The Arvada enterprise., 1912-04-04

i ne OeVelOpmenL OF tne uBe Ol Ter
tilizcrs in the United States has In
creased at very rapid rate within
the last two or thre decades. Their
>. use in the eastern and southern states
q extensive. Within this period, how
ever, Wisconsin agriculture has gone
largely in the direction OF dairying
and in this system OF farming the fer
stility Of the soil. as is well known, Is
more generally conserved than in sys-
TENS where a large part Of the prod
Gct Of the farm is sold in the form OF
vegetables or grain. For this reason,
In part, the use of commercial fertiliz-
srs In this state has been very lin
ited. Moreover. the agricultural press
of the state and the teaching OF the
Agricultural college has been opposed
10 the use Of commercial fertilizers
largely because the emphasis was
placed on the advantages OF dairying
n the conservation of soil fertility.
The time has come, however, when 1t
u not profitable for farmers Of the
state to longer overlook the advan-
tages which may come from the prop
10 much land in the state not adapted
70 dairying, such as large areas OF
sandy and marsh soil, and some sec
tions of clay loan where the topogra.
ply is 80 rough that the necessary
amount of corn for silage cannot be
grown 10 advantage. On lands OF this
class, other products must be grown
for the market and 1t is In the grow
ing of such crops as cabbage, potatoes,
sugar beets, peas and corn for canning
purposes, and other special crops that
the use OF commercial fertilizers is
needed.
The large yields Of practically all
+ farm crops produced in such European
countries as England. Germany and
france, are frequently mentioned in
agricultural papers as an evidence OF
the possibilities OF intensive cultiva-
zion. BY far the most important fac
tor making possible such increases Is
the use OF commercial fertilizers. 1t
would be a difficult matter to find
farm OF any Importance In any OF
these countries on which consider
able amount Of commercial fertilizers
IL not used. Nearly one-half of the i'm
nense output OF our own phosphate
mines is shipped abroad and In addi-
tion to that, enormous quantities OF
phosphate are mined in Europe and
produced in the form of Thomas Stag
In the reduction OF British iron ore
which runs high in that element. Ger
many possesses practically the worlds
supply of potash fertilizer and this is
drawn on heavily by that and adjacent
countries. In addition to this, the
growth OF green manuring crops, prac-
tically always of the legume family,
adds to the nitrogen supply. although
enormous quantities of special nitro
gen fertilizers are also used.
Without desiring in the least to un-
derestimate the importance of dairy
or other stock farming in It's effect on
the fertility OF the soil, we feel that
We can no longer afford to neglect tho
use of commercial fertilizers where
they are called for.
Contrary to a rather common opin-
ion. the kind OF commercial fertilizers
called for depends more on the char
acter of the soil to be treated than on
the crops to be grown. The amount
10 be used will depend to some extent
On the kind of crop grown since some
crops remove much larger quantities
Of the mineral elements from the soil
than do others, but the particular kind
Of fertilizer needed is determined al
most exclusively by the character OF
the soil. Much can be learned regard
Ing the feeding OF crops from expert
snce gained in the feeding of animals
Just as II Is well known that n certain
Balance among the ingredients of feed
for stock should be maintained, Sc
should there be balance In the differ
snt clements OF fertility available tc
growing crops. When crops are to be
grown on marsh land which Ia eN
tremely high in nitrogen but just as
extremely low in phosphorus, anc
often in potash, these deficiencies
must be made good in some way
Sandy soils, on account of their coarse
texture and generally low content o.
all the essential elements, must ire
quently be supplied with PRACTICAL!
all the essential elements for plan
growth. The nitrogen may be addet
either directly in artificial fertilizer
or indirectly through the growth o
ieguminous plants which have thu
power OF fixing that element from TIN
atmosphere. The nitrogen can b.
gathered In this way much NOR
cheaply than It can be purchased AM
moreover, when added in the form o
vegetable matter It decomposcs am
becomes available to growing crop
slowly so that there is little danger
its loss by teaching from the sol
while nitrate OF soda or sulphate Q
ammonia are extremely soluble an