The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-12-05
PLANT FOOD.
Principles of Plant Life and orowtf
Plainly Stated.

The farmer reads great deal about
plant food. but to great many the
functions of plant food have never
been explained. Some farmers have
the mistaken idea that 1t is impossible
for them to understand the functions
OF or to know anything about plant
food. They think that these hidden
things are for the chemist alone to
know, There are methods by which
these seeming mysteries may be told.
These methods are so simple that the
most unlearned can understand them
and know what plant food is and what
its functions are.
What 10 plant food7 Anything which
when taken into a living body is able
to sustain and nourish 1t, is food.
Plant food, then, is any element,
whether derived from the soil or the
air, that will sustain and nourish the
plant when It is taken into the plant g
body. There are 13 elements that
plants take into their bodies and incor.
porate into their structure. II Is
claimed that three of these are not
essential and therefore, strictly speak.
ting, are not plant food. The 13 ele-
ments are oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen,
carbon, sulphur. phosphorus, potash
lime, magnesium. iron, chlorin, sodium
and silicon. The last three named
are said not to be essential. or the
ten essentials the farmer has but lit
tie control over the amount of oxygen
hydrogen, carbon. sulphur. magnesium
and iron. Wherever there are enough
Of the other elements there We gen
orally find enough Of these elements
to grow crops abundantly. 1t 10 only
occasionally that the farmer has tc
devote any particular attention to the
supply Of lime. This leaves only three
elements over which the farmer has
any considerable control-nitrogen
phosphorus and potash. BY some au
thorities these three elements alone
are considered a. plant food. Il
plants fail to grow and produce Q!
times out Of every hundred It 10 be
cause ono or more of these ele
provides for these and sees that theil
supply 10 ample he can grow crop
that produce profitably.
Each of these three plant foods hal
different function to perform. The!
can not change works. That IL, on
can not perform the once of the other
n one element is not in the soil in sui
ficient quantities. then . failure o
crops 10 the result.
The nitrogen is needed to promot
growth Of the plants. Without 1t tn
plants are puny and the growth in
ferior. Then It deepens the color O
the plant. In soils that have an abur
dance Of nitrogen, the plants are
rich, dark green color. Too muc
nitrogen makes too rank a growth O
the plant while the production O
flowers, fruit and grain is retarded.
Phosphorus is needed to assist 4
the formation Of pollen and to haste
In the maturity of the crop. Withou
a sufficient amount of this element tn
plant sometimes remains green an
unmatured long after II should be ms
tured. 1t Is especially important 4
the northern limits Of the corn bel
where frosts sometimes come earl
in the fall. II the supply Of phospht
rus 10 too small the corn may kee
green too long and be affected b
frosts.
Potash Is needed In the formatio
and transference of starch In tn
plant. All fruit and grain contai
starch and without It fruit and graf
can not be formed. Without potas
starch can not be formed in the leave
ana transferred to the fruit or grain.