Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-10-19
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AORlCULTURISTS
Ssne Up-to-D Date Hints About Cultiva-
tion OF the Soil and Yields Thereof
Horticulture, Niticulture and f1oricui-
ture.

Improving tho Farms Fertility
Charles A. Mooers. chemist OF the
Tennessee Agricultural College, says:
The average Tennessee farmer shoulu
not hope permanently to increase or
even to maintain the fertility or MS
land by means of commercial fertlilz-
ers lone. BY this Is meant that their
continued use will be without pront-
able returns unless aided either by I'D
eral manures from some crop like
cowpeas or clover. To use only min
eral fertilizers, such as acid phosphate
or acid phosphate and potash, on very
poor land, is almost money thrown
away. The average so-called compiele
or ammoniated fertilizer is little II any
better. The reason for all this Is that
the excess of the mineral elements eX.
hausts the soil of its nitrogen ana Oh
its partly decayed vegetable ana am
NAL matter, or humus, and this more
quickly than II no fertilizer were use1'
The following considerations MAKE
this subject palmer: The chemical an
alyses OF our soils show that II we con-
slider the total amounts of plant 1000
they contain, the nitrogen supply
would be consumed first. next woulo
be phosphoric acid, and last OF all pot
ash. II we consider the plant FOOD IN
the soil to the depth Of one foot ana
It were possible to grow wheat year
after year at the rate OF twenty pusn-
els to the acre, the average virgin SOIL
Of this state would be entirely without
nitrogen in about eighty years. Inc
phosDhoric acid would be sufficient TOT
176 years, while the potash wouid last
$40 years. One bushel of wheat re-
moves in grain and straw more nitro
gen, both in pounds and in money
value, than the other elements COM
bined, as follows: 81 pounds of nitro
gen, worth at low estimate 70 cents'
O.6 pounds Of phosphoric ACID, worm
"a cents; 90 pounds of potash, worth
4 cents. To furnish this amount OF
nitrogen, one hundred pounds OF the
average complete fertilizer would be
necessary, which would supply enough
available phosphoric acid Tor n1teeh
bushels and enough potash for TWO
would cost, at retail prices, about 20
cents; if home-mixed, about Gu cents.
1t is evident, therefore, that the COM
plete fertilizer can not be used by IT,
self to build up worn lands, or even
to maintain those already in fair con-
dition. 1t is still more evident that
the mineral fertilizers without nitro
gen will fall even further short OF this
object.
The problem of improving our soils
most profitably will be solved in most
instances by the judicious use of min
eral fertilizers, accompanied by stable
manure and the growing of cowpeas,
clover. or the like. The mistake must
not be made of moving these crops for
hay and not returning the manure,
under the wrong impression that the
roots contain the most OF the plant
food Approximately one-flfth OF the
total nitrogen may be considered as
left in the roots, stubble, etc. A care
fully selected rotation of crops. in
which cowpeas play a prominent part,
is the first essential to the lettering or
worn lands. Peas without mineral fer
tilizers will improve for years to come
much of our land that is beginning to
run down; particularly that which was
naturally strongest and best, such as
our alluvial soils and our clayey lime
stone soils, which are richly supplied
with mineral elements.