The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-04-02
MOUNTAIN AGRICULTURE
Conducted by Prof. Frank Montgomery Instructor Animal
Husbendry and Special Investigator.
nd make farming profitable.

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This brings us TO a consideration
Of the different forms Of phospbor-
us-carrying material on the mark
ct. Many OF them are good but not
all are practical or profitable to ev-
cry farmer. So IL will pay well TO
study the matter Of fertilizers care
fully.
Some Of the more common mater
ials or fertilizers containing phos-
phorus are: tankage, guanos, bas-
ic Stag, bone meal, raw ground phos-
pha , rock and acid phosphate.
Tankage is by-product Of pack
ing houses, made from scraps of
meat bone, etc, and contains from
. to 10 per cent OF phosphoric acid,
also a similar amount OF nitrogen.
Guano is the accumulated drop
pings Of sea fowls, obtained chiefly
from islands Of the almost rainless
regions of the west coast OF South
America. The composition varies
greatly on account Of weather con-
ditIJns. hut is somewhat similar 10
tankage.
Basic Stag. Thomas Stag, or Thorn
as phosphate powder, is a by-pro-
duet Of the steel refining process. IL
is rich in phosphoric acid and also
contains lime. II is the great source
Of phosphorus in Europe. But is
not used very extensively in Ameri-
ca except along the Atlantic coast.
However, the Wing Seed Co. Of Me-
chanicsburg, o. use IL in large
quantities, and recommend it very
highly, having had great success
with ii, especially in connection
with the legunes, soy beans, COW
peas, clover, etc.
Bone meal comes on the market in
two forms,-raw bone meal and
steamed bone meal, both Of which
contain a high percentage Of phos-
phorus in combination with lime
(b0ne phosphate Of lime) and from 4
to 1 per cent of nitrogen. The
steamed form is more available than
the raw and so brings quicker re-
suits. Both are good fertilizers,
since they are organic, but they are
usually high-priced owing to the
limited supply.
Phosphate rock is found chiefly
in the southern states, Florida,
South Carolina and Tennessee, tho
large deposits are also found in Can
ada, in Utah, Idaho, and other ad-
joining states. II was first worked
in South Carolina in 1868, but the
greater part now comes from Ten
nessee. II is ground TO a very fine
powder, known as floats" and con-
tains from 80 to 20 per cent phos-
phate Of lime, 20 per cent Of which
is phosphorus. Floats" or raw
phosphate rock costs $3.50 to $500
per ton on board ears at the mines,
Mt. Pleasant, Tenn. and is by far
the cheapest source Of phosphorus.
Acid phosphate is the term ap-
piled TO the ground phosphate rock
after il has been treated with an
equal amount Of sulphuric acid.
This makes the phosphorus more
soluble so that plants may feed on
II Immediately. Acid phosphate
contains f. TO &c per cent phosphor-
MS, and should be bought fox about
si2 To SIG ton according to grade.
Thus IT is much cheaper than ordi-
nary complete fertilizer which has
only about 4 per cent phosphorus
but costs nearly twice as much as
acid phosphate. OF course, the
mixed fertilizer contains nitrogen
and potassium, about per cent of
each but the amount is so small il
cannot possibly affect the crop yield
very much. The writer has used
acid phosphate on clay loan soil. in
RockcaStle county, with splendid re-
suits, and would never. under ordi-
nary conditions, buy complete fer
.tlllzer
Let il be remembered we do not
need to buy either nitrogen or po-
tasslum, ordinarily, for the air is
full of one, and our clay subsoils
rich with the other So let us give
4 4.
grow cowpeas, clover, or some 9TH
err legume, to turn under; for no
kind of fertilizer can do its best UNI
less there is plenty of decaying mat
ter in the soil. Then il is better To
apply any fertilizer broadcast, if
possible, and thoroly mix il with the
soil, so the plant roots will be en-
couraged to spread out in all di-
a