The Progress., 1898-03-12
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49, HNn GARDEN
BUYING FERTILIZERS.


Much money is spent injudiciously in
buying fertilizers because expensive in
gradients are purchased which neither
the crop to be produced nor the soil re-
uuircs AS American Cultivator ex-
plains, most Of the application of nitrates
for growing grain crops are of this char
acter. The heterogeneous fertility, even if
it be efficient at all, will most likely
stimulate a large leaf growth, which
will rust and proba bly, lessen the value
of the grain yield. On the other hand
potash and phosphate are just what the
grain requires to fill the grain in the
head. All the starch in grain is pro-
duced from carbonic acid gas absorbed
by the leaves from the atmosphere.
There is always in cultivated soil
enough nitrogen made available by an
application of potash and phosphate.
These minerals, especially phosphate,
arc solvents in the soil, and it it has
any vegetable matter they hasten it's de-
composition. Potash, when in the form
of fresh wood ashes, is a powerful SOL
vent for all vegetable or animal mat
ters. 1t has always d great affinity for
nitrogen, and if exposed to air in the
soil or above the surface it will become
nitrate Of potash, one of the most eff
fective manures known.
There is one advantage in buying any
purely mineral fertilizer like potash
and DISQUALIFICATION once put in the
soil it never gets out except as it is
removed by crops. The fertilizer may
become insoluble, so that plant roots
cannot easily take it up; but this is one
of the necessary conditions if it is not
to lie lost. The use Of stable manures,
of green manure or of nitrogen in any
form will restore potash and phosphate
to solubility. The growing of green
manure to pillow under, especially clo-
yer, will often for q long time make it
needless to apply mineral fertilizers,
but it can only do this on land natural
ly rich i'll minerals and on that only
while enough Of the original stock re-
mains for the use of crops.
Glover has the advantage of drawing
mineral fertility from the subsoil. It's
feeding roots run very deeply. The
grain and grass crops sometimes found
running into the subsoil only take up
the water. They have no power to sup
ply mineral fertility from the subsoil,
as clover has. AS these clover roots de-
cay in the subsoil they leave a little
vegetable matter, thus gradually deep
ening the soil every year. A field that
has long had red clover grown on it
does not often suffer from drought
when planted with other crops.
There are many who believe that buy
ing and sowing clover seed literally
each year is the cheapest way to ferti-
lie farm. There is only ono that we
know that is cheaper where the land is
rich in mineral plant food, and that is
to grow clover seed instead of buying it.
Yet clover is so great lover of mineral
plant food that unless it is found in the
soil it must be applied before clover
Will grow. The lack of potash is most
general on sandy soils. Sometimes lime
Is the mineral needed. In wood ashes
there is usually considerable lime,
though we have used gypsum or sui
phate of lime with wood ashes with
better results than we could get from
either alone.
Phosphate of lime is required for
most grain crops, especially oats and