The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-15
Commercial Fertilizers.

I New England Farmer.
The use of commercial fertilizers has become
so common, and there are so many brands in the
market suitable for using in different ways, that
it is quite important that the farmer should I'M
derstand something of the composition of the
fertilizer he desires TO use, and to realize that
all fertilizers can not be used in the same man
ner with equal prospects of economical returns.
1t is unfortunate, and very misleading, that the
term phosphate, or superphosphate. is applied so
Unfortunately to fertilizers of greatly differ
ing characters. J. suppose this careless practice
obtained because the first commercial fertilizers
were compounds containing soluble phosphoric
acid, and they were not designed to contain any
other valuable element of fertility. Afterwards,
when fertilizers of a more complex composition,
and differing greatly in character, and in the
effects they were designed to prod uce, were put
upon the market, the farmers carelessly called
them all superphosphates, applying a term which
describes only one particular kind to fertilizers of
all varieties.
When a farmer says he uses phosphate, / al
ways feel uncertain whether he means a simple
superphosphate to give the crop a start, or some
fertilizer which is capable of feeding a crop
through all its stages of growth from its own
sources of fertility. Every farmer who uses
commercial fertilizers should learn to estimate,
approximately, the character and value of such
fertilizers by their analyses. 1t would take too
much space to explain here the method of so
computing the value, but if one will read care
fully any of Prof. Goessmann's reports on fertili-
zers, published in the Massachusetts Agricul-
hurdl hepOFLS during Tic !dSJ TOUR OF nV0 years,
numerous instances of such calculations will be
found.
To understand the character of a fertilizer
from its analysis. it is necessary to bear in mind
that a complete fertilizer" that is. one capable
OF producing a crop on hungry land without
other manure, should contain the three sub
stances, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash,
in forms suitable for plant food. Different
plants may need these substances in somewhat
varying proportions, and. for best results, in
forms more or less Immediately available. Early
potatoes and vegetables will need their food
ready for immediate use. For such crops the
phosphoric acid should be very soluble, and a
part, at least, of the nitrogen should be in form
of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia The
potash is usually sufficiently soluble, whether
present in the form of muriate of potash, sui
phate of potash or ashes, where it is found as
carbonate of potash.
Crops which take a longer time Co grow. as
corn, or any crop which occupies the ground the
whole season or grass, in seeding down, will be
as well served by a fertilizer in which the nitro
gen is somewhat less soluble. It may as well be
in the form of dried blood and flesh, in which
state 1t will be less stimulating, but more endur-
ing, and less liable to be washed out of the soil.
A fertilizer containing 81 to "A uer cent of nitro
gen sf expressed in the form ammonia the per-
centage should be Al to 5A as fourteen pounds of
nitrogen is equal TO seventeen pounds of am
monial, z to 8 per cent. of soluble phosphoric
acid, and 8 to 8 per cent. of potash, or these sub
stances in about these proportions. would be q
complete fertilizer, and suitable for growins
most farm crops without other manure.
! For some special crops, the proportions might