Rocky Ford enterprise., 1905-06-23

comes ayNiiaOic very siUwy. Inis
explains Why bone. which contains
about one fourth OF its weight OF
phosphoric acid. gave such striking
results when first used on these lands
and why plain acid phosphate. con-
taining one-seyentn OF It's weight OF
available pho5phoric acid. often gives
large returns on land where the only
fertilization has consisted OF manure
and clover. These phosphntes sup
piled the plant food most needed and
n marked increase IN the crop follow
ed.
The first fertilizers used In the
state contained no potash. For near
iy 20 years phosphntes containing q
small amount Of nitrogen were ex-
tcEslvciy used on lands whcro the
rotation was corn. wheat and clover.
These phosphatcs at iirst gave such
striking results that they were re-
Hardcd ns substitutes for manure.
The straw and stalks and tho clover
were taking from the soil largo guam
titles OF potash which wcre not rc-
turned. While tho total potash In clay
soils Is relatively high. tho amount
Of available potash Is not very great.
and Il i0cs not rcquiru many years
Of the above system OF cropping to
make serious inroads on tho avail.
able rupply. by far tho greater part
OF the potash In such soils is In such
an insolublo form that II cannot bc-
come available fast enough to provide
fos tho needs OF crops largo enough
10 be profitable.
This fact has become 20 apparent
that. during tho past few ycars. the
sales OF complete fertilizers and OF
phosphate and potash have greatly
Increased. but tho amount OF potash
In most OF tho wheat fertilizers docs
not exceed 2 per cent. and In many
cases is only per cent. This means
the addition OF only or : pounds OF
available potash per acre. which docs
not represent very large fraction OF
the 1: pounds needed by tho average
wheat crop and tho IS pounds needed
by tho clover. On lands where fer
tilixer has been used for n number
OF years ticrc is no doubt that the
amount OF potash In the fertilizer
ought to bc Increased In order TO Sc
cure the most profitable returns and
10 avoid further exhaustion OF the
available potash supply. or course.
wc cannot expect the most profitable
returns from the use OF wheat fer
made and the drainage is good. But
tiilarc and drainage will not supply
plant food that Is not present. end
they will seldom render insolublc
plant food available fast enough to
provide for paying crops for any con.
siderable period.
Tho wheat raiser may well ask II
he Is using enough fertilizer and n
' he 10 using the right kind. The aver.
Hgc amount used Ia 100 pounds per
mere. Experienced wheat growers nd.
NIT that twice the amount gives more
profitable returns. but they do not
Ike 20 spend the money for IL. The
'mistsi wheat fertilizers contain from
1-tcHG per cent of nitrogen. 4 to 8 per
cent or phosphoric acid and I to 2
per cent OF potash. As the result Of
experiments. the Ohio station recon.
.mends fol. exhausted soils a fertilizer
containing 80 per cent OF nitrogen.
L per cent of phosphoric acid and 6
per cent OF potash: Maryland found
the best wheat formula 10 be. 2 per
cent of nitrogen. per cent of, phos.
phoric acid and ~ per cent OF pot
ash: New York recommends per
cent OF nitrogen. z per cent OF phos-
phoric acid and per cent OF potash
at tho rate OF from 400 to 600 pounds
per acre. Where clover and manures
are returned to the soil. the Mary
rdand formula. or p formula OF 2 per
cent OF nitrogen. per cent Of phos-
ohoric acid and G per cent OF potash
ought TO carry the wheat through the