The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-09-23
VALUE IN FERTILIZERS.
What the Farmers Pay For-Nitrogen,
Phosphoric Acid and Potash and the
Sources from which they are Obtained.

One of the most important things connected
with successful farming is, of course, the main
tenance of soil fertility. It's an admitted fact
that there is nothing that is so generously
good, both for immediate results and for feed
ing the soil with humus, as good barnyard
manure from stables in which variety of
stock is fed. The great problem is to secure
sufficient of this for the many fields on the
farm, and because the supply is not equal TO
the demand chemical fertilizers are used in
stead of manure. Notwithstanding hundreds
of thousands of tons of chemical fertilizer are
bought by farmers every year, there is proba-
bly, no one thing of which the farmers gener
ally know so little.
DIR. Paul Schweitzer, in bulletin No 43 of
the Missouri Experiment Station, gives the
following sensible "Advice to Farmers :
1t is well to bear in mind that in the pur-
chase of fertilizer, TO matter by what name
or under what guarantee 1t is sold, the only
things of value are the available phosphoric
acid, potash and nitrogen-not all of the phos-
phoric acid, potash and nitrogen which the fer
tilizsr may contain, but only those portions of
the three substances mentionedwhich are avail
able to the plants, and that means the portions
which are either directly suluble in water or in
such physical condition as to be easily alb
sorbed by the roots that come in contact with
them. If, therefore, fertilizer Is bought
under the claim of containing l2l per cent. of
available phosphoric acid, then hundred
pounds of it contains l2l pounds of value, the
rest, s71 pounds, being so much dross or use.
less incumbrance, and if sold under the claim
of containing 81 per cent. Of available nitro
gen, II per cent. of water-soluble potash and
per cent. of available nitrogen, Il per cent.
of water soluble potash and per cent. of
available phosphoric acid, then Is pounds in
the 100 pound sack are of value and the rest
incumbrance.
Now it is plain that 10 rely implicitly on the
claim made for an article of commerce by its
manufacturer would be uuwise, for, though
responsible houses can as a rule be trusted,
the lack Of supervision would beget careless
ness, and this works without exception TO the
detriment Of the buyer Ii is for this reason
that the State by its Fertilizer Inspection law
endeavors to protect the farmer; this aw
places the responsibility of seeing HAT The
fertilizers sold in this State are true to The
claims made for them upon The director Of
the experiment station or his agents. They
collect twice year-u the fall and in The
spriug-sanples of all fertilizers bought BY
farmers so FAR as they can be reached. and
subject Them TO careful chemical analysis.
the results Of which. along with the claims for
them, are published in bulletin for general
distribution. Every buyer of fertilizer should
receive or call for copy of this bulletin aud
compare the analytical statement with The
claim made for the article he bought 50 Ms 10
have a guide in future purchases.
No regulation Of the prices at which ferti-
lizers are sold can, of course, be attempted.
Healthy competition will a rule result in
fair charges, yet it is desirable for every farmer
10 ascertain for himself whether he actually
receives his moneys worth. Ii may be done
with tolerable degree of accuracy by pricing
the pound of available nitrogen at Ii cents,
the pound Of available phosphorie acid al 4
cents and the pound Of water soluble potash
at a cents. These prices are subject to iinc-
tuation and have 10 be revised every year, bat
they are thought at the present time 10 be- far
to producer and TO consumer.
The two fertilizers previously spoken Of will
consequently have the following values: The
first, with 12A per cent. Of available phospho.
ric acid. or l2l pounds Of it in loopound
sack, will be worth four times l2l cents, OF
so cents per 100 pounds, or $40 per ton, and
the second IS cents per 100 pounds, or SO
per ton; thes calculation is readily made aud
viii serve good purpose. A number Of
brands of bone meal are, for example, IN the
market, and selection has to be made Of the
number; this is the most difficult case, since,
in addition to the value Of the ingredients
mentioned, the phosphofie acid, listed as
insoluble in bone goods, should receive
valuation OF q cents per pound; but By cal
culating and adding the value to the rest a
comparison of the different brands can be
readily made with the prices at which they
are offered and the proper choice made intel.
lgently.
Potash, phosphorie acid and nitraies IN
certain amounts are necessary to insure sails
factory crops. These substances are taken up
by the plants largely during the early stages
of their growth, which fact has most import
ant bearing upon the whole question Of ma.
nuring, for it is plain that if the absorption Of
the largest part of the ash constituents takes
place during the early growth aud before the
full development of the root system a much
larger part, especially Of the very essential
food constituents OF the plant, must be present
in the soil than merely suffices for single
crop. The roots have not penetrated yet aud
spread through the whole mass Of cultivated
soil, and so the food must, so 10 speak, seek
the roots rather than the roots the food, aud
to do so effectively il must be present IN avail
able form on every particle of soil To stint
the plants at this early stage Of growth is fatal
to their fullest and best development and a
certain way to an inferior and short crop.
Nitrogen.
The term available, y so often used ia re.
gard to plant food implies solubility in water,
since the roots of plants can absorb nothing
but what is soluble. Whatever is insolable,
including the vast amount Of elementary nj
trogen in our atmosphere, is wholly unavail-
able excepting in the cause Of leguminous
plants, likewise does the available nitrogen in
our soil suffer gradual but continual loss
through surface washing or undertakings, by
which this most desirable aud eosiliest Of all
plant foods demands more careful and more
intelligent attention than the rest
We know there are virtually but two classes
of heterogeneous compounds which on account
of their solubility and experimental proof fur
nished therefor, can be taken up and assimi-
lated by the plants; these are ammonia salts and
salts of nitric acid. We also know By practi-
cal trials with our cultivated crops that the
latter is more effective than the former. There
is no doubt that the nitrates are preferable
and cheaper than other nitrogen salts and are
in reality the rational source of nitrogen for
farm crops, unless, indeed, we supply, as We
ought to do, the necessary nitrogen by rota-
ton, in which legumiuous plant, like clover
or alfalfa, takes a prominent part.
Besides those mentioned, the markets sup