Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1912-01-20
FERTILIZERS
NOME MIXED SAVE FARMERS
FROM FIVE TO TEN DOLLARS
OR MORE PER TON
1raIn Growers Should Order Materials
Now and Get Them Mixed for
the limo They Are Needed.
Dy Isaac Cook, Professor Of Asronomy,
West Virginia University.

Preparations for theiT wheat and rye
crops by 1udiciously purchasing fer
NliZers and getting them mixed for
The time when needed but it never
pays to put off buying fertilizers until
the last few days before seeding and
then hurriedly buy any brand the deal
er has in stock regardless Of the kind
OF plant food most needed. The wr
ter has been managing large farm for
several years and has always made a
practice Of buying fcrtilZing materials
some time before they are needed and
mixing them in the proportion which
has been found to be best suited to the
needs Of the crop that is TO be sown
Ask year neiGhtors if they intend to
order fertilizers for this fall, and those
who do should cooperate and buy
their fertilizers to the best advantage
and have all shipped by the fertilizer
company to one place, thus reducing
the cost Of handling and freight
IF you buy fertilizers already mixed,
investigation shows that you pay the
1ertlli2cr company en- an average OF
80 ton for mixing and baGging. A
party OF farmers in any community
can buy the separate ingredients used
In making complete fertilizers and miX
Chem themselves and save from IS to
410 per ton depending on the quantity
OF the different ingredients ordered
The writer has found that a ton Of fer.
f1iiZer, containing four different in.
gradients, can be mixed thoroughly
and saCkcd by two men in two hours
time without overexcrting themselves
&Innntinp Ia ot Er -
costs COO per ton to mix and bag a ton
OF fertilizer with four different ingrc
dicntS, Gu the farm. Would it net pay
You more per hour than any other
work you may be doing at that time?
But there Is a more important ccnsid.
eratlon, which is, that you know the
source from which the plant food in
The ingredients came from; for there
as great difference in the values OF
plant food from different sources
TO prepare a home-miXed fertilizer,
Sll that is needed is a square pointed
shovel and a wood frame, 5x21a feet,
covered with a wire screen of 3-1G to
A-inch mesh, and tight floor. Spread
the different ingredients on the floor
IN even layers, spreading one upon the
other. Begin at one end Of the pile
and, cutting down through the layers
with your shovel, throw it through the
screen. The PARTICLES that are too
large to pass through the screen
should be crushed with tampcr. Re-
shovel the materials back through the
screen two or three times, after which
It will have been mixed sufficiently to
begin sacking.
Materials to Use.
AS to the materials to use, the fol-
lowing are recommended az the most
desirable ones to the market:
Steamed bone-meal containing % to
S8 per cont phosphoric acid and ~
TO per cont ammonia; acid phos.
phate containing IA to IS Fer cent
phOsphCrlc acid; nitrate of soda con
aa1ning IS per cent ammonia; muriate
OF potash containing so per cent pot
ash. Steamed bone-meal is valua.
Die ingredient on account of the good
effects from it's use on the clover crop.
Formulas For Mixing.
To get best results liberal applica-
lions Of fertilizers should be made
Many farmers, thinking they are ecor.
omizing, use too small amounts Of fer
tilizcrs Per acre to get the greatest
net returns.
The following mixture will give ex-
Gellent results for wheat. The mate
1ta3s are generally put UP in 125-lb.
sacks, and if all the materials are in
125-lb sacks they may be mixed as
follows:
q sacks Of q IA per cent acid phos-
plate, S75 lbs.
s sacks of steamed bone-meal, 740 lbs.
] sack Of mnriate Of potash, 125 lbs.
2 sacks of nitrate of soda, ESQ lbs.
This mixture analyses about 1853.
costing S26.60 per ton mixed and sack.
ed ready to use Another good mix.
fure can be made up Of the following
materials:
IL sacks of a 16 per cent acid phos.,
phate, 1,500 lbs.
~ sacks Of muriate Of potash, 1872
lbs.
21z sacks Of nitrate Of soda, 1921 lbs.
This mixture analyses 2.S-12-4.6 and