The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-01-27
FARMERS INSTITUTE.


rConcluded
DR.. Harvey of Chester county wa'
unable TO be present and deliver hi'
lecture, the evening session was there
fore given to the discussion of severa
interesting questions Since this repor,
is already long let me just state that
the entertainment was very interesting
80 well a. instructive The subj.c,
discussed was "The Farmers Stand.
ing IN the Community
"Do the agricultural interests keep
pace with the other industries in ad.
vaucement and improvement "rbe
mortgage on the farm" poem repeat
ed by K. II. keller. "Do these iusti.
tutes pay7" and "Womens Rights"
Friday forenoon was given to the
discussion of fertilizing and fertilizers.
Prof Frear spoke of the principles OF
fertilization.
The sources of all plant food are the
air and soil. From the air plants get
carbon; from the soil ash, water aud
nitrogen. Since air is of constant CON-
position, If there be any scarcity OF
plant foo 1 it must be in the soil. In
the soil from granite rocks potash
abounds; from limestone rocks, carbon
ate of lime, silica and phnsphoric acid
and from decayed vegetables nitrogen,
but very little of the ash constituents.
The ingredients which become ex-
hausted by farming and must be sup
| ..1,n1 f.rt,l,un.., oh MI ~
and phosphoric acid. TIE power to
bold fertilizers varies in different soils.
Phosphate will not go through clay
soil. Plant food must BE- in condi-
tion available for the plants. Some
crops will consume wbat others can
not If the soil is fine The roots can
better get at the available material in
it. In decaying soil the insoluble mat.
erial become soluble by fermentation
which takes place in the presence Of
either burnt lime or carbonate of lime
Plants take up nitrogen best IN their
early growth, Different crops have
the power OF drawing different sub
stances in different degrees. 1nsoluble
material becomes soluble after long
time-such as hair, leather and wool.
The manure of the domestic animals
contains less soluble matter than CON-
mercial fertilizer. The true way to
fertilize is TO supply to the soil the ma
terials which are lacking. To ascer-
tain this, soil analysis which is very un.
satisfactory has been resorted to.
Some have analysed the crop to dis
cover the elements and their proper.
ton upon which it is f,d. This has
not proved success ether. The only
way 10 find out what the soil needs is
to try on small plots, the different in
gradients. Mixed ingredients give
better results than single ones. Lime
indirectly adds plant food by increas-
ing the availability of nitr 'genous mat.
ter, it attacks the clay; but It's frequent
use decreases the organic matter in the
soil. Maxi your own fertilizer. Getpur
goods and only what you want You
can make mixture that will fill your
case exactly. In buying specific man
ures, those based on the composition
of the crop you pay for some ingred-
tents that are abundant in the soil.
There is less danger in being Imposed
on by buying the ingredients separate
ly tnan by bu,ing them in composition.
| j. A. Gurdy then exhibited on q
chart the result of his experiments in
all kinds of fertilizers. You cannot
detect by the eye whether fertilizers
l n nf uottra hofo ona
which smell worst are not the most
valuable fertilizers. He divided an
acre into twenty equal plots each of
which was treated differently. A rec
ord of the cost of fertiliziog each and the
value Of the crop from each was kept
Two plots were given 10 fertilizers of
any kind and the profits and Losses on
the Others were obtained by comparing
them with these two. In the first
crop, by thus comparing, 81 per cent.
of the value of the plaster was list;
S3 per cent. of the lime; so per cent. of
the barnyard manure. Wherever he
had not used potash the loss was small
and where potash and other ingredie nts
was used the increase in grain was
greatest He reasoned, therefore, that
his land was deficient in potash. In
the second crop the loss percentage of
plaster and lime still continued large
while in barnyard manure and potash
the loss percentage was decreased. Of
potash fve-sixths remains in the straw
and Is again returned to The soil and
the original investment in potash will
pay in the end Don't buy mixed fer
tlzers. Buy Just what your soil needs
and apply broadcast and harrow in.
South Carolina rock gave better results
than dissolved bone black.
Lime vs. manure was then discussed
by Moses Bond, Of Turbotville. He
had learned by observation and exper-
ience. Lime is mt char ical in its oper-
ations 10 the soil and ch ,nges decayed
vegetable matter to plant food. Most
ia, mers use more lime than it has mat
eIial in the soil to work on. He
knows farmers who haul more lime
than their farms are worth and mas the
first farmer to see who realze from
the first crop The expense of spreading
the lime used. Its work is slow. He
Knows one farm upon which the owner
hauled bme as long as he could pay tor
It, 1t was finally sold to pay the debts
which he had contracted in supplying
lime and from five acre field from
which he had raised seven sheaves
of rye to the acre, his successor by the
application of commercial fertilizers
raised twenty i've bushels of wheat to
the acre the first year ard the succeed
ing year cut sixteen tons OF hay. In
three years time be built barn o hold
seventy tons of hay and I'll ell il and
today hauls as much grain to market
and feeds as many cattle as any farmer
in the township. He recalled an ex.
pertinent at the State College ia which
an expense of "a, az acre gave an in