Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-04-12
THE CITIZEN.
THE USE OF NITROGEN.
Intelligent Adjustment OF the Ferti-
LIZ o.. LII. Is Id ~ lrnn-

Iizer to the Kind OF Crop.
The need Of definite information in
regard 10 the application Of fertilizers
gives special interest TO the views Of
Professor L. B. voorhees, Of New Jer-
sey. who has made a study Of the nitro
gen question. Professor Voorhees, re
minds the farmer that the best use Of
nitrogen is attained when it is applied
TO soils in good condition rather than
20 poor or worn out soils.
Also the influence Of kind Of crop, in
determining the possible profits from
the use of the materials applied, affects
more particularly the constituent nj
trogen. For example. the liberal appH-
cation of materials containing nitrogen
to crops which possess a low market
value may result in a maximum pro-
duction-that is. as large an increase
in yield as il is possible 10 obtain-yet
because the nitrogen is so expensive
the value Of the increased yield may
not be equal 10 the cost Of the nitrogen
applied. On the other hand, its appli-
cation to crops Of a high commercial
value, though not causing 50 large a
propOrtiouate gain in crop. may result
in a larger profit. because the cost Of
the nitrogen though considerable. is
relatively a small item when compared
with the increased value Of the crop
obtained from its use. This adjust
ment Of the fertilizer 10 ur kind Of
crop is not matter Of Indifference.
In the nest place. thr form of nitro
gen used * very important. particular
ly In the culture Of early market gar
den crops. Market garden crops. as tur-
nips. bects. tomatoes and others. in or
der to be highly profitable. must be
grown aud harvested early. At this
season the natural soil agencies are not
active in the change Of soil nitrogen
into available forms. and the plants
must therefore be supplied artificiaIly
with the active forms Of nitrogen if
rapid and continuous growth Is to be
maintained. Their edible quality is de-
pendent to marked degree upon this
rapidity Of Development. hence a sup
ply Of plant food in reasonable excess
Of ordinary demands is essential in or
der that unfavorable conditions Of sea
son may in part at least be overcome.
Nitrogen exists in commercial prod
ucts in a form that is Immediately
namely, nitrates; yet the
fact that n nitrate is extremely liable
to loss makes it desirable to determine
first whether this most available form
is in actual practice Of greater or less
service than those other forms which
are rapidly changed into this active
form, but which before their change
are not liable to be lost from the soil.
For example, the nitrogen in nitrate OF
soda is Immediately available TO the
plant. If It Is applied before or at the
time Of seeding. in such quantity as to
meet the entire demands Of the crop,
an opportunity Is afforded for loss pre-
yious to the time that the plant has
thrown out its roots and Is able to gath
or It from the soil. and also during its
early growth, when il IS unable to
gather it rapidly. Sulphate Of ammo
mia and dried blood are forms which
change very rapidly into the nitrate
form, but which previous TO that
change are readily held by the soil.
In the use Of any Of these forms.
therefore, the conditions which prevail
between the time they are applied and
the time that they can be used by the
plants would determine their relative
usefulness, and 1t Is, therefore, quite
possible that under the same methods
Of application the one on the average
might be as useful as the other, yet the
oretically the active form would be the
most desirable.