The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-04-04
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA. March l. 1895.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, March l, 1895.
! QUESTION IL notice that you advise
farmers, in mixing fertilizers at home,
to avoid putting together ingredients
that act injuriously on each other.
Please give me few hints as guide in
! home mixing.
] ANSWER 1.-The following are some
OF the main points:
! Potash salts can be be mixed with all
fertilizers, but if large amounts are
mixed with some mineral manures, as
floats. the mixture may cake. if allowed
to stand too long This can be avoided
by adding small quantity of woods
earth, muck or sawdust when the mix
ture is made, Acid phosphates should
not be mixed with lime, mari, ashes,
floats, bone meal or anything that con-
tains carbonate of lime or caustic lime.
Ammonia salts, or organic nitrogen
compounds, as blood, tankage or fish
should not be mixed with caustic sub
stances, such as building lime or wood
ashes. Nor is it well, unless we wish
to hasten decomposition, to mix these
nitrogen compounds with carbonate of
lime, floats or mari If we wish to COM
post these substances together, we
should cover the heaps with woods
earth, which will prevent the escape of
the ammonia.
|
Acid phosphatas can be mixed with
organic matter and are especially fitted
for preventing the loss Of ammonia in
compost heaps, unless the heaps con-
tain large quantity of lime, when they
should not be used.
Nitrate of soda can be mixed with all
other materials, but when mixed with
highly dissolved phosphates and nit
rates and organic matter, the mixture
should be kept dry, or loss of nitrogen
will occur.
In composing, it is of the greatest
Importance that the ammonia does not
escape. Acid phosphates, as mentioned
above, help to conserve the ammonia.
The compost heaps should be kept COW
cred with earth and under shelter.
Large amounts of potash salts mixed
with compost are desirable only where
decomposition is to be retarded.
Nitrogen is the most costly element
of plant food, and to its injudicious and
extravagant use can be traced much of
the loss from the use of fer Yizers. By
planting clover and peas, which have
the power of absorbing nitrogen from
the air, the expense may be much re-
duced.
Phosphoric acid and potash must be
added to our soils if full crop is exr
pected. 1t is true that they are present
in all soils, but are insoluble, and there.
fore unavailable. Small quantities on.
ly are dissolved by the soil water and
plant acids.
1t is best to apply both phosphoric
acid and potash some time before crop
is planted. AS there is little DANCE,
from leashing. they should be plowed
under. Sandy and limestone soils
nearly always need potash. Clay soils
sometimes, but not always, contain a
sufficient quantity. This can only be
| determined by experiment.
KANT is the proper form of potash for
sandy soils, muriate and sulphate of
potash for stiff soils. Potash is espe-
cially valuable for fruits and vegetables
of all kinds, tobacco and potatoes.
( Nitrogen should be applied at the
time most needed by the plants during
the growing season as a top dressing,
otherwise it will leach out with the soil
| water.
QUESTION 2.-What is the proper
treatment for "hollow horn?"
ANSWER 2.-This is q much misun.
derstood subject. The old plan of Dor
ing the horns and pouring in turpen.
tine should not be thought of. Ex-
anime the animal for other derange-
meats of the system. The horn is to a
certain extent naturally hollow, and
| BDlS Ii uV luulCdLlOu VI uASSdS6. AN 0X-
perienced cattleman says that the
tongue is the seat of the disease, and in
nine cases out of ten, when an animal
is supposed to be suffering from "hd.
low horn," if the tongue is pulled out
over the under lip it will be found to be
filed with little black heads and flesh
worms, which will rise above the sur.
face. Take dull knife and scrape
these off gently, then put on salt and
black pepper, mixed, this will bring up
the saliva, and in few hours the trou.
BILE will be over. He says he has never
known the remedy to fail. Of course
tho animals head must be secured to a
tree or post bsfore it can be treated. A
great many cattle owners advocate de.
horning, not to prevent hollow horn, u
but to reduce the number of injuries
from caring among the herds, as well
as to the persons hav = charge OF
them.