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MYERlS 


M>e-a-.u.ifeq^^fir-::y';?r=a'. 


UBRARY 

iiHivttisin  Of 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/forplantsfood01myerrich 


FOOD  FOR  PLANTS 


New  Edition 
With  Supplementary  Notes 


EDITED    AND    PUBLISHED    BY 

William  S.  Myers,  d.  Sc  f.  c.  s.,  Director, 

Chilean  Nitrate  Committee 
Late  of  New  Jersey  State  Agricultural  College 

25  MADISON  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


AGRICULTURE 


PREFACE  ftGRio.^ 

LIBRARY 

This  is  the  twelfth  edition  of  Food  for  Plants  and,  after 
repeated  and  extended  revisions,  the  work  has  come  to 
have  a  standard  place  in  our  American  farm  literature. 
It  nows  includes  results  of  original  investigations  and 
experiments  on  Highlands  Experimental  Farms,  made 
under  the  personal  direction  of  the  late  Professor  E.  B. 
Voorhees. 

The  main  purpose  of  all  the  within  recorded  experi- 
ments has  been  to  demonstrate  the  value  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda  in  the  scheme  of  rational  fertilization  on  a  practical 
scale.  The  investigations  have  covered  more  particu- 
larly the  questions  of  amount  of  Nitrate  and  other  chemi- 
cals to  be  employed,  time  of  application  for  most  profit- 
able results  and  practical  methods  for  the  preparation 
of  grass  lands  and  the  harvesting  of  the  hay  crop. 

These  recorded  experiments  set  forth  the  field  work 
intended  as  demonstrations  in  farm  practice  of  what  may 
be  accomplished  by  the  rational  use  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 
under  average  farm  conditions  in  a  typical  dairy  section 
of  New  York  State. 

The  earlier  results  have  appeared  from  time  to  time 
in  former  editions  of  "  Food  for  Plants,"  "  Grass  Grow- 
ing for  Profit,"  and  "  Growing  Timothy  Hay  for 
Market  "  —  all  practical  farm  books  of  value,  based  on 
actual  scientific  and  sound  practical  data.  Studies  hav- 
ing been  made  of  methods  of  crop  growing,  from  the 
preparation  of  the  land  to  handling  and  marketing  the 
crops,  it  is  believed  that  these  volumes  have  unique  and 
unusual  value. 

WTLLTAM  S.  IMYERS. 


325 


BlastiiifT  a  Test  Hole. 


raliclic  h'catly   I'lH'  Tfaiispoii   Id  Oliciiia. 


FOOD  FOR  PLANTS 


The  Food  of  Plants  consists  of  a  number  of  elements, 
including  Nitrate,  phosphate,  lime  and  potash.  Nearly 
always  two  of  these  are  lacking  in  adequate  quantities  to 
produce  crops,  especially  is  Nitrate  wanting  in  the  vast 

majority  of  instances.  In  this  case  the 
Why  Nitrate  normal  growth  and  yield  of  the  crop  will 

Is  Indispensable,   be    limited    only    by    the    quantity    of 

Nitrate  it  can  properly  assimilate. 
There  might  be  an  abundant  supply  of  all  the  other  ele- 
ments, 1)ut  plants  can  never  use  other  kinds  of  food  with- 
out Nitrate. 

Nitrate  Nitrogen  is  the  food  that  is 
Nitrate  nearly  always  deficient.     The  question 

Nearly  Always      that  presents  itself  to  the  farmer,  gar- 
Deficient,  dener  and  fruit  grower  is,  How  can  I 

supply  my  plants  with  Nitrogen,  phos- 
phoric acid  and  potash,  in  the  best  forms  and  at  the  least 
expense?  "We  will  try  to  throw  some  light  upon  this  ques- 
tion in  the  following  pages.  AVe  will  take  first.  Phos- 
phoric Acid. 

There   are   several    sources   of   phos- 
Phcsphoric  Acid,  phoric  acid,  the  principal  being  bones 

and  rock  phosphate.  Of  these,  the  rock 
phosphate  is  the  cheapest  source.  A  prevailing  impres- 
sion exists  that  superphosphate  made  from  rock  phos- 
phate is  not  as  good  as  that  made  from  bones.  It  has 
been  shown  by  many  experiments  that  this  idea  is  en- 
tirely without  foundation.  What  the  plants  want  is  avail- 
able phosphoric  acid,  and  it  makes  little  or  no  difference 
from  what  source  it  is  derived. 


6  Food   i'ok   Pi, axis. 

The  largest  deposits  of  rock  |)liospliates  exist  in  South 
Carolina,  Floi-idji  and  Tennessee.  These  beds  of  phos- 
phate are  supposed  to  be  composed  of  the  petrified  bones 
and  excrements  of  extinct  animals.  AVhen  this  substance 
is  ground  and  mixed  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  sul- 
phuric acid,  the  larger  part  of  the  phosplioric  acid  which 
it  contains  becomes  available  as  plant  food.  This  fact 
was  one  of  the  greatest  agricultural  discoveries  of 
the  age. 

"When  the  rock  phosijhate  is  thus  treated  with  sul- 
phuric acid,  it  becomes  wliat  is  commercially  known  as 
superphosphate,  or  acid  phosphate.  The  same  is  true  if 
ground  bone  is  treated  in  the  same  way.  Good  super- 
phosphate, or  acid  phosphate,  contains  about  14  per  cent, 
of  soluble  phosphoric  acid. 

The  best  sources  of  potash  are  sul- 
Potashes.  phate   of   potash   and   unleached   wood 

ashes,  which  latter  contain  from  3  to  5 
per  cent,  of  potash  in  the  form  of  carbonate.  They  also 
contain  from  1  to  2i4  per  cent,  of  phosphoric  acid.  They 
are  valuable  as  plant  food  for  the  potash  as  well  as  for 
the  valuable  lime  they  contain. 

Nitrate   is    the   most   important    and 
Nitrate.  effective  element  of  plant  food,  and  at 

the  same  time,  as  stated,  is  the  one  that 
is  generally  deficient  in  the  soil. 

Crops  must  have  meals,  that  is,  food  cooked  for  them 
in  advance.  The  sun  will  help  do  this  cooking,  as  its  heat 
and  light  promote  nitration  which  is  really  a  process  of 
cooking  and  also  pre-digestion.  When  the  nitrogenous 
plant  food  is  cooked  and  prepared  for  use  it  is  Nitrate, 
hence  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  in  a  class  by  itself,  different 
from  all  other  plant  foods. 

There  are  a  great  many  sources  of  Nitrogen,  such  as 
dried  fish,  cotton-seed  meal,  dried  blood,  and  tankage. 
But  none  of  these  furnish  Nitrogen  in  the  Nitrate  form 
in  which  it  is  taken  up  by  plants.  This  can  only  be  fur- 
nished to  plants  in  the  form  of  Nitrate  of  Soda.    Nitro- 


F(K)i)   roll   Plants.  7 

gen  applied  in  any  other  form  must  be  first  converted 
into  Nitrate  before  it  can  be  used  by  plants  at  all. 

Nitrate  of  Soda  contains  the  Nitrogen  that  is  neces- 
sary for  the  growth  of  plants,  and  is  the  best  form 
in  which  to  furnish  it  to  them.  When  we  say  the 
best  form  we  mean  as  well  the  best  practical  form. 
Nitrate  of  Soda  not  only  furnishes  Nitrogen  in  its  most 
available  form,  but  it  furnishes  it  cheaper  than  any  other 
source,  because  100  per  cent,  of  it  or  all  is  available. 

No  other  form  containing  so  much  available  plant  food 
is  also  capable  of  unlocking  the  latent  potash  in  the  soil. 

Materials  Used  in  Making  Commercial  or  Chemical  Fertilizers. 

Nitrate  of  Soda  or  Chile  Saltpetre 
Nitrate  of  Soda  occurs  in  vast  deposits  in  the  rainless 
or  Chile  districts    of    the   west    coast   of    South 

Saltpetre.  America,  chiefly  in  (*hile,  from  whence 

it  is  imported  to  this  country  for  use  in 
chemical  manufacture  and  in  agriculture.  As  imported 
into  the  United  States,  Nitrate  of  Soda  usually  contains 
about  15  per  cent,  of  Nitrogen.  Nitrate  of  Soda  re- 
sembles common  salt,  with  which  and  sodium  sulphate 
it  is  often  adulterated.  This  salt  is  at  once  available  as 
a  direct  fertilizer.  Whenever  practicable,  it  should  be 
applied  as  a  top-dressing  to  growing  crops,  and  if  pos- 
sible the  dressings  should  be  given  in  two  or  three  suc- 
cessive rations. 


General  East  and   West  Section  of  the  Nitrate  District  of  Chile. 
Vertical  Scale  Exagoerated. 


8 


Food  fou   Plants. 


Nitrate  of  Soda  is  usually  applied  at  the  rate  of  from 
100  to  200  pounds  per  acre  on  land  previously  dressed 
with  farm-yard  manure.  To  secure  an  even  distribution, 
the  Nitrate  should  be  well  mixed  with  from  three  to  five 
parts  of  fine  loam  or  sand. 


Much  has  been  said  and  written  about  Nitrate  of  Soda 
exhausting  the  soil.  This  is  all  a  mistake  and  is  the  out- 
come of  incorrect  reasoning.  Nitrate  of  Soda  does  not 
exhaust  soils.  It  promotes  the  development  of  the 
leafy  parts  of  plants,  and  its  etfects  are  at  once  notice- 
able in  the  deep,  rich  green,  and  vigorous  growth  of 
crops.    The  growth  of  plants  is  greatly  energized  by  its 


Food  for  Plants. 


9 


use,  for  the  Nitrate  in  supplying  an  alnindanee  of  nitro- 
genous food  to  plants,  imparts  to  them  a  thrift  and  vigor 
which  enables  their  roots  to  gather  in  the  shortest  time 
the  largest  amount  of  other  needed  foods  from  a  greater 
surface  of  surrounding  soil.  The  increased  consumption 
of  phosphoric  acid  and  potash  is  due  to  the  increase  in 
the  weight  of  the  crop.  The  office  of  the  Nitrate  is  to 
convert  the  raw  materials  of  the  soil  into  a  crop ;  for  we 


UNEXPLORED  NlTSATEJftOUIfl)  IN  CHILE 
74^978  SQUARE  MILjES 


EXPLORED 

NITRATE 

GRQjJND 

2,244 

SO.  IWLES 


obtain  by  its  use,  as  Dr.  Griffiths  has  tersely  said,  "  the 
fullest  crop  with  the  greatest  amount  of  profit,  with  the 


least  damage  to  the  land." 


HOW  NITRATE  BENEFITS  THE  FARMER. 


Nitrate  of  Soda,  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  agricultural  chemist,  is  a  sub- 
stance formed  by  the  union  of  nitric 
oxide  and  soda.  In  appearance  it  re- 
sembles coarse  salt.  In  agriculture,  it 
is  valuable  chiefly  for  its  active  Nitro- 
gen, altliough  it  is  also  a  soil  sweetener  and  is  frequently 
ca])able  of  rendering  soil  potash  available. 


What  Nitrate 
Looks  Like;  Its 
Chemical 
Properties. 


50,000,000  TONS  OF  NITRATE  EXTRACTED 


Commercially  pure  Nitrate  contains 
What  it  is  in  about  15  per  cent,  of  Nitrogen,  equiva- 
Agriculture.  lent  to  18.25  per  cent,  of  Anmionia,  or 

:]{){)  ])()un(ls  of  Nitrogen  to  the  ton. 

1101 


Food  for  Plants.  11 

Nitrate  of  Soda  is  found  in  vast  quan- 
Where  it  is  tities  in  Cliile.    The  beds  of  Nitrate,  or 

Found.  "  Caliche,"  as  it  is  called  in  Chile  be- 

fore it  is  refined,  are  several  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea,  on  a  desert  plain  extending  for 
seventy-five  miles  north  and  south,  and  about  twenty 
miles  wide,  in  a  rainless  region.  The  surface  of  the 
desert  is  covered  with  earth  or  rock,  called  "  costra," 
which  varies  from  three  to  ten  or  more  feet  in  thickness. 
Under  this  is  found  the  "  Caliche,"  or  crude  Nitrate. 
The  layer  of  "  Caliche  "  is  sometimes  eight  or  ten  feet 
thick,  but  averages  about  tliree  feet.  This  "  Caliche  " 
contains  on  an  average  from  15  to  50  per  cent,  of  pure 
Nitrate  of  Soda. 

It  is  calculated  there  is  ample  Nitrate  now  in  sight  to 
last  upwards  of  three  hundred  years. 

The  "  Caliche  "  is  refined  by  boiling  in  water  to  dis- 
solve the  Nitrate.     This  hot  water  is  then  run  off  and 

allowed  to  cool  in  tanks,  when  the  Ni- 
Method  of  trate  forms  in  crystals  like  common  salt. 

Refining.  The  Nitrate  is  then  placed  in  bags  of  a 

little  over  two  hundred  pounds  each  and 
shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 

The  process  of  refining  is  an  expensive  one.  How 
these  beds  of  Nitrate  were  formed  has  been  the  subject 
of  much  speculation.  The  generally  accepted  theory  is, 
that  they  were  formed  by  the  gradual  decomposition  and 
natural  manurial  fermentation  of  marine  animal  and 
vegetable  matter,  which  contains  a  considerable  amount 
of  Nitrogen. 

The  same  wise  Providence  that  stored  up  the  coal  in 
the  mountains  of  Pennsylvania  to  furnish  fuel  for  people 
when  their  supply  of  wood  had  become  exhausted,  pre- 
served this  vast  quantity  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  in  the  rain- 
less region  of  Chile,  to  be  used  to  furnish  crops  with  the 
necessary  Nitrate  when  the  natural  supply  in  the  soil  had 
become  deficient. 


12  Food  fou  Plants. 

The  enormous  explosive  industry  of  this  country  could 
not   be    conducted    without   Nitrate    of 
Its  Uses.  ISoda,  and  glass  works   are  dependent 

upon  it.  In  fact,  glass  works  and  pow- 
der works  usually  have  Nitrate  on  hand. 

Nitrate  of  Soda  has  a  special  bearing  on  the  progress 
of  modern  agriculture,  being  the  most  nutritious  form  of 
Nitrogenous  or  ammoniate  plant  food.    While  the  action 

of  micro-organisms  with  certain  crops 
Its  Position  (legumes)  combines  and  makes  effective 

in  Modern  use  of  the  inert  Nitrogen  of  the  atmos- 

Agriculture.  phere,  such  action  is  far  too  slow  and 

uncertain  for  all  the  requirements  of 
modern  agriculture,  for  it  is  not  available  for  use  for  a 
whole  year  or  even  longer.  The  rapid  exhaustion  of 
combined  Nitrogen  has  several  times  been  noticed  by 
eminent  scientific  men,  with  reference  to  food  famine, 
because  of  a  lack  of  the  needful  Nitrogenous  plant  food. 

It  has  been  estimated  under  the  present 
Wasteful  Methods  methods  of  cropping  the  rich  lands  of 
by  our  Pioneer  our  AVestern  States,  that  for  every 
Farmers.  pound  of  Nitrogen  actually  used  to  make 

a  wheat  crop,  four  to  five  pounds  are 
utterly  wasted.  In  other  words,  our  pioneer  agriculture 
has  proceeded  as  though  fertility  capital  could  be  drawn 
upon  forever. 

This  injudicious  waste  is  already  reducing  the  yield 
of  many  of  the  best  lands,  rendering  the  use  of  at  least  a 
small  application  per  acre  of  Nitrate  both  profitable  and 

necessary.  The  agricultural  value  of 
Eminent  Scien-  Nitrate  of  Soda  has  had  the  attention 
tists  the  World  of  the  foremost  agricultural  and  scien- 
Over  Well  tific  specialists  of  the  world,  including 

Acquainted  with  such  men  as  Lawes  and  Gilbert,  Sir  Wil- 
the  Great  Value  liam  Crookes,  Dr.  Dyer,  Dr.  Hall  and 
of  Nitrate.  Dr.   Voelcker,   in   England ;   Professors 

Grandeau,  Cassarini,  Migneaux,  and 
Cadoret,  in  France;  Professors  Bernardo  and  Alino,  in 


Food  I'oii  Pla.nts.  13 

Spain ;  Dr.  Wagner  and  Professor  Maercker,  of  Ger- 
many; and  Drs.  Voorhees,  J.  G.  Lipman,  Brooks,  Dug- 
gar,  Ross,  Patterson,  Ililgard  and  Garcia  in  America. 
The  results  obtained  by  these  officials  may  be  summar- 
ized as  follows : 

1.  Xitrate  of  Soda  acts  very  beuehcially  and  with  great 
certainty  upon  all  straw-growing  plants. 

2.  It  is  of  special  value  for  forcing  the  rapid  develop- 
ment and  early  maturity  of  most  garden  crops. 

3.  It  is  of  great  importance  in  the  production  of  sugar 
beets,  potatoes,  hops,  fodder  crops,  fiber  plants,  and 
tobacco. 

4.  It  is  exceedingly  valuable  in  developing  and  main- 
taining meadow  grass  and  pasture  lands. 

5.  In  the  early  stages  of  development  it  produces  fa- 
vorable results  upon  peas,  vetches,  lupines,  clover,  and 
alfalfa. 

6.  It  has  been  applied  mth  much  advantage  to  various 
kinds  of  berries,  bush  fruits,  vineyards,  orchards  and 
nursery  stock,  and  small  fruits  generally. 

7.  It  provides  the  means  in  the  hands  of  the  farmer, 
for  energizing  his  crops  so  that  they  may  better  with- 
stand, the  ravages  of  drought,  or  the  onslaughts  of  plant 
diseases  or  insect  pests,  such  as  boll  weevil,  and  others. 

8.  It  may  be  used  as  a  surface  application  to  the  soil, 
from  time  to  time,  should  the  plants  indicate  a  need  of  it 
by  their  lack  of  color  and  growth. 

9.  It  is  immediately  available,  and  under  favorable 
conditions  its  effect  upon  many  crops  may  be  noticed 
within  a  few  days  after  its  application. 

10.  It  may  be  used  either  as  a  special  fertilizer,  or  as  a 
supplemental  fertilizer. 

11.  The  best  results  are  obtained  from  its  application 
when  the  soil  contains  ample  supplies  of  available  phos- 
phoric acid  and  potash.  It  should  be  remembered  that  it 
furnishes  the  one  most  expensive  and  necessary  element 
of  plant  food,  namely,  Nitrogen,  and  of  the  various  com- 
mercial forms  of  Nitrogen,  Xitrate  is  the  cheapest. 


14  Food    rou    1*i..\nis. 

12.  Its  uiiifonn  action  seems  to  be  to  energize  the 
capacity  of  the  plant  for  developing  growth.  Its  action 
is  characterized  by  imparting  to  the  plant  a  deep  green, 
healthy  appearance,  and  by  also  causing  it  to  grow 
rapidly  and  to  put  out  numbers  of  new  shoots. 

13.  The  inmiediate  effect  of  an  application  of  Nitrate 
of  Soda,  therefore,  is  to  develop  a  much  larger  plant 
growth  and  its  skillful  application  must  bo  relied  upon  to 
secure  the  largest  yields  of  fruits  and  grain, 

14.  Under  favorable  conditions  of  moisture  and  culti- 
vation, these  effects  may  be  confidently  anticipated  upon 
all  kinds  of  soils. 

15.  All  of  the  plant  food  contained  in  Nitrate  of  Soda 
is  available  and  existing  in  a  soluble  form.  The  farmer 
should  understand  that  it  is  not  economical  to  apply 
more  of  it  than  can  be  utilized  by  the  crop ;  one  of  the 
most  valuable  qualities  of  this  fertilizer  being  that  it  need 
not  lie  dormant  in  the  soil  from  one  season  to  the  next. 

16.  The  best  results  are  secured  when  it  is  applied 
during  the  early  growing  period  of  the  plant.  If  applied 
too  late  in  the  development  of  the  plant,  it  generally  has 
a  tendency  to  protract  its  growing  period  and  to  delay 
the  ripening  of  the  fruit,  as  after  a  liberal  application  of 
Nitrate  of  Soda,  the  energies  of  the  plant  are  immedi- 
ately concentrated  upon  developing  its  growth.  This  is 
true  with  a  few  exceptions. 

17.  The  farmer  must  not  expect  it  to  excuse  him  from 
applying  proper  principles  of  land  drainage,  or  cultiva- 
tion of  the  soil,  nor  should  Nitrate  of  Soda  be  used  in 
excessive  quantities  too  close  to  the  plants  that  are  fertil- 
ized Avith  it.  For  most  seeded  crops,  an  application  of 
one  hundred  pounds  to  the  acre  is  sufficient  when  it  is 
used  alone. 

18.  It  may  be  applied  in  a  dry  state  to  either  agricul- 
tural or  garden  lands  by  sowing  it  broadcast,  or 
by  means  of  any  fertilizer-distributing  machine.  It 
can  be  applied  to  the  surface,  or  it  may  be  cultivated 
into    the    soil    by    some    light    agricultural    implement, 


Food  for   L*LA^■TS.  15 

such  as  a  liarrow,  weedor,  cultivator  or  liorse  hoe. 
The  capillary  movement  of  the  soil  waters  will  distribute 
it  ill  the  soil,  and  osmosis  of  soil  solutions  and  the  capil- 
lary attraction  of  the  soil  |)articles  when  in  ,i>'ood  tilth  will 
retain  it  safely  until  the  plant  uses  it. 

Accepting"  the  conclusions  of  these  scientific  men,  the 
use  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  in  agriculture  ought  to  increase 
proportionately  to  the  dissemination  of  the  knowledge  of 
its  usefulness  among  our  farmers.  An  increase  in  the 
consumption  of  Nitrate  among  growers 
Its  Use  Is  of  tobacco,  fiber  plants,  sugar  beets,  the 

Increasing-.  hop,  grape,  grass  and  small  fruits,  has 

been  most  notable  of  late.  The  element 
of  plant  food  first  exhausted  in  soils  is  Nitrogen,  and  in 
many  cases  a  marked  increase  in  crop  is  obtained  through 
the  use  of  Nitrate  alone.  "  Complete  "  fertilizers  are 
generally  rather  low  in  Nitrogen,  and  Nitrate  may  be 
wisely  used  to  supplement  them,  as  it  is  practically  the 
cheapest  form  of  plant  food  Nitrogen. 

By  ''  complete  fertilizers,"  is  meant 
"  Complete  fertilizers    containing    Nitrogen,    phos- 

Fertilizers  "  and  phoric  acid  and  potash.  These  fertil- 
"  Phosphates  "  izers  are  often  called  "phosphates," 
the  Most  Expen-  and  people  have  fallen  into  the  habit  of 
sive  Plant  Food,  calling  any  commercial  fertilizer  a 
"  phosphate,"  whether  it  contains  phos- 
phate or  not.  Many  so-called  "  complete  fertilizers  " 
are  merely  acid  phosphates  with  insignificant  amounts  of 
the  other  essential  plant  foods.  They  are  frequently  ill- 
balanced  rations  for  all  crops. 

The  value  of  these  "  phosphates,"  no  matter  how  high 
sounding  their  names,  consists  in  their  phosphoric  acid 
and  potash  in  many  cases. 

The  Nitrogen  contained  in  these  ^'  complete  fertil- 
izers "  is  often  in  a  form  that  is  neither  available  nor 
useful  to  the  plants  until  it  has  become  converted  into 
Nitrate.    The  time  required  to  do  this  varies  from  a  few 


16  Food  for  Plants. 

days  to  a  few  years,  according  to  the  tenii)erature  of  tlie 
soil  and  the  kind  and  condition  of  the  material  used. 

Statistics  gathered  by  the  Experiment  Stations  sliow 
that  in  the  United  States  many  millions  of  dollars  are 
spent  annnally  for  ''  complete  fertilizers." 

Would  you  not  think  a  man  very  un- 
How  to  Save  Avise  who  should  buy  somebody 's  ' '  Com- 
Money  on  plete  Prepared  Food,"  at  a  high  price, 

Fertilizers.  when  he  wanted  feed  for  his  horses,  in- 

stead of  going  into  the  market  and  buy- 
ing corn,  oats  and  hay,  at  market  prices  ? 

The  "  Complete  Prepared  Food  "  would  probably  be 
composed  of  corn,  oats  and  hay  mixed  together,  and  the 
price  would  be,  perhaps,  twice  as  much  as  the  corn,  oats 
and  ha}'  would  cost  separately.  It  is  fre- 
What  Fertilizers  quently  more  economical  to  buy  the  dif- 
to  Buy.  f erent  fertilizing  materials  and  mix  them 

at  home  than  to  purchase  "  complete  " 
fertilizers  as  they  are  often  called.  Some  do  not  wish 
to  take  pains  to  get  good  materials  and  mix  them,  and 
prefer  to  purchase  the  "  complete  "  fertilizers.  If  this 
be  done,  special  attention  should  be  given  to  ascertaining 
in  what  form  the  Nitrogen  exists.  Many  of  the  manu- 
facturers do  not  tell  this,  but  some  of  the  experi- 
ment stations  analyze  all  the  fertilizers  sold  in  their 
respective  states  and  publish  the  results  in  bulletins, 
which  are  sent  free  to  anyone  asking  for  them.  These 
analyses  should  show  in  what  form  the  Nitrogen  is.  The 
''  complete  fertilizers  "  that  contain  the  most  Nitrogen 
in  the  form  of  Nitrate  are  the  ones  to  use,  and  the  ones 
which  do  not  contain  Nitrate  or  which  do  not  give  infor- 
mation on  this  vital  point  should  be  avoided.  If  you  have 
on  hand  a  '^  complete  fertilizer  "  containing  a  small  per- 
centage of  Nitrogen,  and  only  in  organic  form,  such  as 
cotton-seed,  or  "  tankage,"  it  will  be  of  great  advantage 
to  use  one  hundred  pounds  per  acre  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 
in  addition  to  it.  No  fertilizer  is  really  complete  without 
Nitrate  of  Soda. 


Food  for  Plants.  17 

It  is  now  known  that  the  Nitrogen  in  organic  matter 
of  soil  or  mannre  is  slowly  converted  into  the  Nitrate 
form  by  a  minute  organism.  This  cannot  work  if  the 
soil  is  too  cold,  or  too  wet,  or  too  dry,  or  in  a  sour  soil. 
As  a  general  rule,  soils  must  be  kept  sweet  and  the  other 
conditions  necessary  for  the  conversion  of  the  Nitrogen 
into  the  Nitrate  form  are  warm  weather  and  a  moist  soil 
in  good  physical  condition. 

In  the  early  spring  the  soil  is  too  wet  and  too  cold  for 
the  change  to  take  place.  "We  must  wait  for  warm 
weather.  But  the  gardener  does  not  want  to  wait.  He 
makes  his  profits  largely  on  his  early  crops.  Guided 
only  by  experience  and  tradition,  he  fills  his  land  with 
manure,  and  even  then  he  gets  only  a  moderate  crop  the 
first  year.  He  puts  on  seventy-five  tons  more  manure  the 
next  yea,r,  and  gets  a  better  crop.  And  he  may  continue 
putting  on  manure  till  the  soil  is  as  rich  in  Nitrogen  as 
the  manure  itself,  and  even  then  he  must  keep  on  manur- 
ing or  he  fails  to  get  a  good  early  crop.  Why?  The 
Nitrogen  of  the  soil,  or  of  roots  of  plants,  or  manure,  is 
retained  in  the  soil  in  a  comparatively  inert  condition. 
There  is  little  or  no  loss.  But  when  it  is  slowly  converted 
into  Nitrate  during  wami  weather,  the  plants  take  it  up 
and  grow  rapidly. 

How,  then,  is  the  market  gardener  to  get  the  Nitrate 
absolutely  necessary  for  the  growth  of  his  early  plants? 
He  may  get  it,  as  before  stated,  from  an  excessive  and 
continuous  use  of  stable  manure,  but  even  then  he  fails 
to  get  it  in  sufficient  quantity. 

One  thousand  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  will  furnish 
more  Nitrogen  to  the  plants  early  in  the  spring  than  the 
gardener  can  get  from  100  tons  of  well-rotted  stable 
manure.  The  stable  manure  may  help  furnish  Nitrate 
for  his  later  crops,  but  for  his  early  crops  the  gardener 
who  fails  to  use  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  blind  to  his  own 
interests. 


38  Food   for   I^i.ants. 

A  uivcii  <|iiantity  of  Nitrate  will  pvo- 
On  What  Crops  duc^'  a  uixcii  nmonnt  of  plant  substance. 
Nitrate  Should  A  ton  of  wheat,  straw  and  grain  to- 
Be  Used.  gether,  contain   about   1,500  pounds   of 

dry  matter,  of  which  25  pounds  is  Nitro- 
gen. To  produce  a  ton  of  wheat  and  straw  together 
would  require,  therefore,  170  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda, 
in  wliich  quantity  there  is  25  pounds  of  Nitrogen. 

A  ton  of  cabbage,  on  the  other  hand,  contains  about 
41,0  pounds  of  Nitrogen.  To  produce  a  ton  of  cabbage, 
therefore,  would  recpiire  30  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda. 

There  are  no  crops  on  which  it  is  more  profitable  to 
use  fertilizers  than  on  vegetables  and  small  fruits,  pro- 
vided they  are  used  rightly.  Failures  with  chemical 
fertilizers  are  caused  usually  by  lack 
Fertilizers  for  of  knowledge.  There  is  no  doubt  but 
Vegetables  and  that  stable  manure  is  available  as  a  f er- 
Small  Fruits.  tilizer,  and  in  some  cases  may  be  indis- 

pensable, but  at  the  same  time  the  quav- 
tities  necessary  to  produce  good  results  could  be  greatly 
reduced  by  using  chemical  fertilizers  to  snpply  plant 
food  and  only  enough  manure  to  give  lightness  and  add 
humus  to  the  soil. 

For  crops  like  cabbage  and  beets,  that 
What  Fertilizers  it  is  desirable  to  force  to  rapid  maturity, 
to  Use  for  Gar-  the  kind  of  plant  food,  especially  of  Ni- 
den  Crops.  trogen,  is   of   the   greatest  importance. 

Many  fertilizers  sold  for  this  purpose 
have  all  the  Nitrogen  they  contain  in  insoluble  and  un- 
available form,  so  that  it  requires  a  considerable  time 
for  the  plants  to  get  it.  Another  fault  is  that  they  do  not 
contain  nearly  enough  Nitrogen.  Stable  manure  con- 
tains on  the  average  in  one  ton  10  pounds  Nitrogen,  10 
pounds  potash,  and  only  5  pounds  phosphoric  acid,  while 
the  average  "  complete  "  fertilizer  contains  more  than 
twice  as  much  phosphoric  acid  as  Nitrogen,  a  most  un- 
natural and  unprofitable  ration.  A  ratio  of  2  Nitrogen, 
2  potash,  and  8  of  phosphoric  acid,  is  frequent  in  many 


Kool)  FoPw  Plants.  19 

of  the  so-called  "  complete  fertilizers,"  which  are  really 
incomplete  and  unl)alanced  as  well.  A  fertilizA'r  for 
(piick-growing  vegetables  shonld  contain  as  much  Nitro- 
gen as  phosphoric  acid,  and  at  least  half  this  Nitrogen 
should  be  in  the  form  of  Nitrate,  which  is  the  only  imme- 
diately available  nitrogenous  plant  food. 

Some  interesting  and  valuable  experi- 
Comparative  nients  were  made  at  the  Connecticut  Ex- 

Availability  of  periment  Station,  to  ascertain  how  much 
Nitrogen  in  of  the  Nitrogen  contained  in  such  mate- 

Various  Forms.      rials  as  dried  blood,  tankage,  dry  fish, 

and   cotton-seed  meal,  is  available  for 

plants. 
The  experiments  were  made  with  corn,  and  it  was 
found  that  when  the  same  (piantity  of  Nitrogen  was 
applied  in  the  various  forms  the  crop  increased  over  that 
where  no  Nitrogen  was  applied,  as  shown  in  the  following 
table : 

Increase  of  Crop  from  Same  Quantitit  of  Nitrogen  from  Different 

Sources. 

Relative 
Sources  of  Nitrogen  Crop  Increase 

Xitrate  of  Soda 100 

Dried  Blood    p 

Cotton-seed  Meal   '  - 

Drv  Fish   TO 

Taiikage    62 

Linseed  Meal   "^ 

This  table  shows  some  interesting  facts.  Tt  is  evident 
that  only  about  three-fourths  as  much  of  the  Nitrogen  in 
dried  blood  or  cotton-seed  meal  as  in  Nitrate  of  Soda 
is  available  the  first  season.  The  Nitrogen  in  tankage  is 
even  less  available,  only  a  little  over  half  being  used  by 
the  crop. 

These  experiments  were  made  with  corn,  whicli  gro^^■s 
for  a  long  period  when  the  gromid  is  w-arm  and  the  condi- 
tions most  favorable  to  render  the  Nitrogen  in  organic 
substances  available,  and  yet  only  part  of  it  could  be  used 
by  the  crop. 

AVhen  it  is  considered  that  Nitrogen  in  tlie  foi'iii  of 
Nitrate  of  Soda  can  be  bought  for  as  little  or  less  per 


20  Kooi)   i(»i;   L'lants. 

pound  than  in  almost  any  other  form,  the  advantage  and 
economy  of  purchasing  and  using  this  form  is  very 
apparent. 

In  a  twenty  year  test  to  determine  the 
Proof  value   of   various   sources  of  Nitrogen, 

Positive  the    New    Jersey    Experiment    Station 

found  that  crop  yields  and  the  per- 
centage of  Xitrogen  recovered  in  the  crop  were  greater 
when  Nitrates  were  used. 

Official  figures  are  — 

''  If  we  assign  to  Nitrate  Nitrogen  a  value  of  100,  then 

the  relative  availability  of  the  four  materials  stands  as 

follows : 

Nitrate  of  Sode 100.0 

Ammonium   Sulfate   76 . 1 

Dried  Blood   62.0 

Manure     52 . 4 

This  research  ^vas  pubhshed  in  *'  Soil  Science,"  April, 
1918. 

Nitration  as  studied  by  means  of  the  drainage  water 
of  6  plots  of  land,  each  300  square  yards  in  area,  during 
4  years,  shows  that  the  loss  of  Nitrogen 
The  Leading  in  the  drainage  water  was  practically 

Question.  negligible.     Even    when    Nitrogen    was 

appUed  in  the  spring  the  losses  were 
not  large  unless  heavy  rains  occurred  at  the  time. 
The  Nitrogen  is  apparently  rapidly  taken  up  by  the 
young  growing  plants  at  this  season  of  the  year  and  only 
a  small  portion  is  free  to  pass  into  the  drainage.  The 
greatest  losses  occur  in  the  fall  when  the  soil  is  bare 
and  heavy  rains  (H'cur,  the  Nitrates  having  accumu- 
lated in  large  ([uantities  during  the  warmer  period  of  the 
year.  Large  losses  at  this  season  are,  however,  pre- 
vented by  the  growing  of  cover  crops. 

In  applying  fertilizers  it  should  be 
How  to  Apply  remembered  that  any  form  of  phos- 
Phosphatic  phoric    acid,     such    as    ac'd     phosphate. 

Fertilizers.  dissolved    l)one-black    or    bone    meal    is 

only  partially   soluble,  and   will   not  cir- 
culate f reelv  in  the  soil.    These  fertiUzers  should,  there- 


Food  for  Plants.  21 

fore,  be  evenly  distributed  over  the  soil  and  well  mixed 
with  it.  This  is  usually  best  done  by  applying  broadcast 
before  sowing  the  seed  and  before  the  ground  is  thor- 
oughly prepared. 

Nitrate  of  Soda,  on  the  other  hand,  will  ditfuse  itself 
thoroughly  throughout  the  soil  if  there  is  enough  mois- 
ture to  dissolve  it.  It  can  therefore  be  applied  by  scatter- 
ing on  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

Since  Nitrate  of  'Soda  and  salts  of  pot- 
How  and  ash  are  brought  to  this  country  by  sea, 
Where  to  Buy  and  phosphate  is  usually  transported 
Fertilizing  from  the  mines  in  vessels,  all  these  ma- 
Materials,  terials,  as  a  rule,  can  be  purchased  at  the 
seaports  cheaper  than  in  the  interior. 
New  York  is  the  largest  market  for  these  materials,  but 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Charleston,  Savannah,  Mobile, 
New  Orleans,  Galveston,  San  Francisco,  Portland  and 
Seattle,  are  also  ports  of  entry. 

Lower  prices  can  be  obtained  by  buying  fertilizing 
materials  in  carload  lots.  If  you  cannot  use  a  carload 
yourself,  get  your  neighbors  to  join  with  you.  Much 
money  has  often  been  saved  in  this  way. 

In  buying,  always  consider  the  percentage  of  avail- 
ability. 

This  may  be  illustrated  by  comparing  gold  ores  of  the 
same  percentages  derived  from  different  sources, —  one 
gold  ore  containing  ten  ounces  to  the  ton  might  be  worth 
a  great  deal  of  money  per  ton, —  that  is  to  say,  if  the  ore 
were  extractable  with  ease  and  without  undue  expense, — 
whereas  another  ten-ounce  ore  might  contain  its  gold  in 
such  form  as  to  be  extracted  only  with  great  difficulty  and 
at  great  expense. 


HOW    TO    USE    CHEMICAL    FERTILIZERS    TO 
ADVANTAGE. 


Tlie  I'oi'Hi  of  Xitro,i>ou  most  active  as 
How  Nitrate  plant  food  is  the  nitrated  form,  namely: 

Increases  Nitrate  of  Soda.      All  other  Nitrogens 

Wheat  Crops.  must  ))e  converted  into  this  form  before 
they  can  l)e  used  as  food  l>y  plants.  Sir 
.lohii  Lawes  wisely  remarks:  *'  When  we  consider  that 
the  application  of  a  few  pounds  of  Nitrogen  in  Nitrate  of 
Soda  to  a  soil  which  contains  several  thousand  pounds  of 
Nitrogen  in  its  organic  form,  is  capable  of  increasing  the 
crop  from  14  to  40  or  even  50  bushels  of  wheat  per  acre,  I 
think  it  must  be  apparent  to  all  that  we  have  very  con- 
vincing evidence  of  the  value  of  Nitrate."  The  Nitrogen 
of  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  immediately  available  as  plant  food, 
and  it  should  therefore  be  applied  only  when  plants  are 
ready  to  use  it.  By  such  a  ready  supply  of  available 
plant  food,  young  plants  are  able  to  establish  such  a  vigor 
of  growth  that  they  can  much  better  resist  disease,  and 
the  attacks  of  insects  and  parasites.  The  famous  experi- 
ments of  Lawes  and  Gilbert  at  Rotham- 
Nitrate  Com-  sted  have  demonstrated  that  cereals  util- 

pared  with  ize  more  than  three  times  as  much  of 

Farmyard  the  Nitrogen  in  Nitrate  of  Soda  as  of 

Manure.  the    Nitrogen    contained    in    farmyard 

manure;  in  practice,  four  and  one-half 
tons  of  farmyard  manure  supply  only  as  much  available 
])lant  food  as  TOO  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda. 

Catch-crops  are  recommended  to  pre- 
Catch-Crops.  vent  losses  of  available  plant  food  after 

crops  are  removed.  Rape,  Italian  rye 
grass,  I'ye,  thousand-headed  kale  and  clovers  are  suit- 
able. All  these  slioidd  be  top-dressed  with  from  100  to 
200  pounds  per  acre  of  Nitrate  of  Soda,  depending  upon 
the  exhaustion  of  the  soil.  In  our  remarks  on  the  use  of 
Xitiatc,  we  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  our  readers 


Food  for  Plants,  23 

fully  miderstaiid  that  in  all  cases  where  Nitrate  has  been 
recommended  in  large  amounts,  potash  and  phosphates 
should  be  used  also  unless  the  soil  already  contains 
ample  supphes  of  both. 

The  most  important  material  used  to  supply  Nitrogen, 
in  the  composition  of  commercial  fertilizers  is  Nitrate  of 
Soda.  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  particularly  adapted  for  top- 
dressing  during  the  growing  season,  and  is  the  quickest 
acting  of  all  the  nitrogenous  fertilizers. 

Dried  blood,  tankage,  azotine,  fish  scrap,  castor  pom- 
ace, and  cotton-seed  meal  represent  fertilizers  where  the 
Nitrogen  is  onh'  slowly  available,  and  they  must  be 
appled  in  the  fall  so  as  to  be  decomposed  and  available 
for  the  following  season.  Nitrogen  in  the  form  of  Ni- 
trate of  'Soda  is  available  during  the  growing  and  fruit- 
ing season,  possessing,  therefore,  a  decided  advantage 
over  all  other  Nitrogen  plant  foods. 

Chemical  Composition  of  Soils. 

Sandy  soils  may  be  described  as  soils  containing 
seventy-six  (76)  per  cent,  or  more  of  sand. 

Sandy  loam  is  a  soil  containing  seventy-five  (75)  per 
cent,  less  of  sand,  and  a  loam  is  said  to  be  a  soil  contain- 
ing forty  (40)  to  fifty-nine  (59)  per  cent,  of  sand. 

Clay  loam  runs  between  twenty-nine  (29)  to  thirty- 
nine  (39)  per  cent,  of  sand,  and  a  clay  soil  would  be 
described  as  a  soil  containing  about  sixty-one  (61)  per 
cent,  or  more  of  clay. 

A  very  rich  soil  may  be  described  as  a  soil  containing 
2  per  cent,  of  lime  and  18.80  per  cent,  of  potash  and  from 
.02  to  .10  per  cent,  of  sulphuric  acid,  in  the  form  of  sul- 
phate, and  from  .10  to  .30  per  cent,  of  phosphoric  acid, 
in  the  form  of  phosphates,  with  humus  running  from 
1.20  per  cent,  to  2.20  per  cent,  and  Nitrogen  from  .20  to  1 
per  cent. 

According  to  French  authorities  a  good  soil  would 
contain  .20  per  cent,  of  Nitrogen  and  .20  per  cent,  of  phos- 
phoric acid,  in  the  form  of  ])hospliates,  and  .30  per  cent, 
of  potash. 


24  Food   for  Pt.ants. 

Anything  above  these  figures  would  be  called  very 
rich.  Very  poor  soil  would  average  about  .08  per  cent, 
of  Nitrogen  and  .08  per  cent  of  potash  and  .08  per  cent, 
of  pho.s|)lioric  acid  with  humus  of  .30  per  cent.  Anything 
less  than  tliese  figures  would  be  very  poor  indeed. 

The  pounds  of  available  fertility  are  reckoned  to  be 
contained  within  eight  (8)  inches  of  the  surface.  The 
weight  of  an  acre  generally  would  run  about  two  thou- 
sand (2,000)  tons. 

HOW  MONEY  CROPS  FEED. 

