The Tupelo journal., 1906-01-12
Does It Pay to Use Commercial
Fertilizer?
DEAR Mr.. EDITOR:

EGFuliLeTl
DEAR Mr.. EDITOR:
There is probably no question
of the day SO momentous, or one
agitating the minds of the farm
ing classes, as the one propoun-
ded above, and perhaps a little
heart to heart" talk on the
subject, shorn of the usual en-
bellishments in the form Of
chemical equation or algebraic
formula, may not be altogether
out of place, but may strike a
responsive chord in the hearts Of
your readers.
Let us pause awhile and brood
over the events that gave rise
to the question, Does it pay to
use Commercial Fertilizers?"
Removing from the soil it's life
elements, year after year, and
each succeeding year strenuously
striving to increase it's produc-
tiveness, with hopes of greater
remuneration, are problems for
serious reflection, problems that
cannot be overcome except by a
liberal use of what we call Com
mercial Fertilizer. When you
begin to realize that during the
past decade, the demand and
supply of this article has been
steadily increasing, so much so
that it has grown out of all pro-
portion, and stands today by far
the most important industry of
the south. An industry of more
than passing interest, for out of
a possible three million tons an
nually made in the United States
and sold, two million at least are
made right here in the south, a
greater part Of which is used by
southern planters.
One can readily see at glance
that the immense aggregation of
wealth required and yearly spent
in the production of this all. inn
portant commodity, which fact
alone in itself is sufficient to give
an affirmative answer to the.
above. Yes, it does pay to use
Commercial Fertilizer. Why?
Because they replentish the soil
in every element Of plant food
lacking, they advance the plant
to a proper state of maturity, it
aids it materially to a full devel-
opment, and increases the pro-
duction Of the land by perma-
nently enriching it.
Soils, as you are doubtless
aware, differ and vary very much
in both substance and quality,
and their different requirements
are difficult to ascertain. Sandy
lands as a rule are reputedly de-
fcient in the constituents that
go to make up plant food, while
clay soils contain an abundance.
Again we find soils with little or
no mineral deposits, but rich in
vegetable matter, and as a natur-
al sequence such lands are ex-
cellent for cultivation. Lime is
also a valuable adjunct, and
claimed by some authorities,
vile" as an actual necessity.
1t certainly benefits some soils by
breaking up the mineral combi-
nations, much more e~ffectually
than President Roosevelt broke
up the great philanthropic COM
bination known as the Beef
Trust when he pretended to go
after it a few years ago.
Lime decomposes all vegetable
matter, and generally improves
the mechanical condition of the
soil, rendering all soils more re-
sponsive to liberal applications
of Commercial Fertilizers.
Of the thirteen clements dis
covered by chemical analysis IN
the various plants registered, and
known to the scientific world as
plant food constituents" nine
are furnished in abundance
through natural agencies, of the
balance, three are all we have
to deal with, and they are fur
nished through the aid of the
Commercial Fertilizers, and if
want to obtain the best re-
suits from the soil we are com
PEELED by sheer necessity to use