The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1914-04-10
80 ss*s4+ss*ssssss
arlners Letter.
- ---- --r
BIZ CAPT. IF. PECK
. ELECTION OF FERTILIZERS
ByJ. W: Sample, State
Chemist.

( VA -ce4si
Now that the planting season
Is approaching, and the farmer
il giving more or less thought to
the fertilizer question, q few re-
marks on the subject Of fertil
izer selection should not be
amiss.
4isa web known fact that q
erfst many farmers select their
iertiiizers fromthe brand names,
and 10 very few Instances give
any attention to the plant food
value.
The Jaw requires that each bag
of8fertilizer offered for sale in
Tennessee shall have the analy.
sisplainly printed thereon. show.
Ing the amounts Of the three
plantf00d vailable phosphoric
acid, nitrogen and potash--that
II contains, and a few seconds
spent BY the farmer 10 examine
ing these figures, will tell him
whether or not any bag contains
the amounts Of these plant foods
that he thinks willsuit his needs.
But DO amount q study of the
brand name will give him any
IDEA Of what is 10 the bag, and
no attention should be paid to it.
The fertilizer manufacturers are
OILY too well aware cf the fact
that the average farmer pays
littleor no attention TO the guar
anteed analysis, but buys on the
strength Of the brand names.
Consequently we find such a
variety Of these brand nAmesthat
the farmer who cannot find. a
name that sounds good to him il
hard to please. But an examin.
alton Of the guaranteed analysis
given on the bags containing
the various brands will reveal
the fact that many Of them are
identically the same so farMs
plant food value is concerned,
although they may be recon.
mended for entirely different
purposes.
lc is q well known fact that
different crops require the three
plant food elements in differen,
proportions or amounts. So il
lopks hardly reasonable that the
same mixture should be prescrib.
ca for all crops. Still it is a com.
mon thing to find on the market
bags carrying exactly the, same
guaranteed analysis branded as
Specials" for each Of the com.
mon crops. Thus we may find
one bag branded Special Corn
Grower" another bag Specie
Wheat Grower" another bag
Special Grass Grower, 'or pos
SILLY anothe bag branded "Speci-
al Tobacco Grower" and the
guaranteed analysis on each Of
\ these bags the same.
* IL much easier and cheaper
to- Smanufacture brand names
Than to make up a large variety
Of mixtures, and as long as the
farmer allows himself to be mis-
led BY these names, just so lonl
wIhthe manufacturers use ma mes
that they think will catch ths
I farmers fancy, and increase tbs
sale al that brand.
Eyery farmer should ascertain
a. nearly as possible just what
plant foods his soilrequires FOL
the crop he intendsto plant, ant
then buy fertilizers Of such com
position as will give the required
plant foods, regardleas Of wha'
the name Of the mixture may be
lfhe findsa brand called To
ba 20 Special. ''and the guhran
teeds analysis % the bags shows
tito contain what lie thinks h,
needsto make good corn or whea1
be should buy that fertilizer, anl
not select soms other goods sim
plt because Il happehsto Be call
"A special Ootn On Specia
Wheat" fertilizefsIt Talks plan
fpod, and not BRAID names /,
I grow crops, and tha sooner II,