The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-09-01
OUR FARMERS CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is Progressing.
TRINITY CLUR.

TRINITY CLUB.
Subject Commercial Fertilizers, pro
and con-
August 21, 1886.
A. Parker-I am glad to know
that when [ do knoW thing [ can
know that | do knoU it.
[ have been experimenting with
and using commercial fertilizers on
various kinds of soil and for various
crops for thirty years. You are all
familiar with my farm and the most
of you knew it's condition when I
bought it. To renovate, reclaim
and bring it up even to its present
state of fertility alone with my
home resources was an utter impos-
sibility. To carry stock to make
manure, you must have feed and
this the place would not produce in
sufficient quantities to rel y on. |
was compelled to resort to other
means.
In all departments of trade some
investments do not yield satisfactory
dividends. Bank stock, railroad
stock, merchandise each and all
sometimes fall short, with conse-
quent loss to the operator. Money
properly invested in pure article
of commercial fertilizers and judi
ciously used ,cW pay. l have tried
it and know whereof | speak Fur
man, noted for his successful farm
ing, relied almost entirely upon
chemical and commercial fertilizers
to bring up his fathers old farm. He
made grand success of it as you
all know. Dickson, another emf
nent Georgia farmer, made big
money by using fertilizers. He
said it paid him one hundred per
cent. Both of these men are gen
orally conceded to be good author
ity on this subject as they had am
pie opportunity to test it to COM
plete satisfaction. Some entertain
an idea that chemical manures are
stimuIant only This is a false
theory. If you give to plant
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and pot
ash, the very elements it needs to
feed upon, would you call that "stim-
ulating only?' You had as we'll
say that feeding a healthy laboring
man on fat meat was a stimalant
only. 1t nourishes and strengthens
him for more work. Many of you
will doubtless remember Skitt
Browns attempt at fattening his hog
on peck of bran put in barrel of
81 Of Fl
he drew off a bucket of the bran
tea and punctually fed and aootered
his hog.
1t is hardly necessary for me to
remind you that his hog never
got fat. We need pure concentrated
food for our plant growth, as we'll
as wholesome food for animals.
Give me all the barn yard and sta
BILE manure you please, forbidding
me the use of any chemical fertilizer
would not compete for a prize
with one allowed full liberty to use
all the fertilizers he chose. He
would beat me. As conclusive evil
dence in favor of commercial fer
tilizers [ refer you to the noted and
instructive experiments of Lawes
and Gilbert, extending over term
of 80 years with commercial fertil-
izers on poor land. They sowed
wheat every year with no other
manure, with an annual increase of
yield. The entire crop is sold off
the land and nothing returned ex-
cept chemical fertilizers.
W. w. Andrews.-All flesh is
grass, all grass is mineral. From
decomposed grass and animals we
have plant food. The decomposition
is without loss. 1t would require
the power of God to destroy one
single atom of matter.
1t would seem that man loves to
have something to waste. We not
only see in nature the straightest
economy but the lesson Of co-opera-
ton and mutual dependence is
taught. No plant liveth to itself,
no plant dieth to itself. The tree is
not enriched by its own fruit, but it
Is first to be eaten by animals and