The    substance   of   plants    is   largely 
What  the  water  and  variations  of  woody  iiber,  yet 

Food  Is.  these  comprise  no  part  of  what  is  com- 

monly understood  as  plant  food.  More 
or  less  by  accident  was  discovered  the  value  of  farm- 
yard manures  and  general  farm  refuse  and  roughage  as 
a  means  of  increasing  the  growth  of  plants.  In  the  course 
of  time,  the  supply  of  these  manures  failed  to  equal  the 
need,  and  it  became  necessary  to  search  for  other  means 
of  feeding  plants.  The  steps  in  the  search  were  many, 
covering  years  of  careful  investigation,  and  as  a  result, 
we  have  the  established  fact  that  the  food  of  plants  con- 
sists of  three  different  substances,  Nitrogen,  Potash,  and 
Phosphates. 

These  words  are  now  popular  names. 
Its  Principal  and  are  used  for  the  convenience  of  the 

Elements,  general  public.  Nitrate  of  Soda  contains 

Nitrate,  an  amount  equivalent  to  about  15  per 

Phosphoric  cent,  of  Nitrogen,  300  pounds  to  the  ton. 

Acid,  Potash.  and  cotton-seed  meal,  for  example,  about 

6  per  cent.  More  than  three  pounds  of 
cotton-seed  meal  are  necessary  to  furnish  as  much  avail- 
able Nitrogen  as  one  pound  of  Nitrate  of  Soda.  We 
value  the  ])lant  food  on  the  amount  of  Nitrate  Nitrogen 
it  contains,  and  on  this  account  Nitrate  has  become  a 
standard  name  for  this  element  of  plant  food.  In  like 
niaiiiier,  phosphoric  acid  and  potasli  are  siandards,hence 


Food  foii  Plants.  25 

the  importance  of  farmers  and  planters  familiarizing 
themselves  with  these  expressions.  We  always  should 
think  of  fertilizers  and  manures  as  just  so  much  Nitrate, 
phosphoric  acid  and  potash,  as  we  can  then  at  once  com- 
pare the  usefulness  of  all  fertilizer  materials.  No  doubt, 
other  substances  are  necessary  for  the  proper  develop- 
ment of  crops,  but  soils  so  generally  supply  these  in 
ample  quantities  that  they  may  safely  be  neglected  in  a 
consideration  of  soil  needs  and  plant  foods.  The  food 
of  plants  may  therefore  be  understood  to  mean  simply 
Nitrate,  Phosplioric  Acid  and  Potash. 

Farmyard  manure  acts  in  promoting 
Why  Farm-  plant  growth  almost  wholly  because  it 

yard  Manure  contains  those  three  substances ;  green 

and  Other  manuring  is  valuable  for  the  same  rea- 

Products  Are  son  and  largely  for  that  only.    Various 

Valuable.  refuse  substances,  such  as  bone,  wood 

ashes,  etc.,  contain  one  or  more  of  these 
plant  food  elements,  and  are  valuable  to  the  farmer  and 
planter  on  that  account. 

The  Quality  of  Manures  and  Fertilizers. 

AMiile  plant  food  is  always  plant  food, 
Nitrate  like  all  other  things  it  possesses  the  limi- 

Pre-digested  tation  of  quality.    Quality  in  plant  food 

Nitrogen.  means  the  readiness  Avith  which  plants 

can  make  use  of  it.  In  a  large  sense, 
this  is  dependent  upon  the  solubility  of  the  material  con- 
taining the  plant  food  —  not  merely  solubility  in  water, 
but  solubility  in  soil  waters  as  well.  Fertilizer  sub- 
stances freely  soluble  in  water  are  generally  of  the  high- 
est quality,  yet  there  are  differences  even  in  this.  For 
example,  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  freely  soluble  in  soil  liquids 
and  water,  and  is  the  highest  grade  of  plant  food  Nitro- 
gen; sulphate  of  ammonia  is  also  soluble  in  water,  but 
of  distinctly  lower  quality  because  plants  always  use 
Nitrogen  in  the  Nitrate  form,  and  the  Nitrogen  in  sul- 
phate of  ammonia  must  l)e  nitrated  before  plants  can 


26  KoOl)    Foil    I' LA  NTS. 

make  use  of  it.  This  is  clone  in  the  soil  by  the  action  of 
certain  ori>anisins,  under  favoral)le  con- 
Defects  and  ditions.  Tlie  weather  must  he  suital)le, 
Losses  in  the  the  soil  in  a  certain  condition;  and  he- 
Use  of  Ordinary  sides  there  are  considerable  losses  of 
Nitrogens.  valuable  substance  in  the  natural  soil 
process  of  nitrating-  such  Nitrogen.  By 
unfavorable  weather  conditions,  or  very  wet  or  acid  soils, 
nitration  may  be  prevented  until  the  season  is  too  far 
advanced,  hence  there  may  be  loss  of  time,  crop  and 
money.  The  quality  of  nitrogens,  such 
Intrinsic  Values  as  cotton-seed  meal,  dried  fish,  dried 
of  All  Nitrogens  blood,  and  tankage,  is  limited  by  condi- 
Based  on  tions  similar  to  those  which  limit  sul- 
Nitrate  as  the  phate  of  ammonia.  With  these  sub- 
Standard,  stances,  the  loss  of  Nitrogen  in  its  natu- 
ral air  and  soil  conversion  into  Nitrate 
is  very  great.  Perfectly  authentic  experiments,  and  made 
under  official  supervision,  have  shown  that  100  pounds 
of  Nitrogen  in  these  organic  forms  have  only  from  one- 
half  to  three-fourths  the  manurial  value  of  100  pounds  of 
Nitrate  of  Soda. 

Special  Functions  of  Plant  Food. 

As  stated  before,  plants  must  have  all 
Unusual  three  of  the  plant  food  elements  —  Ni- 

Functions  of  trate,  Phosphates  and  Potash  —  but  not- 

Nitrate.  withstanding  this  imperative  need,  each 

of  the  three  elements  has  its  special  use. 
There  are  many  oases  in  which  considerations  of  the 
special  functions  of  plant  food  elements  become  im- 
])ortant.  For  example,  a  soil  may  be  rich  in  organic 
anunonia  from  vegetable  matter  turned  under  as  green 
manure,  and  through  a  late  wet  spring  fail  to  supply  the 
available  Nitrate  in  time  to  get  the  crop  well  started 
before  the  hot,  dry,  summer  season  sets  in.  In  this  case 
the  use  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  alone  will  force  growth  to  the 
extent  of  fully  establishing  the  crop  against  heat  and 
moderate  drouth. 


I^"'()()|)    hOll    Pi,  A  NTS. 


27 


Top  of  Caliche  Hopper;  Carts  Tipping  Calielic. 


Crystallizing  Pans  After  Running  OlT  MullR't-litiuor,  Showing  Deposit 
of  Nitrate  Crystals. 


2S  I^'ooi)  roij   I'j.AN  rs. 

Nitrate  as  ])laiit  food  soenis  to  iullu- 
Special  Influ-  cnce  more  especially  the  development  of 

ence  of  Nitrate  stems,  leaves,  and  roots,  which  are  the 
on  Edible  Value  fi-aiii(>\\ork  of  the  plant,  while  the  for- 
of  Plant.  inalioii  of  fruit  buds  is  held  in  reserve. 

This  action  is,  of  course,  a  necessary 
preliminary  to  the  maturity  of  the  plant,  and  the  broader 
the  framework,  the  greater  the  yield  at  maturity.  The 
color  of  the  foliage  is  deepened,  indicating  health  and 
activity  in  the  forces  at  work  on  the  structure  of  the 
plant.  Nitrates  also  show  markedly  in  the  economic 
value  of  the  crop ;  the  more  freely  Nitrates  are  given  to 
])laiits  the  greater  the  relative  proportion  in  the  com- 
])()sition  of  the  plant  itself,  and  the  most  valuable  part 
of  all  vegetable  substances,  for  food  purposes,  is  that 
])roduced  by  Nitrate  of  Soda.  Nitrate  is  seldom  used  in 
sufhcient  quantities  in  the  manufacture  of  "  complete 
fertilizers." 

Potash  as  plant  food  seems  to  influence  more  particu- 
larly the  development  of  the  woody  parts  of  stems  and 
the  pulp  of  fruits.  In  fact,  this  element  of  plant  food 
seems  to  supplement  the  action  of  Nitrate  by  filling  out 
the  framework  established  by  the  latter. 

Phosphoric  acid  as  a  plant  food  seems  to  influence 
more  particularly  the  maturity  of  plants  and  the  produc- 
tion of  seed  or  grain.  Its  special  use  in  practical  agricul- 
ture is  to  hel])  hasten  the  maturity  of  crops  likely  to  bo 
caught  In-  an  early  fall,  and  to  supplement  green  manur- 
ing where  grain  is  to  be  grown.  It  is  frequently  used  in 
altogether  unnecessary  excess  in  "  complete  "  fertilizers. 

The  natural  plant  food  of  the  soil  comes  from  many 
sources,  but  chiefly  from  decaying  vegetable  matter  and 
the  weathering  of  the  mineral  matter  of  the  soil.    Both 
these  processes  supply  potash  and  phos- 
Sources  of  phoric  acid,  hut  only  the  former  siqjpUrs 

Natural  Plant        Nitrate.    Whether  the  soil  has  been  fer- 
Food.  tilized  or  not,  there  are  certain  signs 

which  indicate  the  need  of  plant  food 
more  or  less  early  in  the  growth  of  the  crop.    If  a  crop 


Food  for  Plants. 


29 


Packing:  Nitrate  into  Bags. 


Tjoadinii'  Lighters. 


30  l^\)(ti)   !-()u   Plants. 

appears  to  make  a  slow  growtli,  or  seems  sickly  in  color, 
it  does  not  greatly  matter  whether  the  soil  is  deficient  in 
Xiti-ate  or  simply  that  the  Nitrogen  present  has  not  been 
nitrated  and  so  is  not  available,  the  remedy  lies  in  the  use 
of  the  immediately  available  form  of  Nitrate  of  Soda. 


STAPLE  CROPS. 


Cotton  and  Fiber  Plants. 

Cotton  is  profitably  gro^\^l  on  nearly  all  kinds  of  soil, 
but  does  best  perhaps  on  a  strong,  sandy  loam.  On  light 
uplands  the  yield  is  light,  but  with  a  fair  proportion  of 
lint;  on  heavy  bottom  lands  the  groAvth  may  be  heavy, 
but  the  proportion  of  lint  to  the  whole  plant  much 
reduced. 

The  preparation  of  the  soil  must  be  even  and  thor- 
ough. About  one  bushel  of  seed  per  acre  is  the  usual 
allowance. 

Many  fertilizer  formulas  have  b§en  recommended,  and 
by  all  kinds  of  authority,  and  green  manuring  is  widely 
advised  as  a  means  of  helping  to  get  a  supply  of  cheap 
Nitrogen;  but,  with  this  crop  especially,  cheap  forms  of 
Nitrogen  are  very  dear. 

[31] 


o2  l^'doi)    I'oli    I^.Wl's. 

REPORT  ON  ALABAMA  COTTON  PRIZE  EXPERIMENTS 
WITH  CHEMICAL  FERTILIZERS. 

Extended  experiments  have  been  made  from  year  to 
year  by  all  the  Experhnent  Stations  in  the  various  cot- 
ton-growing- states  with  a  view  to  arriving  at  the  fer- 
tilizer requirements  of  the  cotton  plant  under  the  varying 
conditions  of  soil  and  climate  which  are  met  nith 
throughout  the  cotton  belt,  and  the  needs  of  the  plant  for 
the  various  essential  fertilizing  elements  have  been  de- 
termined with  comparative  accuracy. 

The  farmer,  himself,  however,  is  often  inclined  to  pay 
little  attention  to  the  forms  in  which  the  fertilizing  ele- 
ments are  applied,  even  though  he  may  employ  sufficient 
quantities  of  a  given  mixed  fertilizer  to  supply  the 
proper  quota  of  each  element.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
selection  of  a  proper  form  or  forms  in  which  to  supply 
the  needed  plant  foods  will,  in  many  cases,  determine 
the  success  of  the  application  of  a  given  formula  to  the 
crop,  and  too  much  care  and  attention  cannot  be  given 
to  this  important  question. 

Many  of  the  formulas  for  cotton  and  corn  which  are 
in  use  throughout  the  cotton-growing  states  supply  pro- 
portions of  Nitrogen,  and,  in  some  cases,  of  potash,  which 
are  far  below  the  fertilizer  requirements  of  the  crop, 
w^hile  as  before  stated  little  attention  is  given  to  the 
matter  of  supplying  these  elements  in  forms  most  avail- 
able for  the  needs  of  the  plant. 

Analyses  of  the  cotton  plant,  made  at  the  South  Caro- 
lina, Mississippi  and  Alabama  Experiment  Stations, 
show  the  needs  of  the  plant  for  liberal  supplies  of  Nitro- 
gen and  of  potash,  particularly  of  the  former  element, 
since  our  average  cotton  soils  are,  as  a  rule,  so  poorly 
supplied  with  it. 

At  the  Albama  Experiment  Station  in  1899  (Bulletin 
107),  analyses  were  made  of  all  portions  of  the  cotton 
plant  at  various  stages  of  growth,  including  the  plant  at 
full  maturity.  The  weight  of  the  various  fertilizing  con- 
stituents contained  in  the  whole  plant  grown  on  one  acre, 
and    producing   a    ci'op    ('(jnivnleid    lo   HOO    ])()niids   dry 


Food  for  Plants.  33 

lint  cotton  per  acre,  was  also  carefully  ascertained  by 
analyses  and  calculation,  the  figures  being  presented  in 
the  following  table. 

The  weight  of  Nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid,  potash,  and 
lime  contained  in  a  crop  producing  300'  pounds  of  lint  is 
given,  and  the  relative  distribution  of  these  constituents 
through  different  parts  of  the  plant  is  also  presented. 
The  weights  of  the  different  parts  of  the  plant  in  a  thor- 
oughly dried  condition  are  also  given,  and  it  will  be  noted 
that  the  total  dry  iveiglit  of  the  crop  required  to  yield 
300  pounds  of  lint  is  2,470.8  pounds. 

Table  VIII. 

Amounts  of  Fertilizer  Constituents  in  Pounds  Reqiiired  to  Produce  a 
Crop  of  300  Pounds  of  Lint. 

Phosphoric 
Nitrogen        Acid  Potash  Lime 

Lint  — SOOlbs 0.54  €.27  1.77  0.21 

Seed  — 507.1  lbs 17.95  7.10  5.73  1.52 

Burrs  —  363.1  lbs 2 .99  1 .  74  11 .  22  4 .  14 

Leaves  — 566.2  lbs 12.64  2.70  6.13  29.90 

Roots  — 130.2  lbs 0.62  0.34  1.17  0.59 

Stems  — 604.2   lbs 3.87  1.27  5.14  4.71 

Total  —  2,470.8    lbs....   38.61       13.42       31.16       41.07 


It  appears  from  this  table  that  to  produce  300  pounds 
of  dry  lint  there  are  required  38.61  pounds  of  Nitrogen, 
13.42  pounds  of  phosphoric  acid,  31.16  pounds  of  potash 
and  41.07  pounds  of  lime. 

The  need  of  the  cotton  plant  for  liberal  amounts  of 
Nitrogen  being  thus  indicated  by  laboratory  tests,  the 
writer  has  during  the  past  two  seasons  supervised  and 
directed  a  series  of  experiments  upon  the  farm  of  Mr. 
J.  C.  Moore,  near  Auburn,  Alabama,  who  was  desirous 
of  securing  a  formula  adajjted  to  the  growing  of  cotton 
upon  the  sandy  soil  of  his  farm  and  of  the  immediate 
section  in  which  he  resided. 

This  soil  is  designated  by  the  U.  S.  Soil  Survey  of  this 
region  as  the  "  Norfolk  Sandy  Loam."  It  is  described 
in  the  official  report  of  the  soil  survey  of  Lee  county  as 


34 


Food   for   Plants. 


follows:  "  The  Norfolk  Sandy  Loam  is  an  easily  tilled 
soil  and  the  best  for  g-eneral  fanning  of  any  of  the  Nor- 
folk types  in  this  country.  It  is  well  adapted  to  cotton 
and  when  fertilized  produces  fair  yields  of  corn  and  oats, 
'l^he  lightest  phase  is  well  adapted  to  the  production  of 
potatoes,  berries  and  iiuck  crops.  The  soil  needs  organic 
matter  which  may  he  supplied  ])y  green  or  stal)h' 
manure." 

The  cotton  expt'rimcnts  conducted  upon  Uie  farm  of 
Mr.  j\loore  were  carried  out  upon  several  ])lots  aggre- 
gating in  area  two-thirds  of  an  acre. 

Products  of  Plots,  1905. 


Yields  oi  bet'd  C'oUon. 

Plot  1.  Plot  3.  Plot  4. 

750  lbs.  1,  272  lbs.  1,  440  lbs. 

The  land,  after  proper  preparation,  was  laid  off  in 
rows  seventy  yards  in  length,  while  the  distance  between 
the  rows  was  so  adjusted  that  ten  rows  would  constitute 
a  plot  of  one-sixth  of  an  acre.  Two  blank  rows  were  left 


Food  for  Plants. 


35 


between  the  individual  plots  so  that  the  fertilizers  applied 
to  one  plot  would  not  have  any  undue  effect  upon  the 
adjacent  plots. 

Plot  No.  1  was  fertilized  by  the  application  of  an  acid 
phosphate  containing  14  per  cent,  available  phosphoric 
acid  and  4  per  cent,  potash,  this  fertilizer  l)eing  applied 
at  the  rate  of  300  pounds  per  acre. 

Products  of  Plots,  1906. 


Yields  of  Seed  Cotton. 

Plot  1.  Plot  3.  Plot  4. 

930  lbs.  1,  284  lbs.  1,  77G  lbs. 

The  remaining  three  experimental  plots  of  ten  rows 
each  (covering  an  area  of  one-sixth  acre  each)  w^ere  also 
fertilized  by  the  application  of  the  same  quantity  of  the 
above  mentioned  acid  phosphate  containing  potash,  and, 
in  addition,  Nitrate  of  Soda  was  applied  to  plots  2,  3  and 
4  in  the  proportions  of  42,  84  and  126  pounds  per  acre, 
respectively,  while  no  Nitrate  or  other  form  of  Nitrogen 
was  applied  to  plot  No.  1. 


36  Food  rnn  Pt.axtp. 

The  yields  per  acre  for  the  different  plots  for  the  years 
1905  and  IDOG  were  as  follows : 

1905 750  ll)s.  seed  cotton.     1,110  lbs.     1,272  lbs.     1,  440  lbs. 

1900 9:^0  lbs.   seed  cotton.       900  lbs.     1,284   ll)s.     1,776   11)S. 

As  above  stated,  all  of  these  plots  were  fertilized 
equally  as  regards  the  amount  of  phosphoric  acid  and 
potash,  so  that  the  effects  of  sui)plying  or  withholding 
Nitrate  of  Soda  could  be  easily  noted. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  increased  yields  are  particu- 
larly striking  in  the  case  of  the  application  of  84  and  126 
pounds  of  Nitrate.  On  plot  2,  in  1906,  the  yield  was 
practically  the  same  as  that  on  plot  1,  but  this  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  a  few  rows  in  plot  2,  owing  to  the  stand  on  a 
part  of  the  plot  being  not  so  good  and  possibly  on 
account  of  some  other  condition,  brought  down  the  aver- 
age yield  per  row  of  that  plot.  A  majority  of  the  rows 
of  that  i)lot,  however,  undoubtedly  gave  a  better  yield 
than  plot  No.  1,  and  it  was  apparent  to  the  eye  that  most 
of  this  plot  was  superior  to  plot  No.  1. 

In  1905  it  was  noted  that  the  cotton  grown  upon  the 
"  No  Nitrate  "  plot  rusted  quite  badly,  while  plots  3 
and  4,  upon  which  an  abundance  of  Nitrate  had  been 
applied,  were  almost  immune  from  rust. 

In  addition  to  experiments  in  which  the  Nitrate  was 
applied  at  a  single  application,  tests  were  made  upon 
some  smaller  plots  to  note  the  elTects  of  the  application 
of  the  Nitrate  in  two  different  applications,  the  second 
application  being  made  about  sixty  days  after  planting. 
It  was  found  that  there  was  only  a  slight  difference  in 
the  relative  yields,  but  this  slight  difference  was  in  favor 
of  the  two  applications.  It  is  doubtful,  however,  if  the 
increase  would  have  justied  the  additional  cost  and  labor 
of  the  second  a])plication. 

Experimental  tests  upon  small  lots  of  the  seed  cotton 
produced  in  1906,  showed  that  the  yield  of  lint  was  about 
34.4  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  seed  cotton,  but  no 
data  was  secured  with  regard  to  the  proportionate  yield 
of  lint  ill  1905.  Applying  these  figures  to  the  excess  yield 


Food  i-'OR  ]^laxts,  o7 

of  seed  cotton  by  reason  of  the  application  of  126  pounds 
Nitrate,  it  will  be  found  that  there  was  an  increase  of 
about  238  pounds  lint  cotton  (690  pounds  seed  cotton) 
over  the  yield  on  the  "  No  Nitrate  "  plot  in  1905  and  an 
increase  of  291  pounds  lint  cotton  (846  seed  cotton)  in 
1906.  At  10  cents  per  pound,  the  increased  value  of  the 
lint  cotton  vield  bv  applying  126  pounds  Nitrate  would 
be  $23.80  for  1905  and  $29.10  for  1906,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  value  of  the  increased  yield  of  seed  which  would 
amount  to  from  $3  to  $-4,  or  even  more  in  later  years. 

With  regard  to  the  time  and  manner  of  application  of 
the  Nitrate  in  the  experiments  of  the  past  two  3-ears,  it 
should  be  stated  that  in  1905  the  fertilizers  were  applied 
and  the  cotton  planted  on  April  27th,  wdiile  in  1906  the 
date  of  planting  and  application  of  fertilizers  was  April 
21st.  The  Nitrate  was  applied  in  the  furrow  along  with 
the  fertilizing  materials  at  the  time  of  planting. 

The  views  given,  herewith,  will  aiTord  an  idea  of  the 
comparative  yields  from  plots  1,  3  and  4  in  1905  and  1906. 
The  quantities  of  seed  cotton  represented  therein  are 
equal  to  the  yields  on  one-twelfth  of  an  acre. 

In  this  connection  it  should  be  stated  that  Mr.  Moore 
gave  a  large  amount  of  care  and  attention  to  these  experi- 
ments. By  his  close  personal  supervision  of  the  work, 
the  details  of  the  experiments  have  been  secured  and 
most  accurately  recorded. 

Upon  comparing  the  results  of  these  experiments  with 
the  results  of  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  tests  reported  in  the 
January,  1907,  Bulletin  of  the  North  Carolina  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture,  it  will  be  noted  that  the  general  con- 
clusions which  may  be  drawn  from  the  two  sets  of 
experiments  are  practically  the  same.  A  number  of  the 
experiments  were  carried  out  under  almost  identical 
conditions,  though  the  North  Carolina  plots  were  some- 
what smaller  in  area,  being  one-tenth  acre  area  each, 
while  the  Alabama  plots  were  one-sixth  of  an  acre. 

As  an  average  of  the  two  years'  results,  the  most 
profitable  application,  it  is  stated,  was  upon  the  plot 
receiving  200  pounds  acid  phosphate,  83  pounds  kainit 


38  Foon   roii   Plants. 

and  lOU  iJoiuuU  Nitrate  of  Soda,  25  pounds  of  the  Nitrate 
being  applied  with  otlier  materials  at  planting,  and  the 
remaining  75  pounds  reserved  and  used  as  a  side  dress- 
ing some  two  months  or  more  later.  This  mixture  gave 
an  average  proiit  of  $21.94  per  acre  for  two  years  above 
the  yield  secured  from  a  plot  fertilized  with  acid  phos- 
phate and  kainit  alone,  while  with  oidy  75  pounds  Nitrate 
of  Soda  per  acre  an  increased  yield  valued  at  $19.26  was 
secured ! 

In  the  experiments  conducted  near  Auburn,  Alabama, 
no  tests  were  made  with  quantities  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 
intermediate  between  84  and  126  pounds  per  acre,  thougli 
it  is  possible  that  a  quantity  somewhat  less  than  126 
pounds  might  have  given  practically  as  satisfactory  re- 
sults as  those  reported  for  the  maximum  applications 
of  Nitrate.  In  any  event,  the  results  of  these  tests  and 
of  other  tests  upon  similar  lands  in  this  section  show 
that  excellent  results  may  be  secured  by  the  application 
of  from  100  to  125  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre,  in 
conjunction  with  the  pro^jer  quota  of  acid  phosphate  and 
some  salt  of  potash. 

The  Rational  Use  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Cotton  in  Fighting  the 

Boll  Weevil. 

Some  critics  of  Nitrate  have  claimed  that  it  made  such 
a  bushy  growth  of  the  cotton  plant,  that  it  had  shaded  the 
bottom  part  of  the  plant  where  most  of  the  cotton  is  pro- 
duced under  Weevil  conditions. 

Where  any  Nitrogenous  fertilizer  is  used  in  excess,  too 
leafy  a  growth  is  apt  to  result,  and  excessive  quantities 
of  Nitrate,  or  indeed  of  any  fertilizers,  are  not  recom- 
mended. 

Quinine  is  a  wonderful  remedy,  but  no  one  would 
advise  the  use  of  forty  grains  of  it  when  four  grains 
would  be  sufficient  and  satisfactory  in  every  way. 

Practice  early  and  thorough  preparation  of  the  soil  so 
as  to  get  a  good  seed  bed  for  quick  germination  and 
vigorous  early  growth  of  the  cotton. 


Food  for  Plants.  39 

Cotton  should  be  forced  as  rapidly  as  possible  in  its 
early  growth,  especially  where  the  Boil  Weevil  has  been 
long  established.  An  early  application  of  Nitrate  is 
regarded  as  very  helpful  in  accomplishing  this  result. 

An  intelligent  rotation  is  recommended  for  reducing 
damage  from  the  Boll  "Weevil. 

Our  cotton  fertihzer  formula,  given  in  the  following 
text,  is  believed  to  be  a  sound  one,  and  when  Nitrate  is 
applied  early  and  an  early  variety  of  cotton  is  used,  it  is 
believed  that  such  a  proceeding  is  one  of  the  best  with 
which  to  meet  the  Boll  Weevil  situation,  and  that  profit- 
able returns  will  be  made. 

Early  Versus  Late  Applications  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  Cotton 

The    following    figures    of    averages 
Proof  prove  positively  that  early  applications 

Positive.  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  Cotton  give  the 

best  results. 

1919-1920-  1921 

Average  increase  of  23  early  applications,  1919 90.22% 

Average  increase  of  15  late  applications,  1919 42 .  02% 

Average  increase  of  8  early  applications,  1020.  . .  .     197.35% 

Average  increase  of  4  late  applications,  1920 35.50% 

Average  increase  of  7  early  applications,  1921.  .  .  .       61.44% 

Average  increase  of  2  late  applications,  1921 16.30% 

Average  increase  of  38  early  applications,  1919- 

2921     115 .  21% 

Averao-e   increase   of   21    late   applications,    1919- 

1921     31 .27% 

April  l-:Mav  11,  inclusive,  are  "  Early  "  applications. 
May  12-Jnne  26,  inclusive,  are  "  Late  "  applications. 

Instructions  for  Usin^  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Cotton. 

Cotton   is   one   of   the    oldest   of   the 

Origin  of  cultivated     plants     and     is     the     most 

Cotton.  valuable  fibre  in  the  world.    It  probably 

orio'inated  in   India  or  China.     It  was 

first  cultivated  in  the  United  States  in  Virginia. 


40  Food  I'on   L'i.axts. 

AIUt     having      .sclecled      the      right 
The  Right,  variety  for  your  locality,  the  best  speci- 

Variety.  mens  ol"  llu'  plants  should  be  saved  for 

seed.  There  is  a  growing  demand  for 
the  long  staple  upland  varieties.  It  is  just  as  easy  and 
twice  as  profitable  to  feed  the  thorough-bred  plants  as 
it  is  to  feed  the  low  grade  lint  producer. 

Nitrate  of  Soda  is  the  best  top  dresser 
Nitrate  for  cotton.    Other  materials  and  l)rands 

of  Soda  may  be  offered  at  less  cost  per  ton,  but 

Best  for  they  as  a  rule  do  not  contain  as  much 

Cotton.  available  Nitrogen  as  is  necessary  for 

eoiton.  They  are  frequently  only  very 
slowly  available  and  recpiire  a  heavier  rate  of  applica- 
tion, resulting  in  much  higher  cost  per  acre  and  lower 
efficiency. 

Cotton  land  should  be  prepared  very  early,  and 
thorough  deep  plowing  and  cultivation  are  necessary  up 
to  the  time  the  squares  form. 

Some  planters  sow  crimson  clover  at  the  last  cultiva- 
tion of  the  cotton  which  protects  the  soil  from  washing 
during  the  following  winter,  and  provides  a  certain 
amount  of  forage  for  animals.  If  the  preceding  crop 
is  crimson  clover  it  should  be  i3lowed  under  about  the 
middle  of  February. 

About  the  time  of  planting  cotton  in 
Time  to  the  spring,  apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by 

Apply  broadcasting  it  evenly  by  hand  or  by 

Nitrate.  machine,  over  the  entire  surface  of  the 

cotton  field  you  are  fertilizing,  at  the 
rate  of  150  pounds  per  acre,  which  in  bulk  is  equal  to 
about  li/o  bushels. 

We  recommend,  wherever  possible,  the  application  of 
Nitrate  just  before  the  last  harro^^^ng  of  the  land  before 
seeding.  If  this  is  not  possible  or  convenient,  then  broad- 
cast before  the  first  cultivation  of  the  cotton.  If  the  tim.e 
for  these  earlier  applications  has  passed,  apply  just 
before  the  last  cultivation.     If  put  on  before  planting 


Food  for  Plants.  4l 

time,  it  should  be  harrowed  in ;  it*  put  on  after  planting, 
it  should  be  cultivated  in. 

Should  the  Nitrate  become  hard,  it  can  readily  be  pul- 
verized with  the  back  of  a  shovel,  or  with  a  mallet,  or  it 
may  be  crushed  on  a  barn  floor  by  using  a  heavy  post  as 
a  roller. 

Foiimila  for  Cvtlon 

Nitrate    alone 150  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferably 

Nitrate    200    "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 200    "       ''       " 

When  potash  salts  can  conveniently  be  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  every  other  year. 

WMt  Nitrate  Has  Done  in  the  Planters'  Oun  Hands 

H.  F.  Lyle,  Soiiierville,  Ala. : 

"  Plot  with  Nitrate  produced  207  ll)s.  Cotton.    Plot  without  Nitrate 
produced  87  lbs.  Cotton. 

"  Nitrate  plot  did  not  shed  off  fruit  in  dry  weather  like  the  other 
plot, —  in  fact,  did  not  shed  any.  One-tliird  larger  stalk.  Did  not 
have  more  than  half  stand  on  plots." 

B.  F.  White,  Olive  Br-anch,  Louisiana: 

"  Plot  with  Nitrate  produced  90  lbs.  Cotton.     Plot  without  Nitrate 
produced  36  lbs.  Cotton. 

"  The  Nitrate  of  Soda  Cotton  matured  before  the  Boll  Weevil 
affected  it.  I  consider  it  the  best  I  ever  used,—  ahead  of  any  for 
this  climate." 

In  Alabama  the  use  of  126  pounds  of  Nitrate  per  acre 
for  two  successive  seasons  gave  an  average  increased 
yield  of  768  pounds  of  seed  cotton  per  acre;  or  an 
increased  yield  of  lint  of  256  pounds  per  acre  in  addition 
to  the  seed  yield  of  512  pounds  for  the  same  area. 

When    Nitrate    of    Soda    is    appUed 

earlv  in  the  season  to  cotton,  as  it  pre- 

Nitrate  ferablv   should  be,   early  maturity  re- 

Gives  Best  ^^^^^   •    ^^^    ^^^^    apphcations    of    any 

Results  nitrogenous    fertilizer    will    delay    its 

from  Early  ,   ^. , 

.      ..      .  maturitv. 

Application.  j^  ^^_^^  planter  has  been  badly  advised, 

and  in   consequence   applies  his  nitro- 
genous fertilizer  too  late,  he  should  not  blame  the  fer- 


42 


Food  for  Plants. 


tilizi'i-  for  his  colloii  liaviii.u'  1)ohavo(l  contrary  to  nature's 
intent. 

What  is  needed  most  is  to  secure  conii)h'te  maturity 
of  the  cotton  l)i'f()re  tlu'  sliort  days  of  eai'ly  autumn 
arrive. 

Tobacco. 

The  value  of  tobacco  depends  so  much  upon  its  grade, 
and  the  grade  so  much  upon  tlie  soil  and  climate,  as  well 
as  fertilization,  that  general  rules  for  tobacco  culture 


No  Nitnifc.    Virginia  Exporiments.     1(10  ll)s.  Nitrate  of  Soda  Per  Acre. 


should  not  !)('  mathematically  laid  down.  Leaving  out 
special  kinds,  such  as  Perique,  the  simplest  classification 
of  tobacco  is  as  follows:  Cigar. —  Tobacco  for  cigar 
manufacture,  grown  chiefly  in  Connecticut  and  Wiscon- 
sin.   McDiiifacturing. —  Tobacco  manufactured  into  plug, 


Food  for  Plants.  43 

or  tlie  various  forms  for  pipe  smoking  and  cigarettes. 
All  kinds  of  tobacco  have  the  same  general  habits  of 
growth,  but  the  two  classes  mentioned  liave  very  differ- 
ent plant  food  requirements. 

Cigar  tobaccos  generallj^  require  a  rather  light  soil; 
the  manufacturing  kinds  prefer  heavy,  fertile  soils.  In 
either  case,  the  soil  must  be  clean,  deeply  broken,  and 
thoroughly  pulverized.  Fall  plowing  is  always  practiced 
on  heavy  lands,  or  lands  new  to  tobacco  culture.  To- 
bacco may  be  safely  grown  on  the  same  land  year  after 
year.  The  plant  must  be  richly  fertilized;  it  has  thick, 
fleshy  roots,  and  comparatively  little  foraging  power  — 
that  is,  ability  to  send  out  roots  over  an  extensive  tract 
of  soil  in  search  of  plant  food. 

Fertilizer  for  tobacco  is  used  in  quantities  per  acre  as 
low  as  400  pounds  of  high  grade  and  as  much  as  3,000 
pounds  of  low  grade.  While  the  production  of  leaf  nuiy 
be  greatly  increased  by  the  use  of  Nitrate,  the  other  plant 
food  elements  should  also  be  used  to  secure  a  well  ma- 
tured crop.  In  the  case  of  cigar  tobaccos.  Nitrate  may  be 
used  exclusively  as  the  source  of  Nitrogen  as  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  secure  a  thoroughly  matured  leaf  unless  the  sup- 
ply of  digestible  Nitrogen  is  more  or  less  under  control, 
a  condition  not  practicable  with  ordinary  fertilizers. 

Tobacco  growing  is  special  farming,  and  should  be 
carefully  studied  before  starting  in  as  a  planter.  For 
small  plantations,  the  plants  are  best  bought  of  a  regu- 
lar seedsman.  The  cultivation  is  always  clean,  and  an 
earth  mulch  from  two  to  three  inches  in  depth  should  be 
maintained  —  that  is,  the  surface  soil  to  that  depth  kept 
thoroughly  pulverized. 

At  the  Kentucky  Experiment  Station,  experiments 
were  made  mth  fertilizers  on  Burley  Tobacco.  The  land 
was  "  deficient  in  natural  drainage,"  so  that  the  fertil- 
izers could  hardly  be  expected  to  have  their  full  effect. 
Yet,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  table,  the  profits 
from  the  use  of  the  fertilizers  were  enormous : 


44  Food  for  Plants. 

Ej})eri))ien(s  on  Tobacco  at  the  Kentucky  Experiment  Station. 

Value  of 

Yield  of  tobacco  —  pounds.  tobacco 

Fertilizer  per  acre.         BriKlit.        Red.       Luks.        Tips.    Trash.       Total.       per  acre. 

1.  Xo  manure 1200       3G0         (iO       540    1,160     $07. '20 

•J.  KiO  lbs.  Xilrate  of 

Soda   2;«)       If)!)       :{10         90       530    1,010     138.40 

3.  100    lbs.    snip,    of 

l)otash;    100    ll)s. 

Nitrate  of  Soda.       190       755       (i05       120       140    1,810     190.45 

4.  .320      lbs.      super- 

pliospliato;  100 
lbs.  sulp.  of  pot- 
ash; 160  lbs.  Ni- 
trate of  Soda...       310       810       420         10       3(i()    2,00(1     2111.20 

"  The  tobacco  was  assorted  by  an  expert  and  the  prices 
given  as  follows:  Bright  and  red,  fifteen  cents  per 
pound;  lugs,  six  cents  per  pound;  tips,  eight  cents  per 
])ound;  trash,  two  cents  per  pound." 

One  hundred  and  sixty  pounds  Nitrate  of  Soda,  costing 
about  $3.75,  increased  the  value  of  the  crop  $71.20  per 
acre ! 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Tobacco. 

Just  before  setting  out  plants,  apply  the  Nitrate  of 
Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly,  by  machine,  or  by  hand, 
over  the  entire  surface  of  the  tobacco  field  you  are  fer- 
tilizing, at  the  rate  of  150  pounds  per  acre.  One  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  of  Nitrate  is  equal  in  bulk  to  about  one 
and  one-half  bushels. 

Formula   for  Tohacco. 

Nitrate  alone   ITjO  lbs.  per  acre 

or  prefei'a))ly 

Nitrate    '. 200  lbs.  per  acre 

Acid  Phosphate  200  lbs.  per  acre 

When  potash  salts  can  conveniently  be  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  i)ounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
tlie  acre  everv  other  vear. 


Food  for  Plants,  45 


FERTILIZERS  FOR  CORN. 


Corn  varies  in  yield  of  grain  per  acre,  according  to 
the  character  of  the  soil  upon  which  it  is  growTi,  the  loca- 
tion of  its  growth  and  the  variety  used.  Soils  best  suited 
for  corn  culture  are  rich,  deep  loams,  naturally  well 
drained  and  located  in  those  regions  where  the  average 
temperatures  during  the  growing  months  of  May  to  Sep- 
tember, inclusive,  reach  from  75  degrees  to  80  degrees 
Fahr.  That  is,  the  best  climatic  conditions  do  not  depend 
upon  average  annual  temperature,  but  upon  the  high 
temperature  maintained  during  these  growing  months. 
The  growing  season  will,  however,  varj'  also  in  different 
sections  of  the  country,  ranging  from  90  to  160  days, 
and  varieties  exist  which  are  adapted  to  these  different 
growing  periods.  The  yield  is  also,  of  course,  influenced 
by  moisture,  depending  again  not  altogether  upon  the 
total  rainfall,  but  upon  the  requisite  amounts  that  may 
be  depended  upon  from  May  to  September,  the  growing 
months.  The  plants  need  high  temperatures  and  maxi- 
mum rainfalls  throughout  July  and  August,  with  clear, 
sunshiny  weather  between  rains. 

The  variety  also  has  a  direct  influence  upon  the 
yield  of  the  crop,  and  work  done  recently  in  the  matter 
of  corn  breeding  and  selection  has  very  considerably 
broadened  the  area  of  profitable  culture.  The  Flint 
varieties  are  more  suitable  for  the  northern  sections,  and 
the  Dent  varieties  for  the  central  and  southern  sections 
of  the  United  States. 

The  Object  of  Growth  —  Grain. 

Corn  is  grown  mainly  for  its  grain,  and  for  this  reason 
the  greatest  attention  has  been  given  to  the  development 
of  varieties  that  mil  yield  the  largest  proportion  of  grain 
to  stalk;  because,  however,  of  the  increasing  use  of  corn 
as  a  forage  plant,  much  attention  has  recently  been  given 
to  the  varieties  adapted  for  soiling  and  for  silage. 

In  growing  corn  for  these  dilTerent  purposes,  different 
methods  are  adopted.  When  the  main  object  is  to  secure 
grain,  varieties  are  selected  which  produce  large,  uni- 


4(i 


iMtOI)    I-'( 


)R  Plants. 


foiiii  c.-irs,  with  (IcH'p  i»Taiiis.  In  order  to  iiisuro  its 
proixT  (U'vclopiiieiit  and  ripening,  it  is  planted  prcfor- 
a))ly  in  hills,  at  such  distances  as  w  ill  permit  a  maximmn 
amount  of  sunshine  to  reach  all  i)arts  of  the  plant,  and 
so  cultivated  as  to  encourage  the  largest  use  of  food  from 
soil  sources.    In  other  words,  every  precaution  is  taken 


Fertilizer,   300    Pounds    per   Acre  Fertilizer,    300    Pounds   per   Acre 
Minerals   and   150    pounds    per  Minerals  Only. 

Acre  Nitrate  of  Soda.  Rate   of  Yield,   80   Bushels   Ears 

Kate  of  Yield,  100  Bushels  Ears  per  Acre,  poor  quality, 

per  Acre,  excellent  quality. 

to  insure  the  largest  proportion  of  ripened  grain;  the 
stalks  often  being  regarded  as  a  by-product  of  little 
value.  In  fact,  in  many  parts  of  the  country  the  stalks 
are  not  utilized  as  they  should  be,  although  wdien  well 
cured  they  are  equivalent  in  food  value,  on  the  dry  mat- 
ter basis,  to  good  timothy  hay. 

In  planting  Indian  corn  for  grain  we  doubtless  often 
plant  the  seed  too  thick. 


Food  for  Plants. 


47 


Silage. 

When  grown  for  silage,  the  object  is  to  secure  the 
largest  amount  of  digestible  matter  per  acre.  Hence, 
varieties  with  larger  stalk  and  leaf  are  generally  used 
and  the  corn  planted  much  closer  together  and  thicker 
in  the  rows,  but  not  so  thick  as  to  prevent  many  of  the 
stalks  from  producing  ears.  When  cut  when  the  ears 
are  beginning  to  glaze,  good  crops  will  oftentimes  yield 
as  much  as  5,000  to  6,000  pounds  of  dry  matter  per  acre. 
Larger  amounts  of  plant  food  than  for  grain  are  re- 
quired, as  a  rule,  in  order  that  the  vegetative  functions 
may  be  increased,  hence  on  most  soils,  even  in  a  good 
state  of  fertility,  applications  of  fertilizers  are  neces- 
sary, more  particularly  those  containing  Nitrogen. 


One  Hundred  Bushels  i>i  Ears  of  Corn  per  Acre,  Before  Harvesting. 

Soiling. 

In  growing  corn  for  soiling,  the  object  is  to  obtain 
the  largest  amount  of  succulent  food  per  acre,  which  may 
be  completely  eaten  by  the  animal.  Hence,  for  soiling, 
quick-growing  varieties,  ^\^th  a  large  proportion  of  leaf 
and  small  stalks,  are  grown  and  planted  thicker  than  for 
silage,  and  still  greater  care  in  the  use  of  manures  and 
fertilizers  is  required  in  order  to  enable  the  plant  to 
absorb  food  throughout  its  entire  growth. 


