Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-05
HOMEMADE FERTILIZERS.
Notes from the Experiment stations a
~" Mixing 81 Tsftiiisers ~ the YARN

note. from the Experiment stations on
the Mixing ~ Tsftiiiser. 90 the Farm.
The value OF commercial fertilizer.
per ton Is estimated by tho trade value
or cost price IN The markets " the Ter.
tilizing gredients-nitrogeu phosphor.
ic acid aud potash-which II contains,
with, Of course. a reasonable allowance
for the preparation. mixing, baggiug,
etc. Whether 1t Is worth this amount
as an application to land Is n question to
be- decided by actual experiment, do.
pending ~ u will ON the need OF the soil
for AN additional supply Of these els.
ments, and Furthermore on the profit
arising from the Increased production
caused by IL use. Again. all crops are
not sufficiently valuable, ,shcn pro
duced, to justify n large outlay for fer.
tilizers, whether commercial or domes.
tic, 30 that maintaining the fertility Of
the farm In manner that does not call
for an outlay out Of proportion TO the
benefits received Is a problem that every
farmer must solve for himself.
Neither can any exact figures be given
manure. The three valuable constitu.
ents named exist In II Ia varying proper.
lions, owing 10 the kind and conditions
Of the animals producing IT, their food
and the proportion and kind Of litter
with which 1t may be mixed up. There
Is also the difference between fresh,
partly roited aud thoroughly rottci ma.
nure, and its value Is further increased
or diminished by the manner In which It
has been preserved. A very important
consideration IN the Use OF manures Of
this description Is their influence on the
texture and general character Of the soil
10 which they are applied. While un.
dergoing decomposition they may also
aid In changing some Of the mineral con.
stituenis Of the soil into soluble forms.
In regard to tho mixing OF fertilizers
on the farm through the use Of chem.
icals and raw materials II seems TO have
been clearly shown that many inielli.
gent farmers, Ia Connecticut, for in.
stance are finding 1t profitable to adopt
this method OF obtaining commercial
manures. During the years iss7-s the
NNHhtNNtuA fhINilHtHN Htallon 'AAu'
mod twcnty.one fertilizers mixed by
farmers from chemicals purchased by
themselves, and the analysis showsi
I. These home mixtures compared "a.
yorahly In composition with the best
factory made fertilizers
g The home mixtures had satisfac.
tory mechanical condition.
.. The ingredients Of tho home mix.
lures cost the consumers on an average
from 20 to % per cent. less than II pur.
chased IN factory made fertilizers, after
allowing three dollars per ton for cost Of
mixing.
The Ohio station, commenting on the
above. says; ut Is not claimed that all
farmers would find 1t profitable 10 mix
their own fertilizers from chemicals, but
u Is believed that there arc many farm.
ers IN the state so situated with refer.
ence TO markets and transportation thu,
they could buy and mix chemicals with
profit. This could be better done per
haps by an association Of farmers, 40
that by the purchase and transportation
Of large lots at one time saving could
be made In prices and freighis."