The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-05-21
County BOARD of Agriculture.

At the meeting Of the Salem County
Board Of Agriculture at Pennsgroye on
Saturday last, some very Instructive adj
Dire ssos were given by Prof Mapes, VIM.
Taylor, ThcO. Baker, very successful
market gardener near Bridgeton, and VIM.
O. Garrison, ex-Supt. of Schools of Cum.
berIand county
Prot Mapes spoke III answer to ques-
tons WHICH were asked previous to the
meeting, and gave many valuable suggcS-
tions in reference to fertilizers. In regard
to the fact that some crops which take up
no more plant food than others. yet require
a superabundance Of fertilizers, he said
that time Of growth was one Of the Gle
ments to be considered For instance
timothy was a long time in growing. and
could more nearly exhaust all the plant
food III the soil. while Strawberries grow in
few weeks, and need superabundance
of material near at hand and ready to be
assimilated. Again, there are critical
periods in the growth of some crops, such
as the Irish potato, and, if there is not a
surplus of food little dry weather may
render it unavailable to the plant and les
sen the product: Oh the other hand the
sweet potato not being affected by drouth
does not need such an abundance Of
manure. Prof Mapes also went into com
parative merits of barn-yard manure and
commercial fertilizers, and stated while
manure had the advantage of proper pro-
portion Of chemical constituents III varied
forms, yet it could not be protitably used at
more than one dollar per load. He stated
that the Long island farmers were using
fertilizers for sweet potatoes to a large eX-
tent, and our farmers buying New lork
manure at two or three dollars load. The
fact that plants take up different forms OF
nitrogen or phosphorie acid at different
stages Of their growth was shown to have
been proved by experiments III Germanyi
and Profs Atwater and Johnson are now
admitting this TO be the ease 1t WAS also
shown by the citation of several practical
experiments, that incomplete fertilizers
Chose that do not contain nitrogen, plos-
phoric acid and potashl tend only to the
final exhaustion OF soils, and that the want
of attention to this fact has given rise to an
unjust prejudice against commercial
manurss An interesting illustration Of
the value of complete fertilizers in raising
potatoes was given. Applications of one
or two of the above named substances in
different forms and in large quantities
were made to poor lands, but none of them
gave any such yield as when all three Of
them were applied There were many
other interesting suggestions in tile Pro
fessor's talk which time and space will not
permit us to note
VIM Taylor gave brief talk on the ne
eessity and value Of such organizations to
farmers, and then rheo Baker, Of Bridge
ton, showed how a market could be built
up IN our small towns and made to pay.
Nh Baker often applies ton Of fertil-
ner to the acre, and then makes it pay a
hundred fold He has already taken five
dollars per square rod from radishes. and
cannot supply the demand for them The
radishes he exhibited certainly put Il
shame the best that could be found in the
Salem market. Nj Bakers experience
certainly proves that il you loed your land
it viii feed you, and II some cnterprising
and thoughtful grower Of vegetables vii
visit his place lie can get Sone valuable
hints which can be turned into dollars ii
our own county Of Salem
Altogether tile meeting was Of great
value to those present. The next meeting
OF the Beard Will be held III Salem.