The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-22

No agricultural question is receiving
more attention than the one of maintain
ing the stock of plant food our farms con-
tain.
For the once our practical men and the
orists, the man who reads and she man
who tries to do ali his work without any
aid, the extensive farmer and the man OF
few acres, all classes are interested in find
ing the cheapest way TO keep their soils
rich, or else of making them rich, mindful
OF the fact that they must take yearly from
their farms sufficient for the support of
themselves and families. II farmers had
plenty OF surplus money, or if the farm
was not capital that must bring the yearly
income to them, it would be easy enough
to make land fertile and keep il go. 1t is
50 easy to say: Why does not this man.
or that one, let his farm rest that he may
raise larger crops2 Rest? III absolute rest
is meant, thea from what will the owner
draw his support?
There are two common ways in which
the fertility of land may be maintained or
increased The application of commercial
fertilizer or barn-vard manure and green
manuriag or blowing under such crops as
clover, rye, etc. The practice OF using
green manure-clover, rye, etc.-is grow
ing Many are buying commercial fer
tilizers The wisdom OF either or both OF
these WAYS is dependent upon individual
conditions. Green manuring seldom tails
to pay, and commercial fertihzing of ten
gives good returns. There is another prac-
tice growing in favor of our knowledge OF
feelings stufIs and fertilizers increase, and
20 that the readers attention Is asked.
OF course, the same mRnurial elements
are found in our crops as they are in CON-
mercisl fertilizers. viz. nitrogen, phos-
Dhoric acid and potash Our feeding
stuffs have distinct manurial value, ca
pablo Of comparison with fertilizers as
well az feeding or market value. Prof
Armsby, who, we are glad to say, Is a
recognized authority in such matters,
SAYS: "It has been shown by careful and
elaborate experiment that when any fod-
der has been consumed by an animal.
either the whole or a very large part OF
fertilizing value. is recovered in the
manure OF the animal" By the use OF
the word fodder" ali feeding stufs, such
&C hav. grain and roots are meant Bear
ing IN mind the two facts that all feeds
have distinct and different manurial
value and that stock returns to us nearly
ali the costly elements fed for il, the i'm
portRnee OF knowing the manurial value
of all feeding stuffs becomes apparent
These analyses show that crops are often
cold of the farm Tor less mOney per ton
than the plant food in them is worth at
the price paid for it in commercial fertil-
izers. They also show that some leeds are
used On the farm that contain so much
less mauurial value than others of nearly
equal feeding value, and that there is
great and needless loss. Let us illustrate.
Red clover hay. according TO Prof. Arms
by, contains S9.07 worth of the very
elements We buy In commercial fertilizers,
and vet how often it is sold for tvo-thirds
that sum and the money expended in
fertilizers. Here is total loss OF the feed
ing value, which should be equal TO the
selling price. and then a f-rther loss oil
the manurial value. provided the manure
is saved. The manurial value OF oil meal
is S2l.1 per ton, while that OF corn Is only
1913. That is to say, the msnurial value
OF oil meal is nearly equal to its selling
price, while that of corn is not one-half.
OF course, in the use of feeding stutis,
the feeding value may be in come degree
distinct from the manurial value, as the
fats IN grains have little or no manurial
value. Judgment must be used. and
knowledge as well. Ii will be found,
however, that instead OF feeding so much
corn and selling off the other stuffs and
buying commercial fertilizers we will do
well to feed more bran, oil meal, cotton
seed meal, etc, and sell the corn. Or in
case there are no feeding stufs to SELL it
will be foundl that it is cheaper to buy
our commercial fertilizers in the form OF
these animal foods, thus getting double
value out of them.
Aa ton OF bran contains SD As worth
OF nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash.
and can be bought early in the season tor
little over that price per ton, it paws to
buy plant food in that form rather than
IN superphoephate, as il can be so fed that
very little OF this Sl245 worth OF plant
food is lost. Other facts as to the manuria
value Of feeding stuffs will be given in the
future. IA more accurate knowledge OF
the subject is given us by the chemists
more discrimination will be made by
practical and progressive farmers, and
more OF the needed plant food will be
brought on the farn in the form OF food
for stock than is now the case. IF some
kinds of feeding stufs costing $50 ton
contain as much plant food as $50 worth
OF fertilizer We can begin to see a
way 10 build up the fertility OF our farms
without paving out the profits of one
years crops on fertilizers to grow crops
the following year. By getting the feed
ing value out of them we so reduce the
cost OF the manurial elements that net
profits from the crops are possible. This
subject is worthy OF our study.
Side Crops on the Farm.
The question whether special or mixed
farming should be prac;iced will never be
settled for all. as it depends upon differ.
ing conditions. In some cases special
farming is most profitable, but in major
ity of cases when the locality, BOIL and the
capacity of the owner are considered, it il
doubtless wisest to practice mixed farm
ing. So long as this is the case, while q
few different crops and one or two kinds
of stock will generally be relied upon for
the chief income OF the farm, yet a little
planning will allow the crowding in of a
few side crops without reducing the acre
age OF the main ones. In rotation oil
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. Price % VVorfh Cftfnaa RoT.D 26c.