48 


Food   kor  Pj.ants. 


Sweet  Com. 

Wlic'ii  sweet  varieties  are  grown,  the  objeet  is  to  obtain 
a  large  number  of  ears  suitable  for  the  table.  The  sweet 
varieties  are  less  hardy  and  vigorous  than  the  ordinary 
lield  varieties,  and  are  better  adapted  for  light  soils, 
hence  the  treatment  is  still  different  from  that  used  w^hen 
grown  for  the  purposes  already  mentioned.  The  grain 
is  not  planted  ordinarily  until  the  soil  is  thoroughly 
warm,  and  the  temperature  is  likely  to  continue  high 
and,  because  better  suited  for  light  soils,  special  fertiliza- 
tion is  necessary. 


Com  and  Oats,  New  York  Exi)erimeutal  Fields. 


INDIAN  CORN   (MAIZE)   EXPERIMENTS. 

New  York  State,  Seasons  of  1918  and  of  1919. 

Experiments  in  New  York  State  car- 
Experiments  in  ried  on  wnth  maize  ensilage,  or  Indian 
New  York  State,  corn,  show  that  whilst  the  return  ui 
value  of  the  increased  crop  is  not  ex- 
cessive owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  lateness  of  the  fertilizer 
application,  notable  crop  increases  were  obtained. 


Food  for  Plants.  49 

The  late  fertilizer  application  was 
Late  Fertilizer  used  in  this  case  advisedly  to  check  up 
Applications  Not  this  practice  which  is  followed  by  many 
Generally  farmers,   and   which  is   rather   against 

Advisable.  our  general  advice  as  to  very  late  dress- 

ings of  Nitrate.    Earlier  applications  on 
corn,  we  are  confident,  will  prove  to  be  more  profitable. 

Among  interesting  items  secured  are 
Efficiency  of  the  yields  of  protein  per  acre  as  tabu- 

Nitrate  Alone.  lated  in  the  following  tables.  It  is  not- 
able that  the  total  ash  mineral  residue 
per  acre  removed  from  the  plot  on  which  Nitrate  alone 
was  used  is  less  than  on  the  check  plot,  and  that  the 
exhaustion  of  phosphoric  acid,  potash  and  lime  was  at  a 
low^er  rate  per  acre  on  the  Nitrate  plot  than  on  the  check 
plot.  Notable  also  is  the  fact  that  the  rate  of  yield  of 
protein  was  low^er  on  the  check  plot  and  also  on  the  acid 
phosphate  alone  plot  than  on  the  Nitrate  plot.  Protein 
is,  of  course,  a  factor  of  very  high  food  value  for  dairy 
stock. 

The  results  speak  well  for  Nitrate  not 
Use  of  Nitrate  exhausting  soil  fertility  as  to  its  mineral 
Alone  Not  essentials.    It  confirms  the  idea  that  soil 

Exhaustive  of        exliaustion  proceeds  more  rapidly  when 
Soil  Fertility,        no  fertilizers  are  used  as  compared  with 
their  rational  use. 

Reports  on  Expcrimcittdl   Work  on  Maize  Ensilage. 
191S. 

Crop  —  Maize  Ensilage. 

Variety  —  Half  State  Corn;  Half  (iokl  Nugget. 
Location  —  Chenango  County,  New  York. 
Soil  —  Bottom  land. 

Cultivations —  Three.  ' 

Climate  —  Short  season ;  high  altitude,  1,000  feet. 
Weather  —  Cool ;  latter  jiart  of  summer  drought. 
Date  of  Application  of  Fertilizer  —  July  5,  1918. 
Date  of  Harvesting  — September  16,  1918. 
Size  of  Plots — 1/4  acre. 

Rate  of  Application  Per  Acre  —  250  lbs.  Nitrate  of  Soda ;  400  ll)s. 
Acid  Phosphate. 

Fertilizers  Used  —  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  Acid  Pliosi)hate. 

Cost  of  Fertilizer  Per  Acre  —  Plot  1,  $12;  plot  2,  $8;  plot  3,  $4. 


50  b'ooD  run  I'j.anits. 

C'r<i/>  in  Poioids  Per  Acre. 

J{atp  of  Applira-  Hatp  of.Crop 

Plot  N'os.  Table  No.  1  tioii  Per  Acre         Yields  per  Plot.    Yield.s  per  Acre. 

1.  Nitrate  of  Soda 250  lbs.        7,120  lbs.      28,480  lbs. 

and 

Ai-id  PIu)si)liale   400  lbs. 

2.  Nitrato  alone    250  lbs.        6,610  lbs.      26,440  lbs. 

*:5.  Acid   Phosphate  alone...  400  lbs.        6,030  lbs.      24,120  lbs. 

4.  Check  —  nothing 6,290  lbs.      25,160  lbs. 

Pounds  Per  Acre  of  Essential  Fertility  Removed  by  Crop. 

Plot  Nos.  Table  No.  II  Phosphoric  Acid.  Potash.  Nitrogen. 

1.  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  Acid 

Phosphate    .38.45  11)8.  91.99  lbs.  46.28  lbs. 

2.  Nitrate  alone    34.64  lbs.  82.76  lbs.  42.97  lbs. 

.3.  Acid  Pho.sphate  alone...  .33.29  lbs.  81.53  lbs.  39.20  lbs. 

4.  Check  —  nothing    37.24  lbs.  94.35  lbs.  40.89  lb.s. 

Pounds  Per  Acre  of  Protein  and  Ash   (Minerals)   and  Lime  Removed 

by  Crop. 

Plot  Nos.  Table  No.  Ill  Protein.  Ash.  Lime. 

1.  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  Acid 

Phosphate    506 . 9  lbs.  336 . 1  lbs.  17 .  94  lbs. 

2.  Nitrate  alone   499.7  lbs.  290.8  lbs.  14.81  lbs. 

3.  Acid   Phosphate  alone...  465.5  lbs.  282.2  lbs.  18.09  lbs. 

4.  Check  — nothing    462.9  lbs.  299.4  lbs.  19.88  lbs. 

1919. 

Crop  —  Maize  Ensilage. 

Variety  —  Golden  Nugget. 

Location  —  Chenango  County,  New  York. 

Soil  —  Clay  loam. 

Cultivations  —  Three. 

Climate  —  Temjaerate;  1,000  feet  above  sea. 

Weather  —  Cloudv ;  wet. 

Amount  of  Fertilizer  Per  Plot  —  20,  40  and  80  lbs. 

Method  of  Cultivation  —  Horse  cultivator  and  by  hand  hoeing. 

Date  of  Application  of  Fertilizer- — June  5,  1919,  for  plots  1,  2,  3 
and  4;  and  June  5  and  24  for  plots  5  and  6,  when  corn  was  9  inches 
high. 

Date  of  Harvesting — September  15,  1919. 

Size  of  Plot  —  1/10  acre,  plots  1,  2,  3  and  4;  1/20  acre,  plots  5  and  6. 

Rate  of  Application  Per  Acre  —  200  lbs.,  400  lbs.  and  600  lbs. 

Fertilizers  Used  —  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  Acid  Phosphate. 

Cost  of  Fertilizer  Per  Acre—  $26.40. 

Method  of  Applying  —  Broadcast,  cultivated  in  immediately. 


*Acid  Phosphate  alone  appears  to  have  diminished  the  crop  here  as 
if  did  in  the  case  of  our  sugar  cane  in  Porto  Rico. 


l^\)oi)  ]''()R   Plants.  51 

Crop  ill  Punnds  Per  Acre. 

Rate  of  Rate  of  Crop 

Application  Crop  Yields       Yields  per 

Plot  Nos.  Table  No.  I  per  Acre.  per  Plot.  Acre. 

1.  Nitrate  of   Soda    ^ 

and                                           I     400  4,180  41,800 

Acid    Phosphate J 

2.  Nitrate  alone   400  4,100  11.000 

3.  Acid  Phosphate  ah)ne 400  2,840  28,400 

4.  Check  —  nothinc,^ 2,820  28,200 

5.  NaN03  and  P^Oo 200  each 

June  5, 

1919; 

200  each 

June  24, 

1919..  1,780  35,600 

6.  NaNOa  and  BOo 200  each 

June  5, 

1919; 
400  each 
June  24, 

1919..  2,040  40,800 


Pounds  Per  Acre  of  Protein  and  Minerals  Removed  bij  Crop. 

Phosphoric 

Plot  Nos.                         Tabic  No.  II                             Acid.  Potash.  Protein.        N;trogen. 

1.  Nitrate  of  Soda ^ 

and                                          U7.23  95.30  689.7       110.3 

Acid  Phosphate   J 

2.  Nitrate  alone   38.06  109.06  471.5         /5.4 

3.  Acid  Phosphate  alone 56 .  99  7  7. 25  289 .4         46 . 3 

4.  Cheek  — nothing    31.58  62.89  377.3         61.1 

5.  NaNOa  and  P.0= 47.70  75.83  585.2         93.6 

6.  NaNOa  and  P.0= 56.71  102.82  739.7       118.3 


Pounds  Per  Acre  of  Minerals  Removed  by  Crop. 

Plot  Nos.  Table  No.  Ill  Ash.  I.ime. 


1.  Ntate^of  So.,a |  ^^^  ^  .^^  „^ 

Acid  Phosphate 1 

2.  Nitrate  alone   fl^-^^  f-^^ 

3.  Acid  Phosphate  alone •^;^---  -^-^r 

4.  Check -nothing   293.0  2..3o 

5.  NaNOs  and  P.0= -JH^?  ^5.57 


6.  NaNOa  and  P.O^ 472.1 


34.68 


52  Food  fou  Pj.ants. 

PoiDuh  Per  Acre  of  Essential  Fertilizer  InijrcdieiUs  Added  to  the  Suit 
in  the  Fertilizers  Used. 

1919. 

Pot;ish  in 
Rate  of  NitiMtc 

Application  riiosphuric      Isi  d 

Plot  Nos.  Table  Xo.  IV  per  Acre  Nitroscn  Acid       Estiiii  iti-d 

1.  Nitrate  of  Soda 400  56         ....  8 

and 

Acid  Phospliate 400                    56  8 

2.  Nitrate  aloiio   400  56  ....  8 

3.  Acid  Phospliate  alono 40O                   50         

4.  Check  —  nothing .  .  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  • 

5.  NaN03  and  P^d. 400  each             56  56  8 

6.  NaN03  and  P.0= 600  each            84  84  12 

The  y)rorit  per  acre  as  between  the 
Rate  of  Profit  application  of  400  pounds  of  acid  plios- 
Per  Acre.  ])liate   alone,   and   of   Nitrate   and   acid 

phosphate  together  shows  that  the 
added  investnieiit  in  400  pounds  of  Nitrate,  which  may 
be  estimated  at  practically  fourteen  dollars  ($14),  gave 
a  rate  of  profit  of  twenty  dollars  ($20)  per  acre,  valuing 
ensilage  at  present  at  five  dollars  ($5)  a  ton. 

Since  the  rate  of  yield  per  acre  of  the  Nitrate  and  acid 
phosphate  plot  was  20.9  tons  as  against  a  rate  of  yield 
per  acre  of  14.1  tons  for  the  acid  phosphate  alone  plot, — 
the  value  in  the  first  case  is  placed  at  one  hundred  four 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  ($104.50)  per  acre,  and  in  the  lat- 
ter case  at  seventy  dollars  and  fifty  cents  ($70.50)  per 
acre.  As  the  crop  increase  from  the  use  of  400  pounds 
of  Nitrate  is  valued  at  thirty-four  dollars  ($34),  and  the 
cost  of  the  Nitrate  at  fourteen  dollars  ($14),  a  profit  at 
the  rate  of  twenty  dollars  ($20)  per  acre  is  the  result,  as 
aliove  stated. 

These  figures  are  in  general  in  close  agreement  with 
those  secured  in  1918,  and  confirm  the  view  that  rational 
fertilizing  with  Nitrate  does  not  appear  to  exhaust  the 
soil  in  the  net  result  as  much  as  does  doing  without 
fertilizers. 


Food  for  Pt.axts.  53 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Corn. 

As  soon  as  the  corn  is  planted  in  the  spring,  apply  the 
Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly  over  the  entire 
surface  of  the  corn  field  you  are  fertilizing,  at  the  rate  of 
200  pounds  per  acre,  which  is  equal  in  bulk  to  about  two 
bushels. 

Our  Formula  for  Corn. 

Nitrate  alone   -'"•  !')>•  pei'  af'i'e 

or  preferably 

Nitrate    ••!t)0    "         "       " 

Acid  Pliospliate , 300    "         "       " 

AMien  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to  the 
acre  every  other  year. 

SMALL  FRUITS. 

Under  this  head  Ave  treat  of  blackberries,  currants, 
gooseberries  and  raspberries.  vStrawberries  are  treated 
separately.  All  these  small  fruits  are  commonly  grown 
in  the  garden,  generally  under  such  conditions  that  sys- 
tematic tillage  is  not  practicable.  For  this  reason  such 
plant  food  essentials  as  may  exist  naturally  in  the  soil 
become  available  to  the  uses  of  the  plants  very  slowly. 
This  is  as  true  of  the  decomposition  of  animal  or  vege- 
table ammoniates  as  of  phosphates  and  potashes.  Conse- 
quently, small  fruits  in  the  garden  suffer  from  lack  of 
sufficient  plant  food.  All  these  plants  when  planted  in 
gardens  are  usually  set  in  rows  four  feet  apart,  the 
plants  about  three  feet  apart  in  the  rows;  about  4,200 
plants  to  an  acre.  In  field  culture,  blackberries  are 
usually  set  four  feet  apart  each  Avay. 

So  far  as  possible,  small  fruits  should  l)e  cultivated 
in  the  early  spring,  and  all  dead  canes  removed.  AVork 
into  the  soil  along  the  rows  300  pounds  of  acid  phosphate 
and  50  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  if  obtainable;  Avhen 
the  plants  are  in  full  leaf,  broadcast  along  the  rows  300 
pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda,  and  Avork  in  Avith  a  rake.  If 
at  any  time  before  August  the  vines  shoAV  a  tendency  to 
drop  "leaves,  or  stop  groAving,  apply  more  Nitrate.    Small 


54  Food  for  Plants. 

fruits  must  have  a  steady,  even  growtli ;  in  most  cases 
unsatisfactory  results  can  be  directly  traced  to  irregular 
feeding  of  the  plants.  In  field  culture,  the  crop  must 
be  tilled  quite  the  same  as  for  corn;  in  the  garden  in 
very  dry  weather  irrigation  should  be  used  if  possible. 
The  yield  per  acre  is  very  heavy,  and,  of  course,  the 
])lants  must  be  given  plant  food  in  proportion. 

RASPBERRIES,  CURRANTS,  GOOSEBERBIES. 

Sow  broadcast,  in  the  fall,  a  mixture  of  300  pounds 
of  acid  or  superphosphate  and  50  pounds  sulphate  of 
potash  per  acre  if  obtainable.  This  can  be  done,  if  the 
rows  are  four  feet  apart,  b}^  sowing  a  large  handful  at 
every  two  steps  on  each  side  of  the  row.  Raspberries 
and  gooseberries  should  have  a  small  handful,  and  cur- 
ants  a  large  handful  to  each  bush.  This  should  be  culti- 
vated in,  if  possible,  early  in  the  spring.  Sow  Nitrate  of 
Soda  in  the  same  way.  It  will  pay  to  put  on  as  much 
Nitrate  as  you  did  acid  or  superphosphate,  but  if  you  do 
not  want  to  put  on  so  much,  use  smaller  handfuls. 

Our  Formula  for  Raspberries  and  Currants. 

Nitrate  alone   200  lbs.  per  acre 

or  i^referably 

Nitrate  300    "  "  " 

Acid   Phosphate    300    "  "  " 

When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  every  other  year. 

STRAWBERRIES. 

This  plant  requires  a  moist  soil,  but  not  one  water- 
logged at  any  time  of  the  year.  A  light  clay  loam,  or  a 
sandy  loam  is  preferable.  There  are  several  methods  of 
cultivation,  but  the  matted  row  is  generally  found  more 
profitable  than  the  plan  of  growing  only  in  hills.  AVhile 
some  growers  claim  that  one  year's  crop  is  all  that  should 
be  harvested  before  ploughing  down  for  potatoes,  as  a 
matter  of  fact  the  conmion  practice  is  to  keep  the  bed  for 


Food  for  Plants. 


55 


at  least  two  harvests.  In  selecting  plants,  care  should 
be  exercised  to  see  that  pistillate  plants  are  not  kept  too 
much  by  themselves,  or  the  blossoms  will  prove  barren. 
Farmyard  manure  should  never  be  used  after  the 
plants  are  set  out,  as  the  weed  seeds  contained  therein 
will  give  much  trouble,  especially  as  the  horse  hoe  is  of 
little  use  in  the  beds.  Use  200  pounds  of  acid  phosphate, 
appUed  broadcast  immediately  after  harvest.  In  the 
spring  as  soon  as  growth  begins  broadcast  150  pounds 
of  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  the  acre.  In  setting  out  a  new 
bed,  broadcast  the  f ertiUzer  along  the  rows  and  cultivate 
in,  before  the  plants  are  out. 

On  old  beds,  sow  200  pounds  of  acid  phosphate  broad- 
cast in  the  fall  and  150  pounds  of  Nitrate  per  acre  in 
the  spring. 

Onr  Formula  for  Strawberries. 

Nitrate    alone    150  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferal)ly 

Nitrate     200      "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate  200      "       "       " 

When  potash  salts  can  lie  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to  the 
acre  everv  other  year. 


M' 


In  the  basket,  and  lying  on  12-in('h 
rule,  200  lbs.  Nitrate  of  Soda  to 
the  acre. 


To  the  riglit  back  oi 
rule,  no  Nitrate. 


56  Food  for  Plants. 

The  experiment  was  with  a  field  of  Bubachs.  One  plot 
was  given  200  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  the  acre  when 
growth  began.  Another  received  no  Nitrate.  On  June  3d 
all  the  ripe  fruit  was  picked  from  equal  length  of  rows 
of  each  plot.    The  photograph  shows  the  result. 

GRAPES. 

Grape  vineyards  should  be  located  and  planted  by 
an  expert,  and  one,  too,  who  has  had  experience  with 
the  locality  selected  for  the  site.  The  treatment  of  the 
young  plants  is  a  matter  of  soil  and  climate,  for  which 
there  are  no  general  rules.  When  the  vines  have  reached 
bearing  age.  however,  their  fertilization  becomes  a  very 
important  matter.  The  new  wood  must  be  thoroughly 
matured  to  bear  next  year's  fruit,  and  an  excess  of 
ammoniate  late  in  the  season  not  only  defeats  this 
object,  but  also  lessens  the  number  of  fruit  buds. 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Grapes. 
Apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly 
over  the  entire  surface  of  the  vineyard  you  are  fertiliz- 
ing, at  the  rate  of  200  pounds  per  acre,  during  the  early 
spring  months,  preferably  just  before  the  vines  are  in 

Our  Formula  for  Grapes. 

Nitrate  aloup   200  lbs.  ])er  acre 

or  preferably 

Nitrate    '. 300      "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 300      "       "       " 

When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  every  other  year. 

GREENHOUSE  PLANT  FOOD. 

For  flowering  plants  in  greenhouses,  as  long  as  pos- 
sible before  blooming,  apply  one  pound  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda  to  200  square  feet  of  surface.  This  application  is 
equal  to  200  pounds  per  acre.  If  used  with  Acid  Phos- 
phate, a  larger  amount  viz:  One  and  one-half  pounds 
of  Nitrate  of  Soda  with  an  equal  quantity  of  Acid  Phos- 


Food  for  Plants.  57 

pliatc  may  be  used  to  each  200  square  feet  of  surface, 
making  300  pounds  per  acre,  provided  excessive  quan- 
tities of  barnyard  manure  have  not  been  used.  It  is 
important  to  thoroughly  work  these  fertihzers  into  the 
soil. 

The  use  of  rotted  stable  manure  as  a  source  of  green- 
house plant  food  has  been  the  custom  for  many  years. 
Manure,  however,  supplies  its  plant  food  very  irregu- 
larly and  the  Nitrogen  which  it  contains  is  not  nitrated, 
hence  for  forcing  plants  it  cannot  be  fully  relied  upon. 
It  should  be  supplemented  by  the  use  of  commercial  fer- 
tilizers such  as  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  acid  phosphate. 

For  Plants  in  Pots. 

Water  once  every  four  days,  during  early  active 
growth,  with  a  solution  of  one-half  an  ounce  of  Nitrate 
of  Soda  to  one  gallon  of  water  —  avoid  whetting  the 
fohage.  This  will  produce  dark  green  color  in  the 
leaves,  which,  when  obtained,  indicates  that  for  this 
most  important  period,  a  sufficient  amount  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda  has  been  used.  Do  not  put  dry  Nitrate  on  wet 
fohage 

For  young  fruit  trees  in  the  nursery,  from  one-quar- 
ter to  one  pound  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre  may  be 
used,  according  to  ro^q.  It  is  important  in  this  case  that 
the  fertilizer  should  be  thoroughly  worked  into  the  soil. 

LAWNS  AND  GOLF  LINKS. 

Good  lawns  are  simply  a  matter  of  care  and  rational 
treatment.  If  the  soil  is  very  light,  top-dress  lilierally 
with  clay  and  work  into  the  sand.  In  all  cases  the  soil 
must  be  thoroughly  fined  and  made  smooth,  as  the  seed, 
being  very  small,  requires  a  fine  seed  bed.  In  the  South, 
seed  to  Bermuda  grass  or  Kentucky  blue  grass;  in  the 
North,  the  latter  is  also  a  good  lawn  grass,  but  perhaps  a 
little  less  desirable  than  Ehode  Island  bent  grass  (Agros- 
tis  canina).  Avoid  mixtures,  as  they  give  an  irregularly 
colored  laA^^l  under  stress  of  drouth,  or  early  frosts,  or 
maturity.  For  Rhode  Island  bent  grass  use  50  pounds 
of  seed  per  acre,  Kentucky  blue  grass  40  to  45  pounds, 


58  Food  for  Plants. 

and  for  Bermuda  g-rass  15  pounds.  If  for  any  reason 
the  soil  cannot  be  properly  prepared,  pulverize  the  fer- 
tilizer very  fine  indeed.  The  grass  should  be  mowed 
regularly  and  the  clippings  removed  until  nearly  mid- 
summer when  they  are  best  left  on  the  soil  as  a  mulch. 
For  a  good  \R^vn,  broadcast  per  acre  in  the  spring  50 
pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash,  200  pounds  of  acid  phos- 
phate and  200  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda.  Lawns  are 
very  different  from  field  crops  as  they  are  not  called 
upon  to  mature  growth  in  the  line  of  seed  productions, 
and  they  may  safely  be  given  applications  of  Nitrate 
whenever  the  sickly  green  color  of  the  grass  appears, 
which  shows  that  digestible  or  nitrated  ammonia  is  the 
plant  food  needed.  These  applications  of  plant  food  must 
be  continued  each  year  without  fail,  and  all  bare  or  partly 
bare  spots  well  raked  down  and  reseeded.  If  absolutely 
bare,  these  spots  should  be  deeply  spaded.  On  very 
heavy  clay  soils,  and  in  low  situations,  a  drainage  system 
must  be  established. 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Meadows,  Lawns 
and  Golf  Links. 

As  soon  as  the  frost  leaves  the  ground  in  the  spring, 
apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly,  by 
hand,  or  by  machine,  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  lawn, 
or  meadow  you  are  fertilizing,  at  the  rate  of  100  pounds 
per  acre. 

Frequent  rolling  is  of  great  advantage,  as  well  as  fre- 
quent raking.  Every  lawn  in  the  spring  should  be  sub- 
jected to  a  searching  inspection  for  weeds.  Early  spring 
is  the  time  for  the  hea\o'  annual  top-dressing  of 
fertilizers. 

Two  or  three  weeks  after  the  application  of  fertilizers, 
a  mixture  of  lawn  grasses  may  be  sown  and  covered  with 
a  thin  layer  of  finely  sifted  soil  and  then  rolled  down. 
Rolling  should  not  be  continually  in  one  direction,  but 
should  be  chano-ed. 

If  young  grasses  are  growing  amongst  the  old,  it  will 
be  an  advantage  to  keep  the  lawn  closely  cut.  By  this 
practice  roots  are  strengthened  and  the  density  of  the 


Food  for  Plants.  59 

turf  increased.    In  sowinii;  lawn  seed,  sow  half  the  quan- 
tity a'cins:  north  and  south,  and  half  east  and  west. 

Grass  which  has  become  brown  or  yellow  may  be 
watered  or  treated  with  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  the  green 
color  thus  restored.  Lawns  may  safely  be  given  appli- 
cations of  Nitrate  whenever  the  sickly  green  color  of  the 
grass  appears,  as  this  shows  that  Nitrogen  is  the  food 
needed.  Finely  sifted  soil  obtained  from  decayed  leaves 
is  the  best  treatment  for  lawns  to  provide  them  with 
humus. 

Our  Formula  for  Meadous,  Laivns  and  Golf  Links. 

Xitrate  alone   100  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferably 

Xitrate " 200      "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 200      "       "       " 

When  iDotash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  every  other  year. 

FLOWERS. 

Every  gardener  (of  vegetables  or  flowers)  should  have 
at  hand,  all  through  the  season,  a  bag  or  box  of  Nitrate 
of  Soda,  to  be  broadcast  on  any  and  every  crop  that 
grows  in  the  garden.  The  need  for  Nitrogen  is  indicated 
by  the  pale  green  color  of  foliage  and  slow  growth.  It  is 
quite  easy  to  be  too  liberal  in  using  Nitrate ;  200  pounds 
of  Nitrate  per  acre,  if  used  alone,  is  the  quantity  to  be 
applied  at  any  one  time.  One  pound  of  it  would  give 
about  30  heaping  teaspoonfuls.  So  1  to  IU2  such  spoon- 
fuls to  a  square  yard,  or  3  feet  along  a  row  that  is  3  feet 
wide,  would  be  about  100  pounds  per  acre.  The  quantity, 
however,  may  be  larger  where  the  plants  —  such  as  cab- 
bage —  are  half  grown  and  in  good  condition  to  grow. 

Nitrate  of  Soda  is  an  ideal  fertilizer  for  all  kinds  of 
flowering  plants,  especially  roses.  It  is,  as  you  know, 
neat  and  cleanly  and  harmless  (not  acid,  nor  caustic), 
and  every  woman  who  cultivates  vegetables  and  flowers 
should  keep  it  on  hand,  to  be  used  as  occasion  shall 
demand  at  the  rate  of  one-half  to  one  teaspoonful  to  the 
square  yard,  or  one  rose  bush. 


60  V\h)\}  koi;   Plants. 

Fertilizer  Experiments  with  Fuchsias. 


■.^>r 


k  ':^:i.mi^:Mj^iy 


mti^ 


I! 


1  liosi)horic  Acid  and  Potasli  Phosphoric    Aeid    and    Potash 

without  Nitrate  of  Soda.  with  2^^  oz.  Nitrate  of  Soda. 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Flowers. 
Apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly 
over  the  entire  surface  of  the  garden  you  are  fertilizing, 
at  the  rate  of  200  pounds  per  acre,  before  you  sow  your 
seeds  in  the  garden  and  before  you  set  out  your  plants. 
It  may  be  applied  later  l)y  hand  between  the  rows  at  the 
same  rate  if  you  find  the  earlier  time  inconvenient. 

Our  Formula  fur  Floicers. 

Nitrate  alone  200  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferably 

Nitrate   ' 300      "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 300      "       "       " 

When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  everv  other  vear. 


Food  fop.  Plants. 


61 


Fertilizer  Experiments  with  Chrysanthemums. 


Phosplioi'ie  Af'id  and  Potash. 


Pliosphoric  Acid  and  Potasli  witli 
W^,  oz.  Nitrate  of  Soda. 


62  P^ooD  FOR  Plants. 

MARKET  GARDENING  WITH  NITRATE. 

Successful  Results  in  an  Unfavorable  Growing  Season. 
Asparagus. 

The  bed  was  twenty  years  old,  aiul  had  been  neglected. 
As  soon  as  workable,  it  was  disc-harrowed,  and  later 
smooth-harrowed  with  an  Acme  harrow.  Nitrate  of  Soda 
was  applied  to  the  plots  early  in  April.  It  was  sown 
directly  over  the  rows  and  well  worked  into  the  soil. 

The  experiment  comprised  three  plots,  two  fertilized 
with  Nitrate  of  Soda,  and  one  withont  Nitrate,  plot  3. 
Plots  1  and  2,  treated  with  the  Nitrate,  produced  market- 
able stalks  ten  days  in  advance  of  plot  3,  a  very  material 
advantage  in  obtaining  the  high  prices  of  an  early 
market.  The  results  were  as  follows,  in  bunches  per 
acre: 

Plot  and  Fertilizer  Bunches  per  acre  Gain 

3.  No  Nitrate  560  

2.  200   lbs.   Nitrate 680  120 

1.400   lbs.   Nitrate 840  280 

Celery. 

Crisp  stalks  of  rich  nutty  flavor  are  a  matter  of  rapid, 
unchecked  growth,  and  plant  food  must  be  present  in 
unstinted  quantity,  as  well  as  in  the  most  quickly  avail- 
able form,  the  best  example  of  which  is 
Extraordinary  Nitrate  of  Soda.  The  soil  was  plowed 
Returns  on  early  in  May,  and  subsoiled,  thoroughly 

Celery.  breaking  the  soil  to  a  depth  of  10  inches. 

Thirty  bushels  of  slacked  lime  per  acre 
was  broadcasted  immediately  after  plowing,  followed  by 
a  dressing  of  20  tons  of  stable  manure,  all  well  worked 
into  the  soil.  Plants  were  set  May  10th.  The  tract  was 
portioned  into  three  i)lots  for  experimental  purposes; 
plot  1  received  675  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre, 
plot  2  received  475  pounds  and  plot  3  none. 

Plot  1  was  ready  for  market  July  6th,  and  was  all  off 
bv  the  10th.    Plot  2  was  readv  for  market  July  11th  and 


Food  for  Plants. 


68 


was  all  harvested  by  the  lith.  Plot  3  was  practically  a 
failure  and  was  not  harvested.  Plot  1,  being  first  in  the 
market,  had  the  advantage  of  the  best  prices. 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Scda  on  Asparagus  and 

Celery. 

(1)  Apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  at  the  rate  of  200 
pounds  per  acre  by  broadcasting  it  evenly  along  the  rows, 
shortly  after  the  plants  are  set  out.  (2)  A  similar  appli- 
cation may  be  made  four  weeks  later.  Cultivate  after 
each  application. 


675  lbs.   Nitrate  of  Soda 
to  the  acre. 


475  lbs.  Nitrate  of 
Soda  to  the  acre. 


No  Nitrate. 


()4 


Food  for  Pi>ants. 


Our  Formula  for  Asparcujus  and  Celery. 

Nitrate  alono    200  lbs.  per  acre 

or  iirci'erablv 

Nitrate   ' 300      "  "  " 

Acid  l'liosi)hate 300      ''  "  " 

AVlien  potash  salts  can  bo  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  iit'ty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  every  other  year. 

Beets. 

The   crop   must   be    forced    to    quick 
Table  Beets  growth  in  order  to  obtain  tender,  crisp 

Grown  on  vegetables,  readily  salable  and  at  good 

Nitrate  Were         prices.     Nitrate  of  Soda  was  compared 
Ready  for  with   unfertilized  soil,   with  the   result 

Market  16  Days  that  on  the  nitrated  plots  marketable 
Ahead  of  Un-  beets  were  pulled  56  days  from  seed- 
fertilized  Plots,  ing;  the  unfertilized  plot  required  72 
days  to  produce  marketable  vegetables. 
Nitrate  of  Soda  was  applied  at  the  rate  of  500  pounds 
per  acre. 

Table  Beets. 


500  lbs.  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  the  acre. 


No  Nitrate. 


Food  for  Plants.  65 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Sugar  Beets. 

Apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly, 
by  machine  or  hx  hand,  over  the  entire  surface  of  the 
sugar  beet  field  you  are  fertilizing,  at  the  rate  of  200 
pounds  per  acre  before  or  soon  after  planting.  Two  hun- 
dred pounds  of  Nitrate  is  equal  in  bulk  to  about  two 
bushels. 

Our  Formuhi  for  Siicjar  Beets. 

Nitrate  alone   -<>(>  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferabh' 

Nitrate  " 300      "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 300      "       "       " 

When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  every  other  year. 

Early  Cabbage. 
How  a  Crop  The   cabbage   plots   were    thoroughly 

Was  Saved  worked  up,  and  planted  to  Henderson's 

from  Total  Early  Spring  Variety.    Part  of  the  soil 

Failure.  was  treated  with  Nitrate  of  Soda  at  the 

rate  of  575  pounds  per  acre.    The  part 
of  the  plot  not  treated  with  Nitrate  of  Soda  was  a  failure. 

Cabbage  and  Cauliflower. 

Cabbage  requires  a  deep  mellow  soil,  rich  in  plant  food. 
As  the  soil  is  thoroughly  fined  in  the  spring,  there  should 
be  incorporated  with  it  by  rows,  corresponding  to  the 
rows  of  plants,  about  1,500  pounds  of  fertilizer  per  acre. 
For  early  cabbage  set  close  together ;  it  will  pay  to  sow 
the  fertilizers  broadcast  over  the  whole  ground  and  work 
them  in  before  setting  out  the  plants.  If  the  land  has 
been  heavily  manured  for  a  number  of  years  Nitrate  of 
Soda  alone  may  do  as  much  good  as  the  mixture.  In  this 
case,  the  Nitrate  may  be  used  after  the  plants  are  set 
out  —  a  teaspoonf ul  to  a  plant. 

For  late  cabbage,  set  21/2  to  3  feet  apart  each  way.  It 
is  a  good  plan  to  apply  the  fertilizers  after  the  plants  are 
set  out. 

3 


GG 


Food  for  Plants. 


Food  for  Plants.  67 

After  the  plants  have  set  and  have  rooted,  say  a  week 
from  setting,  apply  along  the  rows  a  top-dressing  of  200 
pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre  and  work  into  the  soil 
with  a  fine  toothed  horse  hoe ;  the  soil  must  be  kept  loose 
to  a  depth  of  at  least  two  inches,  and  consequently  there 
will  be  no  extra  labor  in  working  this  fertilizer  into  the 
soil.  Some  three  weeks  later  incorporate  in  the  same 
manner  into  the  soil  300  to  400  pounds  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda.  Soil  Nitration  cannot  be  depended  on  under  any 
circumstances  for  supplying  enough  natural  Nitrate  for 
cabbage.  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  the  only  pre-digested  nitrate 
in  the  market,  is  an  absolute  necessity  for  early  cabbage, 
and  should  be  used  hberally.  This  crop  should  not  fol- 
low itself  more  than  tmce,  as  by  so  doing  there  is  no 
little  danger  of  serious  disease  to  the  crop. 

Cauliflower. 

The  cauliflower  plot  was  treated  ex- 
Nitrated  Plot  actly  the  same  as  the  cabbage  plot.  The 
Yields  Profit.  plants  were  set  on  April  26th.     The  ni- 

Non-Nitrated  a      t rated  plot  matured  80  per  cent,  of  the 
Total  Loss.  plants  set  early  in  the  season.     Cutting* 

began  on  July  1st,  when  high  prices 
ruled.  The  plot  on  which  no  Nitrate  was  used  failed  to 
mature  a  single  plant  so  that  no  comparative  figures  can 
be  given.  All  the  profit  in  the  nitrated  ])lot  was  gain  over 
the  non-nitrated  plot. 


68 


Food  for  Plants. 


o 
u 

(-1 


ee 


o 

CO 


Food  for  Plants. 


69 


Carrots. 

All    plots    were    fertilized    with    acid    phosphate    and 
potash. 


I  II  III  IV 

No.  Nitrate.         Vo  2:r.  Nitrate.      3  gr.  Nitrate  of  41/2  gr.  Nitrate  of 

Soda.  Soda. 

The  carrots  were  planted  April  21st  and  treated  the 
same  as  the  beets.  The  nitrated  plot  yielded  matured 
carrots  June  27th.  Crop  was  first  pulled  from  the  non- 
nitrated  plot  about  the  middle  of  September.  Carrots 
from  the  nitrated  plot  sold  for  from  5  to  8  cents  a  bunch 
more  than  those  from  the  non-nitrated  plot. 


Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Cabbage  and  Carrots. 

Apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting-  it  evenly 
over  the  entire  surface  of  the  vegetable  field  you  are  fer- 


70  l^'oon  FOR  Plants, 

liliziiii;',  at  llie  rate  of  300  pounds  per  acre,  before  seeding 
or  plaiiliiig,  or  transplanting. 

Our  Fonnnla  (or  ('(il>l)((i)c  and  Carrots. 

Nitrate  alone    300  11)S.   ])cr  acre 

or  prcierably 

Nitrate  400      "       "       " 

Add  Phosphate 400      "       "       " 

Wlien  potasli  salts  can  l)e  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  every  other  year. 

Cucumbers. 

1 'hints  were  set  in  box  frames  May  4tli.  The  frames 
were  well  filled  with  rotted  manure,  and  were  banked 
as  a  protection  against  late  frosts.  A  portion  of  the  field 
was  treated  with  Nitrate  of  Soda;  on  May  10th  each  plant 
was  given  a  quart  of  a  solution  made  by  dissolving  three 
pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  in  50  gallons  of  water.  Sev- 
eral applications  were  made  on  the  experimental  plot, 
making  a  total  of  165  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre. 
On  June  27th  the  experimental  plot  was  setting  fruit 
rapidly,  while  the  plot  without  nitrate  was  just  coming 
into  bloom.  The  nitrated  plot  was  given  on  June  29th  a 
quart  of  a  solution  made  by  dissolving  two  ounces  of 
Nitrate  of  Soda  in  a  gallon  of  water;  and  this  applica- 
tion was  repeated  July  3d,  7th,  15th.  24th,  and  August 
8th.  This  practically  doubled  the  Nitrate  application. 
The  first  picking  on  the  nitrated  plot 
Gain  in  Time  was  made  July  1st,  on  the  non-nitrated 
in  This  Crop  plot  July  2'2d,  when  prices  were  at  the 

Very  Eemark-       lowest  point.     After  the  early  market 
able,  Two  season  was  over,  the  vines  were  treated 

Weeks  in  for  pickling  cucumliers,  the  nitrated  plot 

Advance.  receiving  Nitrate  dissolved  in  water  as 

before  and  later,  two  applications  of  a 
quart  each,  containing  half  an  ounce  per  gallon.  The 
result  was  that  the  vines  continued  bearing  until  cut 
dow^n  by  frost.  The  estimated  yields  were  as  follows: 
Nitrated  plot,  per  acre,  6,739  dozen,  plot  without  Nitrate 
gave  per  acre  948  dozen. 


Food  for  Plants. 


71 


I  J. 


V(H)])  Foii  Plants. 


Sweet  Corn. 

The  crop  was  planted  on  rallu'i-  poor  soil.  Seed  was 
l)lantcd  May  4tli,  and  the  cultivators  started  May  12tli. 
A  portion  of  llie  field  was  selected  for  experiment,  and 
on  this  75  ])ouiids  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  ])er  acre  was  applied 
May  2{)th,  di'illed  close  to  the  row.  A  second  application 
of  the  same  anionnl  was  made  ^lay  2'6th,  and  on  June  5th 
a  third  a])])li('ation.  On  June  17th,  lOO^  pounds  per  acre 
was  applied  and  cultivated  into  the  soil.  The  total  Xi- 
li'atc  applied  to  the  ex})eriniental  plot  amounted  to  325 
))()unds  per  acre.  The  nitrated  plot  ripened  corn  live 
(hiys  ahead  of  the  non-nitrated  portion,  and  j)roduced  994 
dozen  ears  against  623  dozen  from  an  acre  not  treated 
with  Nitrate  of  Soda.  The  Nitrated  crop,  being  earlier 
in  the  market,  l)rought  better  prices. 

Endive. 

The  photograph  of  average  specimens  from  a  plot 
which  received  300  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  the  acre, 
and  from  one  which  received  none,  shows  the  beneficial 
result  obtained  from  the  use  of  Nitrate  of  Soda. 


300  11)8.  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  tho  acre. 


No  Nitrate. 


Food  fou  Pt.axtr.  73 


Eg'ff -Plant. 


■"toto" 

The  plants  were  set  in  the  usual  manner,  part  of  the 
tract  being  treated  with  Nitrate  of  Sothi  at  the  rate  of 
475  pounds  per  acre  to  ol)serve  the  practical  value  of  the 
Nitrate  for  forcing.  Before  setting,  the  plants  were 
given  a  light  application  of  Nitrate  in  solution.  June  1st, 
150  pounds  was  applied,  on  the  tenth  this  was  repeated 
and  on  June  22d  a  third  application  was  niavle.  The  ni- 
trated plot  produced  marketable  fruit  July  5th,  the  non- 
nitrated  plot  did  not  reach  the  market  until  July  26th. 
The  nitrated  plot  'produced  per  acre  33,894  fruits,  all  of 
good  quality;  the  non-nitrated  plot  produced  only  8,712 
fruits  per  acre. 

Early  Lettuce. 

The  plants  were  started  in  the  hot  house,  and  pricked 
into  cold  frames;  April  26th  they  were  set  in  the  field. 


75(1  lbs.   Nitrate  of   Soda   to  the  acre  No 

in  5  applications.  Nitrate. 

The  Nitrate  applications  on  the  experiment  plot  were  per 
acre  as  follows :  April  29th,  100  pounds ;  May  4th,  150 
pounds;  May  12th,  200  pounds;  May  18th,  200  pounds; 
May  23d,  100  ])onn(ls;  a   total  of  750  i^ounds  ])i'i-  acre. 


74 


Food  for  Plants. 


The  nitrated  jjlot  was  first  cut  May  26th,  and  at  this  time 
the  non-nitrated  plot  was  just  beginning  to  curl  a  few^ 
leaves  towards  the  heart  for  heading.  Approximately, 
the  nitrated  plot  produced  per  acre,  1,724  dozen  heads, 
and  being  early  to  market  brought  a  good  price.  On  the 
non-nitrated  plot  only  about  4  per  cent,  of  the  plants 
headed,  and  these  reached  the  market  three  weeks  late. 
AVithoiit  the  Xitrate  dressing  the  crop  was  a  failure. 

Musk  Melons. 


325  lbs.  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  the  acre 
in  15  applications. 


No  Nitrate. 


Food  for  Plants. 


