The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-03-15
The Use of Commercial Fertilizers.

briefly sets forth certain important
facts which should always be clearly
kept in mind in using fertilizers:
1t should always be borne in mind
that the success of a crop depends on
four other conditions besides that OF
the fertilizer used to feed 1t. All farm
crops require certain average amounts
of heat, light, air and water in order
to develop an average growth, and just
the right amount of each for the largest
possible yield. Thus weather conditions
may favor or hinder a crop to such
an extent that the fertilizer has ap-
parently no effect, and these facts have
led more than one to the conclusion u 1t
fertilizers were useless. Fertiliz-
ers can not make good a lack Of sun
shine or rain, but they can help the
sunshine and rain to do their BEST there
fore when the weather is favorable they
increase the profits and when it is UNI
favorable they lessen the losses.
The condition Of the soil in it's relation
to air and water is of the greatest i'm
portance in the profitable use Of COM
mercial fertilizers. When a soil Is too
wet, it allows too little air to reach the
roots of plants, simply because the
water crowds it out In average sea-
sons some soils are too wet and others
are too dry for the following reasons:
A crop of three tons of hay or one of
fifteen tons of silage corn per acre
would result in the removal from the
soil of about 500 tons Of water. To
supply this water there would need to
be between seven and eight inches OF
rainfall during the growing season #
each crop. At Durham the average rain
fall in April, May and June Is 9.6 inches.
and during May, June, July and Aug
ust it is 1913 inches. If this rain were
uniformaly distributed, 1t would be
fully enough for grass and little too
much for corn. AS it Is not, both
crops need the soil in such condition
that it will hold enough water at all
times for their needs, while allowing
the surplus to drain away.
On soils Of average texture the re-
ouisite moisture conditions can be main
tanned by tillage, and If needed, by
drainage on low levels; but with ex-
treme types, as heavy clay loams or
light sandy loans, there is needed more
thorough treatment by increasing the
amount of vegetable matter, since there
is no more effective way of making over
a soil in it's relation to water and air
than this.
In using commercial fertilizers as
source of the food elements needed by
crops it should be remembered that
there is little positive evidence that
they can make over the soil in its rela-
ton to water, hence they always do
their best work and are most profit
able on soils which are in good aver
age condition, neither too heavy and wet
nor too light and dry Furthermore
the continuous growth of annual crops,
whether hoed or broadcast ADDS no
vegetable matter to the soil, except In
the roots and stubble, and 1t is common
to find that the first crop or corn on
sod land, with commercial fertilizers, Is
superior to that Of the second year. I'M
doubtedly because the vegetable matter
of the old turf helped maintain salts
factory moisture condition in the first
year and was largely destroyed before
the second year.
The most economical use of CONNER
cial fertilizers is only reached when they
are applied in rotations in which the
soil is maintained in good moisture con-
dition by the use of barnyard manure
or the vegetable matter from crops for
the purpose.
Although the food elements In COM
mercial fertilizer form but one or the
several conditions needed for the best
development of the crop, it Is important
that these elements should be suited to
the demands Of the crop at every tage
of it's growth, else the product will not
be as large as the other conditions would
permit. It is the most common practice
to use this class of fertilizers with
the annual crops and there are good rea'
sons for such practice, as shown by
fertilizer experiments.
Annual crops, whether oats, corn, po'