Norwich bulletin., 1921-01-13
FARM BUREAU TEACHING
 HOME MIXING OF NATIONS

Some interesting reports have recent ly been received ct the New London County Farm Bureau office regarding the value of home mixing of rations. The farm bureau has always contended that there was a Substantial saving to be made where men would take the time to mix their own rations, whether it was for poultry or for dairy stock. A man who lives in the town of Griswold re- gently reported that he had bought the materials for the ration recommended mash for laying hens composed of 100 pounds middlinss, 100 pounds bran, 100 | pounds ground oats. loo pounds carn meal, 100 of gluten and 100 of scraps. At | the same time he obtained prices On ready mixed mashes, which would not | give any better. if as good results as this | home mixed mash, and found that by | mixing his own he shall save from | s12.5O to ST per ton on the mixture. At | the same time he might have cheapened | this ration a little more and obtained i just as good results by emitting the 100 pounds of gluten. since at the present
 time gluten feed is very high as com pared with other feeds.
 Not so long ago another man called at the farm bureau office to have a satis-
 factory ration figures out which he could l use with his dairy herd. A ration Of 100
 pounds of cotton seed. 100 pounds bran.
 100 pounds homing. 100 of ground oats
 and 30 pounds of oil meal was suggest
 ed to him. At the prices then prevailing
 this could be made up for 34s.50 per
 ton, while the ready mixed ration which
 he was then feeding was costing him s63
 per ton. A saving of S14.50 per ton
 seemed to him worth considering.
 Only lately considerable information
 has been secured on comoarative prices
 of ready mixed fertilize 8 with raw chemicals. It is very apparent that this
 year of all years will be a time when
 farmers can save a considerable amount of money by mixing their own chemica ls
 instead of buying ready mixed feTtii. gers. The ready mixed fertilizers op tho
 market today were made u1 from very high priced chemicals and manufaCtur-
 CTS are very reluctant to drop tht:, prices any. as it would mean a laI~,
 loss on those goods. Mixtures were re gently figured out at the farm bureat office to compare with ready mixed ilgoods. For instance it was found tha
 a two per cent potash. two per cent am monia, eight per cent. phosnhoric aci, i Is being advertised by six large fertIii
 ger concerns at S4S.5o per ton. Thi ksame mixture can be made up from nj
 trate of soda, ground bone. acid phoe
 phate and muriate of potash for S306 per ton. A saving Of approximately s1
 A 3-S-4 mixture which is quoted by si ' large fertilizer concerns at S59.50 pc J ton can be made up from this sam , chemical materials at s4O.94 per tor , while a 4-S-4 mixture quoted by eigh 0 large fertilizers at S55.S0 per ton can b = made up from chemicals for s4O.9O DC 5 ton. Leaving out the bone and usin .- nitrate of soda. acid phosphate and mt n riate of potash. This means a savin k of S24.60 per ton on this one mixtur If alone.
 .o The farmer can hardly advance tf 10 theory that he has no time to mix U Q his own chemical With such savings { le these it is simply case of not wan
 ing to take the time.
 l. Many men raise. the question as 10 whether they can mix their own chen
 icals There is nc question at all in tl m minds of hundreds of farmers that al m now using raw chemicals. In aNnumb ,t of places in New England the farme o- have used chemicals for years and cou
 not he persuaded to change as tn o, feel that they are saving a large amou
 of money by mixing their own. that tn
 know what is in the fertilizer and tn
 they get better results than they
 from mixed goods.
 " Assistance will be given at inc Tar nc bureau office to any men who are i ,v terested in working out plans for mixi m their chemicals this year. This is
 rare opportunity for the newly orgs n- ized cooperative exchanges. as well of Tor the exchanges now operating to { Vi together orders for chemicals and ga "a the members of these organizations s,- good sum of money at the outset.