The National tribune., 1891-07-30
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
NOTES.


NOTES
The Connecticut Board Of Agriculture has
been experimenting in fertilizing ground for
corn, with astonishing results so far as the
outlay Of money to no purpose was concerned.
A field was selected and measured acre was
divided into plats 10 rods long and one rod
wide, each plat containing tenth Of an acre.
The three leading fertilizing substances were
applied to three plsts, at the rate OF about 81
an acre, and the increase in the crops of corn
thus obtained was two bushels more from the
nitrate Of soda than from the plat where moth
ing was applied; over 16 bushels after the
bone-black and only two-ffths Of bushel
after the potash. In other words, the gain
from the nitrate Of soda cost about 81 bushel /;
! the gain from tho potash cost sbOut s. bushel;
while the gain from the phosphate in the
bone-black cost only % cents. The expert
ments were repeated with like results.
Somewhat better results attended the Boards
! experiments with potato fertilizer. These
were tried plats Of one twentieth of an acre
| each. Those which bad no fertilizers averaged
| 100 bushels an acre; with mixed mineral fer
/ filters the product was 205 bushels, thus adj
/ ding - bushels. In addition TO these mixed
miperals, nitrate of soda gave 22J bushels. or
/ 20 bushels more; sulphate of ammonia gave
/ 2l7 bushels, or II bushels more; and dried
blood gave POP bushels, or fell or three bushels.
/ The mixed minerals were muriato OF potash
and dissolved bOne-black, at a cost Of = each
per acre. The three nitTOgCnOus substances
added but little to the product The great in
crease was due 10 the potash bone black, or
/ 10 both. The minerals gave their increase at a
/ cost Of 10 cents bushel The increase by the
nitrate Of soda cost 40 cents bushel. aud by the
| sulphate OF ammonia 60 cents bushei. NJ. III.
4 Dean, who performed these experiments justly
| remarked: They show that il is easy 10 waste
/ money in buying fertilizers by selecting the
wrong article The only way TO know what to
buy is 10 test our soils and find out for ourselves.
| Potash is good on one soil and worthless on
another. The same is true Of phosphoric acid
aud of nitrogen. The simplest way is 10 try
! them on plats side by side. Sow broadcast on
/ one plat two pounds OF nitrate Of soda TO the
/ square rod tho same quantity Of muriate Of
potash on another; three or four pounds Of dis
! solved bone black on a third. and nothing al
all on the f0dTth." The amounts of the sepa-
! rate crops will give the desired information.
! Very good results have been secured by
| spraying cherries with arsenite solution.
VALUE OF FERTILIZERS.
Phosphorie acid, potash, and nitrogen are the
three great requisites Of commercial fertilizers.
]
in which they contain one or moro Of these
constituents. For example, nitrate OF soda
contains nitrogen in the form Of nitric acid.
Every So pounds Of it-supposing il to be chem
ically pure-contain % pounds Of soda, AZ
pounds or oxygen, and II pounds OF nitrogen.
Sulphaie Of ammonia contains it as one Of the
elements of ammonia. Every So pounds of
sulphate Of ammOnia-suppOsing ii also TO be
chemically puro-contain 10 pounds Of sui
rhur, % Of oxygen, three Of hydrogen, and If
Of nitrogen. Therefore. every 1000 pounds OF
pure nitrate Of soda contain 1921 pounds OF
nitrogen, aud every 1O1O pounds of pure sui
phatc of ammonia contain 2l5 pounds OF nitro
! gen. On the other hand nitrate Of soda has au
additional value in decomposing other minerals
in the soil, the soda being a strong base, which
takes up tho acids from the weaker bases, and
sets them free. When snlphste Of ammonia il
deenmposed, its sulphuric acid unites with The
limo Ia the soil to form sulphate of lime (plas
ter of Paris.
II has frequently been laid down BY agri
cultural CHEMISTS thar on account Of the yerJ
ready s0lubility Of nitrate Of soda IL should moi
be- applied 70 the sol! till tho time OF year when
the rootlets of the crop are developed aud ready
!
been an increasing disposition 10 use IT, either
alone or in the mixture with snperphOsphate,
or other mbnures. for Spring crops-sOwiug tht
manure broadcast after the drill. and harrow
ing in with the seed. In many cases this plan
has answered well, especially ia a dry Spring
and on limestone soils; but on open, peTmeable
sandy soils. through which the water passs,
readily, there is much danger Of the very solu,
bic nitrate being washed into the drains before
the TOotlets are sufficiently advanced TO take
it, This danger is OF course great il much rain
falls in the two three weeks just after sow
ing 10 is therefore recommended that small
quantities Of this manure DO used at two SOW.
ings-say. 100 pounds per acre each time
rather than one sowing Of 200 pounds.
very interesting series Of experiment.
have been conducted in England as 10 the
value OF these fertilizers ground seeded q
wheat year after year. Sir J. b. IAwes la.
conducted the experiments at Rothamsted
where the ground is a moderately heavy loan
and the Royal Agricultural Society at Woburn
where the soil is light aud sandy. The follow.
ing table shows the mean results of 80 years
trials At R0ihamsted, and Ia al Woburn: