The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-04-25
Commercial
Fertilizers.
BY Ralph HoaeIand, Professor
Of Chemistry, Minnesota Col
Ieqe Of Agriculture.

;. Iege Of Agriculture. :.
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A commercial fertilizer is a concen-
trated plant food, containing, in vary
ing amounts, one or. more Of three
elements which are absolutely essen
tial to plant growth. These elements,
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium,
are no more important for plant
growth than certain other elements
found in the soil; but because they
are removed in the largest amounts by
cropping they are the first to become
deficient in the soil. When a soil is
naturally deficient or becomes def
cfent, in nitrogen, phosphoric acid or
potash, the largest crop yields cannot
be obtained until this lacking plant
food element has been supplied 1t
may be done in several ways. The
growing of clover is the cheapest way
to supply nitrogen; the use of farm
manures the best way to supply all
the elements Of food, provided such
manures can be had in sufficient
amounts. The right place for a com.
mercial fertilizer, in an intelligent sys-
tenn of farming, is to supply needed
plant food, so as to produce maximum
crop yields, when the same results
cannot be gotten more cheaply by the
use of farm or green manure, or the
growing of clover in a system of crop
rotation.
Commercial fertilizers are divided
into two general classes: First,
amendments, or fertilizers containing
single plant food element, as nitro
gen, phosphorus, or potassium; second,
complete fertilizers, or those contain
ing all three elements in varying
amounts, mixed in such proportions as
to suit the needs of various crops.
AMENDMENTS.-N of soda is
the most common fertilizer containing
nitrogen. 1t is a mineral, mined and
refined in Chile, and looks like crude,
coarsely crushed salt 1t contains
about 16 per cent nitrogen, and costs
about $57 ton. 1t is all soluble, and
is specially adapted to quick growing
leaf crops.
Dried blood, a slaughter house by
product, is a valuable nitrogenous fer
tilizer, containing about Is per cent
nitrogen, and selling for about $55
ton. 1t is adapted to the same uses,
but is less soluble than nitrate of
soda; thus furnishing the element,
nitrogen, throughout the growing sea-
son.
Acid phosphate is phosphorus fer
tiliZer, prepared by treating phosphate
rock with sulphuric acid, to make the
phosphorus soluble. It contains about
IA per cent of soluble phosphoric acid,
and sells for about $1S ton. Phos-
phorus performs very important
function in the plant, in seed forma-
ton, and phosphate fertilizers are
largely used in grain growing.
Raw rock phosphate is simply the
untreated rock. 1t is valuable as
fertilizer only when used in connection
with an abundant supply of farm or
green manure. 1t contains about 80
per cent phosphoric acid. and sells for
1920 ton f. o. b. St. Paul.
Bone meal consists of finely ground,
either raw or cooked bones, from the
packing houses 1t is essentially a
phosphate fertilizer, although the raw
bone meal contains fair amount of
nitrogen. 1t contains from 20 to 25
per cent phosphoric acid, and 1.5 to
per cent nitrogen, and sells for from
$50 to $50 ton, according to compo-
sition
POTASH FERTILIZERS
of potash is one of the principal fer
tilizers. 1t is mineral salt, contain
ing about so per cent potash, and sells
for about $58 a ton. Potassium is an
important plant food element for grain
grasses and especially potatoes. Pot
ash fertilizers are usually not applied
alone, but in connection with phos-
phate fertilizers, for grains, grasses
and potatoes. Potash alone has been
found to give excellent results on the
peaty soils of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Muriate of potash contains about
Tic same duOUut VI pOLdSQ dS Tie
sulphate; is slightly cheaper, and has
the same uses.
MIXED FERTILIZERS largest
proportion of the fertilizers sold in
this country consists of mixed or COM
piete fertilizers, which contain nitro
gen, phosphoric acid and potash,
mixed in different proportions to suit
the needs of the crop for which they
are intended. The basis for most of
these fertilizers is tankage, a packing
house byproduct, and other fertilizing
ingredients, such as muriate Of potash,
acid phosphate, or dried blood, etc.,
may be added to give the fertilizer the
desired composition.
Nearly all states have laws requir-
ing that bags in which such fertilizers
are sold be labeled to show the exact
amount of plant food elements pres
emit Following is an example of a
label for a fertilizer:
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+ !.