The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-08-20
Fertilizers For Wheat.

The use Of fertilizers on wheat Is
rapidly increasing In Missouri. The
facts are, that on practically all oi
the land In the state where wheat is
extensively grown, excepting the
river bottoms and some OF the wet
ter soils In central and northwestern
Missouri, fertilizers have been found
80 pay handsome profits when prop.
erly used. This has been shown 10y |
numerous experiments which she
State Experiment Station has been
conducting throughout the state, ne
we'll as by the experiments OF many
farmers.
The first problem is TO know what
fertilizer to use, and this is one of1he
most difficult ones which the farmer
has to solve, since soils vary In th, lr
fertilizer requirements from one type
to another. Ia almost necessary,
therefore, for each larmer 80 deter
mine for himself the most profitable
application. The results on the
. various experimental fields throw Il
great deal Of light on this question
and may be given briefly rs follows:
} First. that practically all OF the
| wheat soils OF Missouri lack two ele.
ma ants In particular Tor the profitable
/. production Of wheat These arr
\ nitrogen and phosphorus. Conse
D Qnently lands which contain these
r twoingredients In large quantities ar
; found to bring the largest returns.
+ Second, It has been demonstrated
s very conclusively shat Tor most c
i the wheat soils of the state nitroge
Il and phosphorus are OF special I'm
aportsnce In Increasing yields an
g. also in bringing large net return
r The question, therefore, resolves II
u self into q matter OF supplying nitro
Il gen and phosphorus. Since nitroge
r, is the most expensive elem mt whe
ID purchasing a fertilizer it has bee
" found that ordinarily 1t is much mol
al economical to pat the nitrogen int
" the soil by means of such crops g
"a cowpeas and clover and TO sppl
q. phosphorus as q fertilizer. Col
r. 8. quently where a man can rotate h
ts crops with reasonably regularity, II
es serting a crop Of clover or cowps,
t every three or four years the apple
To- tion OF 100 to $50 pounds OF supe
Ok phosphate or steam bone meal "
Il. he q most economical application
r. The superphosphate is more solub
"a shan the bone but does not have
a. aasting effect; consequently Tor s.
lie man who wishes to maintain 81
at fertility, the bone would ordiDari
en- be preferable. The superphospha
d. will be better for the man Who wish
10. Immediate results and cares little 4
m the future OF bis land.
N. II the land is badly worn the ra
on bone is usually better than {
IT. steamed bone, mainly because 1t co
ts, tsins more nitrogen In the bad
al worn lands, fertilizers contsinil
he potassium in addition to nitrog
y. and phosphorus will frequently
Id, more remuneratiye; such iertiliz
ell. is what is commonly known as al
90 nominated bone and potash or one
eh the grain growers and should be a
al piled at the rate Ct 100 to II
&c. pounds per acre.
di. A distinction must be made |
es. tween the farm who wishes TO &
immediate results from the fertiliz
ue. regardless OF the effect upon his lal
Tic and the man who wishes to combi
He the use OF fertilizers with a good q
tic tenn OF rotation which will keep
h;a land alma foYtilizppa alone "