The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-12-12


cheap stuff, and its cost is made up ten
times over by the labor saved"
Why We Plow.
One of the objects secured by plowing
is a loose soil in which to plant the seed.
A certain degree of moisture and heat as
well as contact with the soil is necessary
/ to secure good termination of the seed,
ana give the plants good opportunity
to grow. Flowing Is the most economi-
cal method of preparing the soil for
! planting the seed. 1t also aids TO lessen
the work of cultivation
Another object in plowing is to de
stroy weeds. Clean cultivation is an
essential to all cultivated crops; good
growth and yieldis Secured. If weeds
are plowed under before they mature
seeds, large number can be destroyed.
by keeping the surface clean, plowing,
narrowing and cultivating, the weeds can
be killed out, insuring a better growth
OF the plants and a better yio'd.
Flowing also aids materially in max
ing available plant food already in the
soil. The more the soil is stirred, and
the finer tilth it is worked into, the larger
the amount of fertility. Flowing deep
brings to the surface material that under
the influence of the rain, snow, frost and
sunshine is rendered available for pant
food. By plowing in the fall the ele.
ments have better opportunity for acting
upon the soil and making it in better
condition TO supply the right amount of
plant food to secure a good growth.
1t is quite an item in securing a good
growth of the plants to have soil
through which the plants can penetrate
readily. tbs fully as Important "a sse-
cure good growth of roots as Of stems
or foliage, and loose mellow soil Is a
material aid to this, and soil that has
been thoroughly plowed can be readily
worked into good condition. -. -
Stirring the soil aidsto retain and Sc
cure moisture. A thoroughly plowed
field will retain more moisture than If
left undisturbed. 1t also aids to draw
moisture from the subsoil by capillary
attraction. BY plowing and stirring the
soil moisture sufficient to keep up a good
growth of plants can be secured when
if left undisturbed, the plants will suffer
for want of proper moisture.
As plowing serves several good pur-
roses, care should be taken to do the
work thoroughly and in good season.
Farm, Field and Stoekmdn.
Agricultural Value of Fertilizers
While it is important to the farmer to
know the commercial value of the fertil-
izers that he is Obliged to purchase, it is
vastly more important that he should
know something of the agricultural
value. The commercial value consists
of the price that is required to be paid
while the agricultural value consists of
the increased money value of the crop
secured by means of the use. There is
really no direct connection between the
two values, although in some cases they
may be approximately the same. There
may be a wider difference in the two
values in the case of manufactured
article than where pure chemicals are en-
ployed. The principal elements of plant
nutrition are nitrogen, phosphoric acid
and potash, each of which exists in
great variety of forms. The real value of
fertilizer to the farmer may depend
quite largely upon the design he has IN its
use. If his purpose is to improve his soil,
having little regard for large immediate
returns in the shape Of crops, he
may with safety make use of those that
are less available for immediate action
upon plants, or that require chemical
change before being fully available. But
If, on the contrary, no regard is had for
any improvement of the soil, but rather
the eiforc is made to Sc ure the greatest
crop possible with no regard to subse-
quent effects, then there could bean en-
ployment of those fertilizers that would
hp most available To =, 90
in their effects. Experience has shown
that different manweal substances arc
very uplike in their activity, or rather
may exist under such unlike conditions
of solubility as to produce very unlikesi
results. All elements of plant food must
be rendered soluble in order to become
available foreuse, and so while sufficient
amount of any one principal element may
be supplied to produce an average crop,
1t may be so insoluble as to produce an
entire failure, and in this determination
even the experiment stations are at fault. !
A manufactured phosphate may con-
tain guaranteed amount of nitrogen,
and the station upon its analysis may
find it present, but fails either from neg. |
lect or inability (quite probably the lat !
ter to determine its source, or the
orig nal condition of Its existence.
Where nitrogen exists as sulphate of
or nitrate of soda, it is in an
available form and will be
very largely, if not wholly, employed by
the growing crop; but if it exists in the
shape of horn scrapings, hoofs, old scraps
of leather, or woolen rags, it is in such
that it cannot be secured by
the growing crop in any desirable
quantity, and so is of uncertain value.
Now, so far as a guaranteed amount of
nitrogen is concerned, it may exist IN a,
superphosphate; but it may be of the
one form or the other, and nothing but
a field trial will satisfactorily determine
its value. There is very much yet to be
learned regarding fertilizers, aad espe-
cially those Of a commercial importance
1t is a question deeply affecting the
farmers interest, regarding the most
economical form in which the fertilizer
may be applied, if it becomes necessary
for him to resort to outside resources.
A considerable number of experiments
are being tried in various parts of Con-
necticut by the farmers themselves, under
the direction of the experiment stations,
to determine practically these questions
that are continually arising regarding
the economical SIDE of fertilization.
Il