The Monticellonian., 1916-04-27
INTELLIGENT USE OF FERTi-
LlZERS IN GERMANY.

All state institutions have fostered
the fertilizer trade since its origin In
the early fifties. State organizations
of all kinds have taken lively part In
the building up of the trade, and In lat.
er years the states have taken it for
granted that the trade Is profitable 70
farmers and merchants alike, and
have therefore framed laws to regu-
late its manufacture and sale. In every
state where fertilizer Is sold In appre-
ciable quantities laws have been
passed exacting certain requirements
of the manufacturer, because farmers
who are not able to analyze such ma
terfais for themselves would be the
sufferers. Besides the trade, over-am-
bilious, would forget its obligation to
the consumer and offer for Gale in
ferfor material under the name of fer
tflizers. We may say without fear OF
successful contradiction that the states
themselves are largely responsible for
the rise and volume of the fertilizer
trade.
It has long been recognized that
Germany leads the world in many
lines of science. This is perhaps true
in regard to the use of fertilizers in
early years. Germany discovered that
mineral salts applied to growing
crops increased the yields immensely.
and gave time and STUDY to the under
living caucas apd hao auoUacf ed RI IN a
other parts of the world many waltz
able lessons on her findings. Won
Liebig through his studies and lee
lures on modern agriculture has made
known much of the work of Germany
in the early history of the use OF COM
mercial fertilizers. Liebig says that
Kuhlmann, German agricultural
scientist, applied salammoniac to a
meadow in the year 1916 and 1886,
and found that on hectare (2h
acres) he gathered $40 pounds Of
hay more than on the same kind of
meadow where he did not use the sal
ammoniae He secured this result by
using about 200 pounds OF sal,am-
moniac to the acre.
In commenting upon this Won Liebig
has the following to say: ut is quite
certain, that In the action OF the qua
no, which produced the crop next high.
est after the Chill saltpeter, an un.
mistakable part was played by the
ammonia contained in 1t. On the
other hand. however, the experiments
with carbonate and nitrate OF ammonia
show that a quantity of ammonia, or
nitrogen, equivalent to that in 20
pounds of guano and employed under
the same conditions, was almost with.
cut effect"
A little further along he says: The
most recent observations on the com.
pertinent of the soil towards the food
of plants show how slight Is the
knowledge we possess of their mode
Of nourishment, and of the part which
the soil, by its physical condition,
plays in it, The compartment Of the
salts Of ammonia. of chloride OF So
dunn, and of nitrate of soda, towards
the earthly phosphates In the soil,
may perhaps assist us In throwing
some light on their action, or one Of
their actions. on the growth of plants. "
This statement Was made because it
was always found that when common
salt was added to certain mineral ma
nures, greater yield was obtained. and
Won Liebig came to the conclusion
that this WAS due TO the relation OF
this added material to the liberation
of potash in the soils.
Only a short time after the war be.
tween the States the German potash
beds we're discovered and by rapid
leaps and bounds this material gained
in favor with planters as we'll as ex.
perimenters. The necessity for find.
ing combination to liberate the pot
ash in the soils was now removed
and thorough satisfaction was found
IN the use OF the nitrate of soda and
the potash salts. and here the indus
claim. however, that Tribasic phosphate
Of lime crept into the formula and was
found efficient This fact is very sig
niticant and happened to be discov.
cred by constant study Of the use of
the nitrate OF soda and potash salts
Liebig thought that these two plant
food materials had the power OF dis
solving phosphorie acid in the form Of
earthly phosphatee. and these in turn
added greatly to the yield of farm
crops
We have here many hints OF what
afterwards really developed to be
facts-namely that the three great
elements of plant food that should be
applied to the soil for good crop yields
are phosphoric acid, ammonia and
potash For many years these three
elements have been the essential ele-
ments of plant food in a fertilizer for
Hr,,ala