Milford chronicle., 1909-02-26
FELIX AGHUS ON HOW
To USE FERTILIZERS

ID ton to use fertilizer to the be.
a advantage, growing a proftab
I crop and also improving his Ian
h. at the same time. A good bon
$. fertilizer costs money, and it shoul
e be properly applied. The best an
< most economical way is to drill
ot in with the grain. The fertilize
.e warns the soil and being in al
n available form, is in a condition t,
1t be taken up by the delicate whea
r roots as soon as there is suficien
moisture to start termination. 1
h IS always best to spread coarse OF
l animal manure on the sod during
s winter to be plowed down in the
d spring for corn or roots, as the cul-
o tivatiOn Of the corn distributes the
: manure through the soil and
brings to the surface weed seeds
which are destroyed in the after
working of the crop. There are
two objects gained in frequent and
careful ultivation-the one is in
the tho. ugh pulverizatiOn Of the
soil, Leaving in the air, sanshine
and moisture necessary for plant
growth; the other is in the better
cleansing of the soil from weeds
and undesirable grass seeds. A
| good general rule for the farmer
to follow is to spread all the ami
NAL manure on the sod for the corn
and root crops. What is not need
ed for these should be spread over
the meadows to thicken and enrich
the sod and increase the growth of
the grass.
Good practice i ug consists
of keeping the filled with
humus, which is NJ .ng more than
rotted vegetable matter, made from
the drOppings of the cattle, mixed |
with straw or leaves used for bed
ding the animals and from the
thick grass sod turned under. HUI
mus IS necessary for holding mois-
ture, and it also favors the rapid Il
increase Of bacteria. When there
IS an abundant supply of humus in
the soil good fertilizer can be us
ed to the best advantage, as each
supplies what the other lacks.
Wheat requires a complete fertili-
zer, one made from animal bones,
as a fertilizer made from bones not
only gives the plants the food nee
essary for early growth, but also
for maturing the grain and the
following clover and grass crops. Il
A good wheat fertilizer should con
tain per cent. of ammonia, 8 per
cent. of available phosphoric acid
and S per cent. Of actual potash.
Three hundred pounds drilled to
The acre on land that has been
lressed with a thick coat of animal 4
manure spread on tho soil the win
er previous, plowed under in the
pring, planted to corn with about
so pounds Of corn phosphate to
he acre, and thoroughly cultivated
Turing the growing season, will :
i've an excellent yieldof grain and
thick set Of clover.
Fertilizer alone, however good it
nay be, will not bring a profitable
ield Of any crop on land deficient
4 humus; it is a waste of money
nd labor to seed such land. Thin,
hallow, hard, lumpy ground can
OF be made to yield a profitable
rOp of grain. Such land needs
'tted vegetable matter Of some
ind to Tighten the soil and to hold
lie moisture necessary for vigorous
Iant growth. Such land should
Ot be seeded. 1t should be broken
p by the 3-horse pillow, lined dur
g the winter, a thick coat of rot
d manure spread broadcast in
pril and mixed with the soil with
e sulky cultivator. Plant the
Id to corn with $50 pounds of
IN fertilizer to the acre, work the
Op carefully, cut the corn off ear
and drill to wheat and seed to
over in the spring.
Another plan much followed in
e central portion of the State is
drill two bushels of rye and 800
unds of animal bone phosphate
the acre early in September, top 1
ess with long strawy manure dur
: the winter, sow one peck clover
d to the acre in March; when
: is in bloom cut and let it fall
1 rot on the ground. The clover
I grow through the straw. In
gust cross plow the field, turn
{ under the clover nicely; ground
wed one day should be harrow
the next to hold the moisture.
row and roll twice, then drill
pecks Of wheat and 800 pounds
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