The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-02-21

| 40 AOGObLul WASb4SE gA6 OGAC4 SGsAVS 40
kainit compensate for the high cost of
potash.
Wood ashes are used quite largely
on the east side of the State, particu'
larly in the Connecticut valley. Con
sidered as a source of potash only, they
are expensive goods at ruling prices.
1t should be remembered, however,
that the good results often obtained by
their use are quite as apt to be due to
their mechanical effect upon the soil,
or to their lime content, as to the pot
ash they contain. All ashes contain
carbonate of lime, which, unless they
are seriously adulterated by sand and
earth, is usually not so variable in it's
percentage as is the potash. In fifty
Of fifty nine samples reported on by
the Connecticut station for the past
three years, the lime averaged 33 per
cent.
On the subject of home mixing, the
| Ohio station, in Bulle tin No "a advises
home mixing by using tankage as a
source OF nitrogen, and phosphates as
a source phosphoric acid, and muriate
OF potash as a source of potash, except
on q few such crops as sugar beets and
tobacco, which require sulphate of
potash.
Since these materials are already in
condition for use, requiring simply to
be stirred together, it any mixing is
desired, the acid phosph ate being dry
powder, already calculated; the tank.
age, dry meal requiring no further
treatment, and the muriRte Of potash,
a dry salt, there is no reason why
farmers should not club together, buy
the materials by the carload, and mix
them together at home, thus saving a
large item of cost; and, in fact, "home
mixing associations are being organ
z I'd over the State for the purpose of
eff citing this saving. One such asso-
citation will US 500 tons this season, re-
ducing by several thousand dollars the
cost Of it's member fertilizer bills.
In elaborate ex experiments at the Ohio
station, potatoes gave better return
for fertiliz 9rs used than any other farm
crop, wheat standing next; but save in
exceptional years, that station has
found the use of commercial fertilizers
improbable on farm crops. 1t takes
high priced crops like garden truck or
berries to pay good profits on this class
OF fertiliz 3rs. For farm crops, stable
manure and clover are the only profit
able manures.
AS to the comparative virtues of diff
ferent fertilizer ingredients, this OHIO
bulletin says:
THE results of these experiments
apparently justify the conclusion that,
for the soils and crops under test,
phosphoric acid is at present the most
important constituent of fertilizer,
with nitrogen and potash following in
the order named.
'The largest increase is only obtained
when the fertilizer contains all three of
these constituents; but it does not as
yet seem necessary to use nitrogen and
potash in so large proportion, relative
ly to phosphoric acid, as would be in
dicated by the chemical com position of
the crops
apparently phosphoric acid should
considerably exceed either nitrogen or
potash in quantity in a fertilizer for
corn, oats or potatoes, while for wheat
the proportion of nitrogen may closely
approximate that Of phosphoric acid.
Nitrate of soda is apparently the
most effective carrier of nitrogen in
common use as fertilizer, but it can
seldom be used with economy in Ohio
because of the relatively high cost of
it's nitrogen.
slaughter house tankage, which is
the carrier OF ammonia" in practically
all the factory mixed fertilizers sold in
this State, is probably a less effective
carrier of nitrogren than nitrate of
soda; but the cost of nitrogen in un-
mixed tankage, when due allowance is
made for phosphoric acid carried by
the tenkage is 80 much less than in
nitrate of soda that tankage becomes
much more economical source of nitro
gen to the Ohio farmer than nitrate of
soda. This advantage in tankage dis
appears, however. when it is purchased
in the ordinary factory mixed fertili
zer, since the price at which such fer
tiIizers are generally sold brings the
cost of their nitrogen to higher figure
than it's necessary cost in nitrate OF
soda, while the experiments reported
in Bulletin SO of this station indicates
that the nitrogen of the factory mix I'd
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