The Jasper news., 1908-08-13
FERTILIZERS FOR WHEAT
State Expert Miller Discusses Time
Iy Topic for Farmers.

The use OF fertilizers on wheat is rapid |
ly increasing 10 Missouri. The facts |
are, that on practically al the land 10
the state where wheat is extensively
grown, excepting the river bottoms and
some OF the better soils in central and
north hwestern Missouri, fertilizers have
been found TO pay handsome profits
when properly used. This has been
shown by numerous experiments which
the State Experiment Station has been
conducted throughout the state, as
well rs by the experiments OF many
farmers.
The first problem is to know what
fertilizer to use' an1s, inii,aan OF the
most dilfcult 3D. that trifles farmer
has to solve, sincsihiIA -E2 their
fertilizer requirements from one type to
another. ltis almost necessary, these
fore. for each farmer to determine for
himself the most profitable application
The results on various experimental
fields throw great deal OF light on this
question and may be briefly given as
follows:
First that practic lily all the wheat
soils Of Missouri lack two elements in
particular for the profitable production
of wheat. These are nitrogen and
phosphorus. Consequently lands which
contain these two ingredients 10 large
quantities are found to bring the largest
returns.
Second, it has been demonstrated very
conclusively that for most Of the wheat
soils Of the state nitrogen and lhospho.
rus are Of special importance in increas.
ing yields and also in bringing large
net return. The question, therefore,
resolves itself into matter ofsupply ing
nitrogen and phosphorus. Since nitro
gen is the most expensive element when
purchasing fertilizer it bas been
found that ordinarily it is much more
economical 10 put the nitrogen into the
soil by means Of such crops as cowpeas
and clover and to arIly phosphorus rs a
fertilizer. Consequently where IA man
can rotate his crops with reasonable
regularity, inserting crop of clover
or cowpeas every three or four years the
application Of 100 to 15O pounds of
superphosphate or steam bone meal will
be most economical application. The
superphosphate is more soluble than
the bona but does not have as lasting
effect; consequently for the man who
wishes to maintain the fertility, the
bone would ordinarily be preferable,
!. The superphosphate will be better for
, the man who wishes immediate results
J and cares not for the future OF his land.
II the land IL badly worn the raw bone
meal is usurlly better than the steamed
bone, mainly because it contains more
nitrogen. In the badly worn lands,
I fertilizers containing potassium in ad-
! dition to nitrogen and phosphorus will
frequently be more remunerative; such
} q fertilizer is what is commonly known
! as ammoniatej bone and potash or one
of the grain growers and should be
applied at the rate of 100 to l50 pounds
per acre.
A distinction must be made between
the farmer who wisl es to set immediate
I I results from the fertilizer regardless o
4 the fleet upon his land and the mar
4 who wishes to combine the use of fer
tilizers with good system OF rotation
\ which will keep up his land, since fer
! tilzers alone will never maintain sol
} fertility. They are merely temporar,
7 expedients to bring an immediate crop.
The proper use OF fertilizers on whea,
or any other crop is in connection with
4 the hest system OF crop rotation anc
manureing that man can practice,
4 using the fertilizer simply to supply
the one or two elements which such {
system cannot maintaIr, AS already
B indicated for the most Missouri sol
} these two are Nitrogen aud phosphorus
, and ordinarily the nitrogen may bt
? n aintained by the use Uf clover, COW
4 peas and manureing, so that some form
4 of phosphorus will be the only piactica
4 application for the farmer who is X
< economically maintain his soil in tht
! highest state OF fertility.
} The use OF ground rock phosphate
} has been advocated to somo extent il
, Missouri, but as a direct application
for wheat it does not, as rule, giv'