The Prescott daily news., 1912-03-06


 The development of the use of fer tilizers 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 is extensive. Within this period, how ever, Wisconsin agriculture has gone largely in the direction of dairying and in this system of farming the fer tility of the soil, as is well known, is more generally conserved than in sys- tens where large part of the prod uct of the farm is sold in the form of vegetables or grain. For this reason, in part, the use of commercial fertiliZ- CTS in this state has been very linn ited. 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 1t is not profitable for farmers of the state to longer overlook the advan- tages which may come from the prop CT 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 tions of clay loam where the topogra- phy 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 it 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- ton. By far the most important fac tor making possible such increases is the use of commercial fertilizers. It would be a difficult matter to find a farm of any importance in any of these countries on which a consider able amount of commercial fertilizers is not used. Nearly one-half of the im- 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 slag trt 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 its effect on the fertility of the soil, we feel that we can no longer afford to neglect the use of commercial fertilizers where they are called for.
 Contrary to 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 to be used will depend to some extent on the kind of crop grown since some crops remove much larger quantities of the mineral clements from the soil than do others, but the particular kind of fertilizer needed is determined d. most exclusively by the character of the soil. Much can be learned regard- ing the feeding of crops from expert ence gained in the feeding Of animals. Just as 1t is well known that certain balance among the ingredients of feed for stock should be maintained. 70 should there be a balance in the differ ent elements of fertility available to growing crops. When crops are to be grown on marsh land which is ex- tremely high in nitrogen but just as extremely low in phosphorus. and often in potash. these deficiencies must be made good in some way. Sandy coils, on account of their coarse texture and generally low content of all the essential elements, must ire quently be supplied with practically all the essential clements for plant E-cwth. The nitrogen may be added