The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-10-19

sidering this one Of the most important
lines of work yet accomplished there.
. In the preliminary tests, to determ-
inc whether nitrogen, phosphoric acid
and potash were all needed by the sta.
ton soil, and if so in what ratio, so
that the right MIXTURE might be made,
it was found that while each of the
constituents used separately produced
come increase, much the largest in
crease, aud the only one the cost OF
which did not exceed it's value, was
from superphosphate, thus answering
the question so often asked, whether
potash and nitrate of soda may be used
alone with profit.
The increase from superphosphate
and nitrate, when used in connection,
is much greater than the sum Of the
increase from the two used separately,
thus illustrating the value of combina
tion. It is true that the profit in this
case is smaller on plat 6 than on plat 2,
but it will at once be seen that II we
could purchase ammonia at the same
price as phosphoric acid the profit
would be largely increased by combin-
ing the two, and the same law, appar-
entity, holds, good to some degree in re-
gard to potash when combined with
phosphoric acid or with phosphoric
acid and nitrogen.
In slaughter house tankege we have
a material in which ammonia may be
bought at the same price as phosphoric
acid, both the ammonia and the phos-
phoric acid in this material being in
practically the same condition in which
they are found in raw bone, and it will
be observed that the 42O pounds of the
mixture of tankage and phosphate and
muriate Of potash has given a little
more than half the increase obtained
from 1850 pounds of nitrate Of soda,
superphosphate and muriate of potash.
Acting under the advice Of this sta
ton, 8-EF0uP~ Of farmers have pur
chased of one of the oldest fertilizer
houses in Ohio two carloads each Of
tanksEe and acid phosphate, with 1--WE
tons of muriate Of potash, with which
they propose to mix their own fertili
Eel, When completed they will have
a fertl Esr analysing about 81 per cent.
ammonia. over IL per cent. total phos-
phorfc acid and 81 per cent. potash,
which will have cost them about $40
per ton, as against ga to &26 and up
ward, which farmers over Ohio are
paying for ready mixed fertilizers of
similar composition and made Of the
same materials.
OF course these farmers have bought
to better advantage by buying for
cash and in large quantity. but this
all the more forcibly illustrates the
point upon which the Ohio Experiment
Station has for years been insisting,
namely, that Ohio farmers are paying
too much for their fertilizers. Atten-
ton is again called to the fact that this
purchase was made through an Ohio
fertilizer establishment-one of the
oldest and most reputable In the State
and the prices made are simply the
prices at which any farmer or group
farmers in Ohio might have bought the
same materials; that Is, they were cur
rent market prices for large lots at the
time the deal was made, with reason
able commission for trangacting the
business.
at the same time these tests of DOM.
mercial fert1i z rs were made other ex
perlments were carried TO determine
the value Of barnysrd manure. Valu-
ing corn at 333 cents per busheI, wheat
at 668, oats at Is and straw and fodder
at 50 psr ton, and hay at Is per ton,
the average value of the increase pro
duced by the manure on each acre was
$12 So, where eighs tons Of manure
we're spread On each acre, and $I7 70
where sixteen tOn per acre were used.
The results show an immediate re-
covery of about 81 25 on the average in
increase Of crop, at recent prices, for
every ton of manure used. But the
long continued experiments by Lawes
and Gilbert at Rothamsted show that
not more than one half to swo thirds
the possible increase from barnyaEd
manure is recovered in the first crops
grown from it. We may therefore
safely Offset the residual effect of the
manure against the cost of application
and consider the immediate increase as
clear profit.
In another experiment at the central
station potatoes, wheat and clover are
grown in a three crop rotation, and in
this test the increase from manure ap.
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