Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-02-15
90 you REALltE ZEE xAsrEi
Almost Criminal Sappins of Soil Goes
on Unheeded.

EDITOR CENSOR: am about to ship
into Viroqua a carload of rock phos-
phate from Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee.
The farmers of this county have been
taking phosphoric acid from the soil of
their farms ever since they settled on
them ano very few have ever put back
any of that element. When they have
sold grain, two-thirds of the entire
phosphates used IN the growing plant
has been sold from the farm. There
has been q loss when milk and cheese
have been sold, and another when live
stock has been sold. Then there is to
be found loss of about fifteen per cent.
of the total content of phosphoric acid
in the barnyard manures as commonly
handled. This is the greatest single
source of loss. There is loss annually
to all Wisconsin farms of phosphates
valued at $3.50, 900 after deducting the
value of phosphorus imported in all the
feed stuffs used. This estimate in
cludes that sold in, hogs, cattle, milk
and cheese, oats, and the loss in hand
ling manure, but gives no estimate of
that in the thousands of tons of tobacco
sold. Every ton of tobacco RODS the
soil of six or seven dollars worth of
phosphstes. How maintain the soil
phosphates? First, purchase bran and
oats for feed. Second, ground bone
meal. This has twenty-eight per cent,
of phosphoric acid and sells for $25 ton
in Chicago. About as rich in phos-
pilates as the rock. Third, raw rock
phosphate. This contains twelve per
cent. phosphorus. or two hundred and
fifty pounds of that element in every
ton and about as much phosphoric acid
as bone. The Illinois and Ohio stations
have experimental for several wears
with rock phosphate. In eleven years,
dollars worth of this phosphate paid
back an average of $5.6S. Duplicate
tests gave an average of $4,07. This
fertilizer is best applied by sowing it
in the stables on fresh manure. or by
sowing on clover and blowing it under.
| came across Italy recently from the
Adriatic sea to Naples. Italy is one
great garden. The soil is very fertile
after two or three thousand years of
cultivation. Nitrate of soda was ad-
vertised at many railway stations and
learned that the owners of the Italian
soil apply each year more phosphates
to their little, well worked farms than
they remove in all the crops they raise.
The use of rock phosphate, however,
aecomplishes another object. When
sown plentifully in the stable it fixes
the nitrogen which would escape with
out some chemical with which it can
combine. Land plaster is sulphuric acid
and lime combined. 1t is a good stimu-
liant to clover crop but like beef tea
for hungry man, it contains little nu.
triment. Plaster sells for IS a ton and
phosphate in car lots can be laid down
here for about 50 in 200-pound bags.
We are raising alfalfa, which requires
a soil not acid. Acid phosphate is made
from this rock and an equal weight of
sulphuric acid. 1t costs $25 ton and
has half as much phosphates per ton
as the rock has. The sulphuric acid
tends to increase acidity of the soil.
which we do not want. The ground
rock has some twelve per cent. of lime
to make alkaline the soil for alfalfa.
Five hundred dairy farmers bring
cream to Viroqua. How many of them
SOW plaster in the stable and have dry
white floors? had a dirty barn six
weeks ago. The floors were swept of
ten but were Dizzy. l got two bags
of plaster of Thayer for dollar The
floor is clean now; cows do not slip on
concrete; calf pens odorless. No en-
monia odor to irritate lungs and eyes
and ruin harness and buggy varnish. i
can welcome the inspector. Rock phos-
phate will do all that plaster will and a
lot more. 1t is easily worth twice as
much per ton. A few tons left at cost
price. C. V. PORTER.