The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-19
AGRICULTURAL.
FERTILIZERS OR PLANT FOODS.

FERTILIZERS OR PLANT FOODS.
 The farmers of the west are now taking a great deal of interest in the question of of the most important problems that confront the American farmer today. The farnlers here in Kansas where 1 am now engaged in a lecture tour, are just where our farmers of Alabama and Georgia were twenty years ago on the fertilizer question The soils here are refusing to respond to the farmers efforts as they did years ago, when the country was new. and the farmers wonder why. This condition is not confined to this section alone, but is common all over our coun- try The question of soil fertility and tho maintenance of soil fertility is one that our farfhers are now forced to make a careful study of and a proper appl- cation of the necessary plant foods must be made to our. soils in order for us to get such crops as will pay us for our labor.
 Our readers of The Age-Terald are fortunate in the matter of general in- formation on this subject, as we have in Birmingham. Atlanta and Memphis manufacturers of plant foods who are disseminating quite an amount of valu- able information on the uses of cemmer- cial fertilizers. Much of this information is very conservative and reliable. The Virginia Carolina Chemical company of Memphis or Atlanta and the Amzi God den company of Birmingham, are dis seminating much valuable information on plant foods and our readers should send for their publications and read and study them.
 Situation in Kansas.
 Here in Kansas. I find that when the soil refuses to respond as it should, the farmer goes with his grief to his mer- chant for advice and the merchant, as a rule. knows no more about fertilizers than does the farmer, so he secures the address of some mafufacturer of these plant foods, opens correspondence with them and, unless such fertilizer manu- faeturer is honest in hls statements and dealings, the merchant is apt to be taken advantage of and he sends and buys something for his customers that per- haps they already have in their soils and do not need at all The money paid out for such goods Is worse than thrown away, for besides the cost of the ferti- lizer. there is the expense and labor in preparing the soil and applying this stuff that vii be of no benefit.
 This condition of things is quite com mon in all sections of our country. It is quite apt to be the case that if the agent who is selling fertilizers is more directly interested In the manufacture Of some one element of plant food, say that of nitrate Of soda. he is apt to try to get his customers to believe that all the soils of his section needs nitrogen, or, if he is interested in the manufacture of potash he is apt to teach that muriate of potash is the thing needed. Again, if he Is interested more in phosphate he is liable to teach that phosphorio acid is the proper thing. Now the facts are that all soils need all three of these vitalzers. There may be, however. in some soils q good supply of potash and phosphoric acid. so only nitrogen may be needed. But the question is asked me every day how the farmer Is to know in what ele- ment of plant fod his soil is deficient This question Is easily enough answered Far mers arc misled in many instances by be- ing told that they can have their soils analysed and in this way iinu out what plant foods are needed The better way is for the farmer to watch the growth Of his crops. as these arc the best indicators of the deficiencies Of his soils.
 Rules to Be Observed.
 The farmer who Is growing cotton should watch his cotton plantsl if the plants are making an over-growth of weed and are not settifg oa forms and fruits. 1t is an indication that the plant is over-fed with nitrogen and that phos- phoric acid and potash are needed to check the too rapid growth Of weed and cause the plant to set fruit On the other hand, if there is but puny stalk growth. and the plant begins to set fruit prenaturely it Is evident that there is not enough nitro- gen to properly balance lip the acid phos- with corn and wheat. or, In fact true with almost all trees and plants grown on the farm. The nearer that these three Elements Of plant foods are balahced. the better will be the results and the greater the yield of the crops Not only Will the yield be largely increased, but the ma turity of the fruits and grains will be earlier and much more uniform. where this matter is fully understood and prac- ticed
 There is another great trouble in re- gard to plant foods. Many farmers are seeking for soinetlIng chsap and they ex- pect great results to cOhie from plant foods by small outlay of money and labor No greater mistake could be made II is the poorest of econonny for farmers to buy cheap fertilizers and cheap seeds Just 3 glance into this matter should convince the farmer of this fact During the last few days I have been greatly amused at farmers who come to me and say that they are afraid of spelling their land b. the use of com