The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1901-02-28
WORTHLESS. Fertilizer Folss.

The North Carolina College OF Agi-
culture has sent out a warning aosAs-
ing farmers not to buy the fertiilzer
formulas that are being extensively
advertised and sold. 1t says that In
the first place most OF the formulas
are of 10 value, and in he's second place
that the agricultural colleges are al
ways ready to supply the very best
formulas free. 1t then publishes q
formula that had been purchased OF
one of these agents for IS. 1t says:
One ton of the fertilizer" would be
made up as follows:
55S lbs. Stable manure
s lbs. Potash.
4 lbs. Nitrate Of soda.
4 lbs. "Copperas."
IL lbs. Muriate OF ammonia
s lbs. phosphate acid"
sS lbs. Warm water.
81 lbs. Lime.
927 lbs. New dirt.
243 lbs. Ashes.
so lbs. Salt.
1000 lbs. Total.
Some of these ingredients call for
special mention:
The substance acid phosphate, or su-
perphosphate, is in common use Tor
fertilizing purposes, and phosphoric
acid is also known to the chemist, but
there Is no such substance as "phos-
plate acid" and consequently, 1t Is i'm
possible for the farmer to purchase IT,
Muriate OF ammonia is not used for
fertilizing purposes and is not IL
censed for sale in the state for such
purposes. The only portion OF It which
is of value to plants Is nitrogen. and
1t can be obtained more cheaply In the
form of sulphate OF ammonia, nitrate
of soda, or organic substances. The d.
rections for making Home Fertilizer
are to mix the chemicals with warm
water. Under these circumstances the
ammonia will be set free by the potash
and be lost.
Copperas has been used upon expert
mental plots and found to be OF no
value In promoting plant growth.
Nitrate OF Soda is valuable to plants
when enough is used. In the Home
Fertilizer" only four pounds per ton
of compost are used, and this quantity
is too small to be Of any value. The
nitrogen In four pounds of nitrate of
soda would be furnished by about three
dead cats and three dead cats to the
acre would not help the plants very
much.
Commercial potash is a mixture OF
potassium carbonate, caustic potash
and caustic soda. 1t is not used for
fertilizing purposes and is not licensed
for sale for such purposes. II is OBJ
Jecfionable because, on account OF its
caustic properties, 1t would tend TO
set ammonia free, and because the
fertilizing element which 1t furnishes
can be obtained more cheaply from the
potash salts which are found upon the
market. The actual potash in four
pounds Of commercial potash could be
obtained from one bushel OF ashes.
Lime is OF value on some soils, but
when used IL is best to apply 1t di-
rectly to the soil at the rate of one ton
or more per acre. In the compost heap
It sometimes aids and sometimes
checks fermentation. It's value in the
compost heap is questionable, and IL
Is not recommended for such use by
the leading authorities.
Salt does not furnish any element
which is needed by the plant, and II is
of no value in the compost heap. Many
years & 1t was used In the compos
heap with lime, but 1t Is no longer used
in that way. as it Is considered to be
Of no benefit.
Nearly one-half OF a ton OF Home
Fertilizer" is new dirt. The only OBJ
ject in using new dirt In a compost
heap is To catch any ammonia which
might otherwise be lost. For this pur-
pose small quantities are sufficient.
When large quantities of new dirt are
used the fertilizing strength of the
compost is weakened and a large
mount of unnecessary labor In hand
ling is involved.