops US they require
them, the fertility of the soil may be
maintained, or even increased in the
most economical manner, and profit,
able crops raised without the use Of
stable manure. The latter, however,
all good farmers will carefully pre-
serve, use all they make, and make
all they can. The question is, then,
to find out what the soil needs to pro-
ducc certain crops.
Sets Of "cxpcrimental fertilizers" are
put up by several dealers, containing
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash
in separate bags, also mixed two Of a
kind and all three together. Each
bar is intended for one.tenth of az
acre, and the set, with one plot to
stable manure, and one left un-
MANFRED for comparison, is calculated
for an acre. Full directions usually
accompany these sets, and they
are put up ut the moderate price Of
$500 or $500 per set.
We are knowing to an ins. ance
wherein the use Of Que Of these sets
Of experimental fertilizers, by an en-
terprising man but four years ago,
has nearly rovoluLionized the culture
of sweet potatoes, in that vicinity
aud thousands Of barrels are now
raised with the MD Of muriate OF
potash (mixcd with bone or othel
fertilizers, or used singIy) where be
fore its introduction it was thought
they could not be raised without sta
! bic manure, which could be had only
in limited quantities.. More
over, poor, sandy soil, which has
been treated to 200 pounds O
muriato Of potash with 400 or 50(
pounds Of ground raw bone, for tire,
years in succession, has producc(
very profitable crops Of sweet pota
toes, and at the same time brough
the soil up to u clover producing
point, which it would not produce t,
any extent before the use Of these fer
tili2ers.
There are other less expensive Gle
ments which can sometimes be uset
very proftably. We refer to lin
plaster, salt, muck, etc, and whe
these can be obtained near at han,
and at slight cost, they should b.
carefully tested.
One-tenth of an aero is sufficicn
for u trial of any fertilizer it is ais
very convenient to ascertain the re
suit per acre by multiplying the pre-
duct of each plant by ten, and tn
cost is small, compared with tn
vallc of the knowledge gained.
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