The Owosso times., 1922-03-31
RICH SOIL SURE:
To Get RESULTS
Danger in Use of Too Much Com
merciaI Fertilizer; May In
jure the Plants.
As TOP OR SIDE DRESSING
May BE Mixed With Soil Along Rows
During the Period Of Growth
Mixtures Containing Much.
Nitrogen Are Favored.

A limited quantity Of high grade COM
merciAi fertilizer can be used to ad-
vantage on garden soils even where a
considerable supply of barnyard
mnnures have been applied. Com
mercial fertilizers act quickly and can
be used to special advantage where 1t
is desired to mature crops In short
period of time.
The best results can be obtained by
the use of fertilizer on land that is
well filed with organic matter. How
ever, fair results may be obtained by
the use of fertilizer on land that has
not been manured and which Is de-
ficient In organic matter, according to
the United States Department Of Agri-
culture.
The great danger In the use Of COM
mercial fertilizers Is that too large
quantities may be applied and cause
injury to the plants. 1t must be borne
In mind that commercial fertilizers are
a very concentrated form of plant food
and, therefore, should be used in
moderation.
Amount Needed In Garden.
Market gardeners frequently use as
much as 1000 pounds Of commercial
fertilizer on an acre Of ground. This
would be at the rate Of about 4 or 5
pounds to plot of ground 10 feet In
each direction or 100 square feet. AS
suming that the average backyard
garden is about 30 by 90 feet In size.
so to 20 pounds of standard. high-grade
truckers fertilizer would be all that
would be safe to apply on a garden Of
those dimensions. Under most con.
ditiOns SO pounds will be the maximum
amount to use.
Commercial fertilizers are usually put
up in sacks containing 100, 1877 or 200
pounds, and a good plan would be for
two or more gardeners to join together
In buying fertilizer.
Methods Of Application.
There are two or three methods of
applying commercial fertilizers. The
first and most common is by scattering
the fertilizer broadcast over the land
after 1t has been plowed and narrowed
then giving the soil a second and even
a third narrowing to mix the fertilizer
with it thoroughly. Another method
is to apply the fertilizer underneath the
rows, the plan being to open the fur
rows, scatter in the fertilizer, then,
by means OF single-shovel plow or
wheel hoe, thoroughly mix the fertilizer
with the soil I'm the bottom of the fur
row. The surface soil is then re-
turned and no seeds are planted for
few days until the fertilizer becomes
thoroughly incorporated with the
soil.
The third method of applying com
mercial fertilizers Is to use them as
q top or side dressing along the rows
Of plants during the period of growth.
Nitrate of soda and fertilizer mixtures
containing considerable percentage
of nitrogen are generally used for this
purpose. When using fertilizer as
side dressing care should be taken that
1t is not applied too near the base OF
the plants, but at little distance from
the row, and then IL should be cult.
waited into the upper or inches of
the cost of feed than all of the 81
COWS In the other herd. It would re-
quire lit cows like the average In the
poor herd to equal in profit production
one Of the cows In the top herd. To
equal the herd Of 16 good cows
farmer would have to keep 1872 ami
mails like the average cow I'm this poor
herd.