The Bossier banner., 1892-05-19
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FERTILIZERS
An Important Factor In the Economy of
the Farm.

Edlk6rS aDOub blC SUNNS OIN 1IAhSo "h~A
stable manure and cottoH-sesd were all
the manufes farmer required COM
mercial fertilizers have come to stay.
They are one of those necessities that
were fdreseen by wise creative Prov
idence, and provided for years ago.
We heard, or rather read, the other
day, deliberate argument by an in
telligent farmer, urging the farmers
to cooperate in the resolve to buy no
more fertilizers The pith of his argu-
ment, in fact it was all pith in another
sense, was that the extensive use of COM
t1ereial fertilizers had caused the over
production of cotton; ergo quio tertll-
fzers; thereby reducing the productio2
and advancing the price. It did not oc-
cur to him that we might also still
further diminish the production of cot
ton by laying aside all the improved
implements of culture, and improved,
prolific varieties: Why did he not be-
moan the invention 6f the cotton gin,
the invention and development of the
steam engine. the building of railroads.
But in regard to buying fertilizers,
we do insist, not that the farmers
should buy less fertilizers, bnt first,
that they should rely more upon homo
manurial resources, including renovat-
ing and enriching crops; and, second,
they pay cash for fertilizers, and insist
on the lowest cash prices.
There is a certain class of plants
which draw largely Upon the atmos-
phere for their supply of nitrogen. the
most costly of plant food if bought In
the market. These plants require a
large percentage of nitrogen for their
development, but they have been
blessed with the power to get it for
themselves. With very few exceptions,
these plants make the most nutritious
forage and the richest manure. They
make good manure when plowed under
the soil which has just produced them,
but they make jussas good manure, and
almost as much of it, if first fed to ami
mails and the sale of animals or thSir
marketable products; will be clear gain
less the expense of care and at
tention. The most commonly known
of this class of plants are clover, 1u:
cerne, COW pea, peanut, vetch, burr
clover, Japan pea (Soia beam, etc.
These are all rich food plants, and they
don't ask you for any nitrogen. On the
contrary, they will gather what they
need to perfect their growth from the
air-that absolutely inexhaustible store
house-and after they have filled the
barns and bellies to overflowing with
fatness, they will have left the soil on
which they grew Just right for crop
of corn, oats; grass or cotton. This is a
solution of the famous problem. The
only trouble about it's relieving the
present distress is that the system
can not be put into full operation in
one year Nor can it be said of any
other system that it can relieve the
present distress at once.
The victims of this extremity have
procrastinated. speculated and doubted
until they are ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
says that ''he that doubts is damned"
But there self-foraging as well as for
producing plants, require certain
amount of help in the form of phos-
phoric acid and potash; and these are
the elements of plant food that a farmer
may judiciously buy in the market, and
under well-established system of ro-
tation, stock-feeding and manure MAX
ing, netrogen should not be bought any
more than water should be bought.
But until such system shall have been
inaugurated it will be advisable to buy
ammoniated fertilizers as well as phos
pilates and potash salts.
Among the heterogeneous ingredients
cotton-seed meal has the merit of being
a home product, and on that account is
more convenient. But nitrate of soda
is about as good, although not quite so
cheap source of nitrogen as cotton
seed meal. Indeed we are inclined to
the opinion that this salt NAV prove
wore effective on cotton than the home
made material. And while on this point
it may be well to reLeat the remark that
cotton-seed meal ought not to be used
directly as a fertilizer if it can be avoid
ed; not that is is not an excellent fer
tiiizer, but because it is such rich ami
NAL food The English estimate that
the manure resulting from feeding one
ton of cotton-seed meal is worth a good
deal more than the market value lin
this country of the meal.
MIXTURE FOR CORN.
On the average old uplands we would
recommend the following as a good pro-
portion for corn:
Cotton seed meal. ... ..,.... on no,rda
Superphosphate. .......................lOO 100
ha'nlt' .'''''.''.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. so
Total. ..............-- oso -. \,
Nor would we apply less than the $50
pounds to an acre. On better quality
of land, or land that has lain fallow. or
been in peas. less cotton-seed meal |
would be better, say one-half. Or it |
would be better to say that more super |
phosphate might be used Say for land |
in good heart, or fresh bottom lands, |
the following:
SoIeonSeeI meal 200 pounds |
1uPci pnospndOe'' ''.'' ''.......~. .2O "
AAainit''''' '''' -''.'.. ............... 80 I"
Ao0S'i .....''...... 450 pounds
If nitrate of soda be more convenient
use one-half the above weight of cot
meal If muriate of potash he
used instead of kainit. one-fourtb tho