Milford chronicle., 1910-03-11

nation of starch and sugar IN plants snu
ia of great importance 20 all crops Whlcn
contain large quantities OF sugar staIeu
and acids. as corn, potatoes, tomatoes
beets. tobacco, etc ; it is also highly Oene'
ticial ia developing the heshy part Oh I
fruit. and has a marked influence on the /
color and frmn ess. This ls particularly /
noticeable in small fruits and apples
The form in which potash is used has /
much 20 do with the quantity OF certain /
fruits and vegetables. Thus potatoes
cantaloupes and sweet corn are ot superior
flavor when grown on sulphate OF potash
There is also less danger TO the grow
ing plant in use of sulphate than muTlaUe
and kanit as the two latter contain large
quantities chloride Of sodium or common
salt. Il has been found that chlorides 10
excess are poisonous 10 plant ME II IL
chiefly from this cause that We hear SO
much about fertilizers burning the crop
when used IN considerable quantities 10
the hill or furrow.
Chlorides also robs the soil 81 lime,
since the chlorine combines with the
lime in the soil forming chloride OF cal
cium in which form the lime Is quickly
leached from tie soil and acid conditions
soon develop. Sulpnate Is free from these
objections, fixes lime in the soil and tends
[ to promote eariiRess in the crops As has
/ been proven Oy extended experiments al
the Massachusetts Experiment station
Having become familiar With the dit
terent forms Of plant food aud their tun-
ctions, the farmer should next study ms
soil. The character and condition oi the
soil has much to do with the profit OF loss
in using commercial fertilizers. Nery ire
uueAtly farmers do not receive full oene-
ht from fertilizers because the soil j. not
in proper condition sometimes u needs
drainage. A soil that It water loggeu
cannot Weld full crop no matter now
much fertilizer Is used Another essen.
tia in fertiize farming is a sol. well tiled
with organic matter or humus Il i a
waste Of time and money TO attempt to
grow crops with commercial fertilizers at
a profit. on and Cey0ld of mumus This
can be supplied by frequent applications
of stable manure. but can be much more
cheapy accomplished in the piowing un-
der Of green crops. The soil must be IN
proper condition, open and mellow and
well hled with humus before the chemi-
Gals can supply their p ant foods properly.
All plant foods must be reduced to
LIQUID form before they can be used by
the plant, hence il is imperative that a
sufficient amount Of moisture be held 10
reserve in the soil a j through the grow
ing season. This can be uOne only when
humus Is abundant
Where humus has been supplied by
stable manure or by the piOwlng under OF
leguminous crops as COW peas, clover,
etc there will be stored 10 the soil sufh-
. cient amount of nitrogen for the use OF
! ordinary farm crops.
t Il is claimed that an acre OF good scar
3 let clover plowed under, will furnish as
2 much nitrogen to the soil as 500 pounds
Of dried blood Therefore where heavy
, applications of manure are used, or clover
2 or COW peas turned under, either the
( whole crop or the stubble. the yield oi
] the crop following can be materially in
P creased BY the addition OF PhOsphorlC
g Acid and Potash. a better place In mos
cases, would be to apply the PnosphoriC
T Acid and Potash direct 10 the COW pea:
p and clover.
believe il is good farming to have al
! land where possible, covered With some
2 growing crop during the winter months
. il nothing more than rye. The roots VII
take up and hold the free nitrogen used
2 by the previous crop, that would other
wise be wasted by the winter winds and
/ ram The matter Of tiliage has much to
10 with increasing the profits derived
/ from the use of common fertilizers.
Every tilIer OF the soil knows the i'm
portauce OF thorough tillage
This is even more necessary for ferti-
lies than where manure is used one OF
tue chief causes OF failure in getting gooc
results from commercial fertilizers, Is
due TO careless aud'insutticIent tlilage.
Many farmers take great pains in pre-
pairing their land, apply fertilizers ilber
ally, and then tai To give the crop pro-
per attention through the growing sea
SON resulting IN disappointment al mar
vest time.
Tie amount Of fertilizers that can be
used with profit on a crop must be deter
mined by the farmer himself, so much,
depends upon the character and cOudi-
ton of his soil the kind OF crop TO be
grown and the amount Of tillage he is
willing to give.
Celery growers frequently use two
tons OF high grade fertilizer per. acre ia
addition TO 40 two horse loads Of manure
|. ana get net returns OF several hundred
dollars per acre.
Note the heavy feeding which Mr. Ry-
= der advises for lettuce 20 loads of ma
2 nure, / ton fertilizer, and 500 pounds
T nitrate Of soda o. crops having a nigh
money value per acre, these heavy appi-
cations can be made TO pay handsomely
! while if used on wheat OF corn, It would
, mean financial ruin.
However, / believe most farmers are
? inclined to use too little rather than too
much for best results. Homeopathic
= doses Of commercial fertilizers are Of lit
tie value.
They merely stimulate the plant 10 q
stronger start and provide no plant food
to carry on growth and help maturity.
What We should strive for, is a maxi
P mum yield, from a minimum expendi-
2 ture for fertilizers, or in other words
feed the crop all it eau use and return
r the greatest net profit on the amount ex
, pended.
There are other things Of Importance
connected with the use OF Commercial
2 fertilizers on the farm, some of which