The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-04-16
Fertilizers in Farming.
READ BEFORE CECIL GRANGE.

pIdCtlCdl uucStlOuS Ill agriculture.
The first step in fertilizing the
land to increase the yield in the
upper parts of Cecil county, was
the use of plaster. When farmers
commenced sowing plaster on their
grass fields the results were some
thing wonderful in the increase of
the clover crop. Plaster was also
applied to the corn crop by drop
ping small portion in the hill and
covering it with the corn. When
the field again was seeded down to
grass the hills where the plaster
had been dropped with the corn
could be seen plainly by the bunch
es of rank grass.
Farmers continued to SOW plaster
for many years after it ceased to
show any results on the crops.
All the mills in the country were
rugged for grinding plaster and the
farmers, in the spring, hauled tons
of the ground plaster to apply to
to their land, which with the small
supply of barnyard manure was
about all the fertilizers at their
command.
In Lancaster and Chester counties
the farmers used large quantities of
lime, and the use of lime produced
beneficial and permanent results.
Some farmers in this county used a
good deal of lime, but it was long
haul, making its use both laborious
and expensive.
The next fertilizer was the Peru
Wan guano. On the poor, aban
doned land-the old sedge fields
the use Of Peruvian guano was
marvellous. An application of
guano on these old fields, where not
three bushels of wheat to the acre
could be raised twenty bushels of
beautiful wheat would be gathered.
The farmers thought they had
struck a bonanza. But alas! The
third application on the same
ground failed to produce enough
grain to pay for the guano. The
other necessary constituents which
had been set free by exposure to
atmospheric action for a number of
years, were soon used up by the
stimulating influence of the guano.
Land that was in fair condition and
would sustain a good sod was but
little influenced by the application
of Peruvian guano. The supply of
other soluble constituents was fairly
balanced by nitrogen in the soil.
Raw bone was the next fertilizer
which came to the aid of the farmer.
An application of ground or crushed
bones acted like magic on the grass
crop, but did not show up much on
the corn or wheat crops the first
year, but making heavy crops of
grass, the sod when turned under,
enriched the land permanently,
and increased greatly the yield of
all other crops in after years.
Finally raw bone began to play
out, and show no increase in the
crops where it was applied. The
phosphate was the one thing want
ing and as long as the soluble sup
ply of potash and other necessary
constituents held out the bone got
all the credit. Whenever a single
necessary constituent is exhausted
all others, though present in album
dance, will not produce full crop.
Next the mixed fertilizers came
to enrich (O the farmer, and fac
tories started up all over the coun-
try, and as many fancy brands
were turned out to tempt the farmer
as there are patent medicines in the
drug store, or of cigars and tobacco.
And oh how the fertilizer manu-
facturers fattened off the hard
worked farmer. They Charmed the
farmers" Finally the patent fer
tilizer began to slacken up in its
results. Grass crops began to fail,
weeds and sorrel to take possession
of the fields, and then the puzzled
farmer scratched his head once
more. He is turning back to lime
again and inquiring the best mode
to apply it. You see what wise
head the farmer ought to have to
be thorough master of his business.
A lawyer, doctor, mechanic, engi-
neer or any of the professional
branches, can be mastered by