The Portland daily press., 1895-11-09
WHEAT FERTILIZERS.
Elements Required For Good Crop-1n,-
provemerts Suggested.

eAz
provements Suggested
There are sold in the eastern states
NOT less than so different brands of fer.
tilizers or phosphates which the manu-
faeturers claim are especially adapted to
the needs of the wheat plant The COM
nosition of these fertilizers varies con-
siderably, as shown by the analyses
made at the experiment stations A
writer in The American Agriculturist
finds, however, that the large majority
of the fertilizers contain about the fol.
lowing percentages of the three essen
tai elements of plant food: Nitrogen.
Q per cent; nitrogen expressed as am
monia, 21@ per cent; phosphoric acid,
available. s per cent; potash, 2 per cent.
twill be noticed that in these fertilizers
there is only one-quarter as much nitro
cen as phosphoric acid. About $50
nonnds are usually applied per acre,
which furnishes the quantities of the
nlant food shown in the last column.
Now let us consider what quantities of
these elements are required by a good
crop of wheat. There is contained in 30
bushels of wheat and its 2,700 pounds
Of straw, 58 pounds of nitrogen, 221a
pounds of phosphoric acid and 30 pounds
of potash.
The amount of nitrogen contained in
the crop and the amount furnished by
the fertilizer is widely different. If 500
pounds of fertilizer be applied instead
of $50. the crop is usually increased, but
this increase cannot be due to the phos-
phoric acid furnished by the additional
amount of fertilizer, as the smaller
quantity furnished practically all of this
element that the crop could use. The
increase is, therefore, due either to the
extra amount Of nitrogen or potash. 1t
has been found that on good wheat land
potash is not required except in very
small quantities, there being an abun-
dant supply on such soils. On light,
sandy land larger quantity of potash
usually results in an increase of crop.
We must conclude, therefore, that it
was the nitrogen that produced the in,
creased yield. It is we'll known that
barnyard manure produces better results
as a rule than commercial fertilizers.
This the writer quoted thinks is account
ed for when we consider that manure
contains twice as much nitrogen as it
does phosphoric acid while the average
fertilizer contains just the opposite to
this-twice or three times as much
phosphoric acid as nitrogen. In order
to make up for the lack of nitrogen in
the wheat fertilizer, it certainly is not
good economy to apply greater guam
tity of the material and thus waste the
phosphoric acid and perhaps the potash
that the extra quantity contains Nor is
it usually economical to use fertilizer
that contains more nitrogen, as such
fertilizers are sold at high prices, max
ing the nitrogen in them cost from 90
to 20 cents per pound. It is therefore
better to apply in connection with the
nitrogen some material that will furnish
nitrogen at the least expense.
We are told that the two most con-
venient forms of nitrogen to use are nj
trate Of soda and sulphate of ammonia.
It has been found, however, that the
latter substance does not produce as
good results as does nitrate of soda, and
since the nitrate can be bought oonsid,
erably cheaper than the sulphate there
is no object in using the latter, Fifty
pounds of nitrate of soda per acre in ad-
dition to $50 pounds of wheat fertilizer
will produce remarkable results, and
even at the present low price Of wheat
will usually be very profitable invest
ment. The nitrate can be mixed with
the fertilizer and drilled in with the
grain, or if mixed with dry loan. to
facilitate even spreading, it may be
sowed broadcast