The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1889-01-09


serves these conditions of success
land takes advantage OF them
who can show the most satisfae
!. tory balance sheet at the end @
the year. '''.i -u@ e4
IT, lhe Investigations carried ol
at the experiment station in Am
herst are Invaluable to practica
farmers Of Massachusetts,. Tn
analyses of fertilizer material
and fertilizer compounds contin
ually going on furnish to ourfar
mers reliable information as t,
their composition in plant foot
and comparative value. Wehav,
also at hand the investigation,
of eminent scientists of the OlC
World, who were earlier in tn,
field. This important work ha,
revealed some OF the hidden sc
crets OF nature, creating a new
departure by pointing ont til,
way to a more economical pro
duction of farm crops. Theseim
lportant analyses have formed d
basis of positive knowledge in
this country since the year 1868
and have stimulated subsequent
Experiments in the formation oI
Fertilizer compounds for special
crops, suggesting the idea ofsup.
plying to the soil the elements oI
plantfood correspondingin quan
tity and kind to the constituents
found in the plant. This prinei.
| pie has been applied in Massachu.
setts and Connecticut for a period
of about ten years in the prodnc.
tion of tobacco. The results have
been very satisfactory, not only
in the growth Of fine crops which
have brought the highest prices
in market, but in reducing the
cost OF production to a paying
basis, making a large saving over
the old way of hauling large
quantities of expensive animal
manures from the railroad sta.
tion to the tobacco field. Many
farmers in Hatfield have been sue
cessful in the production of excel.
lent crops of corn, potatoes, hay
and grain for a succession oi
years, following a system OF crop
rotation. without animal ma
nure, by using commercial fertil.
izers alone.
Besides the lot before referred
to in this paper, / have a large
acreage of plain lands that came
into my possession 15 years ago,
which have been treated wholly
with commercial fertilizers. This
land has produced paying crops
OF grass, corn, potatoes, rye, oats
and tobacco, and the fertility of
the soil has beenfully maintained.
/ have found by experimealnt
tests that all of my cultivated
lands were naturally deficient in
potash and lime, and / have TAX
en- thiS condition of the soil into
account in my application of fer.
tilizers. | am satisfied that no
single formula, with certain fixed
percentages of nitrogen, potash
aud phosphoric acid, can reason
ably be expected to- apply equally
well on all soils for the same crop.
Therefore, in practice, | have va.
ried the percentages according to
my best knowledge of the condi.
tion Of the soil and of the crops
cultivated. | have found un-
leached ashes an excellent fertiI-
izer to bring In a good catch of
clover. Clover itself often per.
forms the Office of a fertilizer by
pushing it's long taproot into the
lower suDsoll strata, and pump
ing up the nitrates and other
stores Of plant food to the sur.
face soil, thus bringing this food
within the reach of other special
crops that follow. Sandy soils,
when not properly treated, are
often found deficient in vegetable
matter or humus. This deficien.
cy can be supplied in a variety Of
ways, according to circumstances
either by pIowing in coarse barn.
yard manure, cloversod, stubble.
corn stalks, tobacco stems or
some other cheap vegetable ma.
terial. This | should call prelirn.
mary work. Afterwards | would
apply the plant food according 10
the requirements Of the crop.
wish to- say i'm conclusion that
there are certain important con.
ditions which must he observed
II we expect to secure the highest
possible returns for our outlay oI
capital invested in fertilizers.
l. Unless the natural drainage
rs perfect, provisions should bt
made to- carry off all surplus wa