Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-03-22
BY w. II. sTRowD,

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.
The prices which the farmer has
to pay for the products he buys are
out of joint with the prices he re-
ceives for the products he sells.
But even higher prices for farm
products will not help the farmer I'M
less he keeps down the cost of pro-
ductien. And one Of the biggest fac
tors in keeping down this cost Is
fertile soil.
1t is from the soil that the farmer
gets his wealth, either directly, from
cash crops, or indirectly, through the
forage that produces meat, wool and
dairy products. The improper use of
complete commercial fertilizer means
soil ruin, but the intelligent use of
fertilizer, as supplements to lime,
manure and legumes, may be neces-
sary, not only for maintaining and inn
proving the produetiveness of the soil,
but for keeping the cost of production
at minimum.
There is small wonder, then, that
the farmers should have an unusual
interest In the Ford proposal to oper-
ate Muscle Shoals, because Of the
prevailing idea that the acceptance of
the offer would mean cheaper fer
tilizer. Let US consider, briefly, the
possible value of Muscle Shoals to
Wisconsin farmers.
The three elements most often lack
ing in soils are nitrogen, phosphorus.
and potash. In commercial fertilizers
they are called ammonia Ca compound
containing 80 per cent nitrogen), phos-
phoric acid Ca, compound containing
40 per cent phosphorus) and potash
Containing 80 per cent potassium).
The element most often needed by
Wisconsin farmers is phosphorus or
phosphoric acid.
More Phosphate Needed.
Fortunately, phosphorus is relative
~ cheap; it is usually applied in acid
phosphate or treble superphosphate
or bone meal it can sometimes be
applied to good advantage in rock
phosphate, Two hundred thousand
tons of acid phosphate, or it's equiva-
lent which is 20 times the present
consumption, should be used annually
by Wisconsin farmers to maintain the
fertility of the soil and to cheaper
production.
Most Wisconsin soils are rich in
potassium and do not need potash fer
tilizer. On some of our soils, such as
,,o,,al1 coil y,o+ocb oo,, sba 97cnd 70 GOOD
advantage. Nitrogen or ammonia is
the most expensive element in COM
mercial fertilizer, but, fortunately,
general and dairy farmers do not need
to purchase nitrogen or ammonia in
fertilizers. Barnyard manure and
1egume crops furnish them with nitro
gen in the cheapest and most eco
nomica1 manner.
.But," someone asks. isn't Mr.
Ford going to make nitrogen or am
monia fertilizer at Muscle Shoals, and
If, as has been claimed, he will re-
duce nitrates to one-fourth their pres
ent cost, can't the farmer buy nftrates
cheaper than he can grow legumesY ~
Emphatically no, for many reasons
In the first place, the soil needs le-
gumes, not only for nitrogen but
for maintaining the humus content of
the soil in the second place, legumes
are needed for feed; in the third
place, and most important Of 9ll, If
both nitrate plants at Muscle Shoals
were operated at full capacity they
could not begin to supply the require
ments Of American crops.
The two nitrate plants at Muscle
Shoals have maximum capacity Of
$4,000 tons of nitrogen annually,
which is just about the amount Of
nitrogen sold each year in the produce
from Wisconsin farms. But If this
maximum possible production were
distributed among the states, in proper
ton to their present consumption Of
fertilizers, Wisconsin's share would be
only 60 tons of nitrogen, which would
not furnish enough for Wisconsin's
cabbage crop alone.
Don't Cherish Vain Hopes.
A story is told of a man who sold
his farm and Joined the then prevail
ing horde of fortune hunters in the
Klondike gold fields. A few years
later he returned, penniless, to find
that the purchaser of his farm had
made millions from the oil which the