Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1912-03-28
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The development of the use OF fer
Hlizers In tho United States has in.
creased at very rapid rate within
the last two or tire decades Their
use in the eastern and southern states
1s extensive. Within this period, how.
svsr. Wisconsin agriculture has gons
largely In the direction Of dairying
and In this system of farming the fer
t1lity Of the soil, as is we'll known, ia
more generally conserved than in sys-
TENS where large part of the prod.
net Of the farm is sold in the form Of
vegetables or grain. For this reason.
In part, the use of commercial fertillz-
srs In this state has been very linn
tied. Moreover. the agricultural press
OF the state and the teaching of the
Agricultural college has been opposed
to the use Of commercial fertilizers
largely because the emphasis was
placed on the advantages Of dairying
In the conservation of soil fertility.
The time has come, however. when it
Is not profitable for farmers OF the
state to longer overlook the advan-
tages which may come from the prop
er use Of commercial fertilizers There
Is much land in the state not adapted
to dairying, such as large areas Of
sandy and marsh soil, and some sec
lions of clay loan where the topogra-
ply is so rough that the necessary
amount Of corn for silage cannot be
grown to 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-
lion. By far the most important fac
tor making possible such increases is
the use Of commercial fertilizers. It
would be difficult matter to find a
farm of any Importance in any Of
these countries on which consider
able amount Of commercial fertilizers
Is not used. Nearly one-haf of the i'm
mense output OF our own phosphate
mines is shipped abroad and in addi-
ton to that, enormous quantities Of
phosphate are mined in Europe and
produced In the form of Thomas Stag
b the reduction Of British iron ore
which runs high In tha element. Ger
many possesses practically the worlds
supply Of potash fertilizer and this Is
1rawn on heavily by that and adjacsnt
D0untries. In addition to this. the
growth Of green manuring crops. prao-
hcally always Of the legume family,
bdds 70 the nitrogen supply. although
enormous quantities Of special nitro
Een fertilizers are also used.
Without desiring in the least to un-
derestfmate the Importance Of dairy
pr other stock farming in it's effect On
the fertility 81 the soil, we feel that
ve can no longer afford to neglect the
pse Of commercial fertilizers where
hey are called for.
Contrary to rather common opin-
lon, 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
IF fertilizer needed is determined al
most exclusively by the character of
he SOIL Much can be learned regard
ng the feeding Of crops from expert
snce gained in the feeding Of animals.
lust as It fs well known that q certain
balance among the Ingredients Of feed
!or stock should be maintained, SO
should there be balance in the differ
INT elements Of fertility available to
growing drops. When crops are to be
grown OH marsh land which is e1-
remedy thigh in nitrogen but just as
low In phosphorus, and
,ften in| potash, these deficiencies
must bel made good In some way.
sandy seSils, on account Of their coarse
exture and generally low content Of
Ill the essential elements, must fre-
luently he supplied with practically
III the Essential elements for plant
growth. The nitrogen may be added
sither directly in artificial fertilizers
,r Indirectly through the growth of
egumindus plants which have the
power of fixing that element from the
atmosphere. The nitrogen can be
gathered in this way much more
,heaply than It can be purchased and
when added IL the form; OF
matter It decompo and
becomes available to growing crops
slowly so that there Is little danger Of
Its losg by teaching from the soil.
While nitrate Of soda OF sulphate of |
lnnmonia are extremely soluble md