The Somerset reporter., 1904-09-01
USE OF FERTILIZERS.
II Is Spreading In the West-Nttrate
of Soda on High Priced Crops.


By EDWARD B. VOORHEES,. New Jer-
sey Experiment Station.
Great gains have been made in the
past few years in our knowledge of
the necessity Of Using and in the meth
DDS of use of, commercial fertilizers.
\ point of primary Importance that
has been learned is that their applica-
ton is necessary for the most profit
able culture Of many of the crops grown
not only In the east and south, but
also In sections of the country where
1t was formerly believed that the nat
ural fertility of the soil would suffice
for many generations. Their use has
spread from the states of the east and
south to those of the middle and north
west and Pacific slope Wisconsin,
Colorado, Minnesota and California
now use many tons annually. The
question as to the need of fertilizer
settled, the next in Importance is how
to use the materials containing the es-
sental plant food elements in such
manner az to contribute TO the best
growth and development of the plants
under the wide variety of conditions
that exist and thus secure the largest
financial return from their application.
suppIementinR Soil Supplies.
The aim usually IN the use Of arti-
fetal fertilizers is to so supplement
soil supplies OF plant food as to obtain
profit, and, as already intimated,
the profits for the different crops will
to some extent be in proportion TO
their economical use Of the constitu
ents applied. Still, one should not be
deferred from the use Of fertilizing
materials, even If the conditions should
render the application apparently
%'aStefai or a sfaaH recovery OK The
constituents applied, provided the in
crease In yield will more than pay the
cost Of the application. The farmer
should calculate what increase In crop
Is necessary for him to obtain In or.
der to make the use Of fertilizers profit.
able, and If only this Is obtained, he
should not condemn their use. Many
persons seem to have gotten the I'M
preston that there is some mystery
connected with fertilizers, and that
their use is a gamble at best, and are
not satisfied unless the returns from
the investment in them are dispro.
portionately large. We very often hear
the statement that. by the use of Ger.
tain fertilizers, the crop is doubled or
tripled, as If this were remarkable
occurrence and partook of the nature
of n mystery. Such results are not
mysterious-they can be explained;
they are In accordance with the prin-
ciples involved.
Profit on Crops of Value.
In an experiment on celery 1t was
shown that the weight of celery frorl
an application Of 400 pounds per acre
of nitrate of soda was two and one
half times greater than that obtained
on the land upon which no nitrate was
used and that very great profit follow
ed its use. This result, while remark
able in a way, was not mysterious. II
all the nitrogen applied had been used
by the crop there would have been
still greater increase. 1t simply show
ed that where no extra nitrogen had
been applied the plant was not able to
obtain enough to make the crop that
the conditions OF the season and soil In
other respects permitted. In other
words, that the soil did not contain a
complete food the nitrogen was neces-
sary to supply the deficiency. Fayora-
bic conditions are, however. not uni
form, and variations in return from
definite applications must be expected.
1t is quite possible to have a return
of $50 per acre from the use of So
worth Of nitrate of soda on crops Of
high value, as, for example, early to-
matoes beets, cabbage, etc. This is an
extraordinary return for the money in
vested and labor involved. Still. If tie
value of the increased crop from It's
use was but SO. or even IS, II should
be regarded as n profitable investment
since no more land and but little lnore
capital was required in order to obtain
the extra 50 or S3 per acre. 1t is the
accumulation of these little extras that
oftentimes change an Improbable into
a profitable practice.