The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-04-09
Fertilizing the Soil.
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soils, made to. determine the component
elements and to discover what principles
arewantingin order tofertility.' Itwould
evidently be agreat thing for=the intelli-
gent; farmer if he could make the analysis
for himself, and fortunately M. Vile has
furnished q rule by which he may do so,
and do it in the most simple and thor
ongh manner. "A method, in;short, which
every farmer may conduct, and, under
;stand.eAsls. sd; ~. - le .rse. .,'cc:<z Il
1t is generally admitted by chemists !
that the three elements ofnitrogen, phos-.
phoric acid andpotash are the onesinost
needed by soils under cultivation. But
the soil of particular field may not, for
the time being, be deficient in all ofthese;
and M. Vile tells the farmer how to sub
nit his land to practical test in order to
determine thesta OF the case. 1t issim-
ply to divide the field into four plots, and
apply on one oil these a manure contain
ing the threeelements in due proportions
on the second manure containing but
two of them; on the third but.one of the
elements, and on the fourth no fertilizer
at ALL Let the whole field receive the
same amount of culture and attention
throughout, and let the yield ofeach plot
be separately measured and weighed and
the results placed against the manures
employed Then if tie plot on which all
the elements were applied has made the
largest yield and the best quality, it is
fair to presume that that whole field will
be benefited by fertilizer containing nj
trogen, phosphoric acid and potash. But
if the plot to which the phosphoric acid
and potash we're applied has yielded the
largest crop, then the nitrogen is not es-
sential. Such a result, however, need not
beanticipated. Orif the section on which
the potash alone was used yielded the
most. thea your land needs potash. Tn
this way, by extending and increasing the
experiments and varying them as to
test your land for each of the seven ele-
ments most necessary. to return to the
soil by fertilizing, the farmer may deter
mine what his soils are most defci6hbs III
land thus save money by purchasing
only that element required
It will be seen, then, that ascertaining
what your soils most need in order to re-
store the fertility, the first step to under
take in order to sensible and economic.
fertilization. And the second step is akin
to the ffrst-namely, ascertaining what
the crop that you wish to grow requires.
These two facts known, you are in po-
sitionto proceed intelligently when about
to apply fertilizers, and will not be likely
to spend your money for elements that,
perhaps, will do you no good to employ.
AS to what elements the different crops
require, that has been determined by ex-
perts in chemistry who have given us re-
liable tables for our guidance. The far
mer must accept and follow these, for he
cannot make the analysis for himself.
For these tables the farmer must con-
suit somework on agriculturafcheniistry
and every farmer should have atleast one
such work to refer to and direct him In
matters of this-sort.
1t is clear from the above thatthe far
mer not only has to fertilize for the ele-
ment deficient in the soil but alsofo the