Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-04-13
PHOSPHORlC ACID.
Its Value as Fertilizer rs Established
by Recent Experiments.

It's Value ns u Fertilizer as Established
by Recent Experiments.
In one regard the various experi-
ment stations OF the country are doing
valuable service to farmers, and that
is in the line of thinking, studying and
experimenting for themselves. Prof.
johnson, of the Connecticut State Ex-
pertinent Station, stated at the recent
farmers convention that it was crafty
ing to mark the progress that had
boon made among farmers in the last
twenty-five years. That whereas at
ono time talk upon fertilizers and feed
ing rations was as Greek almost to the
average farmer, he can to-day talk in
telligently upon these subjects, and
discuss them with credit to himself.
1t is far better that this is SO. be-
cause the farmer has actual practice
to deal with, and it is frequently the
case that scientific theory requires
some modification in order to corre-
spond with practice; and the intel
titic declarations, and can judge of the
causes and results which he obtains,
can not only adopt any particular
mode OF procedure to the necessities
OF the case but can also point out the
probable point in which science is in
correctly interpreted.
For some time there have been
tables in existence arranged by the
German scientists in the course OF
their experimentation, giving the
amount of manurial substances taken
from the soil by average crops OF vari-
Gus kinds. BY these it appears that
phosphoric acid is quite largely re-
CURED in the production OF grain;
that is, the tables show considerably
larger proportion OF phosphoric acid
in the grain Of crops than in the
straw, with the exception OF corn.
where the percentage of phosphoric
acid in the grain is given as five and
nine-tenths, and OF corn-stalks as five
and three-tenths, and in buckwheat
where the grain has five and seven
tenths and the straw six and one
tenths; the other grains range from
over five to nearly twelve. with a
range OF two to three and five.tenths
in the straws. Whether this proper
ton is true regarding buckwheat, it
is yet difficult to determine. but there
is an experiment with regard to corn
that seems to denote a limit to the
value of phosphoric acid for the pro-
duction Of grain.
In n held that had not been cropped
for some time. with the exception of
the previous year to buckwheat, the
soil was supplied with an amount of
nitrogen. and potash estimated to be
sufficient for the production OF an
average crop OF corn. the nitrogen in
the form of suiphate OF ammonia. and
| potash as high grade muriate, being
spread broadcast after the ground was
plowed, and well narrowed in. Upon
| one section Of one-sixteenth of an acre
dissolved bone black was employed at
the rate of two hundred and fifty-six
Wounds per acre, another with moth
ing. another with double tho quantity
of bone black, and still another with
nothing. The nothing plots were near
y identical in their yield, giving only
small quantity of grain, as well as
small stalks, but there were some Pc
culiar features with the other two
pots. The one with the lesser guam
tity Of the bone black, which contained
the clement phosphoric acid. gave n
good development of stalks. while they
produced well-developed and we'll
cured ears OF corn, many stalks
furnishing two ears perfectly capped
over. In the case OF the larger guam
tity Of phosphoric acid there was n
considerably increased growth OF
stalks, being in the proportion of
5267.2 for an acre to 1886 of the
former quantity, while the yield OF
ears OF corn was actually less; the
ears were somewhat larger, but
scarcely II stalk had two ears, and the
proportion was 1882 to 39024 OF
thu former. This would seem to in
dictate that SO far as the chemical use
of phosphoric acid is concerned there
is a limit in grain production, and
that beyond that point it only serves
to give an increase of fodder. the econ
omy of which is questionable. w. H.
Yeomans, in N. Y. Observer.
| .