75 


Musk  melons  were  transplanted  from  the  hot  house 
on  May  4th;  325  pounds  Nitrate  per  acre  was- applied 
on  fifteen  occasions,  about  6  days  apart,  between  May 
10th  and  August  8th.  The  first  ripe  fruit  was  picked 
July  19th,  88  days  after  planting  seed  and  76  days  after 
transplanting  from  hot  house.  The  yield  was  at  the  rate 
of  9,680  melons  per  acre,  none  of  which  sold  for  less  than 
5  cents,  and  many  for  10  cents.  The  vines  on  the  non- 
nitrated  plot  gave  but  very  small  return  and  did  not  give 
any  return  for  the  labor  spent  on  them. 

Onions. 

The  soil  was  in  bad  condition,  and  was  liberally  limed. 
Seeding  was  completed  April  15th,  and  the  plants  were 
rapidly  breaking  ground  by  the  28th.  The  tract  was 
divided  into  three  plots;  plot  1  received  675  pounds  of 
Nitrate  of  Soda  in  six  applications  at  intervals  of  a  week 


G75  lbs.  of  Xitrate  of 

Soda  to  the  acre  in 

6  applications. 


375  lbs.  of  Xitrate  of 

Soda  to  the  aei-e  in 

4  a])plieations. 


No 
Nitrate. 


or  10  days;  plot  2  received  375  pounds  in  four  applica- 
tions ;  plot  3  was  not  treated  with  Nitrate.  The  nitrated 
plots  seemed  least  affected  by  the  exceptionally  dry 
weather,  but  the  crop  on  all  the  plots  was  no  doubt 
reduced  by  the  unfavorable  conditions.  The  following 
table  gives  the  results  by  plots,  computed  to  an  acre 
basis: 


Total  yield 

Per  cent,  scullions 


Nitrate 

Nitrate  675  lbs. 

37. i  lbs. 

No  Nitiate 

756  bu. 

482  bu. 

127  bu. 

1.5 

1.7 

19.0 

76  Food  for  Plants. 

Tlio  results  show  very  clearly  the  value  of  the  Nitrate 
applications. 

Instructions  for  Using-  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Onions. 

As  soon  as  the  onions  are  up  in  the  spring,  or  before 
seeding,  apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it 
evenly,  by  hand  or  by  machine,  over  the  entire  surface 
of  the  onion  tield  you  are  fertilizing,  at  the  rate  of  200 
pounds  per  acre. 

Our  Formula  for  Onions. 

Nitrate  alone 200  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferably 

Xitrate     ' 300    "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 300    "       "       " 

When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  everv  other  vear. 


300  lbs  Nitrate  of  Soda 
to  acre. 


No  Nitrate 


Food  for  Plants.  77 

Early  Peas. 

This  crop  was  planted  under  the  same  conditions  and 
in  like  manner  to  snap  beans ;  300  pounds  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda  per  acre  was  applied  to  the  experiment  plots.  Two 
varieties  were  planted,  early  and  late.    The  results  were : 

Early  Late 

Nitrate  Nothing  Nitrate  Nothing 

Date    planted     April  15.     April  15.     May     1.  May     1. 

First  picking June     8.     June  17.     June  29.  July      4. 

Gain  to  market fl  days.     5  days.     

Period   of   bearing 11  days.        8  days.      10  days.  6  days. 

Cro])  on  first   picking 55  p.   c.      40  p.   c.      57  p.   e.  38  p.  c. 

Total  yield  (p.  c.) 165               100               168  100 

The  season  was  veiy  unfavorable  for  this  crop,  yet 
the  results  show  that  the  Nitrate  made  a  powerful  effort 
to  offset  this  disadvantage.  The  earliness  to  market  in 
this  case  is  as  pronounced  as  in  the  other  garden  crops, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  factors  in  the  use  of 
Nitrate  of  Soda.  The  lengthening  of  the  bearing  period 
is  an  added  advantage. 

Peppers. 

Pepper  plants  were  transplanted  May 
Nitrate  Doubles  22nd,  when  Nitrate  of  Soda  at  the  rate 
Yield.  of  100  pounds  to  the  acre  was  applied, 

followed  by  a  second  application  of  200 
pounds  on  May  31st,  and  others  of  100  pounds  each  on 
June  7th  and  June  19th.  The  yield  from  the  plot  treated 
with  500  pounds  of  Nitrate  was  at  the  rate  of  14,620 
dozen  per  acre,  and  pulling  was  begun  June  30th.  The 
plot  without  Nitrate  treatment  yielded  at  the  rate  of 
7,432  dozen  per  acre  and  pulling  did  not  begin  till  August 
7th,  38  days  later. 

Early  Potatoes. 

Ploughing  was  finished  the  second  week  in  April,  and 
the  plot  limed  at  the  rate  of  3-5  bushels  per  acre.  Fur- 
rows w^ere  opened  three  feet  apart,  and  750  pounds  per 
acre  of  a  high-grade  fertilizer  worked  into  the  rows. 


78  Food  for  Plants. 

May  1st.  the  potatoes  were  breaking  ground,  and  100 
pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre  was  applied  on  the 
experiment  plot.  (!)n  the  11th,  200  pounds  of  Nitrate  was 
a])])li(>d,  and  on  the  29th,  150  pounds  more  was  cultivated 
ill  with  a  horse-hoe.  The  total  Nitrate  application  per 
acre  was  450'  pounds.  The  nitrated  plot  was  harvested 
July  6th;  the  plot  not  treated  with  Nitrate  was  dug 
July  17th,  11  days  later.  The  nitrated  plot  produced 
per  acre  19  bushels  unmarketable  tubers,  the  non-nitrated 
plot  46  bushels.  The  total  crop  marketable  was  297 
busliels  for  Nitrate,  and  1)2  bushels  for  non-nitrated  plot. 


450  lbs.  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  the  acre  No  Nitrate, 

in  3  applications. 

Late  Potatoes. 

Conditions  same  as  in  the  case  of  early  potatoes, 
except  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  was  used  at  the  rate  of  500 
pounds  per  acre.  The  crop  of  marketable  tubers,  per 
acre  on  the  nitrated  plots,  amounted  to  374  bushels;  on 
the  non-nitrated  plot  the  yield  amounted  to  231  bushels 
marketable  tubers.  The  gain  for  Nitrate  of  Soda  was 
143  bushels,  or  nearly  62  per  cent,  increase. 


Food  for  Plants. 


79 


Yield  witliuut  Nitrate.  iieid  with  Nitrate. 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Potatoes. 

As  soon  as  the  potatoes  are  up  in  the  spring,  or  just 
before  planting-,  apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcast- 
ing it  evenly,  by  hand  or  by  machine,  over  the  entire 
surface  of  the  potato  field  you  are  fertilizing,  at  the  rate 
of  200  pounds  per  acre,  or  apply  it  broadcast  prior  to 
planting. 

Our  Formula  for  Potatoes. 

Nitrate  alone   200  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferably  ,,       ,,       ,, 

Nitrate     400  ^^ 

Acid  Phosphate 400 

When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  every  other  year. 


80 


Food  top.  1'iaxts. 


Radishes. 

The   iiToiind   in   wliicli   radislics  were 
Quick  Yield  i)laiite(l  was  newly  turned  liniotliy  sod, 

Procured  by  not  fertilized  for  \vn  years.     Seed  was 

Nitrate.  drilled  in  April  llitli.     Nitrate  of  Soda, 

75  pounds  to  the  acre,  was  ai)plied  April 
20th,  followed  l)y  an  application  of  150  pounds  a  Aveek 
later.  Radishes  on  the  nitrated  ph^t  matured  evenly  and 
were  marketed  on  May  15tli  at  five  cents  a  bunch  retail, 
the  wholesale  price  ranging  from  $2  to  $2.50  per  hundred. 
The  radishes  on  the  non-nitrated  plot  matured  unevenly 
and  when  ready  the  market  was  glutted. 

Late  Spinach. 

The  ground  used  for  this  experiment,  though  under 
cultivation  for  generations,  had  never  been  fertilized. 
Nitrate  of  Soda  at  the  rate  of  350  pounds  to  the  acre 
was  used  in  two  applications.  The  photograph  of  the 
product  of  an  equal  space  of  row  from  the  nitrated  and 
non-nitrated  plots  tells  the  result. 


350  lbs.  Nitrate  of  Soda  to  the  acre  No 

in  two  ai)])lioations.  Nitrate. 

Early  Tomatoes. 

With  this  crop  the  object  is  to  mature  quickUj,  rather 
than  to  obtain  a  heavy  acre  yield;  one  basket  of  early 


Food  for  Plants.  81 

tomatoes  at  $1.25  is  irortli  more  than  15  baskets  later  in 
the  season,  when  the  price  is  about  8  cents  per  basket. 
The  plants  to  be  used  on  the  nitrated  ])lot  were  treated 
with  a  dihited  solution  of  Nitrate  four  separate  times. 
Plants  were  field  set  May  17,  and  given  six  applications 
of  Nitrate  of  Soda ;  first,  100  pounds  per  acre  soon  after 
setting  out ;  second,  third  and  fourth  of  75  pounds  each ; 
and  fifth  and  sixth  of  50  pounds  each  —  in  all,  about  425 
pounds  per  acre.    The  results  were : 

Nitrate  No  Nitrate 

Plants  set  out  in  field May    17.  May    17. 

First  picking June  30.  July    19. 

Days,  setting  to  tirst  picking 43  62 

Crop  at  $1.00  and  upward  i)er  basket 40  per  cent.     

"             .75                 "               ''          30       "  10  per  cent. 

"             .50                "              "          20       "  15       " 

"             .30                "              "          10       "  20       " 

"             .25                "              "         25       " 

"             .15                "              "         15       " 

"             .08                 "               ''          15       " 

Estimated  vield  per  acre,  baskets 500  GOO 

Gross   receipts    $377  50  $190  20 

Cost  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  application.  ...  10  35     

Xet  receipts 367  15  190  20 

Gain  per  acre  for  Nitrate 176  95 

Instructions  for  Using-  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Tomatoes. 

Apjjly  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly 
over  the  entire  surface  of  the  vegetable  field  you  are  fer- 
tilizing, at  the  rate  of  200  pounds  per  acre,  before  seed- 
ing, or  planting,  or  transplanting. 

Our  Formula  for  Tomatoes. 

Nitrate    alone 200  lbs.  })er  acre. 

or  preferably 

Nitrate    \ 300    "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 300    "       "       " 

When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to 
the  acre  everv  other  vear 


S2  Food  for  Plants. 

OBSERVATIONS    UPON   THE   LEACHING    OF    SOLUBLE 
FERTILIZER    SALTS   FROM   CRANBERRY   SOILS. 

l^v  JOHN  11.  VOORHEES, 

Former  Assistant  in  Charpe  Cranberry  Investigations,  N.  J. 
Experiment  Station. 

In  the  spring  of  1913  the  author  was  detailed  by  the 
New  Jersey  Experiment  Station  to  study  the  fertilizer 
requirements  of  the  cranberry.  After  a  survey  of  the 
field  it  was  decided  to  locate  the  experimental  work  upon 
bogs  owned  and  operated  by  practical  growers.  Plead- 
quarters  for  this  work  were  located  at  the  bogs  of  J.  J. 
White,  Incorp.,  situated  about  three  miles  northeast  of 
Hanover  farais  on  the  P.  E.  R.  in  Burlington  county. 
A  rather  complete  series  of  plots  was  planned  including 
the  separate  use  of  four  sources  of  Nitrogen, —  Nitrate  of 
Soda,  ammonium  sulphate,  dried  blood  12  per  cent.,  and 
cotton-seed  meal ;  four  sources  of  phosphoric  acid,—  acid 
phosphate,  basic  slag,  phosphate  rock  and  steamed  bone ; 
and  three  sources  of  potash, —  muriate,  sulphate  and 
kainit.  These  materials  were  not  only  used  separately, 
but  also  in  complete  mixtures  in  which  ammonium  sul- 
phate, acid  phosphate  and  muriate  of  potash  were  used 
as  constant  factors.  In  each  case  the  fertilized  plots 
received  either  two  pounds  of  Nitrogen,  four  of  phos- 
phoric acid,  or  five  of  potash,  and  in  the  case  of  complete 
mixtures  all  of  the  above  quantities  were  used. 

On  the  bogs  of  J.  J.  White  the  series  of  plots  was  laid 
out  in  three  distinct  types  of  soil;  the  Savannah,  a  pure 
sand  mixed  with  more  or  less  organic  matter,  deep  mud, 
and  deep  mud  underlaid  with  iron  ore.  "Wlierever  pos- 
sible the  plots  were  made  one-twentieth  acre  in  size,  one 
rod  wide  and  eight  rods  long.  (Details  of  the  plan  of 
experiment  may  be  found  in  1913  Report,  N.  J.  Agricul- 
tural Experiment  Station,  pages  384-488.) 

On  June  6,  1913,  the  first  application  of  fertilizer  was 
made  to  the  plots  in  these  series  and  observations  of  the 
effect  of  added  plant  food  have  been  extremely  interest- 
ing.    One  occurrence  brings  out  clearly  how  little  an 


Food  for  Plants.  83 

abundance  of  water  affected  the  lateral  movement  of  soil 
moisture  and  leaching  of  plant  food  from  the  soil  stores. 

On  the  nights  of  June  9th  and  10th  danger  of  severe 
frost  caused  the  proprietors  to  flow  the  bogs  for  protec- 
tion. The  series  of  plots  located  in  the  deep  mud  and 
iron  ore  soils  (so-called)  were  completely  flooded  to  a 
depth  varying  from  a  few  inches  to  a  foot.  The  Savan- 
nah plots,  even  though  located  in  the  same  bogs,  were  on 
a  higher  level  and  the  water  onl^^  covered  one  end  of  the 
plots,  about  one-half  of  each.  At  first  thought  it  would 
appear  that  the  lateral  movement  of  the  soil  water  would 
carry  the  plant  food,  especially  the  soluble  salts.  Nitrate 
of  Soda,  ammonium  sulphate,  and  the  potash  salts,  from 
one  plot  to  another,  and  that  there  would  bo  considerable 
leaching  of  plant  food  into  the  drainage  water,  because 
the  water  is  drawn  through  the  soil  into  the  ditches  on 
its  way  out;  but  subsequent  observations  extending 
through  the  remainder  of  the  year  showed  a  distinct  line 
of  markation  between  the  fertilized  plots  and  the  check 
plots  adjoining.  The  increased  vine  growth  causing  this 
distinct  markation  became  clearly  defined,  first  with  Ni- 
trate of  Soda,  then  ammonium  sulphate,  and  so  on 
through  the  list  of  plots,  showing  more  clearly  upon  the 
plots  which  received  complete  mixtures. 

This  condition  was  more  particularly  true  on  the 
"  Savannah  "  soils,  and  it  might  be  added  that  yields 
were  greatly  increased.  (Record  of  yields  may  be  found 
in  1914  Report  of  N.  J.  Agric.  Experiment  Station  or 
Proceedings  45th  Annual  Meeting  American  Cranberry 
Growers'  Association.)  Upon  the  deep  mud  and  iron  ore 
plots  the  differences  and  lines  of  markation  were  distin- 
guishable but  not  so  clearly  defined. 

After  three  years  of  obsei*vation  and  experience,  both 
experimental  and  practical,  the  author  is  convinced  that 
the  loss  from  leaching  is  so  negligible  that  he  feels  no 
hesitancy  in  advising  growers  to  apply  fertilizers  com- 
posed of  Nitrate  of  Soda,  acid  phosphate  and  muriate  of 
potash  as  soon  as  the  winter  water  is  drawn  from  the 
bogs,  about  May  20th,  before  the  reflow  for  insect  con- 


84:  Food   kok   I*LA^■TS. 

trol,  ^vhic•ll  is  a  customary  })ractice  about  the  second  week 
ill  June,  and  before  any  flowing  which  might  be  necessi- 
tated by  danger  of  frost. 

NITRATE   AS  FERTILIZER. 
What  It  Did  For  an  Acre  of  Sug^ar  Cane  in  Porto  Rico. 

Abstract  from  Facts  About  Sugar,  September  7,  1918. 

(The  results  of  an  interesting  experiment  conducted  at  Central 
Aguirre,  Porto  Rico,  during  the  season  1917-18,  to  check  up  the  rela- 
tive values  of  Nitrate  of  Soda,  of  Acid  Phosphate,  and  of  a  mixture  of 
the  tico,  as  fertilizer  for  sugar  cane,  are  described  in  the  following 
article.  The  accompanying  illitstratiotis  and  table  show  the  striking 
results  obtained  from  the  Ufc  of  the  Xitrate. — Ep.) 

An  Instructive  Demonstration. 

A  recent  experiment  conducted  at  Margarita  field, 
Hacienda  Carmen  of  Central  Aguirre,  Porto  Rico, 
forcibly  brings  out  the  gain  in  sugar  yield,  with  the 
accompanying  higher  financial  return  resulting,  when 
Nitrate  of  Soda  and  acid  phosphate  were  used,  compared 
with  the  returns  when  acid  pho])hate  was  used  alone. 

The  test  was  made  to  determine  the  relative  efficiency 
of  acid  phospliate  —  which  is  the  main  constituent  of  the 
ordinary  brands  of  mixed  fertilizer  —  as  compared  with 
Nitrate  of  Soda. 

The  cane  was  grown  on  adjoining  one-acre  plots. 
Applications  of  the  fertilizer  materials  were  made  on 
July  23,  1917,  and  the  cane  was  cut  on  May  27,  1918.  On 
one  plot  400  pounds  of  acid  phosphate  was  applied;  on  a 
second  400  pounds  each  of  acid  phosphate  and  Nitrate  of 
Soda;  on  a  third,  Nitrate  of  Soda  alone,  and  on  the 
fourth,  a  check  plot,  no  fertilizer  was  used.  The  results 
obtained  are  shown  in  tlie  following  table; 

Confirms  Hauaiian  Practice. 

Sucrose.         Purity  Cane  Suear 

\crp  Plots  percent       percent     yield  tons     yield  tons 

1.  Acid  Phosi)hato 18.09       92.50       24.96  3.2 

2.  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  Acid  Plios- 

phate  l'-38       91.50       .38.00  4./ 

3.  Nitrate  of  Soda  alone 16 .  45       89 .  20       41 .  50  4.7 

4.  Check  ])lot  —  no  fertilizer 17.55       91.40       30. Y 3  3.8 


Food  for  Plants. 


85 


Fertilized  witli  400  lbs.  Nitrate  Fertilized  with  400  lbs.  Acid 

of  Soda  per  acre.  Phosphate  per  acre. 

Yield:   9,600  lbs.   Su^ar  per  acre  Yield:   6,400  lbs.   Sui;ar  i)cr  acre 

(30  bags).  (20  bags). 


Fertilized  with  400  lbs.  Nitrate  of  Check  Plot  —  No  Fertilizer. 

Soda  per  acre.  Yield:  7,680  lbs.   Sugar  per  acre 
Yield:   9,000  lbs.   Suoar  per  acre  (24  bags). 

(30  bags). 


86  Food  for  Plants. 

These  figures  speak  for  themselves.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  the  $16  worth  of  Nitrate  used  alone  pro- 
duced an  increase  of  16.54  tons  of  cane,  yielding  1.5  tons 
of  sugar,  over  the  acid  phosphate  plot,  which,  in  terms 
of  cash,  represented  an  increased  market  value  of  $138. 
In  view  of  the  stress  laid  so  frequently  in  the  past  upon 
the  use  of  the  superphosphate  variety  of  mixes,  the 
sources  of  Nitrogen  in  such  brands  being  as  a  rule  en- 
tirely unknown  to  the  users,  the  above  experiment  is 
illuminating.  This  experiment  substantially  and  em- 
phatically confirms  Hawaiian  results  and  fully  endorses 
Hawaiian  sugar  cane  practice. 

GRASS  GROWING  FOR  PROFIT. 

Timothy  and  related  grasses  feed  hea\ily  on  Nitrogen ; 
they  are  able  to  transform  it  completely  into  wholesome 
and  digestible  animal  food.  When  full  rations  of  plant 
food  are  present  a  good  crop  of  grass  will  remove  about 
the  equivalent  of  the  active  fertilizer  ingredients  of  20O 
pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda,  and  200  pounds  of  acid  phos- 
phate. These  amounts  per  acre  are  recommended  to  be 
broadcasted  on  old  grass  lands  where  intensive  fertiliza- 
tion is  well  understood  and  practiced.  Grass  lands  get 
sour  easily,  especially  when  old,  and  when  they  do,  one 
ton  of  slaked  lime  per  acre  should  be  harrowed  in  before 
seeding  down  anew.  For  the  best  results  the  seeding 
should  be  done  before  September,  and  the  above-men- 
tioned ration  should  be  used  as  a  dressing  the  following 
spring,  soon  after  the  grass  begins  to  show  growth. 

If  all  the  conditions  are  favorable,  from  three  to  five 
tons  of  clean  barn-cured  hay,  free  from  weeds,  may  rea- 
sonably be  expected.  When  grass  crops  are  heavy  and 
run  as  high  as  4i/^  tons  per  acre  field-cured,  it  is  safe  to 
allow  20  per  cent,  shrinkage  in  weight  for  seasoning  and 
drying  do^vn  to  a  barn-cured  basis.  Nitrate  of  Soda,  the 
chief  constituent  of  the  prescribed  ration,  insures  early 
growth  and  enables  it  to  get  ahead  of  all  weeds,  and  the 
crop   then  feeds   economically  and  fully   on   the  other 


Food  for  Plants.  87 

manurial  constituents  present  in  the  fertilizer  mentioned 
in  the  formula  and  present  in  the  soil. 

When  clean  No.  1  hay  sells  above  $16  per  ton  the  finan- 
cial results  are  very  satisfactory.  Nitrate  can  some- 
times be  used  alone  for  a  season  or  two  and  at  very  great 
profit,  but  a  full  grass  ration  is  better  in  the  long  run. 
Generally  speaking,  100  pounds  of  Nitrate,  if  used  under 
proper  conditions,  will  produce  an  increase  of  from  1,000 
to  1,200  pounds  of  l^arn-cured,  clean  timothy  hay,  the 
value  of  which  averages  from  $8  to  $10  and  upwards. 
Compared  with  the  value  of  the  increased  hay  crop,  it 
pays  well  to  use  Nitrate  liberally  on  grass  lands. 

Making  Two  Blades  of  Grass  Grow  Where  One  Blade  Grew 

Before. 

Grass  is  a  responsive  crop,  and  the  part  played  by 
chemical  fertilizers,  as  proven  in  Rhode  Island,  shows 
the  striking  effect  of  Nitrate  on  yields  and  feeding 
quality. 

Since  all  the  other  fertilizers  were  alike  for  the  three 
plots  and  had  been  for  many  years,  and  since  the  general 
character  of  the  soil  and  the  treatments  the  plots  had 
received  were  uniform,  any  differences  must  be  ascribed 
to  the  influence  of  the  varying  quantities  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda.  These  differences,  so  far  as  they  are  shown  by  the 
weights  of  the  crops  for  four  years  are  given  in  brief 
below : 

Yield  of  Cured  Hay  Under  Different  Rates  of  Nitrogenous  Fertilization. 

Yield  of  Cured  Hay  Average 

1893,  1900,  1901,  1902,  Yields  in 

Nitrate  of  Soda  Applied  Lbs.  Lbs.  Lbs.  Lbs.  Tons 

None     5,075  4,000  3,290  2,950  1.9 

150  lbs.  per  acre* ..  .       6,300  5.600  5,550  4,850  2.8 

450  lbs.  per  acre*...       6,913  8,200  9,390  8,200  4.1 

These  figures   show  a  uniform,  con- 

What  the  sistent  and  marked  advantage  from  the 

Figures  Show.        use  of  Nitrate  of  Soda ;  and  the  effect 

of  its  absence  is  shown  by  the  steady 

decline  of  the  yields  on  the  7?o-Nitrate  plot  from  year  to 


"Amount  slightly  reduced  in  1901  and  1902. 


S8 


Food  fof.  Plants. 


1.  Product  oi.'  one  square  foot 
of  ground  in  field  yielding  over 
three  tons  per  acre  of  cured  timo- 
thy hay  fertilized  with  Nitrate  of 
Soda. 


2.  Product  of  one  square  foot 
of  ground  in  adjoining  field  (not 
fertilized  with  Nitrate  of  Soda) 
yielding  one  ton  per  acre  of  cured 
liav. 


Highland  Experimental  Farms,  New  York. 


Food  for  Plants,  89 

year.  Tn  each  year  the  use  of  150  pound's  of  Nitrate  gave 
increased  yields  over  the  plot  without  Nitrogen,  the  gain 
varying  from  1,200  to  almost  2,300  pounds,  an  average 
gain  of  about  seven-eighths  of  a  ton  of  hay.  Three  times 
this  amount  of  Nitrate  did  not,  of  course,  give  three 
times  as  much  hay,  but  it  so  materially  increased  the 
yield  as  to  show  that  it  was  all  used  to  good  advantage 
except,  perhaps,  in  the  second  year.  This  was  an  excep- 
tionally dry  year  and  but  one  crop  could  be  cut.  The 
advantage  from  the  Nitrate  showed  strikingly  in  the 
production  of  a  rapid  and  luxurious  early  growth  while 
moisture  was  still  available.  This  supply  of  readily 
soluble  food  comes  just  when  it  is  most  needed,  since  the 
natural  change  of  unavailable  forms  of  Nitrogen  in  the 
soil  to  the  soluble  Nitrates  proceeds  very  slowly  during 
the  cool,  moist  weather  of  spring.  The  full  ration  of 
Nitrogen,  450  pounds  of  Nitrate,  more  than  doubled  the 
yield  of  hay  over  that  produced  on  the  no-Nitrate  plot  in 
1900  and  in  the  next  two  years  it  nearly  tripled  the  yield. 
The  average  increase  over  the  150-pound  plot  was  one 
and  three-tenths  tons  and  over  the  plot  without  Nitrogen 
was  two  and  five-eighths  tons. 

Effect  on  Quality  of  Hay. 

Almost  as  marked,  and  certainly  more 
How  Nitrate  surprising    and    unexpected,    was    the 

Improves  the  effect  of  the  Nitrate  upon  the  quality  of 

Quality  of  the        the  hay  produced. 

Hay.  The  hay  from  the   plots   during   the 

first  season  was  of  such  diverse  char- 
acter that  different  ton  values  had  to  be  placed  upon  it 
in  estimating  the  profit  from  the  use  of  fertilizers.  That 
from  the  no-Nitrate  plot,  since  it  contained  so  much 
clover  at  both  cuttings,  w^as  worth  less  than  that  on  the 
plot  receiving  the  full  ration  of  Nitrate. 

But  the  reduction  in  the  percentage  of  clover  was  not 
the  only  benefit  to  the  quality  of  the  hay.  The  Nitrate  also 
decreased  the  proportion  of  red  top  as  compared  with  the 
finer  timothy.  This  tendency  was  noticed  in  the  second 


90 


Food  for  Plants. 


Types  of  Characteristic  Rock  Sliatterins'  (1). 


Types  of  Characteristic  Rock  bliattermg  {: 


Tyi)es  of  Characteristic  Rock  Shattering  (3). 


Food  for  Plants,  91 

year,  when  a  count  of  the  stalks  on  selected  equal  and 
typical  areas  showed  13  per  cent,  of  timothy  on  the  150- 
pound  plot,  and  44  per  cent,  on  the  450-pound  plot.  In 
the  third  year  the  percentages  of  timothy  were  39  per 
cent,  and  67  per  cent.,  respectively,  and  in  the  fourth 
year  the  differences  were  even  more  marked. 

Timothy  is  a  grass  which  will  not  tol- 
An  Alkaline  crate  an  acid  soil,  and  it  is  probable 

Soil  Necessary  that  the  liming  given  these  plots  in  1897 
for  Grass.  did    not    make    them    as    "  sweet  "    as 

would  have  been  best  for  this  crop. 
Now,  when  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  used  by  plants,  more  of 
the  nitric  acid  is  used  than  of  the  soda  and  a  certain  por- 
tion of  the  latter,  is  left  to  combine  with  free  acids  in 

the  soil.  This,  like  lime,  neutralizes  the 
How  Nitrate  acids  and  thus  "  sweetens  "  the  soil  for 

Neutralizes  Soil  the  timothy.  With  the  assistance  of  the 
Acids  and  Soda  set  free  from  the  Nitrate,  the  timo- 

Sweetens  the  thy  was  more  than  able  to  hold  its  o^\^l 

Soil.  and  thus  to  make  what  the  market  calls 

a  finer,  better  hay ;  and  since  the  market 
demands  timothy  and  pays  for  it,  the  farmer  who  sells 
hay  is  wise  if  he  meets  the  demand. 

Financial  Profit  from  Use  of  Nitrate. 

Frequently  more  plant  food  is  paid 
How  It  Pays.  for  and  put  on  the  land  than  the  crop 
can  possibly  use,  the  excess  being  en- 
tirely thrown  away,  or,  at  best,  merely  saved  to  benefit 
some  subsecpient  crop.  This  was  far  from  the  case  in 
these  trials.  Indeed,  it  was  found  by  analysis  of  the  hay 
that  more  potash  was  removed  by  the  crops  of  the  first 
two  years  than  had  been  added  in  the  muriate  used,  con- 
sequently the  amount  applied  upon  each  plot  was  in- 
creased in  1901  and  in  1902.  The  Nitrogen  requirement 
of  the  crops  was  found  to  be  slightly  less  than  was  sup- 
plied in  450  pounds  of  Nitrate  and  the  amount  was  re- 
duced to  40€  pounds  in  1901,  and  changed  to  415  pounds 
in  1902.  The  Nitrate  on  the  second  plot  was  also  reduced 


f)2 


l^'ooi)     I'Oi;     I'lANTS 


Rook  Before  Blastins:  One  Pound  of  Forty  Per  Cent.  Dynamite. 


haiiie  luM-k  Shattered  l)y  the  ExplnMcu  <.l   Dynamite. 


Food  for  Plants.  93 

ill  proportion.  The  phosphoric  acid,  however,  was  prob- 
ably in  considerable  excess,  since  liming  sets  free  phos- 
phoric acid  already  in  the  soil  and  so  lessens  the  appar- 
ent financial  profit ;  but  not  to  an  excessive  degree. 

Practical  Conclusions. 

From  these  striking  results  it  must  be  evident  that 
grass  lands  as  well  as  tilled  fields  are  greatly  benefited 
by  Nitrate,  and  that  it  would  be  to  the  advantage  of  most 
farmers  to  improve  the  fertility  of  their  soils  'by  growing 
good  crops  of  grass,  aided  thereto  by  liberal  fertilizing. 
The  application  should  be  in  the  form 
Dressing-  Grass  of  a  dressing  broadcasted  very  early  in 
Lands.  the  spring  in  order  that  the  first  growth 

may  find  readily  available  material  for 
its  support  and  be  carried  through  the  season  with  no 
check  from  partial  starvation. 

On  land  which  shows  any  tendency  to  sour,  a  ton  to 
the  acre  of  slaked  lime  should  'be  used  every  five  or  six 
years.  This  makes  the  laud  sw^eet  and  promotes  the 
growth  of  grass  plants  of  the  best  kinds. 

Lime  should  be  som^u  upon  the  plowed  land  and  har- 
rowed into  the  soil.  Top-dressing  w^th  lime  after  seed- 
ing will  not  answer,  and,  in  the  case  of  very  acid  soils, 
the  omission  of  lime  at  the  proper  time  will  necessitate 
reseeding  to  secure  a  good  stand  of  grass. 

Grass  seems  to  demand  less  phosphoric  acid  than  was 
applied  in  the  test ;  but  it  responds  with  increasing  profit 
to  applications  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  up  to  250  pounds  to 
the  acre  when  ample  supplies  of  potash  and  phosphates 
are  present. 

No  stable  manure  has  been  used  upon  the  iield  under 
experiment  for  over  twenty  years. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  men- 
Nitrate  of  Soda  tioii  the  fact  that  the  late  Mr.  Clark's 
as  Used  in  success  in  obtaining  remarkably  large 

Clark's  Grass  yields  of  hay  for  a  number  of  years,  an 

Cultivation.  average  of  9  tons  of  cured  hay  per  acre 

for   11   years   in    succession,   has   been 
heralded  tliroughout  the  United  States.     He  attributed 


94 


Food  for  1't.ants. 


his  success  largely  to  the  liberal  dressings  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda  which  he  invariably  applied  to  his  fields  early  in 
the  spring,  and  which  started  the  grass  off  with  such  a 
vigorous  growth  as  to  shade  and  crowd  out  all  noxious 
weeds  before  they  got  fairly  started  and  which  resulted 
I  Wn  a  large  crop  of  clean  and  high-priced  hay. 

It  is  also  known  that  many  who  have  tested  his  methods 
have  met  with  failure  chieflv  because  thev  neglected  to 


How  Careful 
Cultivation 
May  Aid  in  the 
Profitable  Use 
of  Nitrate. 


1.  Williuut  Nitrogen.,       2.  %  Ration  of  Nitrogen.        3.  Full  Ration  of 

Nitrogen. 

All  three  fertilized  alike  with  Muriate  of  Potash  and  Acid  Phosi:)hate. — 

R.  I.  Bui.  103. 

supply  the  young  grass  plants  with  a  sufficient  amount 
of  readily  available  food  for  their  use  in 
early  spring,  and  before  the  organic 
forms  of  Nitrogen,  which  exist  in  the  soil 
only  in  an  insoluble  form  and  which  can- 
not be  utilized  by  the  plants  as  food, 
are  converted  into  soluble  Nitrates  by 
the  action  of  bacteria  in  the  soil.  This 
does  not  occur  to  any  great  extent  until  the  soil  warms 
up  to  summer  temperature  when  it  is  too  late  in  the  sea- 
son to  benefit  the  crops'  early  spring  growth. 

It  is  important  that  we  always  bear  in  mind  the  fact 
that  our  only  source  of  Nitrogen  in  the  soil  for  all  plants 
is  the  remnants  of  former  crops  (roots,  stems,  dead 
leaves,  weeds,  etc.)  in  different  stages  of  decomposition, 
and  that  in  the  early  spring  there  is  always  a  scarcity  of 
Nitrogen  in  the  soil  in  an  available  form,  for  the  reason 
that  the  most  of  that  which  was  converted  into  soluble 


Food  for  Plants.  95 

forms  by  the  action  of  the  soil  bacteria  during  the  warm 
summer  months  of  the  previous  year  was  utilized  by  the 
plants  occupying  the  ground  at  that  time  or  has  been 
carried  down  just  below  the  reach  of  the  roots  of  the 
young  plants  by  the  melting  snow  and  the  heavy  rains  of 
late  winter  and  early  spring,  and  does  not  come  up  in 
early  spring  in  time  to  be  of  use. 

AVhen  we  consider  the  fact  that  most  plants  require 
and  take  up  about  75  x>er  cent,  of  their  total  Nitrate 
Nitrogen  during  the  earlier  stages  of  their  growth  and 
that  Nitrogen  is  the  element  most  largely  entering  into 
the  building  up  of  the  life  principle  (or  protoplasm)  of 
all  plants,  it  is  plain  that  we  cannot  afford  to  jeopardize 
the  chances  of  growing  crops  by  having  only  an  insuffi- 
cient supply  of  immediately  available  Nitrogen  when  it 
is  most  needed. 

WHAT    PERCENTAGE    OF    WATER    DOES    HAY    LOSE 
DURING  STORAGE? 

Result  of  Rhode  Island  Official  Experiment. 

Hay  which  had  been  stored  during  the  summer 
was  removed  from  the  mow  the  following  February,  and 
found  to  contain  12.21  per  cent,  of  water.  A  careful  com- 
parison of  other  moisture  determinations  of  hay  leads  to 
the  conclusion  that  12.21  is  a  fair  general  average  of  the 
percentage  of  water  in  the  best  quality  of  barn-cured 
hay.  When  hay  is  first  stored  it  usually  contains  from 
20  to  28  per  cent,  of  moisture.  The  loss  in  storage  may 
be  said  to  be  about  12  to  16  per  cent. 

Growing  hay  for  market  is  a  subject  that  is  receiving 
much  attention  from  progressive  farmers  of  late  for 
several  reasons,  viz. : 

First,  growing  hay  for  market  on  a  portion  of  the  farm 
is  a  partial  solution  of  the  serious  labor  problem ;  since 
it  is  much  easier  to  get  several  hands  during  the  rush 
of  the  short  haying  season  than  to  get  good,  efficient  labor 
for  eight  or  more  months  of  the  year; 


|)()  Food  fo];   Plants. 

Second,  there  arc  usually  several  fields  on  nearly  every 
Tarni  in  inosl  sections,  which,  owinii,'  to  the  heavy  char- 
acter of  the  soil,  or  for  various  other  reasons,  are  more 
suitahle  for  growin,i>-  hay  than  for  growing  the  several 
crops  usually  gro\\n  in  a  regular  rotation; 

Third,  where  the  method  of  seeding  down  a  portion 
of  a  large  farm  to  hay  has  been  practiced  it  has  fre- 
quently proven  that  the  net  profit  per  year  from  the 
smaller  acreage  devoted  to  grain  and  hoed  crops,  because 
of  the  more  liberal  fertilizing  and  l)etter  cultivation  given 
them,  was  as  great  as  was  formerly  obtained  from  the 
entire  farm,  leaving  the  value  of  the  hay  as  clear  gain 
over  the  old  method. 

The  selling  price  per  ton  of  good  No.  1  timothy  hay  in 
the  markets  of  America  usually  ranges  between  10  and 
20  per  cent,  higher  than  that  of  clover  hay,  the  difference 
frequently  being  nearly  enough  to  cover  the  cost  of  har- 
vesting and  marketing  the  crop.  This,  coupled  with  the 
fact  that  the  yield  per  acre  of  timothy  is  al)out  equal  to 
that  of  clover,  and  it  is  much  easier  to  cure  into  good 
marketable  condition,  makes  it  evident  that  timothy  is 
the  more  profitable  to  raise  for  market  in  those  States 
where  the  soil  and  climatic  conditions  are  favorable. 

We  have  been  trying  too  often  to  grow  timothy  by 
seeding  it  with  wdieat  or  rye,  and  smothering  it  out  with 
the  grain  crop  the  first  year,  and  again  with  clover  the 
second  year,  until  the  remaining  timothy  plants  have 
become  so  weakened  because  of  these  unfavorable  condi- 
tions and  the  lack  of  necessary  plant  food  that  they  can 
only  make  a  stunted  growth.  The  result  of  this  general 
method  of  growing  hay  has  -been  an  average  yield  for  the 
whole  country  of  one  and  one-quarter  tons  per  acre, 
while,  by  adopting  better  methods,  it  is  possible  to  grow 
three  or  four  tons  per  acre  and,  w^here  conditions  are 
extremely  favorable,  as  much  as  six  tons  of  timothy  per 
acre  can  often  be  growm  in  one  season. 

In  view  of  the  conditions  here  pointed  out,  an  experi- 
ment was  ])lanned  in  order  to  determine  whether  on  soils 
naturally  well  adapted  for  hay  growing,  but  out  of  con- 


Food  for  Plants.  97' 

ditioii,  it  is  practicable  to  properly  prepare  the  land  and 
to  maintain  the  meadow  so  as  to  secure  profitable  crops 
for  a  period  of  years  by  the  nse  of  commercial  fertilizers 
alone. 

Location  of  the  Experiments  and  Condition  of  the  Land. 

The  land  npon  which  the  experiments  were  made  is 
located  on  the  eastern  central  grazing  and  dairy  plateau 
of  New  York,  at  Highlands  experimental  farms.  Both 
river  flatland  and  upland  soils  were  used,  making  it  pos- 
sible to  study  both  kinds  of  soil  where  climatic  and  sea- 
sonal conditions  w^ere  the  same.  The  character  of  the 
flatland  is  made  up  of  silt,  which  is  of  considerable  depth 
and  which  is  still  being  deposited  by  means  of  overflows 
each  spring.  It  was  badly  infested  with  wild  sedge  grass, 
and  one  portion  of  the  meadow  had  not  been  harvested 
for  several  years.  The  uplands  are  more  or  less  rolling, 
of  light  loam,  not  excessively  rich  in  humus,  and  some- 
times affected  b}'  droughts. 

Preparation  of  Soil  and  Seeding-. 

Preparation  for  the  experiments  was  begun  in  1904; 
and  typical  areas  were  laid  off  and  the  land  prepared  in 
the  best  manner. 

A  method  of  seeding  in  this  part  of  the  State  is  to 
sow  timothy  in  corn  at  the  last  cultivation,  usually  the 
latter  part  of  July.  The  corn  is  planted  as  early  as  pos- 
sible, and  just  before  the  last  cultivation  20  quarts  of 
timothy  seed  are  used  per  acre. 

In  this  experiment  the  flatland  crop  of  wild  sedge  grass 
was  cut  early  in  June,  the  field  plowed,  and  was  then  fre- 
quently cultivated  until  about  the  first  of  September, 
when  it  was  carefully  seeded  at  the  rate  of  20  ciuarts  of 
timothy  per  acre. 

Two  methods  of  seeding  were  practiced  on  the  upland ; 
in  one  case  the  pasture  was  plowed  early,  seeded  to  oats, 
and  as  soon  as  the  crop  was  harvested,  the  stubble  was 
plowed,  then  frequently  cultivated,  and  seeded  with  20 
quarts  of  timothy  per  acre  about  the  15th  of  September. 
4 


98 


Food  for  Plants. 


In  tlio  other  case,  the  pasture  land  was  plowed  in  June, 
roUetl  down  and  thoroughly  and  frequently  cultivated 
and  similarly  seeded  about  the  24th  of  September.  The 
latter  method,  however,  did  not  kill  the  native  grass,  and 
is  not  reconnncnded. 


Crop  of  Grass  Grown  b\  tlie  Use  of  Nitrate  of  Soda. 

Fertilizers   Used. 

Since  one  object  of  this  experiment  was  to  determine 
whether  profitable  cropping  could  be  continued  for  more 
than  one  season,  the  land  was  not  only  thoroughly  pre- 
pared, but  amply  supplied  with  phosphoric  acid,  potash 
and  lime,  in  order  that  there  might  be  no  deficiency  in 
the  quantity  of  mineral  constituents  required  for  the 
crop.  On  the  highest  and  most  gravelly  portion  of  the 
upland,  stable  manure  was  applied  to  supply  humus  and 
increase  the  absorptive  power  of  the  soil,  and  on  all  the 
land  one  ton  of  hme  was  applied  per  acre  before  plowing. 


Food  for  Plants. 


99 


After  plowing  and  rolling  and  before  harrowing,  there 
was  applied  to  each  acre  600  ponnds  acid  phosphate,  200 
pounds  sulphate  of  potash,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  the 
lowland  received  an  application  of  740  ponnds  of  basic 
slag  phosphate,  and  the  upland  540  pounds.  The  Nitro- 
gen was  all  in  the  form  of  Nitrate,  and  was  applied 
broadcast  in  the  spring. 

The  following  table  shows  the  kinds  and  amounts  of 
fertilizers  that  were  applied  for  the  crops  of  190'5  and 
1906 : 


The  Tedders  lulldw  llic   Mnwnm   :\l;icliitH'>   h.i    1:4. hI  rii,,,:_:   .m    li..i\y 

crops  of  liay. 

