Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-05-01
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COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS.

Availability of Different Forms Of Plant
Food-Preference Shown by Plants.
As rule, commercial fertilizers are
used for the purpose Of increasing the
single seasons crop to which they are
applied. Most farmers plan to give to
each succeeding crop by itself the plant
food it needs and to avoid supplying any
one crop with more material than it can
use to best advantage. This is especial
ly true of those who do not own the
farms which they work and who plan
each years work by itself without ref
erence to the future. Under such cir
oumstances farmer desires to use those
forms of fertilizing materials which
will be taken up most quickly and com
pletely by the crops On the other hand,
the farmer who owns his land frequent
ly desires to use materials the plant
food of which will be utilized gradually
by crops and which will last through
several seasons. It will thus be seen
that if one desires a fertilizer which
will act at once and be largely used up
by the present crop then he will need
to purchase his plant food in forms diff
ferent from those purchased by the man
who desires more lasting benefits ex-
tending through several seasons.
Nitrogen in the form Of nitrate of So
da acts most quickly upon plants. Un-
der favorable conditions its influence
upon the plant may be seen within "a
hours after its application. In the form
of sulphate of ammonia nitrogen acts
less rapidly than in that Of nitrate Of
soda, but more quickly than in such
forms as dried blood, meat scrap etc.
Nitrogen in the form of bone dust,
ground fish and bonemeal becomes
available still less rapidly than in the
form OF dried blood In the forms Uf
wool waste, ground leather and similar
materials nitrogen becomes available
with extreme slowness.
Potash in the form Of carbonate, as
in ashes, acts more rapidly than in the
form of sulphate or muriate. Muriate
acts with little greater rapidity than
sulphate, but the difference in availa-
bility between the different forms Of pot
ash is not nearly as strongly marked as
in case Of the different forms of nitrogen
| Phosphoric acid in the form of solu-
BILE phosphate Of lime (acid phosphates,
superphosphates) acts most rapidly. 1t
acts less rapidly in the form Of reverted
or precipitated phosphate of lime, and
least rapidly in the insoluble form, such
as ground rock. According to the weight
Of evidence, soluble phosphorio acid,
whether made from bones, boneblack
or rock, has the same effect and value
as plant food, so far as the soluble phos-
phoric acid is concerned.
1t is an important fact that plants
show preferences for different forms Of
food. This preference is indicated by
greater yield or better quality Of prod
uct, or both. Thus wheat seems to give
better results when nitrogen is applied
in the form of nitrate Of soda than in
any other form. Spinach has been found
to do better with sulphate Of ammonia
than nitrate Of soda, while the reverse
is true of asparagus. The quality Of to-
bacco is injured by potash in the form
Of muriate, and hence only sulphate
should be used for fertilizing purposes.
The quality of sugar beets and of pota-
toes appears to be better when sulphate
Of potash is used, while peach trees are
said to prefer the muriate. Bulletin
New York Experiment Station.