The Butler weekly times., 1913-05-22
.F[RT|lIz|NG ! 4 lgR1DI1 n I
COMMERCIAL FERTiLIzERs TxNn
TO STIMULATE CROP YiELpSs
BY Prof. c. B. Hutchlson Of tss D.
\ partment Of Aoronony, lint
n versity Of Missouri.

The use OF commercial fertllixersta ID
becoming more and more common tr
Missouri each year. This is due to
the fact that the lands are gradually
being depleted of their fertility by
exhaustive systems Of grain farming.
and also to the fact that lands are
constantly increasing in price. When
the productiveness of lands becomes
80 low that remunerative crops can
no longer be grown, the use OF fer
tilizers is ordinarily the first thing
that is adopted to bring better re-
turns. The increasing use Of fertil-
izers, therefore, is an index to de-
creasing soil fertility and to increas-
ing land values.
1t should be understood that plant
food in all soils exists In two general
| forms-first, the insoluble, which con-
stitutes the greater amount; and, sec.
ond, the soluble or available plant
food, which may be absorbed by the
plan. roots. A worn soil is one In
which the available plant food has
been reduced so low that plants can
not get sufficient food for proper yields.
The presence of a good amount Of or
ganic matter or humus in the soil 10
very important factor in keeping
the proper amount of plant food avail.
able. 1t causes the insoluble plant
food to slowly dissolve. With exces-
sive grain cropping, however, the or
ganic matter is burned out and the
Immediately available plant food is
taken from the land by the crops. The
available supply becomes too low for
profitable crop production. 1t Is at
this time that the use OF commercial
fertilizers Is usually resorted to for
the purpose of supplying enough solu-
BILE plant food for a crop.
Commercial fertilizers are simply
concentrated forms of one or more of
the three plant foods that are COM
monty lacking in all soils. These are
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
On worn lands the available supply of
all three becomes low, although the |
soil may be fairly we'll supplied with |!
some Of them in an insoluble form. |
Complete fertilizers contain all threa |
Of these, and are most commonly used |
on worn lands with both corn and |
wheat. Such fertilizers are on the |
market under the terms "grain grow
ers," corn growers" "truck growers"
etc.
The most Immediately profitable
method Of using fertilizers with corn
on medium to poor land is that of ap-
plying from 60 to rs pounds of COM
plete fertilizer. Such fertilizer
should contain 2 to 3 per cent nitro |
gen, 8 to IL per cent available phos-
phoric acid and 2 to per cent potash. |
This may be applied in the hill or
drilled in with fertilizer attachment
to the planter. Steamed bone meal ap-
piled at the same rate, especially on
lands low in phosphates, will give
practically the same return. Care
should be taken to avoid applying
quantities much in excess of rs
pounds to the acre, for there is dan
ger in dry season of firing" the
corn. This is especially true when a
complete fertilizer is used. It should
be understood that such method of
fertilization does not tend to build up
the land. 1t is of only temporary
benefit. Its office is more of stim-
ulaut to give the corn quick, thrifty
growth.
Another method of applying fertil-
izers is to distribute with fertilizer
grain drill ahead Of the planter. Ap-
piled in this manner. $50 to 200
pounds of complete fertilizer ON the
poorer lands usually gives good re.
suits. Steamed bone meal will be
more remunerative on the good lands,
since on such lands phosphorus is
usually the lacking element.
It should be understood that the
use of fertilizers with any crop is only
temporary expedient, and that they
should not be depended upon for
maintaining the fertility OF the soil.
They should be used only in connec-
tion with the best system Of crop ro-
tation and manuring that q man can
practice. BY the addition of manure
the humus content of the soil may be
maintained and favorable conditions
supplied for making soluble the plant
food that exists in the soil.
For the man who owns his land and
Is planning on permanent system
of maintaining the fertility Of his
soil. the use of manure supplemented
with rock phosphate in good system
of crop rotation win ultimately give
greater returns on corn, a. well as
all other crops, than the use Of the
commercial fertilizers.
NlfAa A. NfAAa.~-