The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-20

crops could not be satisfied with the guam
titles of manures mentioned, since the
whole of these manures is never in year
utilized by the crop. The manuring, in
this case, should be much higher than
the composition of the crop indicated. In
fact, as regards the nitrate of soda, which
is so easily washed by the rains into the
subsoil, owing to the non-ability of the
soil to retain it as it does phosphoric
acid and potash, the amount to use
should be very much higher than that
indicated by the composition of the crop.
To come back again to nitrate of soda.
Nitric acid, which forms the active ele-
ment of nitrate of soda, is the heterogeneous
food for plants. Fertile soils offer to
plants their nitrogenOus food under the
form of nitric acid, combined with lime,
magnesia and other bases. 1t is now
proved beyond a doubt that the fertilizing
action of farmyard manure, like that of
organic manures. skin, horn, wool, feath-
ers, dried blood, flesh refuse, and, in gen
eral, all animal refuse, does not manifest
itself until the heterogeneous matters,
which constitute the greater part of their
value, has been transformed into nitrates.
Now this transformation takes some time
for completion; whereas, in nitrate of
soda, no change is required as
the nitrogen therein exists solely
in the form of nitrate, and
is ready for immediate use
The principal advantages Of nitrate Of
soda may be thus summed up: l. Nitrate
serves directly as food for plants. Not
having to undergo any change in the soil,
it acts more rapidly than other nitrogen
Gus manures of organic origin, as the
action of these latter is dependent on their
undergoing nitritication. 2. The rapidity
with which the nitrate is absorbed by
plants quickly put them in a state
in which, by the vigor of their
development, they can better resist dis
ease, insect and parasitic attacks. 3. In
seasons following severe winter, nitrate
broadcasted on wheat in spring enables
the autumn sowings to repair the late
ness, caused by climatic disadvantages
4. Nitrate economically increases, in a re-
markable degree the yield of most of our
regular crops.
AS to the quantities of nitrate and
nitrate manures to apply According to
the soil, the quantity of phosphate
manure should vary from 2 TO 4 cwt. for
every cwt of nitrate employed ! esti-
mate that on soils Of average quality
which have not been exhausted and
which have previously received fair
supply of manure, the addition Of 1 cwt
Of nitrate Of soda and 4 cwt of phosphate.
as natural phosphate, basic Stag or pre-
Cipitated phosphate, or half this weight
2 cwt. of superphosphate will be sufficient
to ensure the full effect of the nitrate of
soda When doubling the amount of
nitrate, double that Of the phosphates as
well.
Cereals are the crops in the cultivation
of which the employment Of nitrate gives
the maximum return, bat root crops, far
from being Indifferent TO this method Of
feeding, are often able by its aid to give
very satisfactory returns. As in the case
of cereals, if the soil is imperfectly pro
vided with phosphate, the addition to
nitrate of this, material increases the
yield very considerably. Turning again
TO the Rothamsted experiments, we find
that the increase obtained by the use of
one quart of nitrate was in the case Of
potatoes, 33S pounds per acre, and for
turnips, 1892 pounds, but when asso-
ciated with phosphates, the increase in
yield rose 10 1,375 pounds for potatoes,
and sos pounds for turnips, taking an
average of nine years experiments. Con
corning the manuring of root crops, may
have more to say in future note.