The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-01-30
HOW TO USE COMMERCIAL
MANURES.

good rpeulGs as another with when l6
may be c )mpaTed depends on the physl
cal ConditIon of the samples, the
sources from which their ingredients
we're drawn, and on whether che land
on which they are used hes within it
self a lack OF an element IN Thlcn n
may be weak and another strong, or
which contains enough TO produce q
full crop with the additions therein
offered
In other words the commercial man
ure can only banei the crop by sup
plementiDg what h land in question
ooes not contain of plant food # qured
by that soil to produce a full yield OF
the crop desired. Just what formula
will do best for any given soil must be
tried, to find by results, what aid it
can give. The chemist tells what a
commercial manure contains, and
every farmer ought TO ask OF his soil
Oy means of special m8nures what IL
needs. in order TO be ROle to receive the
benefit of the chemists information
When it is received. Tnen no losses will
occur paying for what is not needed.
There are seven conditions, or ques
tions, by which the information
9 ught from the soil may be obtained.
These conditions or questions relate to
the exhaustible elements of plant food
contained in the sill. By ~exhaustible
elements we mean only hose essential
to plant growth which experience has
sho wn to be sometimes lacking, or to
nave been reduced in the form in which
plants An use them 90 tn It they are
Of no further use. Other toings being
favorable an addition of one element
yhus exhausted will increase the yield
of crop on the exhausted soil.
The elements which are essential and
which may be exhausted are nitrogen,
potassium and phosphorus. These are
cab en- up as nitrate or nItrite; and as
potassium oxide or potash; while the
phosphorus is used by plants as
phosphorIc acid.
The seven Questions which may be
asked of the soil relate to these three
taken singly, to the three combined
Two by NO, and lastly where all three
may be lacking. To put the que tion
TO the soil plats are planned and LAD
IF in the field where it is desired TO
obtain information Of the needs for
full plant growth. and moderate
amounts of chemical manures contain
log only the one ingredient for which
.he test is being made are secured and
Geese are applied in regu ar order; Ob
ser wing to leave two or three eq lal
plats With no manure to show the eff 7cC
of the applications on the manure
plots.
A good form Of plat is to use one,
swo, or three rows across a field. Lev
tue unmanured plats be one on each
aide and one or two in the middle. Thr
exact area of each plat should be De-
termiDed by measure. All should be
of the same area and shape. The same
treatment and number of plants should
b9 gwen each plat. Thus every
con reliable condition should be alike
for all pEars except the chemical ma
nurss applied.
Tneee are called soil tests. We give
an order which may be observed i n
testing any gwen soil:
lat plat. No manure.
2 ld plat. Potash. Either as sulpbete
or as murlate, or a mixture Of these In
kainit.
BID plat. Phosphoric acid in acid
phosphate or bone black.
45n plat. Nitrogen in sodium nitrate
OF suIphate of ammonia.
9Th plat. No manure.
6 h plat. Potash, acid phosphate and
sodium nitrate.
75h plat. Potash and acid phosphate.
6.h plat. Acid phosphate and nitro
gen.
9 b plat. Potash and nitrogen.
10Th plat. No manure.
Some lines calcium is lacking and
may be applied but 1t is rather regard
ed as a stimulating application than as
a necessarily lacking constituent of the
plants food.
While the crop is growing on these
plats the farmer examines the growth
of the crop and notes che development
to find il any differences Of growth
occur and where, in order to secure an
intelligent n Wer to his queries and
to be able to draw his conclusions out
of the work for hi. future use. The
crop should be carefully harvested by
plats so the final result in mature crop