Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-02-08
The 1910 Fertilizer Question.

THE question of fertilizer is one o
great interest to the farmers of Maine
especially the potato growers, and wha
to do the coming season is live ques
ton to many.
Several have asked my advice as t.
whether or not they could afford to bu!
fertilizer with the potash content fgur
ed at IS per unit, and plant potatoes
We're we sure of ss high prices another
season as We are now getting for our po
tatoes, it would at least give farmer
chance to win. No one knows when thu
war may end, and were 1t to end before
the shipping season was we'll on, another
fall, and Germany have q normal crop
prices would be apt to run so low here
that no money would be made on a po
tato crop. With millions of its men on
the battlefield and other millions work
ing to supply war material, the report is
that Germany has this year the greatest
potato crop any country ever raised
Under normal shipping conditions, this
would be disastrous to the potato grow
ers of Maine.
Nv own idea is that, taking under
consideration the price; the grower has
received for any term Of years, 1t is not
safe proposition for most farmers to
plant potatoes when the fertilizer costs
over $40 per ton.
Probably the most important question
to the potato grower is, CanI grow pota-
toes without potashf As to this part of
1t, feel compelled to say yes, at least
on certain soils.
/ do not wish anyone to get the idea
that am advocating planting potatoes
on a fertilizer without potash unless
Obliged to do so, yet am confident that
on many soils If the grower will use a
good percent of nitrogen and phosphoric
acid and keep his vines green until frost,
he will get nearly normal yield OF tu'
bers.
Years ago the writer, whose farms
border Casco bay, used to catch and nee
bu ndreds of barrels of fish for the grow
ing of potatoes, spreading them on green
sod and blowing them under; and conld
raise larger crop per acre than he has
been able to raise in any OF the past four
years.
These fish did not contain any potash
and but little phosphoric acid, but did
contain what many claimed to be an ex-
cessive amount of available nitrogen,
vet BY keeping the vines green until
frost, / could get as large crop as l
have been able to get since in most
years with a complete, well-balanced
fertilizer. 1t may have been that by
turning under these green fish, spread as
they were on green sod, that the decay
ing fish and sod were the means OF liber-
ating enough potash for the crop. At
any rate, the crop grew and filled out,
and the tubers were of very fine quality.
This brings US back to the fact that
practically all the potatoes produced in
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota are
grown on clover sod and without any
commercial fertilizer, and so is a large
portion of the crop in York state. There
is, therefore, no surety but what under
the stimulus Of the present high prices
and favorable season that those four
states which are the chief competitors
of Maine might have a very heavy crop,
with consequent low prices, which might
be ruinous to our Maine growers who
planted on $50 per ton fertilizer.
A clay loan subsoil contains an i'm
mense amount of potash which in its
present condition Is unavailable.
The writer has long intended to carry
on a series of experiments on subsoiling
previous to planting potatoes, to deter
mine how much of this unavailable pot
ash might be liberated for tho potato
crop, but never has got to it personally,
although we have tried 1t out to q
limited extent on our Richmond seed
farms. Further. friend Of the writer,
in Pennsylvania, tried it for several
years, with very great results.
There seem to be few certain condi-
tions, which II complied with, result in
very marked increase in the crop.
A clay subsoil doesn't usually get dry
enough in the spring to be safe to break
up. The top soil, or loan, may be 10
just the right condition to plow nicely
when the subsoil, containing the. most
potash, being largely clay, would mud.
as it was broken or crumpled up, and a.
these pieces of broken clay rubbed BY
one another as the subsoil plow passed
through, the outside surface OF each
piece, be it large or small, would be
given an almost imperviods coat of clay
mOEtdE. OuQoE bucSo COuuitiOu6, ouU-
soiling would be of but very little use.
On the other hand, have never known
of an instance where the subsoil was
broken up when 1t was dry enough land
the drier the better, provided the team
could haul the plow), but what resulted
in a very great increase in the potato
crop.
Later the writer will take up the ferti-
lizer question from another viewpoint,
giving his own personal ideas as to the
value of the present system of analysis,
which does not differentiate between
sources Of plant food for analysis only,
and sources Of plant food which will
feed the plant.
This last 10 one of the most vital
points of the whole commercial fertilizer
business, and the buyer of fertilizer to-
day in Maine has practically no protec-
ton whatever, except the honor Of the
men who compose the different fertilizer
companies doing business In the state.
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