Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-06-28
INFORMATION OF VALUE II
AGRICULTURISTS.
NOTES RELATIVE TO GOOD FER
TIIIZERS
Phosphat4s and Superphosphates-Ni-
rate Of Soda for Small Fruits
Glover Culture-Straigh Rows in
Corn Planting Neglected Plum
Peas as a Soil Enricher.

IN applying fertilizers to the soil,
soluble phoSphateS are most generally
used, but cannot be utilized in that
condition by plants; for, if they were,
they would act corrosiyely upon their
tender tissues They revert to their
original condition when applied to the
soil, and they now are in the finest
possible state of division. When min
eral phOSphateS are used there is no
difficulty in grinding them to an i'm
palpable powder, and in this form ap-
piled to the soil they are more advan-
tageOuS than when converted into
superphosphate with the aid of sui
phuric acid, which is both expensive
and inconvenient to use. By using the
mineral phosphates finely ground there
can be applied more than double the
quantity of phosphoric acid to the sail
at the same cost that there can be in
using superphoSphates The plant
will take up as much phosphoric acid
the first year as it would from the
superphOsphate, and as much more
will be left in the soil, available for
further drafts upon it in after seasons,
as it does not leach from the soil
Bones and mineral phosphates can
be decompOsed and rendered soluble
by alkalieS as we'll as by acids, and
are in this form better food plants,
as they need alkalies as we'll as phos-
phoric acid, and the alkalies are not
only food, but neutralize the acids
of the soil and liberate other foods
for plants, putting the soil in its most
favorable condition with proper cul-
tivatiOn, to produce abundant crops.
Bones and fine ground mineral phOS
pilates when cOmposted, with wood
ashes in a moist state for few weeks
are decomposed and are preferable for
crops to the acid superphOSphateS.
Most farmers have the wood ashes
to use; if not the same object is at
tanned by the use of soda ash, an ar
ticle of common use, and easily OBJ
tanned in any market, and now gen
orally used by soap boilers in making
soap. To decOmpOse bones or mineral
phOSphateS with soda ash, make a
layer of bones or mineral phOSphateS,
pounds of fresh burned lime water
to be put on till it begins to slack,
then a layer Of the same number of
pounds of soda ash, and so reapeat
until the quantity desired is obtained.
Then wet it down with the water,
which will slack the lime and unite
with the soda ash, making it caustic
to act upon the phosphate and make
phosphate of soda, which exists in the
ashes of nearly all plants, and is ever
present in urine and other animal
manureS.
Nitrate of soda is a valuable ferti-
lizer for small fruits, especially straw
berries and raspberrieS. 1t should be
applied with powdered phosphate of
lime to produce it's best effects. This
application to strawberries will not
only double but sometimes treble the
Weld The berries are larger in size,
handSOmer in color and of finer flavor.
Ordinary manure will not produce
such results, for the reason that it is
not converted into plant food until
after the demand Of the fruit. The
plants grow early in the season and nj
trate of soda being a leaf and stem
former they are assimilated by the
plant and at once taken up and APP
propriated, furnishing the food nee
essary for the growth of the plant and
the full development of the fruit. AS
an available source of nitrogen con-
tanning 16 per cent and also 50 per
Of 1n oh iS n
potash for agricultural as well as for
industrial purposes; the market does
not furnish a better article or one
that is more Immediately active, and
with the phosphate Of lime it makes
a complete manure.