Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-07-26
FARM AND GARDEN.
The Basic or Thomas Phosphate.


Eds. Country Gentleman: This article
is suggested by looking over some leaflets
advertising phosphate which Is therein
recommended as the Tone and only fer
tilizer suitable for all soils ana crops,
under any and all conditions. From the
analysis given, this phosphate, thus
vauntingly placarded, is valuable
manurial agent, but it is not well suited
to many of the. uses recommended,
neither is it a cure all for soil ills. What
a pity that manure OF merit whlcn
might so benefit mankind should be IN
the hands of agents totally Ignorant of
the principles underlying rational manur-
ing and crop production. l mean no
offence to the agent, who is no doubt
"honest in ignorance" but on question
which bears so directly on the food sup
ply, plain speaking should be demanded.
1t takes hard cash to purchase CONNER
cial fertilizers, and farmers should not
be deceived into expecting results which
are not reasonably certain. 1t Is idle to
tell us afterwards that we will get results
in future crops, when we have been
promised them directly. | could point
out many unwarrantable statements in
these pamphlets, but let them pass.
Reading Of this phosphate brought to
my mind another and very important
form of phosphate, which is not very ex-
tensively used in this country. and |
understand the bulk of 1t produced in
this country is exported. to Germany.
At any rate, it is not sold under its best
known name in the United States. My
reference is to that remarkable product
of the steel industries, the basic or
Thomas phosphate. 1t has found its
way into the experiment station. and by
the bulletin reports it has gwen good
account of itself. Some years since its
use was advocated, and | began by using
ten tons imported from Germany, and
got most excellent results. 1t is espec-
tally suited to clover growing, and for
meadows and pastures l consider it I'M
surpassed. A special knowledge of
manuring, which has been my study for
many years, and being well acquainted
with the German and English expert
ments, saved me the disappointment
with it which some others suffered. 1t
was recommended by ignorant agents IS
"the only thing required to increase all
kinds of crops at a wonderful rate; and
while under proper circumstances 1t gave
most excellent results in crops. it of
course could not do the whole manuring
trick any more than isolated manuring
with potash or nitrogen could.
This phosphate is made from the Stag
of the basic Bessemer steel converters,
resulting from the Thomas Gilchrist iron
NH ,bnr t. Il,
furnace slag-not even open-hearth basic
Stag The process is only applied 10
highly phosphate pig-iron for driving
the phosphorus out and producing steel
almost phosphorus-free. The dolomite
lining of the steel converter, and the
lime 6ux put in for second blowing, fur
nish the basis for the phosphoric acid of
the iron, and blowing air into the melted
iron causes the combination to be formed
which is what is called tetra-basic or
four-lime phosphate.
From Is to 30 per cent. of phosphoric
acid is got in the slags, but IS to 90 per
cent. Is more common. Chemists, for
some time, considered it insoluble phos-
phate, as it was an unknown combina-
ton, and because it showed but slight
solubility in ammonium citrate by ordi-
nary methods. Prof. Wagner, however
found it quite as available as superphos-
phate in humus SOIL and be sought for
and perfected what is known as "Wag-
ner's process" of analysis, which deter
mined its citrate solubllity correctly.
Experiments at Darmstad Station with
various crops proved the correctness of
Wagner's process in showing the ayaila-
bility of the Thomas Stag, so that it now
accepted all over the world by agricultur-
al official analysts. The silica and mag
nesia of the Stag are believed by some to be
an important combination. The Stag is
ground to an impalpahle dark-gray pow
der, the fineness being about 100 mesh.
The lime content is about 80 per cent, and
much of this is free caustic lime. Being
highly alkaline or basic, it is we'll suited
for agricultural purposes; but Its most
successful application is undoubtedly in
connection with clover for manuring,
and on meadows and pastures.
1t seems an ideal way of manuring the
wheat crop with phosphoric acid through
the medium of the preceding clover crop,
and under its influence clovers redouble
their exertions in collecting and storing
atmospheric nitrogen. Actual scientific
work, carried on at an estate in Germany,
showed l76 to 267 pounds of nitrogen per
acre added to the soil through slag-phos-
phated legumes.
1t seems to have an astonishing effect
on the feeding qualities of grasses of the
meadow and pasture, and its after effect
Tor five years, showing gradual increase
during that time, is most interesting.
Would it not benefit agriculture in our
country il the steel companies could be
Induced to utilize the process, and while
using our bountiful stores of phosphor-
Gus ores, produce cheaply for us this
valuable phosphate, which is made and
used in Europe to the extent Of millions
of tons yearly? One English writer cal
culates that every ton which is exported
is loss to the country of five pounds