The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-08-23


make the phosphoric acid cost only two
and one.half cents pound. Now, we
suppose forty pounds of nitrogen and
fifty-four pounds of phosphoric acid
will be admitted to be full dressing
for an acre of land requiring such ma
nurial matters; the cost will be as fol-
lows: 300 pounds dried blood, $210;
300 pounds basic Stag, S1.35; total,
$3.45. But, it would, we think, be
better to double the quantity of the
Stag to allow for slowness of decompo-
sition, and, even then, the cost of ma
nuring an acre of land would only
amount to $50
The chief question in this con-
nection is as to the getting hold of
these materials. The control of them
is generally sought for by the fertilizer
makers; but this is not an objection if
by their use of them the price of manu-
featured fertilizers is proportionally
reduced to the farmer. We have
found, by correspondence that we can
not buy " basic slag" in less than car
lots from the agent in Pennsylvania.
While chemical knowledge is so scarce
amongst farmers generally, they will
prefer to buy the manufactured goods
which they have found to be reliable,
even if costly, rather than to purchase
large quantities of material that they
must proportion and mix for themselves.
But years study in a good agricul-
tural school would enable a smart boy
TO handle this class of fertilizers under
standingly, and to mix them in proper
proportions. 1t is the total lack of this
kind of knowledge which makes farm
ers so dependent upon the commercial
fertilizer maker. Bones are very diff.
cult to handle, as they are so hard; but
this Stag, about equal in value to ground
| bone, comes to us as fine as -four. The
dried blood is not so fine, yet it is soft
and soluble, and quite fine enough for
the use it is to be put to. A very little
practice would enable any farmer to
mix the two in the right proportions
for their crops. One thing is very GER
tain I've are, and always have been,
paying too much for our commercial
fertilizers; though it may be also true
that the makers cannot afford them for
less money, as their distribution and
sale is now managed But the pre-.
vailing ignorance of the principles and
practice of the artificial fertilization of
land,-aside from the application of
farm manure lis an extremely costly
| ignorance to American farmers. Mil
lions OF money are now being paid out
by our national government to agricul-
tural colleges where the necessary
chemical knowledge might be given to
thousands of our farm youth, if the
knowledge and the youth could be
brought into contact at cost that the
people on our farms can afford. The
art of fertilizing the soil can be taught
quite as easily, though not so quickly,
as the arts of butter and cheese making
The means are all handy by, in every
state, to teach our young men the the
DRY and art of the chemical manuring
of crops. If our agricultural colleges
want to do this work, why don't they
do it? But men who are drawing large
salaries without earning them may
easily persuade themselves that it is
not their duty to seek after pupils and
compel them to come in" Just
make the pay to depend in fair proper
ton upon the number of pupils, and
then we shall find these lazy profess
ors" become very active practitioners.
They will make it easy in a hundred
ways, where they can't think of one,
now. The agricultural colleges would
be booming in year, if the strong
hand of powerful government, which
did not allow itself to be trihed with,
was laid upon them. But our glorious
republic has many defects. 1t has fur
nished the money for these agricultural
colleges, and allowed it to be wasted
without the least effort to prevent the
waste. Severe supervision, and fire.
quent inspection, would make a won
derful change in this matter. The
trouble is, that the people have no
sufficient desire for, or faith in such
education as is needed. Senator Nor
rill, you have supplied the troughs, and
filed them with feed Can't you con-
trive way to get it eaten?
HERE are some further remarks
from the Montreal Journal, which will
be interesting to some, at least, of our
readers: "The Stag must be ground
to the finest possible powder, and, like
potash, should be sown broadcast be-
fore winter It's chief oualitu hae;dos