The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-12-13
-AGRICULTURE.
SOMETHING IN REGARD TO FER.
TILIZERS

TILIZERS
Mr.. O.. B. Dillon, OF Tennessee, who
last week contributed helpful article
our Dairy Department., writes an ex-
change regard ing the use of fertilizers.
We quote:
Different soils and d fferent crops
require different treatment and differ
ent elements Of plant food.
JUDICIOUs SOIL CULTIVATION.
A judicious cultivation of soil adds
to it's producing capacity as the ele-
ments of plant growth COZ tained in
soils are unlocked and made available
to some extent by proper working of
the soil, 1t was formerly believed that
it was necessary to add ell the con.
stituents of plant growth to the soil be
fore plants could be produced. That
if we wished to raiso wheat we must
add the constituents of wheat. If we
wished to raise potatoes we must add
the constituents OF potatoes. This is
not now considered absolutely neces-
sary. IL we use fertilizer, rich in
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash,
with judicious rotation of crops, we
may not only raise good crops iude Fl.
nitely, but brir 6 the land up to higher
state of productiveness every year
On some soil we could safely leave out
the potash, enough being yielded an
nually by decomposing particles of
soil-unlockinG the sand grains, Rs it
were, to get these treasures. On some
soils nitrogen perhaps would not be
celled for at first, and on others, rarer
still, phosphoric acid might for a time
be found sufficient in the soil.
CEREALS AND NITROGEN
Cereal crops are especially benefited
by nitrogen and nitrogenous manures.
Generally from forty to sixty
pounds per acre are required for
full crop. 1 believe clover to be the
best medium to use in charging soils
with nitrogen. It is a trap easy set
and sure to catch. Glover may be
specially fertlliz9d with plaster. For
Indian corn phosphoric acid is perhaps
the best fertiliziug element.
LAND PLASTER
Land plaster often does good service
On some soils potash proves valuable
| Grass requires all the elemer ts of plant
food. Well rottad manure is perhaps
the best special manure for it. Bone
dust comes next. Either Of these can
be used at seeding, or Rfterward as top
dressing Glover requires nitrogen
and phosphoric acid In small quantities
Potash and lime are it's most valuable
manures. Turnips require nitrogen
aud pho sporic acid, the latter in solu
! BILE form.
POTASH FIR POTATOES
Potatoes are like the turnip and on
most soils they need supply of potash
furnished There is usually potash
enough in our common barnyard ma
nure Tor potatoes. One hundred pounds
of good bone, thirty five pounds of
sulphuric acid and thirteen pounds of
water, mixed in a wooden tub or vat,
will make one hundred and forty eight
of euperphosphate dry. In mixing,
however, much more water will be
found necessary to possibly properly
mix the mass, and when properly
mixed, if after standing a day or two
it is too damp, may be dried by add
ing ground plaster or other material
The bonedust should be wet with water
first, then the acid added, q little at a
time; by SO doing the vessel in which
the mixture is made is less acted upon,
and the incorporation with an action
upon the bone is better. Stir with q
wooden hoe or mixer. Never attempt
to reduce whole bones with the sui
phuric acid.
LIME ON SOILS
The advantage of reducing bores or
rock phosphate with sulphuric acid is
to render the solubility in water the
greater when applied to the tolls.
Lining soils really adds no plant food
to the soil, but has a tendency to de-
velop it in the soil by the caustic, dis
solving, breaking down ff9ct that the
action of the lime has upon the par.
ticles Of the soil. G.. B. DILLON.
Eva, Tenn.