The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1912-06-07


creased at a 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 a 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 fert1l1z-
ers 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 1t
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 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. 1t
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-half 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
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 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 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
to 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
ence gained in the feeding of animals.
Just as it is well known that certain
balance among the ingredients OF feed
for stock should be maintained, so
should there be balance in the differ
ent elements of fertility available to
growing crops. When crops are to be
grown on marsh land which is ex-
tremeIy high in nitrogen but just as
extremely low in phosphorus, and
often in potash, these deficiencies
must be made good in some way.
Sandy soils, on account of their coarse
texture and generally low content of
all the essential elements, must fire.
quently be supplied with practically
all the essential elements for plant
growth. The nitrogen may be added
either directly in artificial fertilizers
or indirectly through the growth of
leguminous plants which have the
power of fixing that element from the
atmosphere. The nitrogen can be
gathered in this way much more
cheaply than it can be purchased and
moreover, when added in the form of
vegetable matter it decomposes and
becomes available to growing crops
slowly so that there is little danger of
its loss by teaching from the soil
while nitrate of soda or sulphate OF
ammonia are extremely soluble and