Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1898-04-26
Fertiiizers.
PAPER READ BY Coz. b. II. MCDONALD
BEFoRE THE JEFFERsoN co. FARMs
Frs INSTITUTE.

hope that the committee, in selecting
me to speak on the subject of fertilizers,
did not expect scientific treatment of
the question, as in that case they will be
disappointed. studied chemistry when
boy, but have long since forgotten its
technicalities. My only information on
this subject is what have learned as
farmer. in the school of stern necessity,
devising means of raising 90 cent wheat
and IS cent corn at a profit.
All plants, in order to grow to best adj
vantage. require light, heat. air. water.
cultivation. and fertile soil; the first
four being the gifts of our Maker, usually
bestowed with bountiful hand the last
two are, to aigreat extent, under our con-
troll. The more fertile our lands, the
more cultivation they require to keep
down weeds, and to make the supply of
| plant food available so if we increase
this supply, either by the manures of the
farm, OF by the purchase of commercial
fertilizers, we increase the necessity for
more thorough preparation and cuItiva-
ton of the soil, in order to get profitable
returns for our increased outlay.
My information in regard to fertilizers
is derived from bulletins furnished by the
Experiment Stations established by the
States and the General Government
They furnish the analyses of all the fer
tilizers in the market and their valuations
and from these data we can judge what
is best suited to our needs. These
analyses do not always agree, but differ
almost as much as farmers do-whether
drilled or checked corn is the best to
plant or any other everyday operation of
the farm. Fertilizers are used to increase
the profits of farming, and if we cannot
figure out a profit in their use we had
better let them alone.
1 The principal elements of plant food
are Nitrogen. Phosphoric Acid andP otash
without all three of these in an availa-
Bile form the plant cannot reach lperfec-
ton. Youmay have full supply of two
of them, but the lack of the third will re-
suit in an imperfect plant or crop. In a
perfectly fertile soil all these are found
in abundance, and our crops absorb them
as needed. This is the case with most
Virginia soils, especially in this Valley.
By long continued cultivation many of
our lands have been depleted of these
forms of plant food, and it is the part of
/ judfcious and economical farming to sup
ply what is missing, so as to make avail
able what is left in the soil. After de-
termining what our lands need, we will
want to know the cost of supplying it
The following table shows the cheapest
forms of commercial plant food in Balti-
more t74 eia
Dissolved s. C. Rock-.se.OO pertoh- =
contains 800 lbs. Phosphoric acid, at
S1Sc. per Id. ......:........ ....... 8 9.47
Tagkage- 90 per ton-contaipsl e1o m
| 100 lbs. Nitrogen. at Zoe. per Id, $1S.Vu
Contains 200 lbs. Phosphoric acid. at $40
aae no 5000
Nitrate of soda--s4o.OO per ton-.con-
tains 800 lbs. Nitrogen, at 13c. per 10 $39. 90
Muriate of POtash-S40.00 per ton
containing GOO lbs. Potash, at 4Oclb. 1000
| Kauit-Sl1.50 per ton-eOntains $40
| lbs. Potash. at sc. per lb.......... 1900
In the West Virginia Experiment Sta
ton they estimate that Phosphoric Acid
will cost 81 cts. per lb.; Nitrogen, 81 cts.
per lb.; Potash, cts. per lb., in Ralti-
more, to which must be added the freight
to the farmer. BY a comparison of these
figures with the price of the raw ma
terials from which the manufacturers
compound their goods, find that Nitro
gen can be bought for 10 cts. per 1b., and
have adopted that price in making esti-
mates. The cheapest form of Phosphoric
Acid is Dissolved S. C. Bone Phosphate,
which costs in Baltimore $3.50 per ton.
In our clay soils, where the fertility has
been kept up by barnyard manure, the
use of clover, or by Pasturing, the princi-
pal plant food to be supplied is Phos-
phoric Acid. Where the land has been
run down by continuous cropping, it needs
a fertilizer which contains all the ele-
rnents of plant food. The u. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture, in Farmers Bulle-
tin GO, estimates plant food per acre re-
moved by crops.
Wheat. Wight, Nifgen. Phos,ucid. Pot. Cost
g s9r sR7.- l ao6S e 5 rs e IS s $3.50
IS 20 IS
Corn. Wight. Nitgen. Phos.acid. Pot. Cost
II N