The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-26

Farmers have not yet resorted to mixing
the fertilizers with manure, such a course
being extra labor for which no correspond
ing benefit is derived; but it has been
found an excellent plan to reinforce the
manure with such ingredients as may be
lacking in the heap, says the Farmers
Record. 1t would occasion loss to add
any kind of heterogeneous substance to the
manure heap, as decomposition would
cause the gaseous nitrogen to escape in the
form of ammonia. The insoluble rphos-
pilates can, however, be added 10 the ma
nure with advantage, as chemical action
will render the material soluble. A great
many combinations occur in the manure
heap, and the heat genera ted is evidence
that all the substances composing the
mass are breaking down and gradually
changing, new forms coming out of the old
and plant food prepared that will be i'm
mediately available in the soil. Such mate
rails as ground bone, bone meal and phos-
plate rock are not proof against the de-
structive influences of the manure heap,
and when combined with the manure in the
fall become suitable for plans by the tins
spring opens, their decomposition, how
ever, being too slow to permit of any loss
of consequence in the heap.
Fertilizers may be mixed with manure
also at time of applying the manure to the
soil, and with advantage, whether such
work is performed at this season or in the
spring. One point to observe with fertliz-
ers is that the phosphates are not always
soluble, and they are also liable to
revert in the soil, even when the phos-
phoric acid is free, but the potash COM
pounds are always soluble and may be
carried off by rains, melting SHOWS or
from the surface by being washed away
The heterogeneous fertilizers are nearly all
soluble also, and the same risks as with
the potash compounds are incurred; hence
the time to apply fertilizers is when there
will be less loss through the agency
of water. Phosphates may, therefore, be
applied in the fall and nitrogen and pot
ash in the spring. Lime is never ap-
piled to manure in the heap, as it assists
in liherating ammonia, but there are farm
ers who affirm that they have derived ben
eft from the addition of air-slacked lime
to the manure just before spreading the
manure on field to be plowed under,
which is no doubt true where coarse ma
nure was used.
The question of whether artificial ferti-
lizers should be used with manure can be
settled only by farmers in their individual
capacity. Much depends on the kind Of
crop that Is to occupy the land and the
fertility of the soil. If corn is to be
grown next spring it win do no harm to
mix bone meal with the manure and apply
both together, but if the, land is to be
given UP TO some leguminous crop the
use of phosphate will not be necessary
IN the fail, as an calculated phosphate in
the spring will be more suitable. Corn be-
ing a gross feeding plant will allow no kind
of material to escape that can be utiliz-
ed as plant food, and it is therefore, SER
viceable in enabling the farmer to give
to the soil many waste substances that
would be too slow in decomposition for
-. =
should be applied very early in the spring
(as soon as the land is plowed), but sucn
materials as nitrate of soda may be de-
layed few week longer A mixture Of
land plaster and sulphate of potash will
prove of benefit to clover early in the
spring, nitrogen not being essential, but
the nitrogen that may be applied win
prove much benefit 10 the wheat Ma
nurc. however, Is the most serviceable OF
ALL because it is subject to less loss, and
as it slowly becomes available it supplies
plant food until late in the year.