Kiinl  <()}(l  Qnantily  of  Fertilisers  Used  Per  Acre. 

Upland  Lowland 

1905,  1900.  190.-.,  190C. 

Pi)uud.s  Pound.s        Pounds        Pounds 

Lime    2,00n  ....  2,000 

Wood  Ashes •''^-O  •  •  •  •  ^20 

Acid  Phosphate   «()0  578  600  578 

Basic  Slag •'^40         740         

Sulpliate  of  Potash  200  ....  200 

Nitrate  of  Soda   200  1G8  200  112 

The  mineral  fertilizers  for  the  crop  of  1905  were  ap- 
plied in  the  fall  of  1904,  those  for  the  crop  of  1906  were 


TOO  Food  for  Plants. 

ap])lii'(]  diniiii;'  tlio  suinnior  of  1905.  The  Nitrate  of  Soda 
was  all  ai)])lic'(l  ])r()a( least  in  the  spring,  and  was  evenly 
(lislril)uted  as  soon  as  the  grass  had  nicely  started.  The 
quantities  of  Nitrate  api)lied  were  not  as  large  as  is  some- 
times recommended,  hut  were  sufficient  to  provide  for  a 
large  yield. 

The  effect  of  the  thorough  preparation  of  soil  was 
noticeable  at  once  in  the  good  stand  of  plants  secured, 
and  in  the  vigorous  growth  and  good  top  made  in  the 
fall.  The  plants  wintered  well,  and  after  the  Nitrate 
application  had  been  made  the  grass  on  these  plots  grew 
luxuriantly,  and  made  a  large  yield  of  hay. 

The  main  point  was  to  determine  whether  it  was  a 
paying  proposition,  and  the  following  tables  show  the 
yield  and  value  of  crops,  as  well  as  the  profits  derived 
when  mineral  fertilizers  only  are  used,  and  also  when 
Nitrate  of  Soda  is  used  in  addition. 

Yield  of  Crops  in  1905. 

Upland  Lowland 

With  200  lbs.  With  200  lbs. 

Without  Nitrate  Without  Nitrate 

Nitrate  per  acre  Nitrate  per  aore 

Yield  per  acre.. . . .    3,180  lbs.        8,340  ll).s.        0,985  lbs.        8,712  lbs. 
Increase    from    Ni- 
trate     5,160  lbs.  lG2';i  1,727  lbs.         24.77c 

These  results  are  strikingly  significant,  showing  in 
the  first  place  the  difference  in  adaptability  of  the  two 
soils  for  hay  growing.  The  upland  was  deficient  in 
humus,  and  heing  dry  and  gravelly,  was  unable  to  pro- 
vide Nitrogen  in  any  quantity  although  an  abundance  of 
minerals  was  present.  The  low^land,  on  the  other  hand; 
containing  a  large  proportion,  was  capable  of  furnish- 
ing the  Nitrogen  needed  for  a  relatively  large  crop,  or 
more  than  double  that  on  the  upland.  This  is  a  very 
clear  illustration  of  the  importance  of  the  use  of  Nitro- 
gen with  minerals,  if  full  crops  are  to  be  produced.  The 
application  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  the  upland  proved 
much  more  efficient  than  on  the  lowland,  not  only  in 
supplying  Nitrogen  in  immediately  available  forms,  but 
in  energizing  the  plants  to  obtain  more  from  the  soil, 


Food  for  Plants. 


101 


showing  a  gain  in  yield  of  162  per  cent.,  while  on  the  low- 
land the  gain  was  but  24.7  per  cent. ;  the  soil  itself  being 
able  in  the  latter  case  to  supply  a  larger  proportion  of 
the  Nitrogen  required  to  produce  a  crop  as  large  as  the 
climatic  and  seasonal  conditions  would  permit.  The  fol- 
lowing table  shows  the  financial  results  of  the  two  experi- 
ments from  two  standpoints:  (1)  Whether  it  is  profit- 
able to  grow  hay  under  the  conditions,  as  outlined  here ; 
and  (2)  whether  the  use  of  Nitrate  will  pay. 

1905.     Co.^t  of  Crop,. 


The  first  point  of  im|)orlance  shown  by  this  detailed 
statement  is  that  notwithstanding  the  expense  involved, 
there  is  a  profit  in  hay  growing;  that  it  pays  to  expend 
money  for  the  good  preparation  of  soil,  for  good  seed  and 
for  fertilizers  —  in  fact,  if  the  entire  cost  had  been 
charged  to  the  first  crop,  there  would  have  been  a  profit 
of  $5.23  per  acre  where  Nitrate  was  used  on  the  upland. 
Second,  that  it  pays  to  use  Nitrate ;  and  third,  that  the 
kind  of  soil  to  which  Nitrate  is  applied  measures  in  a 
marked  degree  the  profit  to  be  derived  from  its  applica- 
tion. On  the  uplancl,  the  crop  without  Nitrate  was  worth 
but  $19.08  per  acre,  while  the  application  of  200  pounds 
of  Nitrate  caused  the  value  to  increase  to  $50.24  —  a  gain 
of  $31.16  per  acre.  Deducting  the  cost  of  the  nitrate  and 
extra  cost  of  harvesting,  we  have  a  net  increase  in  value 
of  $20.50  per  acre,  or  for  each  dollar  invested  a  net 
return  of  nearlv  $4. 


102  Food  for  Plants. 

Oil  tlio  lowland,  the  crop  without  Nitrate  was  worth 
$41.!)1  \)vr  acre,  and,  with  Nitrate,  $52.27,  a  gain  of  $10.;-.6, 
whieh  is  reduced  to  $3.14  when  the  cost  of  Nitrate  and 
harvest iii.i;-  is  deducted,  still  a  good  profit  on  the  invest- 
ment, though  clearly  indicating  that  Nitrogen  was  not  the 
limiting  factor  in  crop  production  as  was  the  case  on  the 
ui)land.  In  making  the  tables,  the  actual  cost  of  labor, 
seed  and  fertilizers  was  used.  The  value  of  the  hay  was 
estimated  at  $12  per  ton,  and  based  on  weights  at  time 
of  harvesting.  The  shrinkage  of  hay  will  range  from 
15  to  25  per  cent. ;  assuming  the  shrinkage  to  be  as  un- 
usually high  as  25  per  cent.,  the  value  per  ton  would  have 
to  increase  to  $16  to  balance,  which  is  lower  than  prevail- 
ing prices  have  been  since  that  year  for  No.  1  timothy. 

Crops  of  1906. 

The  experiment  was  continued  in  190(3,  on  the  same 
areas.  In  order  to  insure  a  constant  and  abundant  sup- 
ply, mineral  fertilizers  ^vere  again  added  in  the  form  of 
W'Ood  ashes  and  acid  phosphate,  and  in  the  amounts 
showm  in  the  table,  namely,  520  pounds  of  w^ood  ashes 
and  578  pounds  of  acid  phosphate  per  acre  on  both  the 
fields. 

The  applications  of  Nitrate  wi>re,  however,  reduced 
from  200  to  168  pounds  on  the  upland;  and  to  112  pounds 
on  the  lowland  per  acre.  These  fertilizers  were  all  evenly 
distributed  in  the  spring  of  1906.  The  effect  of  the  Ni- 
trate was  again  immediately  noticeable  in  increasing  the 
vigor  of  the  plants.    The  yields  w^ere  as  follows : 

Yield  of  Crops  in  190G. 

Upland  Lowland 

With  With 

168  lbs.  112  lbs. 

Without                      Nitrate  Witliout                      Nitrate 

Nitrate                       per  acre  Nitrate                      per  acre 

Yield   i)er  acre....    3,200  lbs.        0,240  lbs.        5,920  lbs.        8,080  lbs. 
Increase    from    Ni- 
trate     3,040  lbs.         95.0%  2,1G0  lbs.         36.4% 

These  results  confirm  those  for  1905  on  the  whole, 
though  there  are  points  of  difference  which  may  be  rea- 


Food  foe  Plants. 


103 


sonably  charged  to  season  and  to  the  effect  of  the  growth 
of  the  first  crop.  On  the  upland,  which  was  poor  in 
humus  and  Nitrogen,  the  yield  of  the  plot  without  Nitrate 
differs  but  little  from  that  of  1905,  while  on  the  lowland, 
the  soil  rich  in  humus,  the  yield  without  Nitrate  is  much 
lower  than  in  1905.  On  the  upland  the  Nitrogen  at  the 
disposal  of  the  plant  did  not  exist  in  easily  changeable 
forms,  and  hence  was  not  largely  exhausted  under  the 
energy  of  the  extra  mineral  food.     The  lowland,  on  the 


Hay  Weeds 
Unfertilized 


Hay  Weeds  Hay  Weeds 

Nitrate  of  Soda     Sulphate  of  Ammonia 


Hav  Weeds 
Dried  Blood 


Hay  Weeds 
:  Limed 


other  haiid,  doubtless  contained  considerable  Nitrogen 
in  easily  changeable  forms,  which  under  the  influence  of 
the  available  phosphoric  acid  and  lime  was  made  effec- 
tive on  the  grass,  and  resulted  in  a  comparatively  large 
yield,  leaving  the  soil  much  poorer  in  Nitrogen  for  the 
next  crop. 

It  would  appear  from  this  reasoning,  that  the  need  for 
applied  Nitrogen,  while  greater  for  the  upland  in  1905 
than  in  1906,  is  not  so  striking  as  in  the  lowland.     This 


104 


Food  for  Plants. 


assuinplioii  is  borne  out  by  the  facts;  the  gain  on  the 
uphind  in  1906  is  3,040  pounds,  or  95  per  cent.,  as  against 
a  gain  of  5,160  pounds,  or  162  per  cent,  in  1905;  Avhile 
the  gain  on  the  lowhmd  is  36.4  per  cent,  in  1906,  as 
against  24.7  per  cent,  in  1905.  The  lower  percentage 
increase  in  yield  from  Nitrate  on  the  upland  being  due 
in  part,  at  least,  to  the  fact  that  the  Nitrate  used  in  1905 
energized  the  plants  to  acquire  more  from  soil  sources 
than  was  possible  with  the  use  of  minerals  only,  and  in 
part  to  the  lower  quantity  applied  in  1906,  168  pounds 
instead  of  200  pounds. 

On  the  lowland  the  greater  percentage  increase  this 
year,  due  to  Nitrate,  is  for  the  same  reason  that  it  was 
greater  in  1905  on  the  upland  than  in  1906.  This  is  a 
clear  demonstration  again  of  the  influence  of  character 
of  soil  as  a  determining  factor.  Instead  of  reducing  the 
amount  of  Nitrate  used  in  1906,  it  should  have  been  in- 
creased, especially  on  the  upland.  The  value  of  crop  and 
profits  are  also  influenced  by  the  smaller  amounts  of 
Nitrate  applied,  as  shown  in  the  comparative  prolits  in 
the  tabulated  statement. 


1906.     Co!<t  of  Crops. 


-2 


"St; 


-^ 


Upland: 

With  Nitrate 

Without  Nitrate. 

Lowland 

With  Nitr.ite 

Without  Nitrate. 


6240 
3200 


8080 
5920 


$.5  19 
5  19 


5  42 
5  42 


$12  60 
7  90 


11  04 
7  90 


$0  90 
60 


$6  24 
3  20 


8  08 
5  92 


$24  93 
16  89 


25  44 
19  84 


$37  44 
19  20 


48  48 
35  52 


$12  51 
2  31 


23  04 
15  68 


$10  20 


7  36 


In  making  up  this  table,  the  actual  cost  of  labor  and 
fertilizers  is  recorded,  while  the  value  of  dry  hay  was 
estimated  to  be  $12  per  ton  when  stored,  as  in  1905. 

As  a  whole,  the  results  confirm  those  of  1905  in  show- 
ing a  profit  in  all  cases,  ranging  from  $2.31  per  acre. 


Food  for  Plants.  105 

without  Nitrate,  on  the  uphiiid,  to  $23.04  with  Nitrate, 
on  the  lowland.  It  is  to  be  expected  from  the  preceding- 
discussion  that  the  relative  profits  from  the  use  of  Ni- 
trate on  the  two  areas  is  changed,  the  net  profit  of  $20.50 
on  the  upland  being  reduced  to  $10.20,  and  that  of  $3.14 
on  the  lowland  being  increased  to  $7.36  per  acre.  These 
net  results,  secured  under  what  would  be  regarded  as 
expensive  methods,  are  certainly  satisfactory  from  a 
financial  standpoint,  and  indicate  that  on  lands  requiring 
expensive  treatment  hay  growing  may  be  made  profit- 
able and  warrant  the  following  general  suggestions  as  to 
the  growing  of  profitable  crops : 

The  essential  conditions  necessary  for  obtaining  maxi- 
mum crops  of  timothy  are,  first,  a  clean,  thick  stand  of 
healthy  timothy  plants;  second,  an  abundance  of  avail- 
able plant  food  is  needed  by  the  plants  to  make  a  normal 
growth. 

It  must  not  be  overlooked  that  available  plant  food 
at  the  right  time  implies  that  there  shall  be  sufficient 
moisture  present  in  the  soil  to  carry  the  plant  food  into 
the  roots  of  the  plants  in  a  soluble  form;  and  just  in 
proportion  as  we  fail  to  have  a  sufficient  supply  of  mois- 
ture present  when  needed,  we  render  our  supply  of  plant 
food  unavailable  as  far  as  plant  growth  is  concerned. 
Thus,  it  is  well  known  that  very  frequently  the  limiting 
factor  in  the  growth  of  plants  is  a  lack  of  sufficient 
moisture  in  the  soil  at  a  critical  time  rather  than  a 
deficiency  of  actual  plant  food  in  the  soil. 

For  this  reason  it  is  best  to  select  those  portions  of  a 
farm  for  growing  timothy,  in  which  the  soil  is  rather 
heavy  and  retentive  of  moisture.  A\1ien  there  is  a  supply 
of  stable  manure  available  for  use  in  hay  growing,  it 
should,  whenever  possible,  be  plowed  under  or  otherwise 
worked  into  the  soil  before  seeding,  and  not  be  used  as 
a  top-dressing  on  meadows  already  seeded,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  chief  value  of  stable  manure  is  that  it  adds 
large  quantities  of  humus-making  material  to  our  soils, 
and  the  soils  need  their  humus  in  them  and  not  on  them. 


10()  Food  fou  Plants. 

I'or  similar  reasons  stable  manure  sliould  Ix-  applied  to 
those  soils  most  deficient  in  humus  and  not  to  the  nuick 
lands  and  those  that  are  naturally  moist. 

Preparing  Land. 

The  river-bottom  lands,  because  of  their  silt  forma- 
tion and  the  added  fertility  which  they  receive  in  their 
annual  overflow,  together  with  their  abundant  supply  of 
moisture  during  the  entire  season,  are  able  to  produce 
the  largest  crops  of  timothy,  at  the  lowest  cost  per  ton, 
but  these  soils  are  usually  very  foul  with  quack,  sedges 
and  wild  grasses,  Avhich  must  l)e  largely  eradicated,  in 
order  to  get  a  stand  of  clean  timothy. 

Where  there  are  stumps  or  rocks  that  would  interfere 
with  the  operations  of  haying  machinery,  it  is  advisable 
to  remove  them  wherever  possible,  and  it  was  found  that 
the  judicious  use  of  dynamite  effected  a  great  saving  in 
the  time  and  expense  of  this  operation. 

After  plowing,  the  land  sliould  be  rolled  and  then  thor- 
oughly worked  every  week  or  ten  days  up  to  seeding 
time.  The  field  should  be  worked  in  small  lands,  going 
around  each  land,  and  always  lapping  the  harrow  one- 
half,  so  that  the  surface  may  be  kept  level. 

If  there  are  any  deep  holes  in  the  field,  resulting  from 
the  removal  of  boulders  or  other  cause,  they  should  be 
filled  in  at  the  time  of  the  first  harrowing,  and  if  there 
are  any  surface  ditches  they  should  be  made  shallow  with 
gradually  sloping  sides,  wherever  possible,  so  that  the 
entire  surface  of  the  field  can  be  gone  over  with  a  mowing 
machine  in  any  direction  when  the  hay  crop  is  to  be 
harvested. 

The  difference  in  the  expense  of  preparing  a  field  right, 
or  only  partially  so,  is  slight,  when  considering  possible 
breakage  of  machinery  when  harvesting  the  crops  of  sev- 
eral years,  figured  on  the  basis  of  low  cost  per  ton  of 
product,  and  this  factor  is  of  double  importance  in  the 
preparation  of  land  on  which  it  is  possible  to  harvest 
two  crops  each  season. 


Food  for  Plants.  lOT 

Liming'. 

It  is  known  that  timothy  cannot  thrive  and  yield  maxi- 
mum crops  in  a  sour  soil,  while  red-top  seems  to  delight 
in  such  soil,  and  one  of  the  surest  indications  that  a  soil 
is  sour  is  w^hen  we  find  the  timothy  meadow^  run  out  after 
two  or  three  years  and  the  ground  occupied  Iw  red-top. 
The  presence  of  sorrel,  five-finger  mosses,  daisies  and 
mulleins  are  also  indications  of  a  sour  soil,  and  timothy 
cannot  be  made  to  do  its  best  on  those  soils  until  they 
are  made  sweet.  The  quickest  and  most  practical  way 
to  accomplish  this  is  by  the  liberal  application  of  lime  in 
some  form.  This  may  be  applied  in  the  form  of  stone 
lime,  either  ground  or  unground,  or  air-slaked;  or  in 
connection  W'itli  potash  in  wood  ashes.  The  amount  of 
lime  to  apply  should  be  generally  about  one-half  ton  per 
acre. 

If  we  use  lime  in  the  form  of  ashes  or  ground  stone 
lime,  it  can  be  drilled  into  the  soil  at  the  right  depth  with 
a  fertilizer  drill,  but  if  w^e  use  air-slaked  lime  or  lump 
lime  and  slake  it  in  the  field,  it  should  be  spread  either 
before  plowing  or  immediately  after  the  first  harrowing 
and  before  the  ground  is  rolled,  so  that  the  bulk  of  the 
lime  will  get  down  into  the  soil  at  the  right  depth. 

Mineral  Fertilizers. 

This  question  of  the  correct  application  of  the  mineral 
elements  of  plant  food  is  of  great  importance,  and  has 
not  received  the  consideration  it  deserves  —  especially 
is  this  so  in  regard  to  fertilizing  meadows  or  grass  lands, 
w^hich  usually''  remain  seeded  dow^l  for  several  years,  and 
there  is  no  time  after  the  seed  is  sown  that  the  phosphoric 
acid  and  potash  can  be  gotten  down  into  the  soil  where 
they  belong,  which  place  is  from  three  to  six  inches  under 
the  surface.  When  phosphoric  acid  or  potash  are  used 
as  a  top-dressing  for  meadows,  it  is  known  that  they 
become  fixed  largely  in  the  surface  and  consequently  tend 
to  attract  the  feeding  roots  of  the  plants  to  the  surface 


108  Food  for  Plants. 

(»r  tlio  soil,  wlii'ic  tlu'v  arc  least  al)le  to  withstand  the 
elTects  of  drought,  which  is  so  often  such  a  serious  factor. 

The  amount  of  phosphoric  acid  and  potash  to  be  used 
depends  ui)on  the  soil  entirely,  and  can  only  he  approxi- 
mated, Init  the  fact  that  they  both  become  fixed  in  the 
soil  so  that  there  is  practically  no  danger  of  loss  from 
one  season  to  another,  allows  us  to  be  more  liberal  than 
we  otherwise  would,  and  since  the  best  time  to  apply  it  is 
before  the  seed  is  sown,  w^e  should  be  liberal  in  regard  to 
the  quantity  used  for  obvious  reasons. 

For  good,  medium  clay  land  of  average  fertility,  there 
should  be  drilled  into  the  soil  broadcast,  at  least  400 
pounds  per  acre  of  14  per  cent,  acid  phosphate  and  100 
pounds  per  acre  of  sulphate  of  potash  or  its  equivalent. 
If  the  soil  is  poor,  sandy  or  gravelly  or  is  a  peatj^  or 
nmck  soil,  which  are  known  to  be  usually  deficient  in 
these  elements,  the  quantity  of  each  should  be  doubled. 
Remember  when  it  comes  to  fertilizing  our  crops,  the 
([uestion  we  should  ask  ourselves  is  not  "  how  much  will 
it  cost  me  to  furnish  my  crop  with  the  food  that  it 
needs?"  but  ''  how  much  will  it  cost  me  not  to  do  so?" 

Acid  phosphate  appears  to  be  the  safest  and  the  best 
form  in  which  to  appl}^  phosphoric  acid  to  soils  for  hay 
growing  generally. 

High-grade  sulphate  of  potash  is  one 
Potash  salts.  of  the  most  satisfactoiy  of  the  commer- 

cial ])otasli  salts  and  its  use  does  not 
tend  to  deplete  the  soil  of  its  lime  as  does  the  use  of  muri- 
ate of  potash.  The  phosphoric  acid  and  potash  should  be 
applied  to  the  soil  broadcast  to  the  depth  of  at  least  three 
inches  from  one  to  two  weeks  before  sowing  the  seed. 
Hardwood  ashes  are  excellent  when  not  adulterated,  as  a 
source  of  potash  and  lime. 

Seeding. 

Twenty  quarts  per  acre  of  the  best  recleaned  timothy 
seed  obtainable  is  the  right  quantity  to  sow  per  acre,  and 
this  should  be  sown  between  August  15th  and  Septem- 
ber 15th,  the  time  that  timothy  naturally  reseeds  itself. 


Food  for  Plants.  109 

It  can  best  be  sown  with  a  wheelbarrow,  broadcast  grass 
seeder,  sowing-  ten  quarts  each  way  of  the  field  for  most 
even  distribution,  after  which  the  seed  should  be  dragged 
into  the  soil  about  one  inch  deep,  by  going  over  the  field 
once  or  twice  Avith  a  slant-tooth  drag  or  a  weeder  with 
sufficient  weight  attached  to  obtain  the  desired  result. 

Finish  the  operation  by  going  over  the  field  with  a 
roller,  to  roll  down  the  loose  stones  on  the  surface  and 
to  compact  the  surface  soil,  thus  bringing  the  moisture  to 
the  surface  so  that  the  seed  will  all  germinate  at  once  and 
come  up  evenly  over  the  entire  field. 

Nitrate  Application. 

So  far  we  have  insured  a  good,  clean,  thick  stand  of 
healthy  timothy  plants,  and  we  have  supplied  them  liber- 
ally A\'ith  the  mineral  plant  foods  that  are  liable  to  be 
deficient  in  the  soil,  but  we  have  made  no  provision  for 
the  plants  having  an  abundant  supply  of  available  Nitro- 
gen the  next  spring  when  they  are  making  their  most 
rapid  growth,  and  their  need  is  greatest.  At  that  time 
there  is  always  a  scant  supply  of  soluble  Nitrogen  in  the 
surface  soil,  owing  to  the  fact  that  when  the  excess  mois- 
ture settles  down  into  the  lower  levels  of  the  soil  it 
carries  Nitrogen  in  solution  with  it,  and  the  stores  of 
humus  Nitrogen  are  not  rendered  soluble,  except  in  very 
slight  amounts,  until  the  soil  warms  up  to  a  degree  of 
temperature  wherein  the  soil  bacteria  again  become  ac- 
tive and  convert  organic  and  other  forms  of  Nitroseu 
into  Nitrates. 

To  overcome  this  natural  deficiency  of  soluble  Nitro- 
gen at  a  critical  time  in  the  growth  of  the  timothy  plants, 
we  must  supply  it  in  an  available  form,  and  this  can  best 
l3e  done  by  applying  broadcast  about  100  to  200  pounds 
of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre  as  a  top-dressing  as  soon  as 
growth  starts  in  the  spring. 

Cornell  University  Experiment  Station  Bulletin,  No. 
247,  p.  203,  puts  it  thus : 

"  Having  water-soluble  Nitrogen  on  tap  at  the  right  hour  and  tlic 
right  place  is  one  of  the  factors  that  enable  the  Cornell  Station  to  grow 


1  10  l\u)\)    I'OK     1*1, AXIS. 

tliroc  mill  (iiic-linir  tons  of  linidtliy  liny  mi  |)iiiikii-k  r\:iy  loain,  when 
without  this  ;niilici;il  liclp  only  nlimit  one  ;iii(l  onc-linir  lo)is  could  lir 
raised." 

Report  of  Experiments. 

Season  of  1906. 
llij>iilaii(l  ExporiiiuMitnl  I'arms,  New  York. 

Tlio  average  yields  per  acre  of  lield-cured  hay  on  the 
uplands  were  as  follows  : 

No  Nitrate  —  3,200  pounds  per  acre. 

168  lbs.  Nitrate  —  6,240  pounds  per  acre. 

The  average  yields  per  acre  of  field-cured  hay  on  the 
lowlands  were  as  follows : 

No  Nitrate  —  5,920  pounds  per  acre. 

112  lbs.  of  Nitrate  —  8,080  pounds  per  acre. 

Com  para  th-c   Siinnuaru   of   Tiniotliij   Haij    Yickh,   19l>5   (iml   lilOii. 

Uplands. 

1905.  No  Nitrate  — 3,180   lbs.     300  lbs.   Nitrate  —  S,340   lbs. 

1906.  No   Nitrate  — 3,200  lbs.     168  lbs.   Nitrate  —  6,'240   lbs. 

Lowlands. 

1905.  No  Nitrate  — 6,985  ll)s.     200  lbs.   Nitrate  —  8,712   lbs. 

1906.  No  Nitrates  —  5.920  lbs.     112   lbs.  Nitrate  — 8,080  lbs. 

Yield  of  original  ''  No  Nitrate  "  hollow  square  plot  in 
field  of  timothy  and  red  top : 

Season  of  1905  —  3,180  lbs. 
Season  of  1906  —  1,760  lb.s. 

The  \ields  are  lower  for  190G  than  for  190r)  owing  to 

smaller  applications  of  Nitrate  and  probably  also  to  the 

fact  that  there  was  much  less  rainfall  during  the  growing 

season. 

Distribution  of  Nitrogen  in  (lie  Grain  and  Straiv  of  the  Principal 

Cereals. 

NITROGEN  PER  TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  ACRES. 

Grain. 

Oats,  Barley,  Wheat,  Rye, 

82.42  lbs.  86.61  lbs.  81.10  lbs.  67.44  lbs. 

Rape  Seed  Peas,  Vetches,  Broad  Beans, 

176.32  lbs.       117.03  lbs.       143.92  lbs.       181.16  lbs. 

St  raw. 

Oats,  Barley,  Wheat,  Ryo, 

26.4     lbs.  26.4     lbs.  33.06  lbs.  29.. 31  lbs. 

Rape  Seed,  Peas,  ^'otchps,  Broad   Reans, 

29.75  lbs       118.35  lbs.       112.40  lbs.        79.34  lbs. 


P^ooD  FOR  Plants. 


Ill 


Distribution  of  Nitrogen  in  the  Principal  Root  Crops. 

NITROGEN   PER  TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  ACRES. 


Sugarbeet, 

105.79  lbs 


Sugarbeet, 

52.89  lbs. 


Beetroot, 

138.85  lbs. 


Beetroot, 

80.66  Ib^ 


Roots. 

Swedes, 

165.30  lbs. 
Leaf. 

Swedes, 

55.1     lbs. 


Carrots, 

145.46  lbs. 


Carrots, 

168.60  lbs. 


Potatoes, 

112.40  lbs. 
Tubers. 

Potatoes 

15.11  lbs. 

Shatvs. 


GRADES  OF  HAY  AND  STRAW. 

Adopted  by  the  National  Hay  Association. 
Hay. 

No.  1  Timothy  Hay:  Shall  be  timothy  with  not  more 
than  one-eighth  ('^)  mixed  with  clover  or  other  tame 
grasses  properly  cured,  good  color,  somid  and  well  baled. 

Standard  Timothy:  Shall  be  timothy  with  not  more 
than  one-eighth  (i/g)  mixed  with  clover  or  other  tame 
grasses,  fair  color,  containing  brown  blades,  and  brown 
heads,  sound  and  well  baled. 

No.  2  Timothy  Hay :  Shall  be  timothy  not  good  enough 
for  No.  1  not  over  one-fourth  (14)  mixed  with  clover  or 
other  tame  grasses,  fair  color,  sound  and  well  baled. 

No.  3  Timothy  Hay:  Shall  include  all  hay  not  good 
enough  for  other  grades,  sound  and  well  baled. 

Light  Clover  Mixed  Hay:  Shall  be  timothy  mixed 
with  clover.  The  clover  mixture  not  over  one- third  (%) 
properly  cured,  sound,  good  color  and  well  baled. 

No.  1  Clover  Mixed  Hay :  Shall  be  timothy  and  clover 
mixed,  with  at  least  one-half  (1/0)  timothy,  good  color, 
sound  and  well  baled. 

Heavy  Clover  IMixed  Hay :  Shall  be  timothy  and  clover 
mixed  with  at  least  one-fourth  (14)  timothy  sound  and 
well  baled. 

No.  2  Clover  Mixed  Hay :  Shall  'be  timothy  and  clover 
mixed  with  at  least  one-third  (%)  timothy.  Reasonably 
sound  and  well  baled. 

No.  1  Clover  Hay :  Shall  be  medium  clover  not  over 
one-twentieth  (1/20)  other  grasses,  properly  cured, 
sound  and  well  baled. 


11-  Food  foi;  Plants. 

No,  2  Clover  Hay:  Shall  Ix'  clover  soiiiid,  well  baled, 
not  good  enong-li  for  Xo.  1. 

Sample  Hay:  Shall  include  all  hay  badly  cured, 
stained,  threshed  or  in  any  way  unsound. 

Choice  Prairie  Ilay :  Shall  be  upland  hay  of  bright, 
natural  color,  well  cured,  sweet,  sound,  and  may  contain 
3  per  cent,  weeds. 

No.  1  Prairie  Hay :  Shall  be  upland  and  may  contain 
one-quarter  (14)  midland,  both  of  good  color,  well  cured, 
sweet,  sound,  and  may  contain  8  per  cent,  weeds. 

No.  2  Prairie  Hay :  Shall  be  upland,  of  fair  color  and 
may  contain  one-half  midland,  both  of  good  color,  well 
cured,  sweet,  sound,  and  may  contain  12i^  per  cent, 
weeds. 

No.  3  Prairie  Hay :  Shall  include  hay  not  good  enough 
for  other  grades  and  not  caked. 

No.  1  Midland  Hay:  Shall  be  midland  hay  of  good 
color,  well  cured,  sweet,  sound,  and  may  contain  3  per 
cent,  weeds. 

No.  2  Midland  Hay :  Shall  be  fair  color  or  slough  hay 
of  good  color,  and  may  contain  ]2i/o  i)er  cent,  weeds. 

Packing  Hay:  Shall  include  all  wild  hay  not  good 
enough  for  other  grades  and  not  caked. 

Sample  Prairie  Hay :  Shall  include  all  hay  not  good 
enough  for  other  grades. 

Straw. 

No.  1  Straight  Eye  Straw:  Shall  be  in  large  bales, 
clean,  bright,  long  rye  straw,  pressed  in  bundles,  sound 
and  well  baled. 

No.  2  Straight  Rye  Straw:  Shall  be  in  large  bales, 
long  rye  straw  pressed  in  bundles,  sound  and  well  baled, 
not  good  enough  for  No.  1. 

No.  1  Tangled  Eye  Straw :  Shall  l)e  reasonably  clean 
rye  straw,  good  color,  sound  and  well  1)aled. 

No.  2  Tangled  Eye  Straw:  Shall  be  reasonably  clean, 
may  be  some  stained,  but  not  good  enough  for  No.  1. 

No.  1  AVheat  Straw :  Shall  be  reasonabU'  clean  wheat 
straw,  sound  and  well  baled. 


Food  for  Plants.  113 

No.  2  Wheat  Straw :  Shall  be  reasonably  clean ;  may 
be  some  stained,  but  not  good  enough  for  No.  1. 

No.  1  Oat  Straw :  Shall  be  reasonably  clean  oat  straw, 
sound  and  well  baled. 

No.  2  Oat  Straw:  Shall  be  reasonably  clean;  may  be 
some  stained,  but  not  good  enough  for  No.  1. 

Alfalfa. 

Choice  Alfalfa :  Shall  be  reasonably  fme  leafy  alfalfa 
of  bright  green  color,  properly  cured,  sound,  sweet,  and 
well  baled. 

No.  1  Alfalfa:  Shall  be  reasonably  coarse  alfalfa  of 
a  bright  green  color,  or  reasonably  fine  leafy  alfalfa  of  a 
good  color  and  may  contain  2  per  cent,  of  foreign  grasses, 
5  per  cent,  of  air  bleached  hay  on  outside  of  bale  allowed, 
but  must  be  sound  and  well  baled. 

Standard  Alfalfa:  May  be  of  green  color,  of  coarse 
or  medium  texture,  and  may  contain  5  per  cent,  foreign 
matter ;  or  it  may  be  of  green  color,  of  coarse  or  medium 
texture,  20  per  cent,  bleached  and  2  per  cent,  foreign  mat- 
ter ;  or  it  may  be  of  a  greenish  cast  of  fine  stem  and  cling- 
ing foliage,  and  may  contain  5  per  cent,  foreign  matter, 
all  to  be  sound,  sweet,  and  well  baled. 

No.  2  Alfalfa :  Shall  be  of  any  sound,  sweet  and  well 
baled  alfalfa,  not  good  enough  for  standard,  and  may 
contain  10  per  cent,  foreign  matter. 

No.  3  Alfalfa :  May  contain  35  per  cent,  stack-spotted 
hay,  but  must  be  dry  and  not  to  contain  more  than  8  per 
cent,  of  foreign  matter ;  or  it  may  be  of  a  green  color  and 
may  contain  50  per  cent,  foreign  matter;  or  it  may  be  set 
alfalfa  and  may  contain  5  per  cent,  foreign  matter,  all  to 
be  reasonably  well  baled. 

No  grade  Alfalfa :  Shall  include  all  alfalfa  not  good 
enough  for  No.  3. 

The  Alfalfa,  Cow  Pea  and  Clover  Question. 

This  class  of  plants  has  the  property 

Use  of  of  taking  inert  Nitrogen  from  the  air 

Legumes.  and  transforming  it  into  combinations 

more  or  less  useful  as  plant  food.    This 


1  14  Kooi)    KOIi    r^LANTS. 

feature  is  of  ^reat  value  to  ag'riculhu'e,  but  not  so  much 
from  the  i)lant  food  jooint  of  view  as  from  the  fact  that 
those  phuits  are  rich  in  that  kind  of  food  substance  com- 
monly called  "  flesh  formers."  Liberally  fertilized,  and 
not  omitting  Nitrate  in  the  fertilizer,  we  have  a  crop 
containing  more  nitrogenous  food  (protein  or  flesh 
fiormers)  than  the  Nitrogen  actually  given  as  fertilizer 
could  have  made  by  itself.  The  most  common  plants  of 
this  class  are :  Alfalfa,  alsike  clover,  crimson  clover,  red 
clover,  Japan  clover,  cow  peas,  lupines,  Canadian  field 
peas,  the  vetches,  etc.  All  these  forage  crops  should  be 
sown  after  clean  culture  crops.  The  best  method  of  fer- 
tilizing is  to  apply  from  300  to  500  pounds  of  fertilizer 
early  every  autumn;  in  the  spring  broadcast  200 
pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda,  and  repeat  with  about  100 
pounds  after  each  cutting.  It  is  true  that  clovers  may 
supply  their  own  nitrogenous  plant  food,  but  this  is  an 
experiment  experienced  farmers  do  not  often  repeat. 
A  fair  green  crop  of  clover,  for  example,  removes  from 
the  soil  some  160  pounds  of  Nitrogen,  while  in  500  pounds 
of  Nitrate  of  Soda  there  are  less  than  100  pounds.  Un- 
doubtedly, the  Nitrogen  taken  from  the  air  is  a  great 
aid,  but  Ave  should  not  expect  too  much  of  it.  The  method 
of  seeding  clovers  depends  much  upon  locality  and  soil 
needs  with  reference  to  pi-evious  crops.  Crimson  clover 
and  Canadian  Held  peas  are  usually  sown  in  August, 
after  earlier  crops  have  been  removed,  or  even  in  corn 
fields.  Red  clover  is  commonly  sown  in  the  spring  on 
wheat  or  with  oats. 

Wheat. 

The  soil  for  this  grain,  fall  planting,  ranges  from  a 
clay  loam  to  a  moderate  sandy  loam.  For  spring  wheat, 
moist  peaty  soils  are  used.  Wheat  is  usually  grown  in 
rotation,  in  which  case  it  nearly  always  follows  corn,  or 
a  clean  culture  crop.  The  nature  of  cultivation  is  too 
Avell  known  to  require  mention  here.  Both  spring  and 
winter  wheat  are  commonly  fertilized  crops,  particularly 


Food  for  Plants. 


115 


the  latter.  The  average  fertilizer  for  wheat  should  con- 
tain Nitrogen,  x)hosphoric  acid  and  potash.  This  fer- 
tilizer is  applied  with  the  seed,  and  at  the  rate  of  500 
pounds  to  the  acre.  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  also  applied 
broadcast  as  a  dressing,  soon  after  the  crop  shows  gro^yth 
in  the  spring,  at  the  rate  of  100  pounds  per  acre.  Like 
all  grains,  wheat  should  have  its  Nitrate  plant  food  early, 
and  in  the  highly  availalile,  easily  digested  nitrated  foTm, 
such  as  is  only  to  be  found  commercially  as  Nitrate  of 
Soda. 

Wheat. 


W heal  — 14  Bushels. 
Average   product  per  acre   for 
the  U.   S.  of  wheat  with  average 
farm  fertilization. 


Wheat  —  37  Bushels. 
The  product  of  an  acre  of  wheat 
fertilized   with    Nitrate   of    Soda, 
phosphates  and  potash. 


The  plant  food  needs  of  a  crop  of  30  bushels  of  wheat 
per  acre  amounts  to  about  70  pounds  of  Nitrogen,  24 
pounds  of  phosphoric  acid,  and  30  pounds  of  potash;  this 
includes  the  straw,  chaff  and  stubble.  One  hundred 
pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  supplies  about  16  pounds  of 
Nitrogen,  so  that  the  quantity  mentioned  for  application 
is  a  minimum  quantity.    Much  has  been  said  of  legume 


11(i  Food  for  Plants. 

Nitrogen  Tor  wheat,  the  crop  being  generally  grown  in 
rotation.  Whatever  Nitrogen  the  clover  may  have  gath- 
ered, a  crop  of  timothy  and  a  crop  of  corn  must  be  sup- 
plied before  the  wheat  rotation  is  reached.  In  all  cases 
where  the  acre  yields  have  fallen  off,  a  broadcast  dress- 
ing of  Nitrate  of  Soda  should  be  given. 

Drill  in  with  the  wheat  in  the  fall  a 
How  to  Apply  mixture  of  150  pounds  of  acid  phosphate 
Nitrate  of  Soda  and  50  pounds  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre, 
to  Wheat.  If  your  land  is  sandy,  add  50  pounds  of 

sulphate  of  potash  to  the  above.  Early 
in  the  spring,  sow  broadcast  50  more  pounds  Nitrate  of 
Soda  per  acre. 

Land  sown  to  wheat  in  the  fall  and  seeded  down  with 
timothy  and  clover  giving  a  heavy  crop,  followed  by  a 
hea^^'  hay  crop  the  following  year,  proved  the  beneficial 
after-effect  of  the  Nitrate  and  that  the  Nitrate  had  not 
leached  away  as  so  many  critics  claim,  and  further  that 
the  soil  had  not  been  exhausted. 

Professor  Massey  writes  in  regard  to  the  effect  of 
Nitrate  of  Soda  on  AVheat,  as  follows : 

"  I  liave  made  several  exi)L'riinents  with  Nitrate  of  Soda.  The  first 
was  on  wheat  in  Albemarle  County,  Virginia.  1  used  200  pounds  per 
aore  on  part  of  the  field  which  had  been  fertilized  with  400  pounds  acid 
phosphate  in  the  fall.  The  result  was  9  l)Ushols  per  acre  more  than  (Ui 
the  rest  of  the  field,  and  a  stand  of  clover,  while  none  of  any  account 
stood  on  the  rest  of  the  field." 

Instructions  for  using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Wheat. 

As  soon  as  frost  leaves  the  ground  in  the  spring,  apply 
the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly,  by  hand  or 
by  machine,  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  wheat  iield  you 
are  fertilizing,  at  the  rate  of  100  pounds  per  acre,  which 
is  equal  in  bulk  to  one  bushel. 

Formula  for  Wheat. 

Nitrate  alone    100  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferablv 

Nitrate   '. 150    "       "       " 

Acid  Phosphate  150    "       "       " 


Food  for  Plants. 


117 


When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash 
to  the  acre  every  other  year. 


Fertilizer  Experiment  icith  Wheat. 


Phosphoric  Acid              Phosphoric  Acid  Phosphoric   Acid    and 

and  Potash  with  1  oz.  and  Potash  with  i/4  oz.  Potash  without 

Nitrate  of  Soda.               Nitrate  of  Soda.  Nitrate  of  Soda. 

Yield :     SVo  oz.  Grain.  Yield :    l^/^  oz.  Grain.  Yield :  Y^  oz.  Grain. 


118 


Food  for  Plants. 


Oats. 

This  grain  does  well  on  nearly  all  types  of  soil,  but 
responds  freely  to  good  treatment.  There  is  a  vast  dif- 
ference in  the  quality  of  oats  when  grown  on  poor  or  rich 
soils.  Perhaps  no  other  crop  so  effectually  conceals 
impoverishment ;  at  the  same  time  the  feeding  value  of 
oats  grown  on  poor  soil  is  very  low.    In  the  North  oats 

Oats. 


30  Bushels.  G5  Busliels. 

A.veraiic   product  per  acre,  for  The  jn-oduct  of    an  acre  of  oats 

the  U.    8.   of  oats,   with   average  fertilized  with  Nitrate  of  Soda, 
farm  fertilization. 

are  sown  in  the  spring,  and  usually  after  corn  or  a  turned 
down  clover  sod.  In  such  cases  the  crop  is  rarely  ever 
given  fertilizer,  but  shows  an  excellent  return  for  a  broad- 
cast dressing  of  100  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per  acre. 
The  crop  has  strong  foraging  powers,  and  will  find  avail- 
able mineral  plant  food  where  a  wheat  crop  would  utterly 
fail.  On  soils  pretty  badly  exhausted,  an  application  of 
400  pounds  of  fertilizer  will  yield  a  profitable  return, 
provided  the  dressing  of  Nitrate  is  not  omitted. 
Under  any  condition  of  soil  or  fertilizing,  a  sickly  green 
color  of  the  young  crop  shows  need  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 
plant  food,  and  the  remedy  is  a  dressing  of  Nitrate.  In 
seeding,  use  two  or  three  bushels  to  the  acre. 


