Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-02-10
FERTILIZERS,
1t cturo in the Winter Course to Farmers
at the Experiment station.

1t CiUfB III the winter course TO Eafmerb
at the Experiment station.
A goodly number of farmers and others
interested in the subject gathered at the
experiment station of the University Tues.
day afternoon to listen to Il
lecture on Fertilizers" given by
G.. II. Whitcher, professor of agri-
culture in the New Hampshire Agri-
cultural college. Prof. Whitcher was in
troduced 10y President Buckbam and said
that the subject of fertilization is an old
but important one. ltmay be divided into
three parts what do plants need, where
shall we get what they need and how shall
we apply it? In analyzing stalk
of corn it will he found to contain about
two quarts of water and certain amounts
of starch, sugar, glucose and oil. The
amount of albuminoids contained in the
! stalk will be about ~ per cent of the
whole amount of matter, while the amount
of ash VIII be small. The ashes fur
Their analyzed wlll show lime, magnesia
and soda, which are not necessary con
stitueDts of fertilizers and sulphur potash
and phtsphoric acid which are necessary
constituents. The plant may take nour-
| ishment from the air and 1t may receive
some from water, il that water Is impure
No plant can live or grow without the
presence of potash phosphOriC acid and
nitrogen. No one knows whether the
plant receives its nitrogen from the air Or
the soil but the probabilities are that 1t
comes from the soil Carbouic acid Is
taken from the air and 80 is the sugar, oil
and starch, so that there is no exhaustion
from the ground for thsee substances.
Where shall we get nitrogen, phOsphoric
acid and potash a ton ot ordinary
/ manure contains only about 20 per cent.
of tertilizing material, the remaining ~
per cent being water Artificial tertlllz-
els date from 1850 when the waste from
bones was accidentally found to be good
| fertilizer. The average bone contains
about 81 per cent. OF phosphorlc aclu,
which accounts for its iertlllzlng quail
ties. Various discoveries OF rock contain
ing phosphoric acid have been made from
mine in South Carolina, the rocks of
which contains "a per cent OF phos-
phurc acid, and this comes to us
ground. Comeback from the sugar
refiuers contains on an average "a
per cent of insoluble phosphoric acid.
Sulphuric acid dissolves both of these sub
stances. Potash was first found in wood
ashes and next IN the German potash
| salts. The sources of nitrogen are more
numerous than those of potash. Sulphate
of ammonia is the most concentrated SAT-
that can be bought IN order to produce the
nitrogen necessary, though there are
many other sources.
Prof. Whitcher then gave the results OF
some experiments which went to sho"
that the prepared fertilizers are not the
best or most economical to buy. The
principal difference in tue composition OF
various fertilizers is n the amount oil
potash and in none of them is there
enough. He would use nothing that die
not contain at least 10 per CEN
of potash, while the average VI
10 prepared fertilizers analysed showed
only about per cent of potash. Another
reason why prepared fertilizers are no
the most economical is the TACT hat mucf
OF the ammonia is insoluble. The soluble
phosphoric acid contained in South Caro-
lima rock is not as valuable as that tount
in bone. BY buying the ingredients
separately, a mixture can be made tina
Will meet every requirement better thai
any prepared fertilizer.
How shall fertilizers be applied ?
In New Hampshire 325 pounds of bon
black, 100 of muriate of postash and % o
nitrogen has been found to be the bes
mixture for crops in general, but the re
lative amounts of the various Ingredient
should be varied with the character OF tn
crop which is to be raised. Prof. Whitche
gave the results OF some eXperl
ments that went to show tina
crop could be raised and profitaby b.
the use of chemit ais as by the use Of man
ure, provided it was necessary TO bu
both fertilizers. For the corn crop tn
fertilizer should be applied as follows
Scatter $50 pounds broadcast upon al
acre, then SOW the corn aud spread 10
pounds more on top of this Rain VIII
wash the fertlizing ingredients down t.
the roots. For potatoes the method is nue.
the same, varying with the ditleren
methods of sowing and planting. lnsolu
BILE fertilizers are not AS profitable as
general thing as those of the soluble sort
The lecture contained a good, deal of IL
formation given in compact manner
and was at once profitable and interesting