The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-11-23
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FEEDING THE SOIL.

| Since the introduction of commercial
ierullzers, there has existed in the
MINDS OF many farmers a doubt as to
the value of a cord of stable manure,
wnen compared with the market price
o. commercial fertilizers, and farmers
oiHer widely on this subject; while
one believes stable manure to be worth
e'gnt dollars per cord, another does not
oelieve it worth half that sum, and
VIII buy commercial fertilizers in pref
erence. even when he can by the ma
nure at four dollars per cord.
Why this difference of opinion? Be-
cause there is a great difference in the
acton OF commercial fertilizers and
stable manure that is too often over
rocked. The moment the farmer COM
mences to use concentrated fertilizers
Shat moment he has entered upon a
work that requires a higher intelli-
gence to enable him to use it to the
pest advantage than it does to use sta
Die manure. There are so many varia-
lions to be considered in using COM
mercial fertilizers that without intel.
ligent application the result will
be entirely uncertain. In the
nrst place, commercial fertilizers
are in concentrated form and
are made up of materials, some
OF which are very quick acting and
others very slow, some of which are
soluble In water, some are not. In the
second place, there is great differ
ence in the composition of these fer
thizers; one may be made up with a
large percentage of potash and small
percentage Of nitrogen; another may
nave small percentage of potash and
large percentage Of nitrogen, and
still another may have large per-
centage of phosphoric acid with a
very small percentage of either nitro
gen or potash; and, finally fertilizer
may be made so as to contain a large
percentage of both phosphoric acid
and nitrogen, but both so locked up
with other materials that the plants
Will be able to get but small portions
OF them for several years after the fer
tilizer has been applied
Thus it will be seen how important
1T is that, whatever fertilizers are to be
applied, in buying them enough intel
ligence should be used to ascertain not
only whether they contain phosphoric
acid. potash and nitrogen in proper
proportions needed for the particular
crops to be grown, but also to ascer-
tain whether these substances are in a
form to be available for plant-food at
the time they may be wanted by the
growing crop. If crop of Indian corn
is to be grown without anything but
commercial fertilizers it would not
be wise to buy all superphosphate.
because the plant-food in it. being SOL
uble in water, it would be immediate
ly available for plant-food and it
would form q growth of leaves and
stalks in the first part of the season at
the expense of the grain at the last
part; but il ground bone and muriate
OF potash be applied, two parts of the
former to one of the latter, a more
equal growth would be obtained, be-
cause the ground bone would slowly
advance the plant-food, and at the time
wanted by the growing grain would be
In good condition to furnish just what
the crop would need.
When stable manure is applied, the
farmer does not have to exercise so
much judgment because the manure
contains the different elements of
plant-food in fair proportions, and
while some OF it is Immediately avail
able for plant-food, much of it is not;
but it advances and furnishes plant
food though the growing season as the
crop may need it, providing the sea-
son be a good one, and q sufficient
quantity of manure be applied. Bnt
there is another difference between
commercial fertilizers and stable ma
nure that is very often overlooked, vet |
1T is of very great Importance; that
is, its action OF the soil while in the |
process of decomposition; it generates
a large amount of carbonic acid gas;
this, or some other substance that is |
liberated during the progress of de- !
no doubt acts on the soil |
to an extent that liberates considera-
bic quantities of plant food that be-
fore had been locked up in the soil. so |
that, although cord of manure con-
tains nitrogen, phosphoric acid and |
potash worth less than three dollars,
the action Of the manure on the soil
liberates from it enough more of the
elements to make it worth on MANY |
soils at least twice three dol
lars; but there are some soils
that have been so decomposed |
that they have become so deficient in
both phospheric acid and potash that
whatever may be applied to them but
little moro can be extracted; on such
soils concentrated fertilizers can be
applied with more profit than barn
Commercial fertilizers are very use
'nl and may be appliea with advan-
age to many crops, but, as rule, the
common farmer had better use them
'paringly, in connection with barn
manure, until he learns the powers of
different qualities and the wants of
al, M If io,1lar fo11 30 H. |