Food  for  Plaistts.  119 

In  many  places  in  Europe  the  cereals,  like  oats  and 
wheat,  are  planted  or  sown  in  rows  and  cultivated  as  we 
cultivate  Indian  corn.  It  is  claimed  that  this  increases 
yield  materially,  and  is  of  great  aid  in  helping  to  avoid 
lodging.  It  requires  less  seed  per  acre  and  increases  the 
yield. 

Another  method  in  vogue  is  to  sow  less  seed  per  acre 
broadcast  and  use  more  fertilizer,  so  that  the  individual 
stalks  are  stronger  and  bigger. 

Autumn  dressings  of  Nitrate  are  used  frequently  in 
Europe,  and  in  connection  with  minerals  a  "dressing  of 
as  much  as  three  hundred  (300)  pounds  of  Nitrate  per 
acre  is  used  annually. 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Oats. 

As  soon  as  you  sow  the  oats  in  the  spring,  apply  the 
Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broadcasting  it  evenly,  by  hand  or 
machine,  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  oat  field  at  the 
rate  of  100  pounds  per  acre.  In  bulk  this  is  equal  to 
about  one  bushel. 

Formula  for  Oats. 

Nitrate  alone   100  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferably 

Nitrate ^ 150     "        "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 150     "        "       " 

"When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash 
to  the  acre  every  other  year. 

Rye. 

This  is  another  illustration  of  the  necessity  of  care  in 
the  use  of  fertilizer  Nitrogen.  Eye  does  best  on  fight 
soils  so  long  as  they  are  not  too  sandy,  but  if  the  soil 
is  rich  in  vegetable  matter,  or  if  a  fertilizer  is  used  con- 
taining much  organic  ammoniate,  the  grain  yield  will  be 
disappointing;  the  crop  fails  to  mature  in  season  because 
the  nitration  of  organic  Nitrogen  or  humus  is  greatest 


120 


Food  for  Plants. 


during  the  warm  days  of  mid-summer,  and  a  constant 
supply  of  avaihiible  Nitrate  is  being  furnished  at  a  time 
when  the  crop  should  commence  to  mature.  The  crop 
needs  Nitrate,  but  it  should  have  been  supplied  during 
the  earlier  stages  of  growth.  Use  at  first  a  general  fer- 
tilizer, 500  pounds  per  acre.  As  soon  as  the  crop  shows 
growth,  in  the  spring  apply  100  pounds  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda  to  the  acre,  broadcast. 


Bye. 


Rye  — 18  Bushels. 
Average  product    per  acre   for 
the  U.  S.  of  rye  with  average  farm 
fertilization. 


Rye  —  36  Bushels. 
The  product  of  an  acre  of  rj'e 
fertilized   ■with    Nitrate    of    Soda, 
phosphates  and  potash. 


Instructions  for  Using-  Nitrate  of  Soda  on  Rye. 

Just  as  soon  as  growth  starts  in  the  spring,  or  a  little 
earlier  if  possible,  apply  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  by  broad- 
casting it  evenly,  by  hand  or  by  machine,  over  the  entire 
surface  of  the  rye  field  you  are  fertilizing,  at  the  rate  of 
100  pounds  per  acre,  w^hich  is  equal  in  bulk  to  one  bushel. 


Food  for  Plants. 


121 


Formula  for  Rye. 

Nitrate  alone   100  lbs.  per  acre 

or  preferably 

Nitrate  ^ 150     "        "       " 

Acid  Phosphate 150     "        "       " 

When  potash  salts  can  be  conveniently  obtained  we 
advise  the  use  of  fifty  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash 
to  the  acre  every  other  year. 

Buckwheat. 

This  crop  does  well  on  almost  all  kinds  of  soil,  but 
should  follow  a  grain  or  hoed  crop  —  that  is,  a  clean 
cultivation  crop.    On  thin  soils  use  about  400  pounds  of 

Buckirheat. 


1 


No  Nitrate. 
Yield,  19  bushels  per  acre. 


Fertilized  with  125  lbs.  Nitrate  of 

Soda  per  acre. 

Yield,  38  bushels  per  acre. 


general  fertilizer  to  the  acre,  applied  just  before  seeding, 
or  even  with  the  seed.  Heavy  soils  do  not  require  fer- 
tilizing for  this  crop,  as  it  has  exceptional  foraging 
powers,  and  will  find  nourishment  where  many  grain 
crops  would  starve.  As  soon  as  the  plants  are  well  above 
ground,  broadcast  100  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  per 


122  Food  for  Plants. 

acre,  both  on  stroiio-  and  li,i»-lit  soils.  Use  one  bushel 
of  si'vd  ])vv  acre  on  thin  soils,  hut  a  heavier  application 
on  richer  soils. 

In  many  places  in  Europe  the  cereals,  like  oats  and 
\vheat,  are  ])lanted  or  sown  in  rows  and  cultivated  as  we 
cultivate  Indian  corn.  Tt  is  claimed  that  this  increases 
yield  materially,  and  helps  to  avoid  lodging.  It  requires 
less  seed  per  acre  and  increases  the  yield. 

Another  method  in  vogue  is  to  sow  less  seed  per  acre 
broadcast  and  use  more  fertilizer,  so  that  the  individual 
stalks  are  stronger  and  bigger. 

ORANGE  GROVES  IN  FLORIDA. 

An  orange  that  weighs  a  pound  would  sell  in  New^  York 
for  a  dime.  When  it  takes  as  many  as  six  to  weigh  a 
pound  they  are  almost  w^orthless. 

Satisfactory  results  have  been  obtained  in  Florida  by 
fertilizing  during  the  cold  season.  About  two  months 
before  the  period  of  grow^th  begins,  apply  to  each  full- 
grown  tree  a  mixture  of  7  pounds  of  14  per  cent,  acid  or 
superphosphate  and  4  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash,  by 
working  them  into  the  soil;  after  which  4  pounds  of 
Nitrate  of  (Soda  may  be  likewise  applied.  The  ^vorking  of 
the  soil  must  not  be  so  deep  or  thorough  as  to  start  the 
growth  of  the  tree.  An  excess  of  Nitrate  is  to  be  avoided, 
iDut  the  amount  mentioned  is  not  too  much.  All  other 
ammoniates  on  the  market  must  be  converted  into  Nitrate 
by  weathering  and  the  action  of  the  soil  bacteria  before 
they  can  possibly  be  available  for  plant  food.  Nitrate 
of  Soda  is  a  predigested  Nitrogen.  There  is  a  danger  of 
loss  of  Nitrogen  in  all  other  forms  as  they  must  be  con- 
verted into  Nitrate  before  becoming  available  as  food, 
and  during  this  comparatively  long  process  much  of  it 
may  be  lost  by  rains  and  leaching,  since  they  suffer  in 
fact  from  many  days  of  long  exposure  to  the  adverse 
condition. 

In  the  case  of  your  particular  soil,  it  may  well  be  that 
it  is  sufficiently  rich  in  potash,  and  therefore,  may  not 


Food  foe  Plants.  123 

require  a  large  application  of  it.  In  any  event,  the 
grower  must  be  governed  by  the  condition  of  his  grove 
and  the  general  character  of  soil  and  climate  in  his  par- 
ticular locality. 

The  early  decay  of  orchards  as  well  as  failure  to  set 
fruit  buds,  is  largely  a  matter  of  lack  of  plant  food. 
Orchards  should  have  Nitrate,  applied  early  in  the  sea- 
son, as  late  supplies  of  Nitrogen  are  liable  to  cause  a 
heavy  setting  of  leaf  buds  at  the  expense  of  next  year's 
fruit.  The  ordinary  ammoniates  are  not  satisfactory  for 
orchard  work,  as  tliey  continue  to  supply  available  am- 
monia all  through  the  season;  not  enough  in  the  early 
part  of  the  year  to  properly  set  the  fruit,  hence  severe 
dropping;  too  much  late  in  the  year  when  none  is  needed 
and  which  causes  the  formation  of  leaf  rather  than  fruit 
l)uds.  The  soil  between  the  trees  should  be  regularly 
tilled,  much  as  in  corn  growing.  That  it  is  not  generally 
done  is  no  argument  against  the  value  of  such  cultivation 
methods. 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  the  Citrus  in  California. 

Under  ordinary  conditions  in  California  —  for  full- 
grown  orange  trees  —  we  advise  applying  Nitrate  early 
in  March  or  even  the  middle  of  February,  and  follow  the 
application  immediately  after  by  disking  or  harrowing 
in  the  material  to  the  depth  of  five  or  six  inches. 

When  it  is  used  alone.  Nitrate  may  be  used  at  the  rate 
of  two  hundred  (200)  pounds  to  the  acre. 

It  can  be  used  more  profitably  at  the  rate  of  four  liun- 
dred  (400)  pounds  to  the  acre  if  four  hundred  (4-00) 
pounds  of  dry  acid  or  superphosphate  be  used  with  it. 
Both  materials  should  be  dry. 

Four  hundred  pounds  of  Nitrate  is  equal  iai  bulk  to 
about  four  bushels. 

We  believe  the  second  procedure  is  the  more  profitable 
as  a  rule,  and  we  have  no  hesitation  in  recommending  it 


124 


Food  for  Plants. 


in  preference  to  the  use  of  Nitrate  alone.     The  earlier 
the  application,  the  better  the  results. 

After  plowing  in  the  material  in  February,  the  orchard 
should  be  cultivated  every  thirty  (30)  days  until  August, 
preferably  in  the  forepart  of  each  month.  The  last  culti- 
vation is  done  best  by  a  disk  harrow. 

Results  at  Highgrove. 
Yields  of  3  plots  of  equal  size. 


4   l-lo.xe.^        iJ   lloxes        15  Boxes 
Oranges       Oranges        Oranges 
with    no     Fertilized      Fertilized 
Fertilizer,   with   Acid         with 

Phosphate      Nitrate  of 
Alone.  Soda 

and   Acid 
Phosphate. 

Formulas  for  full-grown  citrus  trees  in  tabular  form 
are  as  follows : 

Kate  per  Acre 

Nitrate  of  Soda  alone 200  lbs. 

or  preferably 

Nitrate  of  Soda 400  lbs. 

Acid,  or  Super  Phosphate 400  lbs. 

These  formulas  it  is  believed  will  also  be  found  very 
satisfactory  for  both  full-grown  lemon  trees  and  full- 
grown  grapefruit. 


Food  for  Plants. 


123 


How  It  Was  Done  at  Corona,  California. 

The  rows  were  trenched  eight  inches  deep,  just  out- 
side the  drip  of  the  trees  and  the  fertilizers  spread  in  the 
trench  opposite  the  whole  width  of  each  tree.  This  was 
done  on  tw^o  sides  of  each  row  in  the  same  direction,  then 
covered  by  the  plow\  This,  the  only  plowing,  w^as  done  on 
March  7,  1918.  The  application  of  fertilizers  in  trenches 
is  found  to  give  the  best  results  in  the  orange  groves  of 
this  section. 

Six  after-cultivations  to  a  depth  of  five  or  six  inches 
were  given.    These  six  cultivations  were  made  during  the 

Results  at  Corona. 


32.2  Boxes  Oransjes. 
Yield  of  1/10  acre 
fertilized   with   Acid 
Phosphate  alone. 


41.1  Boxes  Oranges. 
Yield  of  1/10  acre 
fertilized  with  Ni- 
trate of  Soda  and 
Acid  Phosi^hate. 


forepart  of  each  of  the  months  of  March,  April,  May, 
June,  July  and  August.  The  March  cultivation  consisted 
of  a  thorough  disking.  The  other  five  cultivations  were 
made  with  the  ordinary  orchard  cultivator. 

The  above  trench  fertilizing  was  done  parallel  with 
irrigation  furrows  up  one  side  and  down  the  other,  noth- 


126  Food  for  Plants. 

iiig  Ix'iiii;'  applied  on  llic  other  two  sides.  This  has  given 
g-ood  results  and  the  al)ove  method  is  recommended  to 
California  citrus  i'ruit  growers. 

Citrus  Growing-  in  California. 

A  five-sixteenths  of  an  acre  ])lot  of  orange  trees  at 
Corona  fertilized  with  Nitrate  of  !Soda  and  acid  phos- 
phate at  the  rate  of  320  pounds  of  each  per  acre  yielded 
at  the  rate  of  411  boxes  of  high  quality  fruit.  A  plot 
alongside  fertilized  without  Nitrate  gave  a  rate  of  yield 
of  only  322  boxes  per  acre  of  inferior  fruit.  This  differ- 
ence of  yield  of  89  boxes  per  acre  due  to  the  use  of  Nitrate 
shoivs  an  increase  in  value  of  produce  equivalent  to 
$324.85.  Each  100  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  used  in  this 
case  added  a  rate  of  profit  to  the  grower's  income  of 
$101.52  per  acre. 

The  best  source  of  Nitrogen  for  citrus  fruits  is  Nitrate 
of  Soda,  because  of  its  instant  availability.  Growth  is 
promoted  at  once  after  application  is  made.  It  is  taking 
chances  to  apply  any  nitrogenous  fertilizer  not  imme- 
diately available  because  of  the  tendency  to  pro- 
long growth  unduly  and  to  delay  maturity;  and  it  is  fatal 
to  apply  high  grade  fertilizers  too  late.  In  California 
on  alkaline  soils  or  soils  having  alkaline  tendencies  the 
application  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  witli  an  eciual  quantity  of 
acid  phosphate  or  super  phosphate  tends  to  diminish 
black  alkali  present. 

The  Rational  Use  of  Chilean  Nitrate  in  California. 

The  use  of  Chilean  Nitrate  is  increasing  year  by  year 
in  England,  and  it  is  coming  to  be  more  and  more  appre- 
ciated there,  as  well  as  on  the  continent  of  Europe. 

In  fact,  everywhere  in  the  world  where  there  is  pro- 
gressive and  enlightened  experiment  work,  the  unique 
(lualities  of  Chilean  Nitrate  are  putting  it  ahead  of  every 
other  nitrogenous  plant  food.  No  reputable  authority 
in  the  world  has  ever  advocated  such  large  quantities  of 


Food  for  Plants.  127 

Chilean  Nitrate  per  acre  as  would  result  in  any  abnormal 
accumulation  of  alkali.  Moreover,  the  use  of  acid  phos- 
phates, associated  as  they  are  commercially  with  sul- 
phate of  lime,  converts  any  black  alkali  residue  into 
harmless  forms  of  soda.  The  vast  majority  of  soils  in 
the  United  States,  probably  95  per  cent.,  have  a  tendency 
to  grow  acid  rather  than  to  grow  alkali;  and  Chilean 
Nitrate  is,  therefore,  highly  beneficial  in  such  cases. 

The  use  of  potash  salts  tends  to  leave  acid  residuals, 
and  when  phosphates  and  potashes  are  used  rationally, 
and  in  quantities  suitable  for  normal  plant  feeding,  the 
question  of  Chilean  Nitrate  leaving  abnormal  amounts 
of  alkali  residues  becomes  a  purely  fanciful  one,  and  is 
not  worthy  of  the  serious  attention  of  a  practical  busi- 
ness horticulturist  or  farmer. 

In  all  our  literature,  the  rational  and  not  the  irra- 
tional use  of  fertilizers  is  recommended,  i.  e.,  normal 
amounts  of  the  three  elements  of  fertility.  The  use  of 
Chilean  Nitrate  alone  is  not  recommended  except  at  the 
rate  of  100  or  200  pounds  per  acre,  which  is  a  trifling  ton- 
nage application;  and  we  always  ad\nse  when  larger 
amounts  are  used,  that  the  horticulturist  or  fanner  use 
as  much  in  quantity  of  acid  phosphate. 

The  vast  majority  of  farm  lands  of  our  country,  where 
so-called  "  Complete  "  fertilizers  have  been  used,  have 
the  tendency  to  become  sour  and  acid;  and  Chilean 
Nitrate  could  not  only  be  used  indefinitely  with  an 
extremely  beneficial  effect  in  this  particular  connection, 
but  there  is  an  immediate  general  need  for  it. 

An  acre  of  ground  one  foot  deep  is  the  active  service 
part  of  the  soil,  and,  to  a  large  extent,  its  chemical  com- 
position determines  its  usefulness.  This  service  soil 
weighs  on  an  average  2,000  tons  per  acre. 

There  is  enough  sulphate  of  lime  or  gypsum  present, 
as  well  as  acid,  in  the  average  acid  phosphate,  to 
materially  help  the  black  alkali  of  many  alkaline  soils, 
but  gypsum  alone  may  be  used  also  for  correcting  alkali. 

Since  we  never  recommend  the  use  of  Chilean  Nitrate 
alone,  except  at  the  rate  of  from  one  hundred  to  two  hun- 


128  Food  fok  Plants. 

dred  pounds  per  acre,  this  relatively  small  amount  could 
liave  no  material  influence  whatever  in  increasing  the 
alkali  content  of  soils.  The  continued  use  of  Nitrate 
under  rational  methods  of  fertilizing,  would  not  add 
to,  but  rather  diminish  the  quantity  of  alkali  in  the 
soil.  The  associated  gypsum  and  acid  phosphate  thus 
used  would  tend  to  loosen  heavy  clay  soils  which  need 
improvement  in  texture  and  the  acid  residues  from  these 
materials  would  likewise  benefit  alkaline  soils. 

In  this  connection,  it  is  important  to  observe  that  care 
must  be  exercised,  in  soils  containing  black  alkali,  to 
avoid  materially  increasing  the  content  of  carbonate  or 
hi-carbonate  of  lime,  since  this  would  help  promote  the 
destruction  of  humus.  It  is,  therefore,  suggested  for 
these  particular  soils,  that  the  large  and  constant  use  of 
lime  be  avoided.  AVlien  lime  is  needed,  have  your  soil 
examined  by  an  expert,  and  do  not  put  on  any  more  lime 
in  any  form  than  advised  for  your  particular  case.  In 
other  words,  take  good  care  to  preserve  your  humus. 
Do  not  destroy  it  by  excessive  liming  on  any  account. 
Neither  wetness  nor  stickiness  will  result  from  the 
rational  use  of  Chilean  Nitrate.  The  productivity  of  all 
soils  may  be  increased  by  the  right  use  of  it. 

All  arid  soils  lack  nitrogen  on  account  of  having  but 
little  natural  humus  in  them,  hence  the  application  of 
Chilean  Nitrate  should  give  profitable  crop  increases. 

What  Burbank  Says: 

"After  testing  a  great  variety  of  fertilizers  on  my 
orchard  and  experimental  grounds,  I  find  that  the 
Nitrate  of  Soda  and  Thomas  slag  phosphate  have  given 
the  best  results  at  the  least  expense,  and  I  shall  not  look 
further  at  present,  as  my  trees,  bulbs,  plants,  flowers  and 
fruits  have  been,  by  the  use  of  about  150  pounds  each 
X)er  acre,  nearly  doubled  in  size  and  beauty  in  ahnost 
every  instance.  The  above-named  fertilizers  have  more 
than  doubled  the  ])ro(lu('t  of  my  soil  at  a  very  small  out- 
lay per  acre. 


Food  for  Plants.  129 

A\1iere  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  used,  I  find  a  greatly 
increased  ability  in  trees  to  resist  drought,  and  lack  of 
cultivation. ' ' 

"  Luther  Burbank  is  the  greatest  originator  of  new 
and  valuable  forms  of  plant  life  of  this  or  any  other 
age,"  says  David  Starr  Jordan,  President  of  Leland 
Stanford  Junior  University,  California. 

WINTER  SPRAYING  WITH  SOLUTIONS  OF  NITRATE  OF 

SODA. 

By  W.  S.  Ballard,  Pathologist,  Fruit-Disease  Investigations,  Bureau 
of  Plant  Industry,  and  W.  H.  Volck,  County  Horticultural  Com- 
missioner of  Santa  Cruz  County,  California. 

These  investigations  were  conducted  in  co-operation  between  the  Office  of 
Pruit-Disease  Investigations  of  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  and  the  office 
of  the  County  Horticultural  Commissioner  of  Santa  Cruz  County,  located  at 
Watsonville,  Cal. 

Introduction. 

Recently  several  investigators  have  reported  results 
in  shortening  the  rest  period  of  a  number  of  woody 
plants  by  immersing  the  dormant  shoots  in  weak  nutri- 
ent solutions  or  by  injecting  solutions  of  alcohol,  ether, 
and  various  acids  into  the  twigs.  These  experiments 
have  been  conducted  in  the  laboratory  with  short  cut- 
tings of  the  plants.  The  effect  of  such  treatment  has 
been  to  force  the  dormant  buds  out  several  days  ahead 
of  the  normal  opening  period. 

During  the  last  two  years  the  writers  have  obtained 
similar  and  additional  results  on  a  much  larger  scale  by 
spraying  dormant  fruit  trees  with  strong  solutions  of 
certain  commercial  fertilizers,  especially  Nitrate  of 
Soda.  Since  these  experiments  have  been  conducted 
on  the  entire  trees  in  the  orchard,  it  has  been  possible 
to  observe  the  effects  throughout  the  whole  season. 
The  investigations  have  not  yet  been  carried  far  enough 
to  permit  drawing  any  conclusions  regarding  the  physi- 
ologic action  of  such  spraying,  but  because  of  its  prac- 
tical value  these  preliminary  results  seem  deserving  of 
attention  at  this  time. 
5 


]:]()  Food   I'or.  Plants. 

Experiments  in  1912. 

Ill  the  course  of  llic  iuvostig-atioiis  o!'  tlic  wi-itcrs  on 
the  control  of  apple  i)o\vclery  mildew  in  the  Pajaro  \'al- 
ley,  Cal.,  it  became  evident  that  the  general  vigor  of  the 
tree  and  the  thriftiness  of  the  foliage  growth  had  mnch 
to  do  with  the  success  of  the  summer  spraying  treatment 
for  the  control  of  the  mildew,  and  after  a  number  of 
exi)eriments  in  applying  plant-food  materials  to  the 
foliage  in  the  form  of  summer  si)rays,  and  after  seeing 
that  certain  crude-oil  emulsions  used  as  dormant  sprays 
had  a  marked  effect  in  stinudating  an  increased  vigor  of 
the  trees  the  following  spring,  it  was  decided  to  try  the 
effect  of  a  strong  solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  as  a  winter 
or  dormant  spray.  Caustic  potash  (potasli  lye)  was 
also  added  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  si)ray  an  insec- 
ticide value.  The  mixture  was  prepared  according  to 
the  following  formula: 

Nitrate  of  Soda   50  pounds 

Caustic  Potasli    "  pounds 

^Y.:ite,-  50  gallons 

The  experiment  was  conducted  in  a  Yellow  Bellfiower 
apple  orchard  owned  by  Mr.  0.  U.  Stoesser,  of  Watson- 
ville,  Cal.  This  orchard  is  situated  about  5  miles  from 
the  ocean  shore  and  is  in  a  district  that  is  more  subject 
to  ocean  fogs  and  trade  winds  than  is  the  main  portion 
of  the  Pajaro  Valley.  It  is  a  common  characteristic  of 
the  numerous  orchards  of  Yellow  Bellfiower  apples  of 
this  particular  district  that  they  bloom  abundantly,  but 
set  only  a  partial  crop.  The  .trees  are  on  a  deep  sedi- 
mentary soil  and  grow  well. 

Seven  12-year-old  trees  were  sprayed  on  February  2, 
1912.  The  "application  was  very  thoroughly  made,  so 
that  all  of  the  small  twigs  were  drenched.  About  7  gal- 
lons of  spray  solution  were  applied  to  each  tree.  Adjoin- 
ing this  row  on  one  side  was  a  check  row  of  seven  trees 
wiiich  received  no  winter  spraying,  and  on  the  other  side 
were  several  rows  of  seven  trees  each  which  received 
various  a])i)lications  of  crude-oil  emulsions  and  soaps. 
For  tlic  purpose  of  gaining  some  idea  of  the  etfect  of 


Food  for  Plants.  131 

Nitrate  of  Soda  used  as  a  fertilizer,  50  iJouiids  were  ap- 
plied as  a  surface  dressing  to  one  vigorous  tree  selected 
from  the  row  adjoining  the  Xitrate-sprayed  row.  This 
fertilizer  was  later  plowed  in  and  washed  down  h\  the 
rains. 

Effects  on  Blossoming-  and  on  the  Fohage. 

Notes  taken  at  the  time  the  trees  were  coming  out  in 
the   spring   show   the   following   results: 

April  7,  1912.  Trees  in  the  row  sprayed  with  Nitrate  of  Soda  and 
lye  are  well  in  bloom,  while  those  in  tlie  check  row  adjoining  and  in  the 
remainder  of  the  unsprayed  orchard  are  showing  only  an  occasional 
flower  fnlly  opened. 

April  14,  1912.  The  relative  advancement  of  the  row  sprayed  with  a 
solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  lye  and  the  check  plat  is  the  same  as 
noted  on  April  7.  The  Nitrate-sprayed  trees  are  nearly  in  full  bloom, 
whereas  comparatively  few  blossoms  have  opened  on  the  check  plat. 

When  the  check  row  had  reached  full  bloom,  the  row  sprayed  with  a 
solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  lye  was  practically  out  of  bloom. 

Thus,  the  Nitrate  spraying  advanced  the  blossom- 
ing time  about  two  weeks  ahead  of  the  normal  period. 
It  is  characteristic  of  the  Yellow  Belhlower  variety  of 
apples  in  the  Pajaro  A^alley  that  the  foliage  buds  corny 
out  early,  so  that  by  the  time  the  full-bloom  period  is 
reached  the  trees  are  showing  a  considerable  amount 
of  young  foliage.  The  Nitrate  spraying  produced  a 
change  in  this  respect.  AVhile  the  flower  buds  were 
greatly  stimulated  in  coming  out,  the  foliage  buds  were 
not  so  much  affected,  and  the  result  was  that  when 
the  trees  sprayed  with  a  solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 
and  lye  were  in  full  bloom  and  two  weeks  in  advance 
of  the  check  trees  in  that  regard,  their  foliage  condition 
was  relatively  nearer  that  of  the  check.  Plate  L  shows 
the  comparative  stages  of  the  Nitrate-sprayed  and  the 
check  trees  at  that  time.  A  decided  contrast  will  be 
seen  in  the  relative  advancement  of  the  bloom  on  the 
tree  sprayed  with  Nitrate  of  Soda  (PI.  L,  fig,  1)*  as  com- 
pared with  the  check  tree  (PI.  L,  fig.  2).*  This  contrast 
is  shown  more  in  detail  in  Plate  LI,  in  which  figure  1 
shows    a    branch    from    a    Nitrate-sprayed    tree,    while 

*  For   [ihirf's    sec   oriiiiiuil    article. 


132  Food  for  Pi.ants. 

figure  2  shows  one  from  a  ciiock  tree.  Both  branches 
were  collected  on  the  same  day.  An  examination  of 
the  figures  in  Plate  L  will  show  that  the  advancement 
of  the  foliage  on  the  Nitrate-sprayed  tree  is  compara- 
tively less  marked  than  that  of  the  bloom.  This  same 
condition  is  shown  in  detail  in  Plate  LI,  in  which  it 
will  be  seen  that  there  is  relatively  little  difference  in 
the  advancement  of  the  foliage  of  the  sprayed  and 
unsprayed  branches.  Later  in  the  spring,  however,  the 
effect  on  foliage  growth  became  more  pronounced,  and 
the  sprayed  trees  assumed  a  more  vigorous,  green  ap- 
pearance than  the  check  trees.  The  single  tree  that  re- 
ceived the  50  pounds  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  applied  to  the 
soil  showed  no  greater  vigor  than  the  check  trees. 

Both  the  row  sprayed  with  Nitrate  of  Soda  and 
the  check  row  received  summer  sprayings  directed 
toward  the  control  of  apple  powder^'  mildew  and  of 
codling  moth  and  various  other  insect  pests.  While  the 
treatment  of  the  two  rows  was  not  the  same,  there  was 
no  essential  difference  in  the  results  —  that  is,  the  crop 
loss  from  codling  moth  and  other  insect  pests  did  not 
exceed  1  per  cent,  on  either  plat  and  there  was  no  dam- 
age to  the  fruit  from  summer  spraying.  It  is  therefore, 
evident  that  the  difference  which  showed  up  in  the  crop 
production  of  the  two  rows  must  be  attributed  to  the 
winter  Nitrate  spraying. 

Crop  Results. 

The  check  row  of  seven  trees,  which  received  no 
w^inter  spraying  but  which  was  properly  protected  b}' 
summer  sprayings,  produced  8  loose  boxes  of  fruit  at 
picking  time.  On  the  other  hand,  the  adjoining  row, 
sprayed  in  Febniary  with  the  solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 
plus  lye,  produced  a  total  of  a  little  over  40  boxes. 
Thus,  the  winter  Nitrate  spraying  increased  the  crop 
production  to  fully  five  times  that  of  the  unsprayed 
row.  Similar  adjacent  plats,  which  were  winter- 
sprayed  with  various  ciTide-oil  emulsions  and  soap 
sprays,    produced    crops    varying   from    5    to    9    boxes 


Food  eor  Plants.  133 

per  plat.  The  single  tree  wliicli  received  the  50  pound& 
of  Nitnite  of  Soda  applied  as  a  fertilizer  gave  no  in- 
creased production,  whereas  none  of  the  trees  in  the 
Nitrate-sprayed  row  failed  to  respond. 

Regarding  the  single,  heavily  fertilized  tree,  it 
might  he  stated  that  in  addition  to  its  showing  no  in- 
crease in  production,  the  tree  bloomed  no  earlier  than 
normal,  there  was  no  improvement  in  the  growth  and 
no  change  in  its  general  appearance  throughout  the 
growing  season  of  1912,  and  in  the  spring  of  1913  it 
came  out  normally  and  not  differently  from  the  other 
trees  in  the  same  row,  being  one  of  the  trees  in  a  check 
plat.  The  tree  is  still  in  normal  condition  and  shows 
no  noticeable  effect  from  the  heavy  fertilizing.  The 
orchard  is  not  irrigated,  and  the  rainfall  has  been 
much  less  than  normal  during  the  last  two  years. 

Attention  might  again  be  called  to  the  conditions 
under  which  these  results  were  obtained  —  namely, 
thrifty-growing  trees  in  a  deep  residual  soil  and  having 
the  characteristic  of  blooming  abundantly  each  year 
but  setting  only  a  shy  crop.  Even  the  40  boxes  pro- 
duced by  the  Nitrate  spraying  does  not  represent  the 
full  crop  that  such  trees  should  bear,  but  the  fourfold 
increase  much  more  than  paid  for  the  cost  of  spraying, 
and  the  possibility  remains  of  still  further  increasing 
that  production  by  similar  treatment  in  following  years. 

Experiments  in  1913. 

The  one  small  experiment  on  seven  trees  in  1912  did 
not  furnish  sufficient  grounds  for  draAving  any  general 
conclusions  as  to  the  applicability  of  Avinter  Nitrate 
spraying,  but  the  striking  results  obtained  opened  a 
wide  field  of  inquirj".  For  instance,  potash  lye  was 
added  to  the  solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  in  the  experi- 
ment of  1912,  so  the  questions  arise  as  to  whether  the 
lye  was  necessary  and  whether  an  acid  medium  would 
increase  or  decrease  the  effect  of  the  Nitrate  of  Soda; 
also,  would  a  weaker  Nitrate  solution  prove  as  effective 
and  would  other  nitrogen-bearing  fertilizer  materials, 


IT)!  Koon    |-{)i;    I'l.AXts. 

sucli  as  liiiu'  Xilratc,  lime  (*\aiiaiin(l,  and  sulphatr  of 
aiiinioiiia,  ix'wv  similar  i-csultsl'  Kollowino'  along  this 
lim'  it  would  lie  iuti'icst iiii;-  lo  know  what  ciTect,  if  any, 
the  otiuT  t'ci-lilizci-  (dements,  jtotash  and  phosphorfic 
acid,  mi.uld  lia\-e  wiieii  applied  as  sprays,  and  finally, 
what  ri'sults  mii»ht  l)e  ohtainetl  i'lom  a  similar  applica- 
tion of  othei'  snlistances  not  ordinarily  considercMl  as 
liaxiui;-  aii\'  particular  fertilizer  value. 

Exi)eriments  intended  to  answer  these  and  a  num- 
ber of  other  more  or  less  im])ortant  questions  were 
stinted  in  Fehi-naiy,  li)l.'),  in  the  same  orchard  in  which 
the  ])revions  year's  work  was  done.  Eleven  13-year- 
old  trees  were  used  in  each  plat.  A  frost  occurred  at 
the  time  the  fruit  was  setting  which  ruined  the  crop 
and  made  it  impossible  to  obtain  results  in  crop  pro- 
duction. Data  were  obtained,  however,  on  the  effect 
of  the  various  sprays  on  the  blossoming  of  the  trees 
in  the  spring,  and  tlie  notes  taken  may  lie  summarized 
as  follows : 

The  plats  sprayed  with  Nitrate  of  Soda  at  the  rate 
of  1  pound  to  the  gallon  came  into  l)loom  earlier  than 
the  check  trees,  just  as  they  had  done  in  1912.  This 
effect  was  more  marked  in  the  cases  in  which  lye  was 
added  to  the  Nitrate  solution  than  when  the  plain  water 
solution  was  used  —  that  is,  the  addition  of  lye  in  the 
l)ro])ortion  of  16  ])ounds  of  caustic  soda  in  100  gallons 
of  s])i-ay  solution  increased  the  action  of  the  Nitrate 
of  Soda  in  l)ringing  the  trees  out  earlier.  Caustic  soda 
appeared  to  be  just  as  effective  as  caustic  potash. 
Nitrate  of  Soda  used  at  the  rate  of  half  a  pound  to  the 
gallon,  either  with  or  without  the  addition  of  lye,  was 
not  nearly  so  effective  as  a  solution,  of  1  ])ound  to  the 
gallon.  A  solution  of  one-fourth  of  a  pound  to  the  gal- 
lon, with  lye  added,  had  practically  no  effect.  Nitrate  of 
Soda,  at  the  rate  of  1  pound  to  the  gallon,  to  whicli 
oxalic  acid  was  added  in  the  proportion  of  50  ])ounds 
to  125  gallons  of  solution,  produced  results  similar  to 
Nitrate  of  Soda  plus  lye,  so  far  as  the  effect  of  hastening 
the  blooming  period  is  concerned.     Lime  Nitrate,   130 


Food  fok  Plants.  IS.") 

pounds  ill  100  i>alloiis  of  water,  and  lime  cyaiiaiiiid,  92 
pounds  in  100  gallons  of  water,  stimulated  an  earlier 
blooming-  of  the  trees,  and  subsequent  experiments  will 
probably  put  these  substances  in  a  class  with  Nitrate 
of  Soda.  Normal  Yellow  Belltiower  apple  blossoms  have 
considerable  pink  color,  and  it  was  interesting  to  note 
that  when  the  trees  sprayed  with  the  lime  cyanamid 
came  into  bloom  the  flowers  were  nearly  white.  The 
etfects  from  sulphate  of  ammonia  were  not  nearly  so 
marked  as  those  from  Nitrate  of  Soda.  These  various 
nitrogen-bearing  fertilizer  substances  were  used  in  such 
strengths  as  to  carry  relatively  the  same  quantities  of 
nitrogen  per  gallon.  Sulphate  of  potash  had  some  effect 
in  stimulating  an  early  blooming,  but  double  superphos- 
phate did  not.  Of  a  number  of  other  substances  tried, 
common  salt  used  at  the  rate  of  68  pounds  to  100  gallons 
of  water  produced  a  distinct  effect. 

It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  above  remarks  apply 
simply  to  the  effects  of  the  various  sprays  in  causing 
an  earlier  lilooming  of  the  trees,  but  since  this  early 
blooming  was  a  striking  characteristic  of  the  Nitrate- 
sprayed  trees  of  1912,  which  showed  a  fourfold  increase 
in  production,  it  seems  permissible  to  conclude  that  this 
etf'eet  on  the  fruit  buds  is  some  criterion  of  what  might 
have  been  expected  in  the  way  of  crop  increase  had  not 
the  fruit  been  lost  by  frost. 

The  row  of  seven  trees  used  in  the  Nitrate  experi- 
ment of  1912  was  left  unsprayed  this  last  season  for 
the  purpose  of  determining  whether  the  Nitrate  effect 
would  continue  to  the  second  year.  It  was  noticed  that 
the  fruit  buds  on  these  trees  were  particularly  large  and 
plump,  and  somewhat  unexpectedly  at  blossoming  time 
these  trees  came  into  bloom  several  days  ahead  of  the 
check  rows.  The  bloom  came  out  very  uniformly  all 
over  the  trees,  whereas  ordinarily  it  is  considerably 
delayed  on  the  windward  side.  Also,  the  individual  blos- 
soms were  conspicuously  larger  than  those  of  any  other 
plat,  and,  so  far  as  could  be  judged  at  the  time  the  frost 
occurred,   a  good   crop  was   setting  all   over  the  trees. 


1  .■'>()  Food    koi;    Pl.ANTS. 

Thus,  it  appears  that  this  effect  of  the  Nitrate  of  Soda 
liad  continued  over  to  the  second  year. 

Al  ])r(\sent,  all  things  considered,  Hie  Ix'st  results 
li.-nc  been  obtained  by  using  a  mixture  made  up  as  fol- 
lows : 

Nitrate  ol"  Soda 20<)  i)ouncls 

Caustic  Soda 25  pounds 

Water 200  gallons 

In  preparing  this  solution  the  required  quantity  of 
water  was  placed  in  the  spray  tank  and  the  agitator 
started.  When  the  water  was  in  motion,  the  required 
weight  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  w^as  added  gradually.  Any 
large  Imnps  were  first  broken  up  into  pieces  about  the 
size  of  hen's'  eggs.  The  caustic  soda  was  then  added, 
and  in  about  15  minutes  from  the  time  the  preparation 
was  begun  the  mixture  was  ready  for  applying. 

The  trees  were  veiy  thoroughly  sprayed  on  all 
sides,  so  that  all  of  the  small  twigs  were  drenched.  The 
best  results  so  far  obtained  have  come  from  the  spray- 
ing applied  about  the  1st  of  Februar>\  Of  course, 
weather  conditions  must  be  taken  into  consideration. 
A  rain  immediately  following  the  application  will  wash 
much  of  the  material  off  of  the  trees,  and  it  is  probable 
that  at  least  a  week  of  clear  weather  should  follow  the 
spraying,  in  order  to  insure  good  results. 

In  all  of  this  work  on  spraying  a  solution  of  Nitrate 
of  Soda  on  the  trees  a  considerable  quantity  fell  to  the 
ground,  and  the  question  will  be  raised  as  to  whether  the 
various  effects  observed  have  not  been  simply  the  re- 
sult of  the  fertilizer  action  of  the  Nitrate  on  the  soil. 
About  7  gallons  of  the  solution  were  used  in  spraying 
each  tree,  and  if  the  whole  of  this  had  gone  on  the  ground 
it  would  have  amounted  to  about  7  pounds  of  Nitrate  of 
Soda  per  tree.  The  single  tree  in  1912  that  had  the  50 
pounds  of  Nitrate  applied  to  the  soil,  therefore,  received 
over  seven  times  the  total  quantity  applied  to  any  single 
sprayed  tree.  As  has  been  previously  stated,  this  single, 
excessively  fertilized  tree  bloomed  no  earlier  than  nor- 
mal,   produced    no    increased    crop,    and    showed    no 


Food  for  Plants.  137 

improvement  in  general  vigor  and  appearance ;  whereas, 
none  of  the  trees  in  the  sprayed  plat  failed  to  respond 
in  all  of  these  particulars.  Of  course,  this  single  tree 
test  in  the  application  of  Nitrate  to  the  soil  is  too  small 
an  experiment  to  permit  concluding  x^ositively  that  the 
effects  that  we  have  reported  from  the  spraying  experi- 
ments are  of  an  entirely  different  nature  and  belong  in 
a  different  category  from  those  produced  by  the  ordinary 
soil  application  of  Nitrate.  A  careful  consideration  of 
the  results  of  ordinary  orchard  practice  in  fertilizing- 
seems  to  make  it  plain  that  tliere  is  no  similarity  between 
them  and  the  results  from  spraying.  For  instance,  in  the 
usual  practice  of  applying  Nitrate  of  Soda  as  a  fertilizer 
to  apple  orchards  in  the  region  of  AVatsonville,  Cal.,  a 
winter  or  early  spring  application  does  not  force  the 
bloom  out  10  days  or  2  weeks  ahead  of  the  normal  open- 
ing period  and  has  had  no  measurable  effect  in  increas- 
ing the  set  of  fruit  that  same  year.  The  fact  that  the 
addition  of  caustic  soda  or  oxalic  acid  to  the  Nitrate 
spray  augments  these  various  effects  further  emphasizes 
the  difference  between  the  results  from  spraying  and  the 
ordinary  results  from  the  application  of  fertilizer. 
Caustic-soda  solution  alone  applied  as  a  spray  has  no 
effect  on  the  time  of  blooming  or  the  crop  production. 

EXPERIMENTS  OF  GROWERS  IN  1913. 
Yellow  Bellflower  Apples. 

During  the  past  season  a  number  of  growers  made 
more  or  less  extensive  tests  of  the  spraying  with  Nitrate 
of  Soda.  An  aggregate  of  several  hundred  acres  of  Yel- 
low Bellflower  apples  was  sprayed  with  Nitrate  of  Soda 
plus  caustic  soda,  but  practically  all  of  this  acreage  was 
in  the  same  district  in  which  the  writer's  experiments 
were  conducted,  so  the  crop  was  lost  by  frost.  It  was 
noticeable  during  the  past  summer,  however,  that  the 
foliage  in  such  orchards  as  received  very  thorough  win- 
ter Nitrate  sprayings  had  a  better  appearance  than  in 
years  past,  due  apparently  to  the  effect  of  the  Nitrate. 


i:',S  Food   kop.  Plants. 

( )ii('  orcli.-ird,  llial  of  MncDohald  cV;  Sons,  is  located  in  a 
district  that  practically  escaped  frost  tlaniaiic,  and  the 
results  obtained  indicated  a  niai-ked  crop  increase  in 
conse(|iience  of  the  s])ra\in,u.  The  entire  orchard,  wit'i 
the  exce])tioii  of  a  few  trees,  was  si)rayed  with  various 
combinations  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  and  lye,  and,  while  no 
exact  data  on  the  production  of  the  unspraycd  trees  as 
compared  with  the  rest  of  the  orchard  was  obtained,  the 
amount  of  fi'uit  on  the  trees  indicated  that  the  spraying 
had  i)roduce(l  a  marked  increase.  This  conclusion  was 
more  reliably  substantiated  by  comparing-  the  total 
orchard  production  this  year  with  that  of  previous  years. 

Sweet  Cherries. 

