Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-21
The Best Methods of Applying Fertilizers

The Best Methods of Applying Fertilizers.
Scientific investigation of late years in
this and foreign countries has been large
ly devoted to experiments looking to
the methods of applying fertilizers in or
der to obtain the best results. Among
the foreign investigators, where agricul-
tural science has been more thoroughly
tested by experiments and practice, we
find Schlosing, Hansen, Grandeur, Helm
richS, Peterman and Prunet. The first or
these has devoted longer time and greater
research to this subject than. perhaps,
any one of the others, and his results are
more generally accepted as conclusive.
These experiments indicate decided adj
vantage from replacing the common
method of uniformly mixing the fertiliz-
ing material with the whole mass of sur
face SOIL by that of applying the mate
rails in rows parallel to those in which
the plants are seeded. Then he expert
mented on a very poor artificial soil. in
water-tight boxes, with fertilizing mix
ture containing sulphate of potash, nj
trate of soda, bone, superphosphate and
the sulphate of magnesia. In the first
series, the salts were dissolved in water
and Immediately mixed with the soil; in
the second they were mixed with an
equal quantity of distilled water the sur
face leveled and applied in trenches or
5 inches apart and about inches In
depth Wheat, potatoes. beets, peas and
beans were grown in the boxes. The ex-
per cent in the case of the wheat 1913 in
the beans and 26 in the potatoes. ~
Prunet experimental in the same line
with potatoes grown on plats OF hills and
plain soil. with fertilizers carefully mix
ed with the soil in one series, and in the
other applied in trenches parallel to the
rows of potatoes. The yield of tubers
was larger where the fertilizer was APP
Piled in rows than where it was mixed
with the soil.
The theory Is presented that the sui
nhate of potash remains partly in solu
ton and partly in fixed state in COM
bination with humus, and that the super
phosphate is probab bly, entirely fixed by
the basis of the soil; that on the plats
where the fertilizing material was thor
oughly disseminated, the surfaces OF con-
tact of the potassic and phosphate fer
tilizers with the constituents was very
great. and therefore the fixation of those
substances was very rapid. On the plats
that received the fertilizers in rows
parallel to the line of plants, the surface
contact was greatly reduced and the
fertilizers were rendered insoluble more
slowly.
Hansen has experimental for three
years past on the comparative action or
liquid manure spread over the whole
surface, or applied only between the rows
and on the differences in results of APP
plication in June, July and August. The
crop was sugar beets The average OF
three years results shows that, as COM
pared with effect of application between
the rows taken as 100 that of fertilization
uniformly of the whole surface was &c
when made in June, SO when made in
July. and 26 when made in August.
The results are interesting and sugges-
tive. yet the conditions of the expert
ments have not been altogether favor
able to the final settlement of the ques-
ton, as the organic heterogeneous fertil-
izers used have all been of kind readily
transformed into nitrates and carried
down by drainage into the lower levels
of the soil. 1t is true, also, that the
pots received larger amount of water
at more regular intervals than would
ordinarily be furnished in farm practice
by rainfall. 1t is evident that this in
crease of yield is of sufficient practical
Importance to render desirable further
tests and more detailed study of the sub