Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-04-04
I,iooMsNr IN FERTILIZERS.

In sowing clover seed we have a good
opportunity to note the effect OF fertiil.
zers on the wheat crop, and to-day. as
passed poor clay ridge from which the
soil has been washed, and which for
many years has scarcely paid for culti-
walton, I found that an application OF 200
pounds to the acre Of high-grade phos-
phate, has brought IL up, In appearance
at least, to the richer parts OF the Held
which did not need fertilizer.
have been very conservative IN wrlt.
Ing about commercial fertilizers, anu
have also felt my way carefully In their
use on my own farm, but consider the
question settled that they can be used
profitably. There IL no doubt, however,
that large sums Of money have been
wasted by farmers investing In
commercial fertilizers without an intel.
liyent Idea Of the deficiencies Of their soil
or of the best way To use them. There
Il class of farmers who pronounce all
commercial fertilizers humbug aud
fraud, aud who firmly believe that their
continued use will ruin their land. Land
may be damaged to some extent when
farmers get the Idea that they can dis
pense with manure aud clover, and de-
pend on commercial fertilizers alone to
keep up fertility. But farmer who
Will flnd out by careful experiment what
n ,rticular elements his land needs, aud
ajll furnish them, and will always SOW
grass and clover with the fertilized
grains, so IA to get the benefit for two
crops, and one Of them crop which
leaves a large part OF Its fertil.
Inv I'm the soil for succeeding crops, will
soon re,lil. the value of fertilizers.
On my wheat crop of 1892 ! used COM
mercial fertilizers on the poor lands,
,nd there I got good plump grain, which
graded high So as tc commend the top
price In the market. Ou much better
,nd, where no fertilizer was u.ed, the
grain was so Inferior that after taking
cut With the fauning-mlll five or six
ou ,rts To the bu.h.l Il stili graded ONLY
No. 3. In nv neighborhoOt little FER
llllz..r Il u.e,i, hut a few miles north oi
my farm Il u neighhorhood where mot
ot the farmers u. IN, snd the records oi
the thr.sher-nen shaw th't th. Yield 0t
uhrat per acre there, l. 30 per ceni
,hnyr th Il ut near loo ,lltles wher. frrtil-
iz-r. are not used. Frequently the In.
rre,sr of grass or clover the SECOND
,e,r, Il suiii lent Ia ply the entire cat
10 thu fertilizer, and have known heli'
ah-r- strip. have been uufrrtilizei tn
compare With the f.rtillzed, and the
-.c..ni year could stand at the sl'le "i
the field and trace the land on which the
irr,ilixrr has been applied, by noting the
heavy gro~th Of grass.
Experiments have shown that on my
farm n fertilizer rich In ph0sphorlc acid
Il what Il needed. and that l can fur.
nish all the nitrogen needed NV growing
clover; In some cases, an application of
pure ground bone, 200 pounds to the
acre, has made the difference between ID
bushels Of plump wheat to the acre, and
four bushels shrlveled and unmerchant-
able. No one, however, should invest
largely In fertilizers on the recommends
alton Of another, but first experiment ID
n small way ON his own land, u"til he
finds what elements he needs to supply,
and then he can buy lntelllgently.
Several gardeners have told me thu
past winter, that frequent dustlngs OF
phosphate on melons and cucumbers
Win repel the striped bug and at th'
same time help the growth. | bellev,
the suggestion TO be good one and
shall try it this year, for l find that u
requires vigilance to get melons and Gu
cumbers through the frat two week,
after they come up, and anything whlcl
AIDS their growth and hastens their get
Ting In the rough leaf, Il great help.
think the plants should be busted every
other day until out Of the way OF thl
bur. and oftener n rain washes it od
I-WAldo y. Brown In Country Gentle