Mr.  A.  W.  Taite,  of  Watsonville,  sprayed  portions 
of  two  blocks  of  Napoleon  (Eoyal  Ann)  cherries  with 
Nitrate  of  Soda,  1  pound  to  the  gallon,  to  which  caustic 
soda  was  added  at  the  rate  of  25  i)ounds  to  200  gallons. 
Unsprayed  rows  adjoining  the  sprayed  ones  were  left 
in  each  block.  In  one  case  the  sprayed  trees  were  dis- 
tinctly advanced  over  the  check  trees  in  coming  into 
bloom,  in  both  cases  there  was  an  increase  in  the 
foliage  growth  and  a  consequent  improvement  in  the 
a])pearance  of  the  trees.  No  effect  on  crop  production 
could  be  noticed,  though  it  is  possible  that  treatment 
in  successive  years  may  bring  such  results. 

Pears. 

Kor  our  ol)servation  on  pears  the  writers  are  in- 
debted chiefly  to  Mr.  George  Reed,  of  San  Jose,  who 
carried  out  extensive  tests  in  the  orchards  of  the  J.  Z. 
&:  (J.  H.  Anderson  Fruit  Co.  The  spraying  was  done 
about  tile  1st  of  February  and  the  following  notes  are 
taken  largely  from  Mr.  Reed's  observations: 

Ci,AiR(ir.Ai-. —  Four  rows  of  al)cut  -10  trees  eacli  were  sprnyed  willi 
comiiien'ial  liiiie-snlpluir  {3:V  f  Baiinie)  diluted  1  to  9.  Adjoiuiiifr  tliese 
were  four  rows  si)ray('d  witli  liiiie-suli)liur  solution  diluted  1  to  9  and 
to  which  was  added  Nitrate  of  Soda  at  the  rate  of  1  pound  to  the  gal- 
lon of  the  diluted  spray.     The  rows  sprayed  with  the  eonihined  solution 


OOI)     l'"()| 


1' I, ANTS.  1:19 


of  Nitrate  ui  Soda  and  1iiuc'-!su1i)Iilu-  canu'  into  bloom  about  a  week 
ahead  of  those  that  received  the  linie-sulphiu-  sohation  ak)nc.  The 
development  of  the  fmit  on  these  Nitrate-lime-sulphur  solution  rows 
continued  to  show  an  advancement  of  al)out  a  week  throughout  half 
the  g-rowing  season,  and  at  picking  time  the  fruit  was  greener  and  hung 
on  l)etter  than  that  of  the  plain  lime-sulphur-solution  rows.  Both 
plats  bore  a  full  crop,  so  there  was  no  opportunity  for  observing  any 
effect  on  production.  The  Clairgeau  variety  blooms  early,  and  the 
further  advancement  due  to  Nitrate  spraying  might  result  in  frost 
injury  in  some  localities.  The  fruit  ordinarily  has  a  habit  of  dropping 
ot!  during  the  latter  part  of  the  growing  season.  This  difticulty,  how- 
ever, was  largely  eliminated  on  the  Nitrate-sprayed  rows. 

CoMiCE. —  The  major  portion  of  the  block  was  sprayed  with  a  plain 
water  solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  at  the  rate  of  1  ])Ound  to  the  gallon. 
A  small  portion  was  sprayed  with  commercial  lime  sulphur  solution, 
diluted  1  to  9,  with  Nitrate' of  Soda  added  at  the  rate  of  1  pound  to  the 
gallon  of  diluted  spray.  Through  a  misunderstanding  the  men  doing 
the  spraying  left  no  check  rows  in  this  block,  so  that  crop  data  could 
not  be  obtained.  However,  Mr.  Reed's  exact  knowledge  of  the  previous 
production  of  this  block  as  a  whole  indicates  that  the  marked  increased 
production  this  last  season  was  more  than  probably  due  to  the  Nitrate 
spraying.  The  Comice  is  a  relatively  shy  bearer,  and  a  valuable  pear 
conn'nercially,  so  that  any  increased  production  that  could  be  obtained 
by  Nitrate  spraying  would  be  much  appreciated  by  the  grower.  One 
portion  of  the  block  that  regularly  produces  less  than  the  remainder 
gave  a  good  crop  this  year,  and  it  appeared  that  the  addition  of  the 
lime-sulphur  solution  augmented  the  effect  of  the  Nitrate  of  Soda  just 
as  the  addition  of  lye  has  done  in  the  expei'iments  of  the  writers. 

Glout  Morceau. — A  block  of  Glout  Morceau  i)ears  was  sprayed 
with  the  combination  of  lime-sul])hur  solution,  diluted  1  to  9,  ])lus 
Nitrate  of  Soda  1  i)ound  to  the  gallon  of  diluted  spray.  This  block 
had  never  produced  a  full  crop,  and  while  no  unsprayed  checks  were 
left,  the  increased  production  would  appear  to  l)e  due  to  the  Nitrate 
spraying. 

WiXTER  Nelis. — A  block  of  Winter  Nelis  pears  was  sprayed  with  a 
solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  1  pound  to  the  gallon  of  water.  No  lime- 
sulphur  solution  was  added  in  this  case.  No  check  rows  were  left,  and 
a  frost  destroyed  a  large  i^ercentage  of  the  fruit  after  it  had  set.  How- 
ever, at  that  time  the  trees  w^re  carrying  the  largest  crop  they  had  ever 
produced,  and  again  it  would  a])i)ear  that  the  Nitrate  spraying  had  had 
a  beneficial  effect.  The  trees  came  into  bloom  about  10  days  ali'nd  of 
nornuil  o])ening  ])eriod. 

Discussion  on  Results  and  Summary. 

It  is  not  the  writers'  iiileutioii  to  eoiivey  the  im- 
pression that  dormant  s]ii'a\in,ii,'  with  Nitrate  solntions 
will  solve  the  ])rol)lem  of  shy  hearing-  of  fruit  trees  nor 


140  F()(ii»   I'oi;  Plants, 

offer  a  iiiorc  advisable  metliod  of  applying  nitrogen 
fertilizer.  The  purpose  of  this  paper  is  simply  to 
present  the  results  as  they  now  stand. 

It  is  evident  that,  at  least  under  certain  conditions, 
some  varieties  of  ai)ples  and  pears  that  are  more  or  less 
self-sterile  may  have  their  crop  production  materially 
increased  by  dormant  sprajdng  with  solutions  of  Nitrate 
of  Soda  plus  lye.  The  combination  of  a  solution  of 
Nitrate  of  Soda  and  lime-sulphur  is  apparently  capable 
of  bringing  similar  results. 

Actual  quantitative  data  on  increased  production 
from  spraying  with  a  solution  of  .Nitrate  of  Soda  are 
available  from  only  one  source,  that  of  the  first  experi- 
ment on  Yellow  Bellflower  apples  in  1912.  Xo  pro- 
duction records  were  obtainable  from  the  various  tests 
made  by  growers  during  the  season  of  1913  but  the 
one  test  on  Yellow  Bellflower  apples  and  several  others 
on  pears  indicate  that  such  an  increase  had  undoubtedly 
been  brought  about.  It  is  considered  that  the  growers' 
knowledge  of  the  crops  of  the  previous  years  as  com- 
pared with  that  of  this  year  furnishes  a  basis  for  con- 
clusions that  are  at  least  corroborative. 

That  Nitrate  spraying  of  dormant  trees  will  bring 
about  an  earlier  blooming  of  certain  varieties  of  fruit 
is  a  satisfactorily  established  fact,  which  has  been  dem- 
onstrated on  Yellow  Bellflower  apples  at  Watsonville, 
Cal,  and  on  various  varieties  of  pears  at  San  Jose,  San 
Juan,  and  Suisun,  Cal.,  during  the  past  season.  How 
generally  this  statement  will  apply  to  other  varieties 
of  apples  and  pears  and  in  other  localities  remains  to 
be  determined.  Eesults  on  stone  fruits  have  not  been 
as  striking  as  those  on  pears  and  apples,  but  it  is  pos- 
sible that  stronger  solutions,  earlier  spraying,  or  a 
repetition  of  the  spraying  in  successive  years  may  bring 
about  such  results. 

The  greater  danger  of  injury  from  frost  thai 
might  result  from  forcing  trees  into  bloom  earlier  than 
normal  would  have  to  be  taken  into  consideration  in 
making   practical   use    of    Nitrate   si)raying   in    winter. 


Food   foii   L'j.ants.  141 

Aside  from  the  effect  on  crop  production,  tliere 
has  also  been  a  very  noticeable  improvement  in  the 
color,  abundance,  and  vigor  of  the  foliag'e,  and  it  seems 
possible  that  Nitrate  spraying  of  dormant  trees  may 
be  a  valnal)le  supplement  to  the  ordinary  fertilizer 
practices  in  obtaining  quick  results  in  orchards  suffer- 
ing from  lack  of  nitrogen. 

The  writers  will  make  no  attempt  at  present  to 
explain  the  peculiar  effect  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  in  increas- 
ing the  production  of  more  or  less  self -sterile  varieties  of 
fruits,  or  in  improving  foliage  groAvth.  The  similarity 
between  the  writers'  results  in  forcing  dormant  buds 
by  winter  Nitrate  spraying  and  the  results  obtained  by 
other  investigators  by  treating  cuttings  with  various 
weak  solutions  has  been  mentioned.  In  experiments 
of  the  writers,  however,  a  more  or  less  lasting  effect  on 
the  vigor  of  the  foliage  and  also  some  valuable  results 
in  increasing  crop  production  have  been  obtained.  It 
furthermore  appears  that  the  effects  obtained  by  spray- 
ing with  a  solution  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  may  continue 
over  to  the  second  year,  as  shown  by  the  original  plat  of 
1912,  which  was  left  unsprayed  in  the  winter  of  1913. 

The  effects  of  the  Nitrate  spraying  seem  to  be  pro- 
portional to- the  strength  of  the  solution  employed  and 
the  thoroughness  with  which  it  is  applied.  The  addi- 
tion of  caustic  soda  materially  increases  this  action. 

Plant  Food  Withdrawn  by  Crops. 

The  New  York,  the  New  Jersey,  and  the  Connecticut 
Experiment  Stations  agree  that  the  relative  percentages 
of  plant  food  withdrawn  from  the  soil  by  barley,  buck- 
wheat, corn,  oats,  rye,  and  wheat  are  as  follows : 


Barley  . .  . . 
Buckwheat 

Corn   

Oats 

Rye   

Wheat   . .  . . 


Phosphoric 

Acid 
per  cent. 

Nitrogen 
per  cent. 

Potash 
per  cent 

20.0 

44.6 

.35.4 

.3.3.. S 

52.5 

14.2 

17.7 

.37.5 

44.8 

15.9 

40.5 

43.6 

21.3 

42.0 

36.7 

21.0 

51.9 

27.1 

The  avcra.iit'  rclalivc  pci-cciiln.iACs  of  pliosplioiic  ;i('i<l, 
Xiti-(»,ucii  ;iii(l  potash  thus  i-ciuovcd  from  the  soil  l)y  thcs',' 
six  sta})le  cereals  is  tlicicrort'  as  follows: 

IMi()si)li.)ric    Acid    -1  ••">   1>*'"'  <-«-'iit. 

Xitroii-en   ^^■'^   I'l'i"  fe'it- 

Polnsh   '-^'-^  ■  <>   I'd'  <'''iit- 

Translated  into  ("oiiim«Tcial  Fertilizer  terms,  the  eoni- 
paiMson  is  as  follows: 

Whiit    tlic 
What  Avcram' 

Nature  Brand 

Requires  Supplies 

Pliosphorir  Acia 2-15  8.00 

Xitroacn   4. 48  2.00 

Potash 3.:5(i  2.(10 

POINTS  FOR  CONSIDERATION  AS  TO  RELATION  OF 
PRICES  OF  FARM  PRODUCTS  TO  NITRATE  OF  SODA 
PRICES. 

From  the  farmer's  point  of  view,  when  a  reduction  in 
the  price  of  cotton  and  produce  happens,  it  is  to  he 
deplored,  hut  in  such  a  case  it  should  be  considered 
whether  abstention  from  the  use  of  Nitrate  is  a  wise  way 
of  meeting-  the  situation.  The  utility  of  a  fertilizer  obvi- 
ously depends  upon  its  productivity,  which  is  not  affected 
by  its  price,  and  an  increase  in  the  latter  justifies  aban- 
donnu^nt  of  the  fertilizer  only  when  its  pro(hictivity  ceuses 
to  l)e  profitable.  The  profit  to  be  reasonal)ly  expected 
from  the  use  of  Nitrate  of  Soda  is  not  so  materially 
interfered  with  by  any  ordinary  rise  in  its  price  as  to 
economically  justify  any  substantial  reduction  in  its  con- 
sumption. 

Agricultural    authorities   have    estab- 
What  Nitrate  lished  by  careful  experimentation   that 

Has  Done  100    pounds    of    Nitrate   of   Soda   when 

for  Crops.  apjjlied  to  the  following  crops  has  pro- 

duced under  proper  conditions  iiirrcfiscd 
yields  as   tabulated: 


Food   i'oe  Plants. 


143 


Api)les  50-75  UuslicLs. 

Ai)r:cots 96  lbs. 

Asparajius 100  bunches. 

Bananas    1,1()7  lbs. 

Barley    400  lbs.  of  -rain. 

Beans    ( wiiitc ) 225  ll)s. 

Beets 4,f)0O  lbs.  tubers. 

Cabbao:es (j,100  lbs. 

Carrots    7,800  lbs. 

Castor  Beans    5()  li)s. 

Celery 30  per  cent. 

Corn 280  lbs.   of  gTain. 

Cotton    500  lbs.  seed  c  )tton. 

Ensilaii-e  Corn    1.18  tons. 

Grape  Fruit    29  boxes. 

Hay,  upwards  of 1,(M)0  lbs.  barn  cured. 

Hops 100  lbs. 

^laiisels  123.7  bushels. 

Oats    400  lbs.  of    orain. 

Onions    1,800  lbs. 

Orano-es   22  boxes. 

Peaches  (dried )    56  lbs. 

Pecans   37  lbs. 

Potatoes   3,600  lbs.  tubers. 

Prunes   975  lbs.    (  dried ) . 

Raisin   Grapes    347  lbs. 

Rye 300  lbs.  frrain. 

Strawberries 200  quarts. 

Su2-ar  Beets   1,330  lbs. 

Sugar  Cane 2 . 40         tons       of       cane 

(Tropics). 
1.17       tons       of       cane 
(Louisiana). 

Sugar  (from  Suuar  Cane) 322  lbs.    (Tropics). 

224  lbs.    (Lou:  si  an;;). 

Sugar  Mangels 1.6  tons. 

Sweet  Potatoes 3,900  lbs.  tubers. 

Tobacco   75  ll)s. 

Tomatoes  100  baskets. 

1'ni'"ips   37  ])er  cent. 

Wa'mds 106  lbs. 

The  increased  yields  of  crops  result- 
Increased  ing-  from  a  top-dressiiio-  with  Nitrate  of 
Yield  by  the  •  Scda  are  most  striking.  In  an  article 
Use  of  recently  published  by  Dr.  E.  J.  Russell, 
Nitrate  of  Director  of  the  Rothamsted  Rxperi- 
Sodp.  mental  Station,  the  followin«'  fioures 
are  given.  On  an  ordinary  farm  where 
the  land,  while  in  fairly  good  heart,  has  not  been  over 


144 


|M)01)    Foi; 


I.ANTS. 


\\c\\  (lone,  a  fanner  may  reas()iial)ly  expect  the  following 
increases  from  a  top-dressing  of  1  ewt.  of  Xitrate  of 
Soda  : 


Wheat,  ^rain 
Wheat,  straw 
I>arley,  grain 
Barley,  straw 
Oats,  strain  . 
Oats,  straw   . 

Hay    

^fanerolds   . . . 

Swedes   

Potatoes  .... 


Per  1  cwt.  nitrate 
of  soda. 

41/2  bushels   

5  cwt 

6V2  bushels  

61A  cwt 

7  bushels   

()  cwt 

S  to  10  ewt 

32  cwt 

20  cwt 

20  c^vt 


Per  1  cwt.  superphos- 
phate or  high  grade 
basic  slag. 


0  to  114  bushels. 
V2  to  5  cwt. 
2  to  3  bushels. 

0  to  2  cwt. 

1  to  31/,  bushels. 
0  to  2  cwt. 


20  cwt. 

20  to  40  cwt. 

10  cwt. 


For  piir]K)ses  of  comparison  the  etTeet  of  phosphates 
is  shoAm  also. 

Official  Abstract  of  a  Paper  read  h}i  Professor  E.  B.  Voorhees  before 
The  International  Congress  of  Applied  Chemistry  held  in  London, 
June,  1909. 


INVESTIGATIONS  RELATIVE  TO  THE  USE  OF 
NITROGENOUS  FERTILIZER  MATERIALS,  1898- 
1907. 

By  Edward  B.  Voorhees,  Sc.  I).  (Director)  and  Jacob  G.  Lipmax, 
Ph.  D.-  {Soil  Chemist  and  Bacteriologist),  Agricultural  Experim,ent 

Station,  New  Jersey,  U.  S.  A. 

Ten  years  ago  denitrification  was  believed  to  possess 
an  economic  significance.  A  considerable  number  of 
agricultural  chemists  thought  that  the  destruction  of 
nitrate  by  denitrifying  bacteria  involved  losses  of  nitro- 
gen in  all  cases  where  nitrates  and  animal  manures  were 
used  together.  The  experiments  recorded  here  were 
planned,  primarily,  to  determine  whether  such  losses  of 
nitrogen  really  occur  in  field  practice.  The  data  collected 
in  the  course  of  ten  years  su])ply  some  definite  informa- 
tion in  tliis  connection;  and  furnish,  moreover,  much 
iinportant  information  bearing  on  other  ])hases  of  the 
nitrogen  question. 


Food  fou   I^lants.  145 

The  experiments  have  been  carried  on  in  large  galvan- 
ized iron  cylinders  4  feet  long,  23.5  inches  in  diameter, 
and  open  at  both  ends.  The  cylinders  were  sunk  in  the 
ground  until  only  about  2  inches  of  the  upper  portion 
projected  above  the  level  of  the  surrounding  soil.  Uni- 
form amounts  of  gravelly  subsoil  were  placed  in  the 
cylinders  and  firmly  tramped  down.  Weighed  quantities 
of  surface  soil  were  then  placed  in  the  cylinders.  In 
order  to  enhance  the  accuracy  of  the  data  collected,  each 
treatment  was  carried  out  in  triplicate.  There  were 
secured  thus  20  series,  each  consisting  of  three  small 
plats.  Series  1  has  received  no  applications  whatsoever; 
series  2,  applications  of  acid  phosphate  and  potassium 
chloride  repeated  annually;  and  the  remaining  series 
various  nitrogenous  materials  in  addition  to  the  acid 
phosphate  and  potassium  chloride.  Also  the  nitrogenous 
materials  have  since  been  applied  annually.  The  follow- 
ing diagram  shows  the  treatment  for  each  series: 

Diagram  of  Experiment 

Series  A        B        C 

1.  Check   0  0  0 

2.  Minerals    0  0  0 

3.  Manure,  solid,  f resli   0  0  0 

4.  Manure,  sold  and  liquid,  fresh   0  0  0 

5.  Manure,  solid,  leached    0  0  0 

6.  Manure,  solid  and  liquid,  leaohcd   0  (I  0 

7.  Sodium  Nitrate,  5  gms 0  0  0 

8.  Sodium  Nitrate,  10  gms 0  0  0 

9.  Manure,  solid,  fresh;  nitrate,  5  gms 0  0  0 

10.  Manure,  solid,  fresh ;  nitrate,  10  gms 0  0  0 

11.  Manure,  solid  and  liquid,  fresh;  nitrate,  5  gms.  ...  0  0  0 

12.  Manure,  solid  and  liquid,  fresh;  nitrate,  10  gms...  0  (I  0 

13.  Manure,  solid,  leached;  nitrate,  5  g-ms 0  (•  0 

14.  Manure,  solid,  leached;  nitrate,  10  gms 0  0  0 

15.  Manure,  solid  and  liquid,  leached;  nitrate,  5  gms..  0  d  0 

16.  Manure,  solid  and  liquid,  leached;  nitrate,  10  gms.  0  0  0 

17.  Ammonium  sulphate 0  0  0 

18.  Dried  blood    0  0  0 

19.  Manure,  solid,  leached;  ammonium  sulphate 0  0  0 

20.  Manure,  solid,  leached ;  dried  hlood   0  0  0 

The  nitrate  was  a])])liod  at  the  rate  of  160  pounds  and 
320  pounds  per  acre,  respectively.     The  ammonium  sul 
phate  and  dried  blood  were  applied  in  amounts  equivalent 


1-1(1  |''(((»1«     Kdi;     l^LANIS. 

to  llu"  lar.ucr  npiilicnlioii  of  nit  rate  TIk'  dilTcrciil  man- 
ures woro  applii'd  in  auioiiiits  siifficit'iit  to  ruriiish  about 
4  g-iiis.  of  uitroii'i'U  i)t'r  cylinder.  Calculated  on  the  acre 
l)asis  the  manures  were  applied  at  the  rate  of  ahout  10 
tons. 

The  cro])s  wei'e  i>,ro\vn  in  re.nular  rotation,  and  con- 
sisted of  the  followino-:  Corn,  oats,  wheat  and  timotliv'. 
The  oats  crops  were  foUowed  in  each  case  hy  a  so-called 
residual  crop  whose  function  it  was  to  take  up  such 
available  nitrogen  compounds  as  were  not  utilized  by  thi' 
main  crops. 

Analyses  were  made  of  all  of  the  main  croi)s  and  resid- 
ual crops.  In  the  ease  of  the  wheat,  the  grain  and  the 
straw  were  analyzed  separately.  In  the  case  of  the  timo- 
thy, the  first  cutting  and  aftermath  were  analyzed  sepa- 
rately. The  analytical  material  for  the  ten  years  included, 
therefore,  more  than  a  thousand  crop  samples.  Records 
were  made  of  the  yields  of  dry  matter,  of  the  propor- 
tions of  nitrogen  in  the  dry  matter  of  each  crop,  of  the 
total  nitrogen  in  each  crop,  of  the  proportion  of  manure 
and  fertilizer  nitrogen  recovered,  and  of  the  relative 
availability  of  the  several  nitrogenous  materials  em- 
ployed. In  addition  to  these  careful  analyses  were  made 
of  the  soil  samples  drawn  from  the  several  cylinders  at 
the  end  of  each  rotation. 

The  results  secured  may  be  briefly  sunnnarized  as  fol- 
lows : 

1.  There  was  a  marked  falling  off  in  the  yiehls  between 
the  first  and  second  rotation,  especially  in  the  soils  which 
had  received  no  applications  of  animal  manure. 

2.  The  nitrogen  compounds  in  liquid  manure  were 
much  superior  to  those  in  solid  manure  as  a  source  of 
nitrogen  to  crops. 

?).  Larger  applications  of  nitrogen  were  invariably 
followed  ]>y  larger  yields  of  this  constituent  in  the  crops. 

4.  Nitrate,  ammonium  sulphate  and  dried  blood,  when 
ap])lied  in  ecjuivalent  amounts,  were  found  to  possess  an 
unecfual  value.     Nitrate  was  superior  to  annnonium  sul- 


Food  foh  Pt  ants.  147 

piiato,  and  the  latter  was  superior  to  dried  blood  as  a 
source  of  nitrogen  to  crops. 

5.  In  the  presence  of  nitrate,  the  manure  and  humus 
iiitrouen  were  utilized  more  thoroughly  than  in  its 
absence. 

6.  Under  certain  conditions,  nitrates  or  other  readily 
available  nitrogen  compounds,  may  hasten  the  depletion 
of  the  soil  nitrogen. 

7.  Ammonium  sulphate  and  dried  l)lood  intensified  the 
development  of  acidity  in  the  cylinder  soils. 

8.  The  proportion  of  nitrogen  in  the  crops  was  readily 
affccted  by  the  nitrogen  treatment.  It  was  also  affected 
by  the  character  of  the  crop  itself. 

'  9.  In  the  first  rotation,  the  fresh  manures  produced 
dry  matter  relatively  somewhat  richer  in  nitrogen  than 
that  produced  by  the  leached  manures  ;  in  the  second  rota- 
tion this  relation  was  reversed. 

10.  The  solid  and  liquid  manure,  fresh,  produced  dry 
matter  relatively  somewhat  richer  in  nitrogen  than  that 
produced  by  the  solid,  fresh. 

11.  The  smaller  application  of  nitrate,  when  used 
together  with  manure,  produced  dry  matter  relatively 
poorer  in  nitrogen  than  that  produced  by  the  larger 
application  of  nitrate  under  the  same  conditions. 

12.  The  wide  range  in  the  proportionate  content  of 
nitrogen  in  the  crops,  shows  clearly  that  greater  care 
should  be  exercised  in  measuring  out  the  nitrogen  to  our 
cultivated  crops. 

13.  Out  of  every  100  pounds  of  nitrogen  applied  in  the 
form  of  nitrate,  there  were  recovered  in  the  first  rotation 
62.76  pounds,  and  in  the  second  rotation  61.42  pounds. 
The  corresponding  returns  for  ammonium  sulphate  were 
49.51  pounds  and  37.01  pounds  respectively;  and  for  the 
dried  blood  47.89  pounds  and  32.05  pounds  respectively. 
This  indicated  that  the  acidity  in  the  soils  of  series  17 
and  18  had  increased  sufficiently  to  interfere  with  the 
normal  growth  of  the  plants. 

14.  Out  of  every  100  pounds  of  nitrogen  ap])lie(l  in  the 
form  of  animal  manures,  there   were   recovered   in   the 


14S  Food    Koii   1^1. ANTS. 

lii'st  I'olnt i(»ii  less  tlmii  '2')  poniKls,  and  in  the  second  rota- 
tion loss  tlian  .'^0  pounds. 

15.  A  (•onii)ai"ison  of  the  ci-op  yields  in  the  lirst  and 
second  rotation,  shows  that  the  animal  manures  have  a 
mai"kc<l  cumulative  effect. 

IG.  The  corn  crops  seem  to  have  utilized  a  smaller 
proportion  of  the  nitro^'en  api)lied  than  was  utilized  by 
the  oats  and  \vheat. 

17.  The  fresh  man\n-es  wore  utilized  better  than  the 
leached  manures. 

18.  The  solid  and  litiuid,  fresh,  was  utilized  hetti'r  than 
the  solid,  fresh. 

19.  The  solid  and  li((uid,  leaclu'd,  was  utilized  l)etter 
than  the  solid,  leached. 

20.  The  smaller  applications  of  nitrate  were  utilized 
to  abont  the  same  extent  as  the  larger  applications. 

21.  The  eciuivalent  quantities  of  nitrate,  ammonium 
sulphate,  and  dried  blood  were  utilized  in  the  order 
named. 

22.  The  animal  manures  when  used  together  with  the 
larger  applications  of  nitrate,  were  utilized  to  better 
advantage  than  when  they  were  used  together  with  the 
smaller  application. 

28.  The  nitrate  and  ammonium  su]])liate  when  used 
together  with  solid  manure,  leached,  were  utilized  in  the 
order  named. 

24.  The  pr()})oi'tion  of  nitrogen  recovered  in  the  crops 
ranged  from  62.09  —  22.31  per  cent. 

25.  With  the  returns  from  the  nitrate  nitrogen  taken 
as  100,  the  relative  availability  of  the  other  nitrogenous 
materials  was  as  follows : 


Sodium  nitrate 

Ammonium  sulphate   .... 

Dried  l)lood  

Solid  manure,  fresh 

Solid  and  li(|nid,  Iresli... 
Solid  manure,  leached  .  .  . 
Solid  and  liquid,   leached. 


First 
Rotation 

Second 
Rotation 

Both 
Rotations 

100.0 

100.0 

100.00 

78.9 
76.3 
32.9 

60.3 
52.2 
39.0 

69.7 
64.4 
.35.9 

50.4 
.33.8 
36.6 

55.6 

u.o 

49.7 

53.0 
38.9 
43.1 

Food  for  Plants.  149 

36.  Nitrate,  and  ammonium  sulphate  showed  practi- 
cally no  residual  effect.  Dried  blood  showed  a  slight 
residual  effect. 

27.  The  animal  manures  showed  a  very  pronounced 
residual  eff'ect. 

28.  Notwithstanding  the  annually  repeated  applica- 
tions of  manure,  together  with  relatively  large  amounts 
of  nitrate,  there  is  no  marked  evidence  of  denitrification. 

29.  All  of  the  cylinder  soils  lost  ('onsideral)le  quanti- 
ties of  nitrogen. 

TWENTY  YEARS'  WORK  ON  THE  AVAILABILITY  OF 
NITROGEN  IN  NITRATE  OF  SODA,  AMMONIUM 
SULFATE,  DRIED  BLOOD  AND  FARM  MANURES. 

J.  G.  LiPMAK  and  A.  W.  Blair,  New  Jersey  Agricultural  Experiment 

Station. 

(Reprinted  from  "  Soil  Science.") 

During  the  last  twenty-five  years  the  fertilizer  indus^ 
try  in  the  United  States  has  developed  rapidly.  From  a 
comparatively  small  tonnage  in  the  early  nineties  it  has 
grown  to  more  than  7,000,000  tons  in  1917. 

As  the  industry  has  grown  tlie  number  of  materials 
that  go  to  make  up  the  fertilizers  has  also  increased 
greatly.  Many  by-products  that  were  formerly  allowed  to 
go  to  waste  are  now  carefully  saved  and  worked  up  in  the 
fertilizer  factory  This  is  especially  true  of  the  nitro- 
genous materials  which,  under  normal  conditions,  form 
the  most  expensive  part  of  the  fertilizer. 

The  movement  to  save  these  waste  materials  contain- 
ing nitrogen  came  none  too  early,  for  it  was  the  deple- 
tion in  the  soil  of  this  element  that  was  largely  respon- 
sible for  the  run-down  and  abandoned  farms  in  the  older 
sections  of  the  United  States.  For  this  element,  most 
crops  show  a  quicker  response  than  for  any  other,  and 
conversely,  a  falling  off  in  yield  wnll  come  sooner  witli 
a  deficiency  of  nitrogen  than  of  any  other  element.  A 
supply  of  available  nitrogen  aids  the  plant  in  getting  a 
good  start  so  that  its  leaves  may  begin  early  to  elaborate 
food  from  the  air  and  its  roots  may  reach  out  for  the 


]7)[)  Kooi)  von   l*LANrs. 

wah'i-  of  Ihc  soil  which  holds  in  solution  miiKM-al 
lihiut-t'ood. 

Since  iiilroucii  is  siippruMl  in  many  dilTcri'iil  t'ornis, 
it  at  once  hccomcs  a  (|iU's1ion  as  to  which  of  these  is  most 
etHic'ieiit  in  t'l-op  ijroduction.  Far  too  little  attention  has 
been  ,u-iven  to  this  ini])ortant  (iiiestion.  Too  oi'tcn  a  cer- 
tain material  has  l)een  ehosen  because*  there  was  among 
farmei's  a  general  impression  that  this  particular 
material  was  ])etter  than  some  othei",  when,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  thei-e  was' no  scientilic  basis  for  such  conclusion. 
As  an  example,  nitrogen  from  organic  sources  has  been 
preferi-ed  by  many  because  it  was  l)elieved  that  organic 
matter  thus  supplied  \vould  be  of  great  value  in  improv- 
ing the  i)liysical  condition  of  the  soil,  1)ut  in  making  this 
choice  farmers  overlooked  the  possibility  of  using  a  more 
readily-available  material  which  would  increase  the  crop 
residues  sufficiently  to  more  than  make  up  for  the  small 
amount  of  organic  matter  contained  in  the  few  hundred 
pounds  of  dried  blood,  fish  or  tankage.  Also,  there  is  a 
widespread  impression  that  the  loss  of  nitrogen  is  greater 
when  nitrates  are  used,  than  when  organic  nitrogen  is 
used.  But  experiments  both  in  this  country  and  abroad 
show  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  crop  yields  and  the  per- 
centage of  nitrogen  recovered  in  the  crop  were  greater 
(and  hence  the  loss  must  have  bL^en  lens)  wlien  nitrates 
were  used  than  when  organic  sources  of  nitrogen  w^ere  used. 

The  question  of  availability  of  nitrogenous  fertilizers 
began  to  receive  serious  consideration  at  several  of  the 
leading  l^hiro])ean  ex])eriment  stations  some  30  years 
ago  and  nuich  valual)le  iid'ormation  has  l)een  accumu- 
hited  by  these  stations. 

About  10  years  later  the  sul),iect  bt'gan  to  receive  atten- 
tion in  this  could ry  and  it  is  a  satisfaction  to  iind  that 
the  results  ol)tained  here  are  fairly  in  accord  with  the 
lindiiigs  of  the  Eurojjean   investigators. 

Fairly  comi)lete  reviews  of  this  early  work  have  been 
given  in  receid  publications  (2,1))  and  no  attempt  will  be 
made  liei-e  to  cover  this  field. 

'I'lie  completion  in   1!M7  of  20  yeai's'  work  In  wliicli  a 


Food  for  Plants.  151 

comparison  is  made  of  the  materials  mentioned  in  the 
title  of  this  paper  would  seem  to  justify  the  publication 
at  this  time  of  a  brief  summary  of  the  work.  A  detailed 
account  covering-  the  first  15  years  of  this  work  has 
already  been  published  (3).  Much  of  this  need  not  be 
repeated,  but  the  results  of  the  last  5  years  are  of  value 
as  confirming  the  earlier  work. 

Experimental. 

The  work  was  originally  outlined  under  the  broad 
heading  "  Investigations  Relative  to  the  Use  of  Nitro- 
genous Materials,"  and  this  included:  (a)  a  determina- 
tion of  the  yield  of  dry  matter  and  nitrogen  in  crops 
from  soils  recei\'ing  various  treatments  under  controlled 
conditions;  (b)  the  percentage  of  nitrogen  in  the  crop 
as  affected  by  the  treatment;  (c)  the  utilization  of  nitro- 
gen in  different  materials;  (d)  the  relative  efficiency  of 
nitrogen  in  different  materials;  (e)  the  residual  etfects 
of  nitrogenous  substances;  (f)  denitrification  and  (g) 
the  eifect  of  special  treatment  on  the  income  and  outgo 
of  nitrogen  in  the  soil. 

As  the  work  has  progressed,  more  and  more  attention 
has  l)een  given  to  the  utilization  and  relative  efficiency 
of  nitrogen  in  different  materials,  and  it  is  this  phase  of 
the  work  which  is  to  receive  consideration  in  thir>  paper. 

In  order  that  the  work  might  be  under  more  perfect 
control,  it  was  carried  out  in  galvanized  iron  cylinders, 
open  at  both  ends  and  ha^dng  a  diameter  of  2314  inches 
and  a  depth  of  -1  feet.  These  cylinders  were  set  on  the 
ground  so  that  about  2  inches  remained  above  the  ground 
level.  Thus  the  contents  of  the  cylinders  are  isolated  so 
that  the  roots  of  the  crops  growing  in  them  are  prevented 
from  getting  mineral  plant-food  from  outside  sources. 
The  sub-soil  is  a  gravelly  sandy  material  such  as  occurs 
where  the  cylinders  are  located,  but  the  top  soil  is  a 
loam  (Penn  loam)  Inought  from  another  source,  an 
8-inch  layer  of  which  was  placed  in  each  cylinder  on  top 
of  the  subsoil,  each  cylinder  receix'ing  the  same  weight 
of  the  thoroughlv  mixed  soil. 


^7)'2  Food   Koii   Plants. 

W'lu'ii  tlic  work  was  bcniiii  all  the  soils  were  given  a 
libi'ral  Ircaliiit'iil  ol'  linic  in  the  form  of  ground  lime- 
stone and  with  the  exception  of  one  series  wliich  does 
not  enter  into  this  discussion,  all  have  received  annual 
dressings  of  acid  phosi)hate  and  potassium  chloride  at 
the  rate  of  640  jjounds  and  320  ])oun(ls  per  acre,  respec- 
li\('ly.  Thns  nitrogen  is  made  the  limiting  factor  inso- 
far as  liuman  control  can  provide.  Various  combina- 
tions of  manure  and  fertilizer  were  arranged,  but  it  is 
suflicient  to  I'eport  here  only  on  the  four  nitrogenous 
materials  mentioned  in  the  title. 

One  series  received  the  phosphoric  acid  and  potash, 
but  no  nitrogen,  in  order  that  it  might  be  used  as  a 
check.  Thus  if  a  certain  amount  of  nitrogen  is  recovered 
in  the  crop  from  the  nitrogen-treated  cylinder,  and  it  is 
desired  to  calculate  the  percentage  of  the  applied  nitro- 
gen that  was  recovered,  it  is  necessary  first  to  deduct 
from  the  total  amount  of  nitrogen  recovered  in  the  crop, 
the  amount  recovered  from  the  check  cylinder,  and  thus 
account  for  the  soil  nitrogen  that  the  crop  used. 

It  is  at  once  obvious  that  this  cannot  be  an  absolutely 
correct  method  of  determining  the  percentage  recovered, 
since  in  those  c^dinders  to  which  nitrogenous  fertilizers 
have  been  applied,  the  plant  will  make  a  quicker  start 
and  the  roots  go  farther  in  search  of  the  nitrogenous 
materials  of  the  soil  than  in  the  check  cylinders  where 
there  is  a  pronounced  deficiency  of  available  nitrogen, 
and  thus  the  check  fails  to  be  a  true  check.  In  this  way 
it  happens  that  the  recovery  may  apparently  be  more 
than  100  per  cent,  as  shown  in  Series  8B,  for  the  years 
11K)1  anfl  1910.  However,  there  appears  to  be  no  waj'  of 
overcoming  this  error  so  long  as  the  w^ork  is  carried  out 
in  the  natural  soil  and  if  one  starts  with  an  artificial 
soil,  other  and  more  serious  difficulties  arise. 

In  this  work  no  effoi't  has  been  made  to  analyze  the 
roots,  since  it  would  be  w^ell-nigh  impossible  to  do  this 
correcth',  and  even  if  it  could  be  done  the  same  error 
would  be  introduced.  The  roots  and  stubble  are  left 
just  as  under  field  conditions  so  that  the  residual  elTects 
of  these  mav  l)e  observed. 


Food  for  Plants.  153 

To  draw  conclusions  from  1  to  2  years  of  siicli  work 
would  be  manifestly  unfair,  but  when  it  is  carried  on 
for  a  period  of  10  or  20  years,  seasonal  differences,  dif- 
ferences due  to  the  unequal  decomposition  of  organic 
matter  and  differences  due  to  slight  errors,  which  are 
sure  to  creep  in  now  and  then,  are  largely  smoothed  out 
and  results  are  obtained  which  can  be  accepted  with  a 
fair  degree  of  confidence.  The  contidence  in  such  result 
is  strengthened  when  it  is  found  that  they  check  with 
similar  work  conducted  in  other  places  or  even  in  other 
countries. 

The  work  was  started  in  these  cylinders  in  the  spring 
of  1898  with  corn  as  the  first  crop  in  the  rotation.  Four 
5-year  rotations  have  been  carried  out  as  follows: 

First  Rotation  Third    Uotatirm 

1898   Com  1908   Corn 

1899 Oats  (millet)  1909 Oats  (corn) 

1900 Oats  (corn)  1910 Oats  (corn) 

1901 Wheat  1911 Rye  and  oats 

1902    Timothy  1912   Timothy 

(two  cuttinos)  (two  cuttings) 

SpcoiuI    Rotatiou  Fourth   Rotatidii 

1903   Corn  1913   Corn 

1904 Oats  (corn)  1914 Oats  (corn) 

1905 Oats  (corn)  1915 Oats  (corn) 

1906 Wheat  1916  Wheat 

1907 Timothy  1917   Timothy 

(two  cuttings)  (two  cuttings) 

The  corn  following  the  oats  is  grown  as  a  residual 
crop  (without  further  addition  of  fertilizers)  to  utilize 
any  nitrogen  which  the  oat  crop  may  have  failed  to  get. 
All  com  is  planted  thick  and  harvested  as  forage  rather 
than  as  mature  corn.  Oats  are  harvested  as  oat-hay 
just  before  maturity,  and  wheat  is  harvested  at  maturity 
and  saved  as  grain  and  straw. 

Nitrogenous  materials  are  applied  for  each  main  croii 
in  the  rotation  as  follows : 

Cylinder  4B,  farm  manure,  at  the  rate  of  16  tons  per  acre. 

Cylinder  8  B.  nitrate  of  soda,  at  the  rate  of  320  pounds  per  aei;e. 

Cylinder  17B,  ammonium  sulfate,  equivalent  to  320  pounds  of  nitrate 
of  soda  per  acre.  p     •.     .       n 

Cylinder  18B,  dried  blood,  equivalent  to  320  pounds  of  nitrate  ot 
soda  per  acre. 


ir)4  Food   I'oK   Plants. 

'rims  ;i  (•.•ncrii!  iTcoi'd  is  kcpl  ot"  llic  ;iiiioiiiit  of  iiiti'o- 
li'CMi  ;ii)i)lic(l  v;\v\]  yciw  and  of  the  yield  of  di-y  iiiallci' 
from  I'.Mcli  (.'vliiidi'i'.  Fi'oni  dctenuiiiatioiis  of  llic  ainoiint 
ol'  nil  i-o.ii('ii  ill  the  dry  mallei-  the  lolal  amouiil  of  iiiti'o- 
yeii  remoN'ed  by  the  ei'op  each  year  is  easily  eak'iilate(l. 

Yield  of  Dry  Matter. 

The  yield  of  dry  matter  under  the  four  different  treat- 
ments for  the  20  years  is"  shown  in  table  1,  averages  l)e- 
ini>'  ii,iven  for  two  10-year  periods  and  also  for  the  entire 
20  years.  For  each  10-year  ])erio(l  the  yield  has  been 
lari>est  with  the  manure,  thoui-h  it  is  less  for  the  second 
10-year  pei'iod  than  for  the  first,  which  would  indicate 
that  with  manure  at  the  rate  of  Ki  tons  jx'r  acre  tlie 
fertility  of  the  soil  is  not  bein^'  fully  maintained.  The 
lowest  \ield  is  from  18B  where  dried  blood  is  used  as 
the  source  of  nitrooen.  Here  again  the  average  yield  is 
less  for  the  second  10-year  period  than  for  the  first.  For 
plots  8B  and  17B,  which  receive  nitrate  of  soda  and 
ammonium  sulfate,  respectively,  the  average  yields  for 
the  first  10  years  are  essentially  the  same  for  the  two 
treatments,  but  for  the  second  10  years  the  average  for 
the  nitrate  of  soda  treatment  is  consideral)ly  above  that 
for  the  annnonium  sulfate;  furthermore,  the  average 
yield  with  ammonium  sulfate  is,  like  the  yield  with  dried 
blood  and  farm  manure,  less  for  the  second  than  for  the 
first  10-year  period.  With  the  nitrate  of  soda,  however, 
tlie  figures  are  reversed,  that  is  the  average  yield  for 
the  second  10  years  is  somewhat  af)ove  that  for  the  tirst 
10  years. 

