The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1914-08-14
GROUND
RAW DECLARED BEST
FOR Fertilization
FOR GENERAL FARMING 1T is
BETTER ADAPTED THAN THE
sUPER.PHoSPHATES.
HAS MORE PHOSPnORIC ACID
The Latter May Be More Desirable
For Getting Quick Results, But For
mer is Both Cheaper and Produces
More Lasting Retu ms.

those interested in agriculture and
building the soil up to high state
of productiveness so that bumper"
crops may be raised every year, to
phosphates which have become al
most indispensable 20 modern aericul-
ture. In fact, they form the basis of
the fertilizer industry of both Eu-
rope and the United Sta'es.
In the average fertilizer used in
this country per cent. Of phosphoric
acid Up. 2O5) is used to or per
cent. each of ammonia IN. II. - and
potash *. 20.
In order to get y good distribution
of the phosphate in the soil either
one or two plans IL employed. In
the first more or less of the pllospho-
ric acid is made soluble in water by
first treating the natural rock phos-
phate of lime with an equal weight
Of sulphuric acid. This product
known as acid phosphate or super
phosphate is the chief product of the
fertilizer factory and is the basis of
the industry of manufacturing com
mercial fertilizers.
The name "super.phosphates" is,
however, misnomer, for, actually,
this product contains only ole-half
as much phosphoric acid as does the
raw rock, from which it Is made.
Moreover, very quickly after applying
to the soil, probably from few hours
to a day or two, all of the phosphoric
acid is precipitated by tho ferrugi-
nous material present IN every soil,
into forms less soluble even than the
original raw rock phosphate OF lime
The continued use of super-phos-
plate is held by some authorities to
render the soil acid and to iniure its
mechanical condition or ti,th. While
much Of the complaint in this direc-
ton is probably an exage GRAFTON, 1t
cannot be denied that there is some
basis of reality In it.
In recent years there has gradually
been coming on the fertilizer market
! mother product in annually increasing
amounts. Grinding machines Of va
rious types, especially that known as
the ball mill, have made it POSSIBLE,
both cheaply and efficiently TO grind
1.-The raw rock phosphate to a very
thigh degree of attenuation, so that
a very good distribution in the sol
lis quite readily attained.
| This product, sometimes known as
floats. coming into direct conflict witt
1.-The main product of the fertilizer fac
tory has excited the antagonism ant
sometimes the luminosity ever, OF tht
|old time fertilizer manufacturers. i
Icannot be claimed, OF course, tina
Iany mechanical grinding could eve
make the particles Of phosphate al
lime as when dissolved n water, ant
hence, theoretically, better distri
button in the soil must always be ex
pected with super-phosphates thai
with floats.
Actually, there is usually, though
, mot always. a somewhat quicker re
spouse of vegetation to super.phos
, pilates than to floats. On the othe
) hand, there are more than counter
balancing advantages 'ur floats.
In the first place it puts the phos
-. phate in the soil in the form OF linn
phosphate, q form in every way be-
q ter for plant uses than the iron phoi
! pilates formed by adding super-pho'
pilates to the soil. Weight for weigh
the ground rock phosphate puts twic
as much phosphoric acid into the 80
las does super.phosphatss.
The cost Of the phosphoric acid
floats is less than a fourth Of whs
it is in super-phosphates, since tn
lcost of grinding is about the cost
mixing, there is no cost for the adde
T. sulphuric acid, and the percentage
lphospheric acid in the finished pr
duct is twice as high in the floats
lit is in the super-phosphates.
Finally, the finely raw ground roc
has an alkaline reaction improvfn
the filth of the soil, and making
. unnecessary to lime the soil in ord
- ito grow legumes, such as clover,
!. falfa, etc.
. It is the concensus of all model
authorities that suca legume Gre
should be grown in rotation with OF
er crops, and this cannot be dol
where super-phosphates are used as
i. source of phosphorus without pc
Q odical lining of the soil.
3 1t appears thlt la We oul'
70 results are necessary $ in -e'
% house work. growing truck re
light sandy soils, ard Ior soiue ~
is lar part,tuta" PURPOSES, s1r' phc
80 rhates may prove the more 'fsil
IT, BILE form. But for general farmir