Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-12
SELECTION OF FERTILIZERS
DEMANDS CLOSE THOUGHT
Theory and Practice ms They May BE
Worked i'm the Long Run
8 by Workers.
THINGS FARMERS THINK ABOUT
Chesterfield County Folks Discuss the
* Fertilizer Business-And They Get
- Some Facts and Figures That Sur
prise Them-Gct En- Thinking.

- - ~
l'e6ner 1t may be said. writes the In
dustrisl Section letter on fertilizer
4 that it may have large interest. He
says:
sssstFt'A farm demonstration while giving
S1hstructions on n farm near whore the
tthree counties of Amelia, Chesterfield
ssand Powhatan meet. the crop being
Stilizer should be used said that any
fertilizer would do The farmer said
that he had bag Of tobacco fertilizer
ION hand and was told by the demon
strator that this would he all right.
It was used accordingly.
when dozen farmers met at the
Glover Hill Farmers Club. this mat
! ter was brought up. the farmer having
Wondered how il could happen that a
fertilizer specially prepared for the
production of leaf could be good also
Tor tubers, The matter. after free cN-
IMPRESSIONS of opinions, was laid over to
9enable one of the members OF the club
ITO write for expert advice on the sub
eject The first thing done was TO Sc
sScure the analysis OF this tobacco fer
.ailizer as printed on the bag Here il
is:
x Some Fertilizers Seen.
~ "Available phosphorus cid, 500 per
cent; water soluble nitrogen .65 per
Gent; nitrogen, les per cent; euuiva
lent to ammonia, 200 per cent: potash
900 per cent.
~ This totalled up would lead one to
9,suppose that there was 1890 per cent
Srof fertilizing value in the mixture. The
experts were asked whether this was
"a good formula for tobacco and
whether ii could be equally good for
POTATOES. Also what would probably
4be the value of the mixture not Gov
Erred in this analysis Your readers
will probably agree that these were
gfair questions and that answers there
ito would prove interesting to farmers
EsS Views Of the Experts.
" The first reply came from Blacks
Burg, and reads condensed as fol-
slows:
IS THE application Of fertilizers is de-
termined not only by the requirements
s0f the crop. but also the character of
the soil and It's previous treatment.
The formula given for criticism as to
value for potatoes and tobacco Is not
q suitable formula. III fact, this Is
ono OF the lowest grade fertilizers on
the market, and It is not wise TO use
such low-grade mixtures.
IT THE requirements for potatoes and
tobacco, based upon the composition.
arc very nearly alike. A good potato
FERTILIZER should carry about per cent
of nitrogen, ! to per cent phosphoric
acid and ID per cent potash. This for
7nuia is suitable for tobacco also, and
If for heavy shipping tobacco the
nitrogen content should be slightly in
creased.
ID p 'In the production OF potatoes il is
= true we want roots. but in order to
get good root development we should
= first get good leaf development, but
,~x1k - l. ~ -,
Content is usually a little lower than
y that for tobacco
H = I'm your addition. you have dupli-
Gated the nitrogen. The IS5 per cent
Of nitrogen Is all there is in this for
mula, and the total fertilizer constitu-
ents Is 1876 per cent instead OF 1890
per cent. In this mixture there Is
only Los per cent OF fcrtil2inS value.
The balance may be filler or it may
Z be carrier.
Gin fertilizer for potatoes or to-
5acco hgh-2rade sulphate OF potash
should be used as material from
4 which the potash comes. AS kainit or
.muriate OF potash both carry chlorin,
which is detrimental 10 the quality
of. the product. The price OF potash
( is. now enormously high there are
I several materials which can ne used
!. tor supply potash such as tobacco
stSms, wood ashes. tobacco dust, etc
8 gen also gives some potash. as 1t car
rtes . per cent" r..
The conclusion 20 Is arrived a, from
this expert advice is that 1t Is foolish
\ to- spend good money on such a fer
tilizer as was used on tobacco and
potatoes
E The agricultural department sent
bulletin II on the home mixing OF fer
StIlizers, and this shows
q Formula for tobacco-S0o pounds
acid phosphate. containing l6 per cent
4 PHI osphoric acid 500 pounds dried
8 blood, 10 per cent nitrogen: 400 pounds
!. III gh- grade sulphate OF potash. so per
Z cent potash. This mixture contains
S6.4 per cent available phosphoric acid.
S6.3 per cent nitrogen and 10 per cent
snotash. Total :ertilizns value. ?is
Ewer cent.
4 = The formula given for potatoes has
&H per cent less nitrogen The bulle-
YIN gives several other formulas
10 All OF this was reported last week
EHe the Glover Hill Club members, and
s4here Will certainly bc a change here
#abouts In the use of fertilizers
h