Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-05-18
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PLANT FOOD.
Practical Advice About Mixing Fer
tifixers-Eormu For Corn.

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tiiixers-Eorm uIas For Corn.
The manurial requirements of crops
have been subject of Investigations
and experiments continued since 1889
at the Hatch station of Massachusetts.
The questions upon which it was hoped
to find light were:
First. To what extent and in what
way do the plant food requirements Of
different crops cultivated in rotation
varyg
Second. Are the so called complete
Especial fertilizers offered upon our
markets nationally compounded
Third lis the practice of.cur farmers
in SO frequently using phosphates alone
wise and calc-llated to insure the lar
gest possible crops at the least eost7
The conclusions reached are:
First. 1t has been shown that the
widest differences in plant food require
ments exist between crops cultivated
upon the same soil. corn. cloyers, rye
and soy beans being benefited mostly by
potash. grass and oats by nitrogen, and
mustard cabbages and Swedish turnips
by pbosphoric acid.
Second. - Our experiments indicate
the desirab ility of changes in the COM
position Ct the complete special fer
tilizer offered in our markets For most
crops these fertilizers contain too much
phosphoric acid. For oats and grass
they contain too little nitrogen.
Third. 1t is believed that for none of
our crops except those of the mustard
family is the application of phosphates
to supplement farm manure called for.
In the report contained in bulletin
So, from which the foregoing is learned,
DR.. Brooks urges farmers to make ex-
periments with fertilizers with view
to getting light as to the requirements
of different crops upon their own soils,
for soils as well as crops differ in ma
nurial needs. Under existing conditions
farmers are advised to purchase materi-
ais and to make their own mixtures
rather than to purchase mixed or COM
plete special fertilizers. This course is
believed to be advisable for two reasons
first, because the specials are not
properly compounded, and. second, be-
cause the needed plant food can thus be
purchased at lower cost.
Taking into consideration the present
market prices of fertilizers and the re-
suits of his experiments, DR.. Brooks rec
ommends various mixtures of materials
for the several crops dealt with in the
bulletin. From these the formulas for
corn only are here reproduced. In every
instance the quantities given are de-
signed for one acre.
First.-For corn on sod land in fair
condition: Nitrate of soda. 100 pounds
dry ground fish, goo pounds; acid phos-
phate, $50 pounds muriate of potash
Cor high grade sulphate). 22O pounds
These materials furnish about: Nj
trogen, 80 pounds; phosphoric acid. 40
pounds; potash, 10 pounds.
Second. For corn on land rather
poor in organic matter: Nitrate of soda,
200 pounds; dry ground fish, 200
pounds; tankage, 100 pounds; acid
phosphate, 200 pounds; muriate of pot
ash Cor high grade sulphate), $50
pounds.
These materials furnish about: Nj
trogen, AZ pounds; phosphoric acid, 80
pounds; potash, 1875 pounds.
Third. For corn in connection with
farm manure: Nitrate of soda, so
pounds; dry ground fish, 100 pounds
acid phosphate, 100 pounds; muriate of
potash Tor high grade sulphate), 100
pounds.
These materials furnish about Nitro
gen, 1415 pounds; phosphoric acid.
2115 pounds; potash, so pounds.