The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-11-12
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB.
Can Farmers Dispense with CONNIE
ciaI Fertilizers

The Deer Creek Farmers Club met last satur
day. at the residence of Mr.. Hargraves Spalding,
near the Trap Church. On account of the ram
the customary inspection OF the farm and build
ings was not made.
The question discussed was as follows AT
the present prices of grain can farmers afford to
use as much commercial fertilizers as in former
years.
Mr.. Spading thought that at the low price Of
grain farmers cannot, with profit, buy as much
fertilizers as they did when grain was higher
butif we do not, the land will deteriorate and we
can't get it in grass. Even hay does not pay at
the present prices. In his opinion it would be
better to feed our grain to stock. 1t would not
be profitable to use commercial fertilizers on
corn il you can produce from 10 TO IL barrels
without.
S. NJ. Lee said he had long been of the opinion
that farmers are using too much bought fertili-
fers for the amount ho OF grain rain they raise Cali
wheat per acre being raised. He had no doubt
| so bushels could be raised on some of our lands.
If so, our average is too low. What is the
cause? Is it a want of commercial fertilizers or
| of something else? He thought something else
than commercial fertilizers can be supplied and
the average increased at one-fourth or one-half
| the cost. n spoke of the advantage of early
| blowing for wheat and mentioned instances he
had seen this year confirming his views.
part of which was plowed late. The early plow-
ed looked better throughout the season but he
could see no difference in the yield,
| Mr.. Lee, resuming, said nine times out of ten
| the best crops are raised from early powing.-
BY blowing down green crops (cloverO we can
| cial fertilizers and At one-fourth the cost His
| plan is to let the clover grow the first year, so
that the roots may get deep into the earth: The
| growth when the heads are nearly ripe. AS a
general rule the longer land can rest in grass the
| better crop of wheat it will produce.
| Johns II. Janney did not believe land reauir-
ed rest. Land on which grass is growing and
| cattle pastured is not resting. When grain is
we must put the crops in WELL work them well,
and II WI PAY large pr9ht to use more com
corn, raised with 400 lbs of phosphate per acre
| had paid him "a per acre more than HIS neigh
bors, on which only 200 lbs. per acre was used.
This more than paid for the additional fertilizer.
| In his opinion cultivation is fertilization. Land
can be farmed every year by occasionally turn
ing down clover. For instance, first SOW wheat
and clover. The second year NOW and the third
year pasture and pillow the clover under for
wheat. There is more benefit from the roots
| than from the tops of the clover and therefore
it is better to let it grow two years. Mr.. Janney
said his crops of wheat have nearly doubled
under his present method. Last year on 65 acres
he raised 234 bushels per acre, whereas before
the yield had been from II to 10 bushels HI used
on wheat Symngton's Ammoniated bone and
raw bone half and half, and on corn ground
ammoniated bone alone. He did not think rye
b. H. Barnes said there is no money in wheat
unless good crops are raised. He uses only bone
dust, putting it Ia the hill for corn, even il The
land had been covered with manure. In the fall
the land is plowed for wheat and more bone is
applied. He always plows sod for corn and stalk
ground for wheat and clover The wheat is
again followed by wheat, but the second crop is
not as good as the first.
Mr.. Janney mentioned the fact that last year
he covered 20 acres for corn with the manure
from SO head of stock On another field of Is
acres he used 400 lbs. of ammoniated bone, and to
his surprise the latter was the best. although the
ground had been In corn two years before.
John Moores believed in the judicious use of
fertilizers. Prices of farm products are low, but
we must, therefore, raise more of them, and this
requires much judgment and economy. The
time may como when our crops will bring more
and we should be ready. We should put on our
land all we can pay for. If we can find out what
our land needs we have accomplished a great
deal, and we should buy from honest dealers
The kind of soil has much to do with the action
OF fertilizers. Some act more promptly on GER
tain soils than on others.
Thomas Lochary thought it best to stick to
fertilizers. With better cultivation and fertilZ-
erS we can make our crops pay.
VIM. b. Hopkins said that to farm with sue
cess man must make every acre produce all 1t
will and this cannot be done without artificial
fertilizers. An important feature in farming is
labor. If we can raise 10 barrels of corn with
out fertilizers and double that amount with
them, it is certainly a good investment to buy
them, for the crop will cost as much for labor
without as with fertilizers.
WIN. Munnikhuysen also thought farming
would not be profitable without the use of COM
mercial fertilizers. He thought 1t would be bet
ter to double the quantity per acre and decrease
the acreage than TO decrease the fertilizers and
cultivate the same amount of land. This year