Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-05-18
Manure. aud Fertilizer.
THIRTY YEARS EXPERIENCE IL FERTILIZER
FOR MARKET GARDENs.

Night soil ashes and sulphate OF ammonia
| also use for special crops with good sue
cess. Slaughterhouse otfal and fish have
used to a considerable extent in years past.
But abandoned them not from any doubt
Of their value a. a fertilizer, but because,
in my opinion. some seasons they have
proved positive injury to the crop.
These two articles. blood and fish, form
no nconsiderable portion Of the fertilizers
now in the market. but as to the value of
these preparations there is an honest diff
ference Of opinion among farmers. Some
think them Of great value, others consider
them worthless but many are unable to
come To- any decision in regard to their util
ty. The dealers engaged in selling them
have perfect faith in their value and also
believe that the article they sell is not only
the hest but the cheapest. and to back up
their opinion they show testimonials from
parties represented as the most intelligent,
successful and progressive farmers in the
country
Agricultural editors seem to think highly
Of fertilizers, for they are not only a source
Of considerable revenue to the paper in the
matter Of advertisements, but they furnish
a never ending theme for newspaper CORE
sppndence, giving results of successful ex
pcriments in using them. But the unsuc
cessful man is by no means SO eager 10 rush
into print and advertise his failure. He
quietly pockets his loss ahahdohs their use
or tries some other brand.
mat many farmers use ierullZers WIN
more or less proht must he true' Tor the
amount Manufactured anu sofa every year
i, prodigious | think the most Of 1t Is
used, however 10y persons VINO hhd II very
dlthcult IT not impossible To get sum
cient supply OF stable manure. 10 the lar,
mer located within SIX or elght miles OF
boston the hlgh price ot commercial terul
lzers and the low price OF vegetables sold
IN competition with southern produce rem
ders the very extensive use OF fertilizers
impracticable. If We could buy them bv
the cord and at falr price We might posi-
bly, nd ourselves OF the expense, and the
/ city Of Somervllle he relieved from the un-
/ pleasantness Of having so many manure
| teams on the road.
for many years teamed from Boston
the manure made 10y 400 horses. Scientific
men say that - per cent of this is worth
less material-simply water. Sending a
/ four horse team 10 Boston 10 haul out wa
ter, and poor water at that, has caused mt
to invest more or less III commercial fertil
izers These have applied always Will
Of good results, but | have generally me-
with disappointment. That Prof. Stock
bridge of the agricultural college, or DR.
Nichols, former editor Of the journal o
Chemistry. can manufacture a fertilizer
and grow crop from 1t, have not the
slightest doubt. That others may do 1t
am willing to admit. But how to lay out I
dollar for It and then get the dollar bacl
10y the increased productiveness OF the LAM
Is to me an unsolved problem
some years ago one OF the largest deal
ers in fertilizers gave to me a legally exc
cuted bond for 500 to make good any los
might sustain IN using his fertilizer II
growing crop of onions, with the simpl
provision that should follow his direction
IN the application. This certainly shows
that he believed in ms own medicine. Tn
land was measured of into plots contain
ing one-elghth OF an acre each. On tn
first plot about three times the amount sal
to Ice sufficient to raise crop was sprea
ana raked IN. When the onions were part
] ly grown about half as much more wa
again applied. On the second plot Their
was no manure OF any kind. Plot thir
was treated with horse manure at the rat
OF about twenty cords per acre. The tire
plots received equal and excellent care an
sAO NltIA mum Si'H was Eppl' lHt idl
treated with fertilizer produced littl
more than twice a much as that which re
celved nothing. But the plot manured wit
horse manure yielded twice as many pound
as that which received the fertilizer. Tn
bond guaranteed to make good any def
cheney that might occur in the value of
crop grown ON fertilizer and that grown o.
horse manure. But as the onions grown o.
the iertlized ground sold for enough NOR
than those on the unfertihzed plot TO pa
for the fertilizer no indemnity was aske
for.
often use a special fertilizer for hay
upon side hill where it is very difficult I
apply manure The quickness and cas-
with which it Is applied is its chief meri
and its high cost its greatest OBJ ection
When first used 1t the dealers claimed tina
SO worth would make the land produce
ton more hay. II seems 10 me that te
dollars Is about as much as a ton of stand
ing hay is worth 10 market gardener
considering the season that hay should b
cut.
So believe that within few miles q
Boston we can fertlize our farms NOR
rheap'y win WI. stable manure than with lei
ei''-sl ~ le' M - u1eu iou, tlii''
, mended bv The manurac t5rers Wbennsa
for experiments the place where it is To b