Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-07-01
Aarifultnral.
World Of Agriculture.
THE FITNESS OF FERTILIZERS.

THE FITNESS OF FERTILIZERS.
The majority of farmers buy fertilizers
without knowing whether they are ex-
pending their money properly in so do
ing, which increases the cost of the crops
beyond the. minimum SUN. II is not
because manufacturers Of fertilizers are
unwilling to supply what is desired, or
that some of them are unreliable, but
for the reason that the farmer, by not
testing fertilizers on small plots, fails to
make himself familiar with the require
ments Of his farm. The Government,
in publishing the results Of experiment
station work, calls attention to the fact
that there are many substances which
are very rich in one or more of the fer
tilizing constituents, but which hold
these constituents 10 such insoluble
forms that they are Of little immediate
benefit to crops. This is especially true
of the feldspars, which contain high
percentage Of potash, and of certain
forms of phosphate rock, but in the
course of time these substances become
available in the soil. Farmers. how
ever, prefer fertilizers that will benefit
the crops the FIRST year, as they cannot
afford to invest capital 10 fertilizers only
to receive returns several seasons there
after; hence in using fertilizers at the
present day the object is to increase the
crop without regard to the succeeding
year, which can be taken care Of when
the time arrives Potash in ashes, or
10 the form of the we'll known Strauss
furt salts, are always soluble, and phos-
pilates can be asiduated TO render the
phosphoric acid soluble. The wise farmer
will endeavor to increase his nitrogen
by the use of clover or other legumes.
as it is the most expensive substance
entering into the composition of fertll-
izers.
LEARNING ON THE FARM.
Every farmer should endeavor to COM
pare fertilizers on the farm, and thus be
able to fully understand what to pur-
chase. When the farmer tests fertll-
izers on his farm he will not only I'M
derstand what bis soil needs, but also
what to apply to derive the best results
from the various crops. Small plots,
or even pots or boxes, with due regard
to temperature, moisture, ETC., may be
used, and the farmer can conduct such
experiments as we'll as it can be done at
the experiment stations, with greater
advantages of personal observation at
all stages of growth. One or two years
experience in such manner will save the
farmer many dollars, aud he will be
capable of buying fertilizers to suit his
necessities and have them prepared ac-
cording to formulas Of his own, or mix
them himself. The annual loss to farm
ers every year, over the whole country,
by the purchase of fertilizers not exactly
suitable for the intended crops, or which
are not available the first year, amounts
to many millions of dollars, and it is
lust as easy, and much less expensive,
for the farmer to test fertilizers in small
amounts than to purchase full supply
for his farm, only to discover that dur
ing the next year he will try something
else.
LOSSES IN THE SOIL.
There is more or less loss in the fer
tilizers applied and not utilized by crops
The soil seems to have very little affinity
for nitrogen in the forms of nitrate OF
soda and sulphate of ammonia. for if
they are not quickly taken up by the
crop they are likely to be lost in the
drainage water The insoluble nitrogen
Of the soil Gn humus), or that applied
in the form of cottonseed meal, dried
fish, etc, which are largely insoluble
when applied, is rapidly converted, by |
the process of notification, under favor
able conditions, into nitrates, which are
readily available to plants, but they will
also pass out in the drainage and be-
come consequently lost if not promptly
taken up by the growing plants. Too
much nitrogen is, therefore, loss, as
it is estimated that the drainage from a
bare soil will carry off 1850 pounds of
nitrogen per acre, but where the soil is
kept covered by crop the loss is but
very little, the crop also protecting from
surface washing, but the soil must be
covered at all seasons winter includ
ed-and never left hare Regarding
the immediate availability of nitrogen
in heterogeneous fertilizers the Connect,
cut Station, supported by that of Massa-
chusetts, places them in order as fol-
lows: Nitrate of soda, sulphate of pot
ash, castor monaco, cottonseed meal,
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