The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-05-14
No. l3
Farm Miscellany.
THE FERTILIZER PROBLF1T.

Correspondence Of The Progressive Farmer.
When Prof Withers was Chemist
at the n. G. Experiment Station,
some one sent a sample of soil for
analysis, stating that the land from
which it was taken was apparently
rich and well drained, but crops
would not grow on it. The sender
stated that he wanted to know the
cause and the remedy. Prof. Withers
replied: "The analysis was not
made, because no solvent has been
discovered to represent the power of
the plant to take it's food from the
soil.'
I do not exactly understand what
Prof. Withers meant; but suppose
that he meant something like this:
A few years ago the tee irons at a
certain point on railroad north of
us kept breaking, and, unable to
learn the cause, the railroad COM
pany sent a chemist to investigate
it. He discovered thread-like worms
which possessed the power to secrete
a fluid that would dissolve the iron
and enable them to feast on it, after
which they so honey -combed the
irons as to make them brittle. Prof.
Withers probably claims that plants
possess a similar power. But did
they, it appears that there would be
no use for solvents to reduce plant
food, as the plant would, by it's own
alchemy, manufacture, dissolve and
eat.
But it is known to a certainty that
they cannot appropriate many sub
stances until they are rendered solu.
bic by some external agency. They
seem to take up their food upon the
suction principle-by capillary at
traction, we will say-and nature
must put it in liquid, semi-liquid
or gaseous state before they can
use it.
There are two conditions in nature,
aciditY and alkalinity, and am of
the opinion that upon these the
whole manUrial question hinges an
excess of either producing unfavor-
able conditions.
Appearances are deceptive Land
often appears dry when the subsoil
is full of water and too much water
causes an acid state of the soil. The
remedy in such cases is drainage.
This lets in the air and other forces
and permits changes which other
wise could not take place. But
should this fail, it becomes evident
that the excess must be removed by
naturalization which will result from
application of an alkali, such as
lime, etc.
am not chemist. I know but
little about chemistry, but in Study
ing First Lessons in Chemistry at
school, I learned that all nature 10
made up from few primary ele.
ments, and that in forming COM
pounds these elements are governed
by fixed and unalterable laws OF
combination known as combining
numbers; that the law of affinity
which brings them together to pro-
duce the various changes will not act,
until the proper proportions are met.
For instance, water is composed Of
two elements, oxygen and hy-
drogen; but they will not form
water unless they are put to-
gether in the proper proper
tions. And so with other compounds.
And herein lies the reason for the
unsatisfactory results from the ap-
plication Of commercial fertilizers:
we cannot know the proportions of
these elements already in the soil,
and hence don't know what proper
tions of ammonia, phosphoric acid
and potash to apply to furnish the
requisite combining numbers to pro-
duce the changes necessary to form
and iberate plant food.
Very little of the guano put in the
soil goes into the plant in the same
form in which it enters the soil.
Plants must have their food pre-
pared before they can use it, as we'll
as human beings and these changes
prepare it. Hence, better results
follow the use of guanos when they
are thoroughly mixed with the soil,
because the mixing brings the ap-
piled elements in contact with the
soil contents in way to furnish
combining numbers so that the chem
ical changes may take place.
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