Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-12-31
RELATION Of fET|L|zER
TO CROPS HISTORICAL
Il. Il. StOoicy. COIrty Agent 81
Thurston County.

me relation OF 1ertllIZeT 10 crops
production has been recognized since
the time o. recorded history. The
use of manure, leguminous crops and
lime (marl) was known to have
beneficial effect on the growth OF
plants hundreds of years before we
could measure eXactness the direct
effect of their particular virtues or
explain why it was SO. Even now
there remains much to be learned and
many are the controversies concern
ing the value of one fetilizer in com
parison with another There are
certain fundamentals, however, on
which all can agree.
Animal manures are admittedly
the best fertilizers Obtainable and
where it is possible to secure sufiici-
ent quantities of manure at reason
able figure the fertilizer question does
not give much concern. Such condi-
tons however are distinctly rare, SO
it becomes necessary to seek else
where.
The three elements, nitrogen, phos-
of primary Importance. When buying
the nitrogen is sometimes termed
ammonia and the last two are gen.
orally known as phosphoric acid and
potash.
Nitrogen promotes succulen:, ieafy
growth. Berries do not make a Wig
orous can growth il nitrogen is de
fcient.
seed formation, il 1t be lacking ma
turity is retarded and yields are be-
low normal.
Potash is used in the development
Of starches, sugar and wood portions
of plants and is generally credited
with an influence on the quality Of
fruit or berries.
When buying commercial fertilizer
terms Of pounds or tons. The unit
consideration should be the percent
age Of nitrogen, available phOsphOric
acid and water soluble potash. AS
we'll buy ore by the ton instead Of by
analysis.
The source from which the nitro
. gen is obtainable or the form in
which it is found in the fertilizer is
also of considerable Importance. I'm
less it IS soluble or will readily be-
COME ava liable it will be of little
immediate value to the crop. Such
chemical forms as nitrate of soda and
ammonium compounds are soluble
and readily available to plants.
Organic forms such as tankage or
manure are less readily available and
the nitrogen Of bones. hoof meal. etc.
are of little value for the immediate
CROP.
Much has been claimed for organic
forms Of nitrogen over the inorganic
or chemical. This is largely theoreti-
cal. All organic nitrogen must first
be converted into the nitrate form be-
fore 1t can be used by the plant.
Furthermore, the value of the humus
or organic matter applied in CONNER
cial fertilizers is decidedly minor
consideration. Director Chas. E.
Thorne, of the Ohio Station, a recog-
nized authority on fertilizers, goes
so far as to state that even the value
Of manure is limited entirely to the
amounts of nitrogen, phosphoric acid
and potash which it contains. Ger
tain it is that all experiments with
different forms of heterogeneous fertil-
izers have shown the most highly con-
centrated and available forms to be
the most economical and efficient.
May we not then safely say that the
nitrogen in the fertilizer should be in
a readily available form, and place
7 too much emphasis on whether it is
derived from an organic or chemical
|. source.
| Available phosphoric acid and
| water soluble potash will be a safe
guide to use as basis when purchas-
| ing or using these ingredients.
| The formula to use or the percent
| age of these three ingredients will
be the buyers next concern. This
will depend largely on the character
and previous treatment Of the soil
and the crop to be fertilized.
! Generally speaking our Western
! Washington soils are more or less
deficient in phosphoric acid. Further
| more, most commonly used manures
| crop like berries. which is a heavy
| phosphorus feeder, is to be fortified
| we should logically use a fertilizer
containing a high percentage Of avail
able phosphoric acid If the soil has
| previouly been MANFRED or if the cane
: growth is satisfactory then an appli-