Smyrna times., 1928-02-08
NEW CASTLE COUNTY FARMERS
HEAR OF SOIL AND FERTILIZERS
ED. WILLIM JR., ACTING COUNTY
AGENT, DISTRIBUTES DATA
Some Interesting Phases Of Soil I'm
prOvement Work Brought to the
Attention of Upstate Farmers

prOVement WOrk BrOugnt 10 tne
Attention of Upstate Farmers
"A Good Add" is the title applied
to a mimeographed cartoon being dis
tributed to the interested farmers of
New Castle County BY the Acting
County Agent, Ed. Willim, Jr., this
week. The cartoon is furnished thru
the cooperation Of the National Fer
tilizer Association. 1t shows that the
fertilizer value Of a ton Of manure
adds plant food to the soil equivalent
to 100 pounds Of 12-5-1O fertilizer.
'"The manure is a very unbalanced
fertilizer" comments the County
Agent On this phase Of soil improve
ment work. 'If to the ton of manure
so pounds Of super-phosphate (acld
phosphate) is added" continued Mr..
Willim, "the farmer will be applying
manure that is the equivalent to 100
pounds of a 12-13-10 fertilizer which
is better balanced thruout. The
plant food in manure is valuable IN
proportion to the crop increase It will
produce. On some soils it may be
worth enough to cover the expense Of
hauling and spreading on the land; on
other soils it may be worth from three
to five dollars per ton. In any case,
the manure is too valuable to waste IN
New Castle County where It can be
expected to return as much as SZ.5O
per ton each year in four year ro-
tation. This figure was taken from
experiments conducted at the Unlvers-
itv Of Delaware experimental farm on
a four year rotation Of corn, soy
beans, wheat, and hay. Twelve and
one-half tons Of manure during the
four years showed an increase of Sl2O
over the same rotation on plots that
received no manure during the same
period. With the addition of the 80
pounds Of super r-phosphate to each
ton of manure a farmer can make the
manure 20 farther by bolstering it up
in its weak spot and then making
lighter applications but on more acres
''Stretch the manure pile, as one man
has said.
In following this practice of add
ing the super-phosphate to the man
ure to reinforce its weak constituent,
phosphate acid, the farmer can cut
down his application to as low as ?
tons per acre and he will then receive
as much good from this application
from the increased acreage on which
it will be spread as he would from
the same amount Of manure without
the addition of super-phosphate when
the latter is put on at the rate Of 2
tons per acre. In addition to giving
the manure a better plant food balance
super phosphate is the best preserva-
tive that can be used in the barn OF
manure pile to prevent loss BY volau-
zation. The phosphorus unites with
the amonia Of the manure, preventing
losses which may otherwise occur at
the barn, in the manure pile, or III the
field. The use Of two or three pounds
of super-phosphate per animal each
day scattered in the stall and cutters
adds to the sanitation, It add to tne
plant food content, and adds to the
profits from its use.
Programs dealing with the prob
lens of soil improvement will De
broadcast from station WIS Chicago
during the wek Of February 10 to r.
i the announcement just received by
Acting County Agent I'd Willlm, III.
fro mthe Soil Improvement Commit
tea Of the National Fertilizer Associa.
ton who are sponsoring the pro
grams.
.aThe farmers Of New Castle Count!
will probably receive considerable IN
formation to help them in their sol
problems" says the County Agent
Short talks will be made by farmer
from the midwest. The list Of speak
ers will include such men Of natlona
and international reputation as: HI
Marshall, for three years the world
champion corn grower; Harry AyleI
the Indiana farmer who produced l5
bushels of corn to win the Indiana
Acre Corn Contest in 1927, and tn
grand champion exhibitor Of corn
the 1927 International Grain and ia,
Show.
Another interesting feature Of thes
programs will be a radio play entitle
aHiranm's Pay Day." which will b
put on as a sequal to the play I'll
rams Hired Hands," which was give
a year ago during the soil fertiit
program from the same station.