Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-03
Plant Feeding,

Ior anu years past we v
been trying to find out how best to feed
animals. Men have been feeding ami
mails from remote ages and vet it is
only within a few years past that the
scrutinizing eye of science has detected
that there has been great waste, because
the various Articles fed to animals have
not been properly proportional among
themselves. Experience has shown
that it was best to give a mixed ration
OF concentrated food (grain) and that
which is decidedly less SO (fodder).
Using the terms in a general sense,
corn and fodder have been the accepted
ration for animals. But corr Gall
grains) and fodder (the various kinds
OF long forage) varv very much in COM
position, and IN the absence of chemical
analysis and very careful experiment it
had not been discovered what was Il
typical ration-one that came nearest
to meeting the necessity of the animal.
Now, however, since typical rations
have been a%scertained, the way is we'll
laid out for the farmer to mix and pre-
pare different kinds of food so as to eff
feet the greatest saving and produce
the largest results with least expendi-
tue. The history OF plant feeding runs
a very nearly parallel course to that of
animal feeding. In q general way it was
quite early ascertained that the excre-
ment and urine Of animals, aud ashes,
would make plants grow; later, it
was discovered that certain mineral
substances, such as plaster, mari,
phosphates, etc , had a similar effect.
But most of these were very compound
substances and differed widely among
themselves in composition. Just what
elements, or combination of elements,
in them constituted good plant-food
rat!ons was a matter little understood
until very recent times. During the
last twenty or thirty years considerable
progress in this direction has been made
but perfection has not been reached by
a good deal. The similarity i'll general
composition of the numberless COM
mercial fertilizers now sold shows that
men are beginning to have some ideas
of plant-food rations. How they reached
their conclusions is q matter of interest
partly. doubtless, from the teachings
of agricultural chemists and partly from
field tests. 1t could not be expected
that in the beginning they had all tn
light necessary to make faultless ma
nures, but now that the matter has
been taken up at the various agricultu.
raj stations Of the country and properly
qualified men are working earnestly
upon the problem, it may reasonal ly be
hoped that in a few years typical plant
%rations will be quite as fully perfected as
those of ANIMALS. There is a decided
drift in favor of using less ammonia fol
many crops, for the successful growing
of which it has formerly been deemed
essential to use large quantities. Thi!
is particularly true in regard to corr
1t is now pretty definitely determined
how and what to feed to best accom-
plish certain results with animals, ant
the time is rapidly approaching, in tn,
light Of science, when exactly tn
amount of feed and the particular kim
for any green crop will be known
When this is more perfectly known an,
the tiller Of the soil is able to tell wha
his soil is and the ingredients necessar
to produce q certain crop, the agricu]
turist will. to q certain extent, be
complete master of the situations
least in no event will there be any ea
cuse for any one going contrary to til
laws of nature and plant growth. III
amount of grain and the Kind best sui
ed for the horse, the COW, the sheep an
the hog is now within the knowledge
all. and plant food, soil, etc.. will Ell
long be as familiar to the farm stude1
as are the requisites in regard to feet
ing stock to the average husbandma
of the times. When such is the case
will be expected that no grievous mi.
takes will be made and that the gel
eral crop will be greatly augmented an
the soil kept in far better producin
condition, for all will know what to fee
both the land and the plant.-Sa
Francisco Chronicle.