The  ((uestion  may  well  be  raised  as  to  why  the  average 
yields  on  4B,  17B  and  18B  should  be  less  for  the  second 
10-year  period  than  for  the  first,  while  the  yield  on  SB 
has  been  well  maintained  for  the  20  years.  Since  phos- 
phoric acid  and  i)otash  have  been  supplied  each  year  in 
liberal  amounts,  and  lime  has  been  used  at  stated  inter- 
vals, it  would  seem  clear  that  the  falling  off  in  yield 
must  be  due  to  a  deficiency  of  available  nitrogen,  not- 
witiislandini''  the  fad  lliat  cvlinders  17B  and  18B  receive 


Food  for  Plants 


155 


each  year  just  as  mucli  iiitroo-eii  as  8B,  while  4B  receives 
more  than  two  and  one-half  times  as  much  as  8B. 

Data  presented  heretofore,  and  which  are  confirmed 
by  results  hereafter  to  be  presented,  show  that  of  the 
four  materials,  nitrate  of  soda  is  most  effective  in  crop 
production,  that  is,  the  crop  is  able  to  utilize  or  win 
back  a  larger  percentage  of  nitrogen  in  this  form  than 
in  any  of  the  other  forms.  With  a  given  amomit  of 
nitrogen,  therefore,  the  crop  yield  can  be  better  main- 
tained over  a  period  of  years  l)y  the  use  of  nitrogen  in 
the  form  of  nitrate  of  soda  than  in  the  other  forms,  pro- 
vided the  soil  is  one  that  does  not  allow  rapid  leaching. 

TABLE    1 
Yield   of  dry   matter   with   different    nitrogenous   materials 


First 

10-YE.\R  Period 

Second  10-ye.\r  Period 

Year 

* 
O 

4B 

SB 

17B 

18B 

Year 

* 

c 
c 

d 

4B 

8B 

17B 

18B 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

gm. 
291.1 
146.6 
238.1 
126.0 

86.2 
160.3 
118.7 
125 . 7 

98.3 
107 . 3 

gm. 
467.1 

354 . 1 

387 . 2 
342.2 
147.8 
315  0 
262.0 
262.0 
316.0 
237.0 

gm. 
393.9 
184 . 5 
317.0 
331.0 
150.9 
183.0 
170.0 
226.0 
244.0 
168.0 

gm. 
401.0 
190.5 
310.1 
300.0 
143.9 
291.0 
167.0 
209.0 
226.0 
133.0 

gm. 
341.  S 
186.3 
307.9 
239.4 
115  6 
216.0 
160.0 
191.0 
144.0 
172.0 

1908 

1909 

1910    .    . 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914. , . . 

1915 

1916    . 
1917. .    . 

Averaget 

gm. 

169.0 

164.0 

214.0 

68.0 

88.0 

177.2 

137.0 

103.7 

91.4 

71.1 

gm. 
326 . 0 
208.0 
422.0 
236.0 
221.0 
390 . 5 
285.8 
231.2 
250.9 
229.0 

gm. 
331.0 
244.0 
338 , 0 
160.0 
187.0 
312.5 
222  4 
21L0 
217.3 
208.0 

gm. 
286.0 
217.0 
287.0 
117.0 
153  0 
228 . 5 
196.9 
178.3 
181.6 
167.0 

gm. 
228.0 
21S.0 
276.0 
126.0 
115.0 
286 . 5 
198.3 
147.5 
112.9 
139.0 

Averagef. . 

149.8 

309.01 

236.83 

237.15 

207.4 

128.3 

280.04 

243.12 

201.23 

184.72 

*  Phosphoric  acid,  potash  and  lime,  no  nitrogen, 
t  First  ten  years. 
t  Second  ten  years. 

This  apparently  is  what  has  happened  in  this  case. 
With  the  gradual  exhaustion  of  soil  nitrogen,  which  was 
made  available  by  the  use  of  lime,  and  the  failure  of  the 
ammonium  sulfate,  blood  and  manure  to  give  back  in 
the  form  of  crops  as  large  a  proportion  of  the  applied 
nit-rogen  as  the  nitrate  of  soda,  the  yields  with  the  for- 
mer became  gradually  less. 

The  fact  that  cylinder  4B  gave  the  largest  average 
yield  through  20  years  must  not  be  taken  as  meaning 
that  the  treatment  given  this  cvlinder  is'  necessarily  the 


I-'fi  KoOl)    T'OK    l^F.ANTS. 

best  ()!•  most  crt'ective.  It  will  be  remembcicd  that  this 
cylinder  receives  cow  mMiiin'e  at  the  rate  of  16  tons  per 
acre  aimnally,  the  cost  of  which  Mcuild  be  much  in  excess 
of  the  cost  of  320  pounds  of  nitrate  of  soda  or  its 
('(piivalent  in  ammonium  sulfate  or  dried  blood,  and 
therefore  the  larger  yield  does  not  necessarily  mean  an 
efficient  u&e  of  the  applied  nitrogen.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  work  shows  this  to  be  the  least  efficient  of  the 
four  forms. 

Percentage  of  Nitrogen  Recovered  in  the  Crops. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  method  of  cal- 
culating the  percentage  of  nitrogen  that  is  recovered  in 
the  crop.  The  recoveries  for  the  four  different  treat- 
ments covering  the  20  years  are  shown  in  table  2.  The 
averages  for  the  period  are  as  follows : 

4B 32. 69  per  cent,  (manure) 

8B 62.42  per  cent.  (Nitrate  of  Soda) 

17B 47.48  per  cent,  (ammonium  sulfate) 

18B 48.69  per  cent,  (dried  blood) 

This  means  that  of  100'  pounds  of  nitrogen  applied  in 
the  four  different  forms  approximately  one-third,  three - 
fifths,  one-half,  and  two-fifths,  respectively,  are  recov- 
ered or  won  back  in  the  crop.  As  has  already  been  men- 
tioned, these  figures  agree  quite  closely  with  results 
reported  from  European  countries,  and  they  also  confirm 
earlier  work  carried  out  at  this  Station. 

But  even  so,  they  are  not  satisfying  figures.  We  at 
once  ask  why  there  is  this  enormous  loss  of  nitrogen  and 
especially  why  the  loss  is  so  much  greater  with  the 
organic  materials  than  with  the  nitrate  of  soda  and  am- 
monium sulfate.  If  the  loss  is  to  be  attributed  to  the 
leaching  out  of  the  materials,  then  it  would  seem  that 
the  figures  should  be  reversed.  Unquestionably,  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  loss  takes  place  in  this  way,  but  this  can- 
not explain  the  loss  of  over  two-thirds  from  the  manure 
against  a  little  more  than  one-third  from  nitrate. 

It  is  well  known  that  organic  materials  must  undergo 
certain  transformations  in  the  soil  before  the  nitrogen 


Food  for  Plants. 


157 


can  become  available,  and  it  seems  that  during  these 
transformations  nitrogen  as  ammonia,  nitrate  or  as  ele- 
mental nitrogen  must  be  lost  in  considerable  quantities. 
As  bearing  on  this  it  may  be  pointed  out  that  Russell 
and  Richards  (5)  have  shown  by  laboratory  experiments 
with  manure  that  in  addition  to  the  loss  of  ammonia  by 
volatilization  there  is  still  a  loss  amounting  to  15  per 
cent,  or  more  of  total  nitrogen,  and  they  have  gone  fur- 
ther and  shown  that  during  decomposition  there  is  an 
evolution  of  gaseous  nitrogen.  This  they  believe  com- 
pletes the  account  of-  the  loss.  This  loss,  they  claim, 
does  not  go  on  under  wholly  anaerobic  or  wholly  aerobic 
conditions  but  mider  mixed  anaerobic  and  aerobic  con- 
ditions which  arise  when  manure  is  being  produced. 
They  explain  further  that  in  the  natural  manure  heap 
nitrogen  is  also  lost  as  gaseous  ammonia  as  well  as  in 
the  form  of  nitrogen  gas. 

It  is  very  probable  that  in  a  more  limited  way,  similar 
changes  take  place  when  organic  compounds  are  placed 
in  the  soil  and  that  a  part  of  the  loss  of  nitrogen  noted 
in  our  experiments  must  be  thus  accounted  for.  It  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  when  an  organic  substance  like 
cottonseed  meal  or  dried  blood  is  mixed  with  soil  and 


TABLE   2 
Percentage   of  nitrogen   recovered  from   different   materials 


FiKST  10-TEAR  Period 

Second  10-te.\r  Period 

Year 

4B 

8B 

17B 

18B 

Year 

4B 

8B 

17B 

18B 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

1904 

1905 

1906 

1907 

28.15 
51.48 
36.18 
41.78 
11.48 
20.20 
38.91 
30.10 
44.94 
33.85 

63.75 
48.45 
77.55 
110.26 
32.06 
30.84 
46.19 
68.77 
81.81 
45.10 

66.06 
58.27 
69.47 
91.91 
23.64 
34.38 
39.26 
56.05 
30.80 
27.47 

58.18 
44.58 
57.25 
68.71 
14.32 
20.97 
33.68 
34.01 
24.78 
42.48 

1908 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

Averaget 

16.97 
18.25 
54.74 
20.98 
29.11 
27.63 
52.46 
32.13 
36.60 
27.95 

42.77 
80.64 
110.74 
64.10 
49.16 
32.92 
74.35 
64.10 
68.96 
55.77 

24.20 
54.94 
62.12 
48.46 
27.45 
15.50 
67.86 
52.53 
57.53 
41.75 

27.38 
49.04 
51.22 
41.59 
10.96 
40.26 
56.55 
48.12 
20.26 
29.41 

Average* 
Average! 

33.71 
32.69 

60.48 
62.42 

49.73 
47.48 

39.90 
38.69 

31.68 

64.35 

45.23 

37.48 

*  First  ten  years, 
t  Second  ten  years, 
j  Twenty  years. 


LIS  Food   i'oi;   Plants. 

iiiciihalcd  in  llic  l;il)or:ilor>  for  a  few  days,  escapin^u,' 
anmionia  iiia\-  he  detcftc'd,  and  Iroiii  this  it  is  a  natural 
c-onchision  tliat  wIhmi  hwi^v  (luantities  of  or<>'anic  mattor 
are  ])hveed  in  the  soil  niuh'r  nalui'al  conditions,  some 
ammonia  will  he  lost  hy  volatilization,  especially  when 
the  temperature  and  moisture  conditions  are  t'avoral)le. 
This  then,  together  with  the  evolution  of  gaseous  nitro- 
gen, would  in  part  at  least  exi)lain  the  heavy  loss  of 
nitrogen  where  manure  was  used  at  the  rate  of  16  tons 
per  acre. 

A  discussion  of  this  subject  would  not  be  completed 
without  a  brief  reference  to  the  efl'ect  of  cultivation  on 
nitrogen  losses. 

Shntt  '  lor  exani))le  has  shown  that  when  the  ])raii'ie 
soils  of  Saskatchewan  were  left  undisturbed  the  loss  of 
nitrogen  was  slight,  but  as  soon  as  cultivation  was  com- 
menced losses  set  in. 

Russell  (4)  refers  further  to  losses  of  nitrogen 
as  follows : 

One  of  the  Hroadbalk  wheat  i)h>ts  receives  annually  14  tons  of  farm- 
yard manure  per  ac-re  containing  200  pounds  of  Nitrogen.  Only  a  little 
drainage  can  he  detected  and  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  any 
considerahle  leaching  out  of  Nitrates  occurs,  but  the  loss  of  Nitrogen 
is  enormous  amounting  to  nearly  70  i)er  cent,  of  the  added  quantity. 

The  condition  for  this  decomposition  appears  to  be  copious  aeration, 
such  as  is  ])roduced  by  cultivation  and  the  presence  of  large  quantities 
of  easily  decomposable  organic  matter.  Now  these  are  i)recisely  the 
conditions  of  intensive  farming  in  old  countries  and  of  pioneer  fanning 
in  new  lands,  and  the  result  is  that  the  reserves  of  soil  and  manurial 
Nitrogen  are  everywliere  being  dei)leted  at  an  appalling  rate. 

Russell  refers  to  the  recuperative  actions  that  are 
going  on,  but  says:  "  One  of  the  most  ])ressing  prob- 
lems at  the  present  time  is  to  learn  how  to  suppress  this 
gaseous  decomposition  and  to  direct  the  processes 
wholly  into  the  nitrate  channels." 

In  a  paper  on  the  nitrate  content  of  cultivated  and 
uncultivated  soils,  Blair  and  McLean  ( 1 ),  have  called  at- 
tention to  the  loss  of  nitrogen  from  ciUtivated  soils  and 
also    to    the    low    recovei'V    from    nitrogen    ai)i)lied    as 


-  Cited  1)V  IvusscU   (4). 


Food  for  Plants.  159 

organic  materials.  They  point  out  that  land  under  cul- 
tivation is  gradually  being  depleted  of  its  store  of  nitro- 
gen even  when  nitrogenous  fertilizers  are  applied,  each 
year  and  that  the  average  recovery  of  nitrogen  applied 
m  the  form  of  tish  scrap  for  a  period  of  nine  years,  was 
only  36.36  per  cent. 

With  the  same  nitrogen  treatment  soils  allowed  to  run 
wild  just  about  maintained  their  nitrogen  content,  while 
the  carbon  content  of  these  soils  was  slightly  increased. 

The  recovery  of  nitrogen  in  the  four  different  treat- 
ments for  the  20  years  is  shown  by  the  curves  in  iigure 
1.  A  study  of  these  curves  shows'  that  the  high  points 
are  generally  reached  in  either  the  first  or  second  year 
of  oats,  and  in  the  wheat  year,  while  the  low  points  occur 
almost  invariably  in  the  corn  and  timothy  years.  It  is 
not  entirely  clear  whether  this  is  a  seasonal  variation  or 
a  crop  characterisic. 

It  is  certain,  however,  that  the  utilization  of  the  resid- 
ual nitrogen  by  the  corn  crop  which  follows  the  oats, 
helps  to  explain  the  high  recovery  for  the  years  when 
oats  are  grown. 

Conclusions. 

In  a  5-year  rotation  on  Penn  loam  soil  well  supplied 
with  phosphoric  acid,  potash  and  lime,  crop  yields  were 
better  maintained  over  a  period  of  20  years  with  nitrate 
of  soda  at  the  rate  of  320  pounds  per  acre  than  with  an 
equivalent  amount  of  ammonium  sulfate  or  dried  blood. 
For  several  years  the  latter  gave  results  about  on  a  par 
with  the  nitrate,  but  an  average  of  the  second  10-year 
period  shows  a  considerable  falling  off  with  these  materi- 
als as  compared  with  the  nitrate.  This  is  no  doubt  due 
in  part  to  the  fact  that  the  nitrate,  being  immediately 
available,  gives  the  i)lant  an  early  start  which  tends  to 
keep  it  in  the  lead  and  to  the  further  fact  that  in  the  trans- 
formation of  the  ammonium  salt  and  the  organic  material 
into  nitrates,  there  is  a  considerable  loss  of  nitrogen,  pos- 
sibly as  ammonia  gas  or  gaseous  nitrogen  or  both.     The 


IGO  Food  for  Plants. 

loss  cannot  all  be  attrilmted  to  a  leaching  out  of  the 
materials,  even  though  the  nitrification  of  ammonia  and 
organic  residues  may  go  on  throughout  a  large  portion 
of  the  year. 

In  the  above-mentioned  rotation  cow  manure  at  the 
rate  of  16  tons  per  acre  gave  somewhat  larger  yields 
than  nitrate  of  soda,  but  the  increased  yields  were  not 
sufficient  to  justify  the  increase  in  the  cost  of  nitrogen. 

Furthermore,  tlie  average  yield  with  the  manure  was 
less  for  the  second  10-year  period  than  for  the  first, 
while  the  reverse  is  true  with  the  nitrate  of  soda.  Thus 
it  is  shown  that  with  16  tons  of  manure  per  acre  annu- 
ally, the  crop  yield  is  not  being  maintained,  \vhile  with 
nitrate  of  soda  at  the  rate  of  320  pounds  per  acre  annu- 
ally it  is  increasing  slightly,  as  show^n  by  the  average 
for  the  second  10-year  period. 

The  percentage  of  nitrogen  recovered  in  the  crop  was 
greater  with  the  nitrate  than  with  any  of  the  other 
materials,  the  20-year  average  being  as  follows: 

Per  cent. 

Nitrate  of  Soda   62.42 

Ammonium  sulfate    47 .48 

Dried  blood 38.69 

Cow  manure  32 .  69 

The  average  recovery  with  nitrate  for  the  second  10- 
year  period  was  64.35  per  cent,  as  against  60.48  per  cent 
for  the  first  lO^year  period,  whereas  the  average  re- 
covery with  the  ammonium  sulfate,  dried  blood  and 
manure  w^is  all  less  for  the  second  10-year  period  than 
for  the  first. 

This  is  in  agreement  with  the  crop  fields,  and  indi- 
cates a  diminishing  efficiency  for  the  ammonium  sulfate, 
blood  and  manure,  and  a  gradual  increase  in  efficiency 
for  the  nitrate  of  soda. 

The  work  show^s  that  wiien  properly  used  nitrate  of 
soda  alone  as  a  source  of  nitrogen  may  be  depended 
upon  to  maintain  crop  yields  over  a  long  period,  and 
that  a  given  amount  of  nitrogen  in  this  form  is  more 
effective  than  an  equivalent  amount  in  the  form  of  am- 
monium sulfate,  or  organic  materials. 


Food  for  Plants.  161 

Its  ctfect  is  to  produce  larft-er  crops  per  unit  of  nitro- 
gen, and  these  crops,  in  turn,  leave  behind  in  the  soil 
larger  crop  residues,  and  with  carbonate  of  lime  to  aid 
in  their  decomposition  these  furnish  a  sufficient  supply 
of  organic  matter  to  keep  the  soil  in  good  physical 
condition. 

REFERENCES 

(1)  Blair,   A.   W.,   and  McLean,   H.    C     1917     Total   nitrogen   and 

carbon  in  cultivated  land  and  land  abandoned  to  grass  and 
weeds.     In  Soil  Sci.,  v.  4,  no.  4,  p.  283-294. 

(2)  Coleman,    D.    A.     1917     Tlie   influence   of   sodium    nitrate   upon 

transformations  in  soils  with  special  reference  to  its  avail- 
ability and  that  of  other  nitrogenous  manures.  In  Soil  Sci, 
V.  4,  no.  5,  p.  345-432. 

(3)  LiPMAN,  J.  G.,  and  Blair,  A.  W.     1916     Investigations  relative 

to  the  use  of  nitrogenous  plant  foods :  1898-1912.  N.  J. 
Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Bui.  288. 

(4)  Russell,   E.   J.     1915     Soil   Conditions  and   Plant   Growth,   new 

ed.,  p.   83,  Longmans,   Green  and   Co.,   New   York. 

(5)  Russell,  E.  J.,  and  Richards,  E.  H.     1917     The  changes  taking 

place  during  the  storage  of  farmyard  manure.  In  Jour.  Agr. 
Sci.,  V  8,  p.  495-563. 

Cost  of  Transportation  of  Fertilizers. 

A  striking  illustration  of  the  difference  in  the  cost  of 
transportation  by  four  different  ways  is  given  below: 

To  transport  a  ton  by 

Horse  power,  5  miles; 
Electric  power,  25  miles; 
Steam  ears,  250  miles; 
Steamships  on  the  lakes,  1,000'  miles; 
costs  the  same  amount  in  each  case  and  the  same  amount  of  money  will 
haul  a  ton 

5  miles  on  a  common  road, 
15  miles  on  a  well-made  stone  road, 
25  miles  on  a  trolley  road, 
250  miles  on  a  steam  railway, 
1,000  miles  on  a  steamship. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  same  amount  of  money  it  takes 
to  haul  a  given  amount  of  produce  five  miles  on  a  public 
highway  of  the  United  States  will  pay  the  freight  for 
250  miles  on  a  railroad  and  1,0'00  miles  on  a  steamship 


162  Food  for  Plants. 

lino  oil  the  lakes.  This  is  too  great  a  difference,  as  will 
be  admitted  by  all,  and  when  we  think  of  the  fact  that 
the  railroad  companies  are  ever  at  work  reimiring  and 
improving  their  highways  while  the  farmer  is  apparently 
so  little  awake  to  his  own  interests  in  regard  to  furnish- 
ing himself  with  better  roads,  we  wonder  why  it  is.  The 
lesson  seems  plain  and  clear,  and,  as  progressive  farm- 
ers, let  us  continue  to  aid  the  good  road  movement 
throughout  the  country. 

Nitrate  of  Soda  is  essentially  a  seaboard  article ;  sup- 
plies at  interior  points  are  not  always  available,  hence 
the  ports  of  entry  are  as  a  rule  the  best  sources  of 
supply. 

The  improvement  of  our  water-ways,  so  long  urged  by 
us,  seems  at  last  to  be  in  sight;  and  farm  chemicals  at 
low^er  rates  should  ultimately  be  expected,  even  at  in- 
terior points. 

It  has  been  the  custom  of  the  railroad  companies  to 
discruninate  heavily  and  unfairly  against  Nitrate  of 
Soda  by  charging  almost  prohibitory  chemical  rates, 
instead  of  equitable  fertilizer  rates,  and  it  is  hoped  by 
correctly  designating  the  material,  the  discrimination 
will  not  be  practiced. 

Farm  newspapers,  generally,  are  quite  willing  to  pub- 
lish wholesale  quotations  on  all  those  things  which  the 
farmer  has  to  sell,  and  they  have  not,  as  a  rule,  pub- 
lished wholesale  quotations  on  those  articles  which  he 
has  to  buy.  Among  the  latter,  agricultural  chemicals 
occupy  a  position  of  prime  importance,  not  only  as  to 
actual  effect  on  farm  prosperity,  but  as  to  the  actual 
amount  of  cash  Avhich  the  farmer  has  to  spend,  for  his 
produce  comes  out  of  the  soil  and  its  amount  and 
quality  is  determined  by  the  character  of  the  chemicals 
he  puts  into  it.  Agricultural  journals  generally  should 
make  a  continued  effort  in  the  direction  of  enhancing  his 
purchasing  ])()wer,  by  endeavoring  to  make  him  more 
prosperous. 


Food  for  Plants. 


163 


OF  GENERAL  INTEREST. 

Average  Annual  Rainfall  in  the  United  States. 


Place  I 

Xeali  Bay,  Wash 

Sitka,  Alaska 

Ft.  Haskins,  Oregon 

Mt.  Vernon,  Alabama 

Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana 

Meadow  Valley,  California. . . 

Ft.  Towson,  Oklahoma 

Ft.  Meyers,  Florida 

Washington,  Arkansas 

Huutsville,  Alabama 

Natchez,  Mississippi 

New  Orleans,  Louisiana 

Savannah,  Georgia 

Springdale,  Kentucky 

Fortress  Monroe,  Virginia.  . . 

Memphis,  Tennessee 

Newark,  New  Jersej* 

Boston,  Massachusetts 

Brunswick,  Maine 

Cincinnati,  Ohio 

New  Haven,  Connecticut.  . . . 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania . . 

New  York  City,  N.  Y 

Charleston,  South  Carolina .  . 

Gaston,  North  Carolina 

Richmond,  Indiana   

Marietta,  Ohio ^ 

St.  Louis,  Missouri •  ■ 

Muscatine,  Iowa 

Baltimore,  Maryland 

New  Bedford,  Massachusetts. 
Providence,  Rhode  Island. . .  . 
Ft.  Smith,  Arkansas 


iiches  Place                                                             Inches 

123  Hanover,  New  Hampshire ...  40 

83       Ft.  Vancouver 38 

66       Cleveland,  Ohio 37 

66  Pit'tsburgh,  Pennsylvania. .. .  37 

60       Washington,  D.  C 37 

57  White  Sulphur  Springs,  Va..  37 

57       Ft.  Gibson,  Oklahoma 36 

56       Key  West,  Florida 36 

54       Peoria,  Illinois 35 

54       Burlington,  Vermont 34 

53       Buffalo,  New  York 33 

51      Ft.  Brown,  Texas 33 

48       Ft.  Leavenworth,  Kansas 31 

48       Detroit,  Michigan 30 

47       Milwaukee,  Wisconsin 30 

45       Penn  Yan,  New  York 28 

44       Ft.  Kearney 25 

44      Ft.  Snellins',  Minnesota 25 

44       Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 23 

44      Mackinac,  ^lichigan 23 

44  San  Francisco,  California. ...  21 

44       Dallas,  Oregon 21 

43       Sacramento,  California 21 

43  Ft.  Massachusetts,  Colorado..  17 

43       Ft.  Marcv,  New  Mexico 16 

43       Ft.  Randall,  Dakota 10 

43       Ft.  Defiance,  Arizona 14 

43       Ft.  Craig,  New  Mexico 11 

42       San  Diego,  California 9 

41       Ft.  Colville,  Washington 9 

41       Ft.  Bliss,  Texas 9 

41       Ft.  Bridger,  Utah 6 

40       Ft.  Garland,  Colorado 6 


How  Deep  in  the  Ground  to  Plant  Corn. 
The   following   is   the  result  of   an   experiment  with 
Indian  Corn.    That  which  was  planted  at  a  depth  of 

1  inch,  came  up  in •  8V2  days. 

11/2  inches,  came  up  in 91/2  days. 

2  inches,  came  up  in 10       days. 

21/2  inches,  came  up  in 11^/2  days. 

3  inches,  came  up  in 12       days. 

314  inches,  came  up  in 13       days. 

4  inches,  came  up  in 131/2  days. 


1G4 


Food  for  Plants. 


The  more  shallow  the  sood  was  covored  with  earth,  the 
more  rapidly  the  sprout  made  its  appearance,  and  the 
stronger  afterwards  was  the  stalk.  The  deeper  the  seed 
lay,  the  longer  it  remained  before  it  came  to  the  surface. 
Four  inches  was  too  deep  for  the  maize,  and  must,  there- 
fore, be  too  deep  for  smaller  kernels. 


Number  of  Years  Seeds  Retain  Their  Vitality. 


Vegetables  Years 

Cucumber  8  to  10 

Melon    8  to  10 

Pumi)kin 8  to  10 

Squash 8  to  10 

Broccoli 5  to     6 

Cauliflower   5  to     6 

Artichoke    5  to 

Endive 5 

Pea 5 

Radish  4 

Beets  3 

Cress   3  to 

Lettuce 3  to 

Mustard    3  to 

Okra    3 

Rhubarb    3 

S])inacli  3  to 

Turnip 3  to 


to 
to 
to 
to 


to 
to 


Vegetables 

Asparap:us  . .  . . 

Beans    

Carrots    

Celery    

Corn  (on  cob) 

Leek 

Onion    

Parsley    

Parsnij) 

Pepper 

Tomato 

Eergr-Plant  .  . . 


Years 

to 
to 
to 
to 
to 
to 
to 
to 
to 
to 
to 
to 


Herbs. 


Anise     

Caraway   

Summer  Savory 
Sagfe . 


3  to 


4 
2 

,1  to     2 
2  to     3 


Amount  of  Barbed  Wire  Required  for  Fences. 

Estimated  number  of  pounds  of  Barbed  Wire  required 
to  fence  space  for  distances  mentioned,  Avith  one,  two  or 
three  lines  of  wire,  based  upon  each  pound  of  wire,  meas- 
uring one  rod  (161/^  feet). 


1  line 

1  square  acre 50% 

1  side  of  a  square  acre.  12% 

1  square  half-acre   ....  36 

1  square  mile   1 ,280 

1  side  of  a  square  mile.  230 

1   rod  in  loncrth 1 

100  rods  in  leno:th   100 


2  lines 


3  lines 


lbs. 

1011/3 

lbs. 

152 

lbs. 

lbs. 

25  Mt 

lbs. 

38 

lbs. 

lbs. 

72 

lbs. 

108 

lbs. 

lbs. 

2.560 

lbs. 

3.840 

lbs. 

lbs. 

460 

lbs. 

690 

lbs. 

lb. 

2 

lbs. 

3 

lbs. 

lbs. 

200 

lbs. 

300 

lbs. 

100  feet  in  length 


6Vi6  lbs. 


121/8  lbs. 


18%6  lbs. 


How  Grain  will  Shrink. 
Farmers  rarely  gain  by  holding  on  to  their  grain  after 
it  is  fit  for  market,  when  the  shrinkage  is  taken  into 


Food  for  Plants.  165 

account.  Wheat,  from  the  time  it  is  threshed,  will  shrink 
two  quarts  to  the  bushel  or  six  per  cent,  in  six  months, 
in  the  most  favorable  circumstances.  Hence,  it  follows 
that  ninety-four  cents  a  bushel  for  wheat  when  first 
threshed  in  August,  is  as  good,  taking  into  account  the 
shrinkage  alone,  as  one  dollar  in  the  following  February. 

Corn  shrinks  much  more  from  the  time  it  is  first 
husked.  One  hundred  bushels  of  ears,  as  they  come  from 
the  field  in  November,  Avill  be  reduced  to  not  far  from 
eighty.  So  that  forty  cents  a  bushel  for  corn  in  the  ear, 
as  it  comes  from  the  field,  is  as  good  as  fifty  in  March, 
shrinkage  only  being  taken  into  account. 

In  the  case  of  potatoes  —  taking  those  that  rot  and 
are  otherwise  lost  —  together  with  the  shrinkage,  there 
is  but  little  doubt  that  between  October  and  June,  the 
loss  to  the  owner  who  holds  them  is  not  less  than  thirty- 
three  per  cent. 

This  estimate  is  taken  on  the  basis  of  interest  at  7  per 
cent.,  and  takes  no  account  of  loss  by  vermin. 

One  hundred  pounds  of  Indian  meal  is  equal  to  •  76 
pounds  of  wheat,  83  of  oats,  90  of  rye.  111  of  barley,  3H3 
of  com  stalks. 

Carrying  Capacity  of  a  Freig-ht  Car. 

This  Table  is  for  Ten-Ton  Cars. 

Whiske}^   60  barrels      Lumber 6,000  feet 

Salt   70  barrels      Barley 300  bushels 

Lime   70  barrels      Wheat 340  bushels 

Flour    90  barrels       Flax  Seed    360  bushels 

E^gs 130  to  160  barrels       Apples    '. 370  bushels 

Flour   200  sacks         Corn    400  bushels 

Wood 6  cords         Potatoes    430  bushels 

Cattle 18  to     20  head          Oats 680  bushels 

Ho^s 50  to     60  head          Bran   1,000  bushels 

Sheep 80  to  lOO  head          Butter    20,0€0  pounds 

How  to  Measure  Com  in  Crib,  Hay  in  Mow,  etc. 

This  rule  wdll  apply  to  a  crib  of  any  size  or  kind.  Two 
cubic  feet  of  good,  sound,  dry  corn  in  the  ear  will  make 
a  bushel  of  shelled  corn.  To  get,  then,  the  quantity  of 
shelled  corn  in  a  crib  of  corn  in  the  ear,  measure  the 


166 


Food  for  Plants. 


long-ill,  broadtli  and  height  of  the  crib,  inside  of  the  rail; 
multiply  the  length  by  the  breadth  and  the  product  by 
the  height ;  then  divide  the  product  by  two,  and  you  have 
the  nuinl)er  of  bushels  of  shelled  corn  in  the  crib. 

To  lind  the  number  of  bushels  of  apples,  potatoes,  etc., 
in  a  bin,  multiply  the  length,  breadth  and  thickness 
together,  and  this  product  by  8,  and  point  off  one  figure 
in  the  product  for  decimals. 

To  tind  the  amount  of  hay  in  a.  mow,  allow  512  cubic 
feet  for  a  ton,  and  it  will  eouie  out  very  generally 
correct. 

Length  of  Navigation  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

The  length  of  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  liiver  it- 
self for  ordinary  large  steamboats  is  about  2,161  miles, 
but  small  steamers  can  ascend  about  650  miles  further. 
The  following  are  its  principal  navigable  tributaries, 
with  the  miles  open  to  navigation : 

Miles 

Minnesota 295 

Chippewa ^0 

Iowa  ^^    8^ 

Missouri   L,9()0 

Bis  Horn 50 

Allegheny    325 

Muskingum    94 

Kentuekv 1^^ 

Wabash' 365 

Tennessee ~'^ 

Osage    30L 

White   779 

Little  White   48 

Big  Hatchie ''S 

Sunflower 271 

Tallahatchie 1"5 

Red    986 

Cy])ress 44 

Black 61 

Bartholomew 100 

Macon 60 

Atchaf  alaya 21 S 

Lafourche 168 

The  other  ten  navigable  tributaries  have  less  than  fifty 
miles  each  of  navigation.     The  total  miles  of  navigation 


Miles 

Wisconsin    160 

Rock 64 

Illinois    350 

Yellowstone   474 

Ohio 950 

Monongahela 110 

Kanawha   94 

Green    200 

Cumberland    600 

Clinch 50 

St.  Francis 180 

Black    147 

Arkansas    884 

Issaquena   161 


Yazoo 
Big  Black  . 

Cane   

Ouachita  .. 
BoeuC  . . . . 
Tensas  . . . . 

Teche 

D'Arbonne 


228 
35 
54 

384 
55 

112 
91 
50 


Food  foe  Plants.  167 

of  these  fifty-five  streams  is  about  16,500  miles,  or  about 
two-thirds  the  distance  around  the  world.  The  Missis- 
sippi and  its  tributaries  may  be  estimated  to  possess 
15,550  miles  navigable  to  steamboats,  and  20,221  miles 
navigable  to  barges. 

Business  Rules  for  Farmers. 

The  way  to  get  credit  is  to  be  punctual  in  paying  your 
bills.  The  way  to  preserve  it  is  not  to  use  it  much. 
Settle  often;  have  short  accounts. 

Trust  no  man's  appearances  —  thej^  are  deceptive  — 
perhaps  assumed,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  credit. 
Beware  of  gaudy  exterior.  Rogues  usually  dress  well. 
The  rich  are  plain  men.  Trust  him,  if  any,  w^ho  carries 
but  little  on  his  back.  Never  trust  him  who  flies  into  a 
passion  on  being  dunned ;  make  him  pay  quickly,  if  there 
be  any  virtue  in  the  law. 

Be  well  satisfied  before  you  give  a  credit  that  those  to 
whom  you  give  it  are  men  to  be  trusted. 

Sell  your  goods  at  a  small  advance,  and  never  mis- 
represent them,  for  those  whom  you  once  deceive  will 
beware  of  you  the  second  time. 

Deal  uprightly  with  all  men,  and  they  will  repose  con- 
fidence in  you,  and  soon  become  your  permanent 
customers. 

Beware  of  him  who  is  an  office  seeker.  Men  do  not 
usually  want  an  office  when  they  have  anything  to  do.  A 
man's  affairs  are  rather  low  when  he  seeks  office  for 
support.  i 

Trust  no  stranger.  Your  goods  are  better  than  doubt- 
ful charges.  What  is  character  worth,  if  you  make  it 
cheap  by  crediting  everybody? 

Agree  beforehand  with  every  man  about  to  do  a  job, 
and,  if  large,  put  it  into  writing.  If  any  decline  this, 
quit,  or  be  cheated.  Though  you  w^ant  a  job  ever  so 
much,  make  all  sure  at  the  outset,  and  in  case  at  all 
doubtful,  make  sure  of  a  guarantee.  Be  not  afraid  to 
ask  it;  the  best  test  of  responsibility;  for,  if  offence  be 
taken,  you  have  escaped  a  loss. 


168  Food  for   Plants. 

Business   Laws  in  Brief. 

T^noraiico  of  law  exciist's  none. 

It  is  a  fraud  to  conceal  a  fraud. 

The  law  compels  no  one  to  do  iini)ossil)ilities. 

An  agreement  without  consideration  is  void. 

Signatures  made  with  lead-i)en('il  are  good  in  law. 

A  receipt  for  money  i)aid  is  not  legally  conclusive. 

The  acts  of  one  partner  bind  all  the  others. 

Contracts  made  on  Sunday  cannot  be  enforced. 

A  contract  made  with  a  minoi"  is  invalid. 

A  contract  made  with  a  lunatic  is  void. 

Contracts  for  advertising  in  Sunday  newspapers  are 
invalid. 

Each  individual  in  a  partnership  is  responsible  for 
the  whole  amount  of  the  debts  of  a  firm. 

Principals  are  responsible  for  the  acts  of  their  agents. 

Agents  are  responsible  to  their  principals  for  errors. 

A  note  given  by  a  minor  is  void. 

It  is  not  legally  necessary  to  say  on  a  note  ' '  for  value 
received. ' ' 

A  note  drawn  on  Sunday  is  void. 

A  note  obtained  by  fraud,  or  from  a  person  in  a  state 
of  intoxication,  cannot  be  collected. 

If  a  note  be  lost  or  stolen,  it  does  not  release  the 
maker;  he  must  pay. 

The  indorser  of  a  note  is  exempt  from  liability  if  not 
served  with  notice  of  its  dishonor  within  twenty-four 
hours  of  its  non-payment. 

How  to  Treat  Sunstroke. 

Take  the  patient  at  once  to  a  cool  and  shady  place,  but 
don't  carry  him  far  to  a  house  or  hospital.  Loosen  the 
clothes  thoroughly  about  his  neck  and  waist.  Lay  him 
doMTi  with  the  head  a  little  raised.  Apply  wet  cloths  to 
the  head,  and  mustard  or  turpentine  to  the  calves  of  the 
legs  and  the  soles  of  the  feet.  Give  a  little  weak  whiskey 
and  water  if  he  can  swallow.  Meanwhile,  let  some  one  go 
for  the  doctor.    You  cannot  do  more  without  his  advice. 


Food  for  Plants.  169 

Sunstroke  is  a  sudden  prostration  due  to  long  ex- 
posure to  great  heat,  especially  when  much  fatigued  or 
exhausted.  It  commonly  happens  from  undue  exposure 
to  the  sun's  rays  in  summer.  It  begins  with  pain  in  the 
head,  or  dizziness,  quickly  followed  by  loss  of  conscious- 
ness and  complete  prostration. 

How  to  Rent  a  Farm. 

In  the  rental  of  property,  the  greater  risk  is  always  on 
the  landlord's  side.  He  is  putting  his  property  into  the 
possession  and  care  of  another,  and  that  other  is  not 
infrequently  a  person  of  doubtful  utility.  These  rules 
and  cautions  may  well  be  observed : 

1.  Trust  to  no  verbal  lease.  Let  it  be  in  writing, 
signed  and  sealed.  Its  stipulations  then  become  com- 
mands and  can  be  enforced.  Let  it  be  signed  in  dupli- 
cate, so  that  each  party  may  have  an  original. 

2.  Insert  such  covenants  as  to  repairs,  manner  of  use 
and  in  restraint  of  waste,  as  the  circumstances  call  for. 
As  to  particular  stipulations,  examine  leases  drawTi  by 
those  who  have  had  long  experience  in  renting  farms, 
and  adopt  such  as  meet  your  case. 

3.  There  should  be  covenants  against  assigning  and 
underletting. 

4.  If  the  tenant  is  of  doubtful  responsibility,  make  the 
rent  payable  in  installments.  A  covenant  that  the  crops 
shall  remain  the  lessor's  till  the  lessee's  contracts  with 
him  have  been  fulfilled,  is  valid  against  the  lessee's  cred- 
itors. In  the  ordinary  case  of  renting  farms  on  shares, 
the  courts  will  treat  the  crops  as  the  joint  property  of 
landlord  and  tenant,  and  thus  protect  the  former's 
rights. 

5.  Every  lease  should  contain  stipulations  for  for- 
feiture and  re-entry  in  case  of  non-payment  or  breach 
of  any  covenants. 

6.  To  prevent  a  tenant's  committing  waste,  the  courts 
will  grant  an  injunction. 

7.  Above  all,  be  careful  in  selecting  your  tenant. 
There  is  more  in  the  man  than  there  is  in  the  bond. 


tP 


170  Food  for  Plants. 

Facts  for  the  Weatherwise. 

If  the  full  moon  rises  clear,  expect  fine  weather. 

A  large  ring  around  tlie  moon  and  low  clouds  indicate 
rain  in  twenty-four  hours ;  a  small  ring  and  high  clouds, 
rain  in  several  days. 

The  larger  the  halo  ahout  the  moon  the  nearer  the  rain 
clouds,  and  the  sooner  the  rain  may  be  expected. 

When  the  moon  is  darkest  near  the  horizon,  expect 
rain. 

If  the  full  moon  rises  jiale,  expect  rain. 

A  red  moon  indicates  wind. 

If  the  moon  is  seen  between  the  s-cud  and  broken  cloud 
during  a  gale,  it  is  expected  to  send  away  the  bad 
weather. 

In^he  old  of  the  moon  a  cloudy  morning  bodes  a  fair 
afternoon. 

If  there  be  a  general  mist  before  sunrise  near  the  full 
of  the  moon,  the  weather  will  be  fine  for  some  days. 

Farmers'  Barometers. 

If  the  duckweed  and  scarlet  pimpernel  expand  their 
tiny  petals,  rain  need  not  be  expected  for  a  few  hours, 
ssijs  a  writer. 

Bees  work  with  redoubled  energy  before  a  rain. 

If  flies  are  unusually  persistent  either  in  the  house  or 
around  the  stock,  there  is  rain  in  the  air. 

The  cricket  sings  at  the  approach  of  cold  weather. 

Squirrels  store  a  large  supply  of  nuts,  the  husks  of 
corn  are  usually  thick,  and  the  buds  of  deciduous  trees 
have  a  firmer  protecting  coat  if  a  severe  winter  is  at 
hand. 

Corn  fodder  is  extremely  sensitive  to  hygrometric 
changes.  When  dry  and  crisp,  it  indicates  fair  weather; 
when  damp  and  limp,  look  out  for  rain. 

A  bee  was  never  caught  in  a  shower ;  therefore  w^hen 
his  bees  leave  their  hive  in  search  of  honey,  the  farmer 
knows  that  the  weather  is  going  to  be  good. 


Food  for  Plants.  171 

Philosophical  Facts. 

The  greatest  height  at  which  visible  clouds  ever  exist 
does  not  exceed  ten  miles. 

Air  is  about  eight  hundred  and  fifteen  times  lighter 
than  water. 

The  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  upon  every  square 
foot  of  the  earth  amounts  to  two  thousand  one  hundred 
and  sixty  pounds.  An  ordinary  sized  man,  supposing 
liis  surface  to  be  fourteen  square  feet,  (sustains  the 
enormous  pressure  of  thirty  thousand,  two  hundred  and 
forty  pounds. 

The  barometer  falls  one-tenth  of  an  inch  for  every 
seventy-eight  feet  of  elevation. 

The  violence  of  the  expansion  of  water  when  freezing 
is  sufficient  to  cleave  a  globe  of  copper  of  such  thickness 
as  to  require  a  force  of  27,000  pounds  to  produce  the 
same  effect. 

During  the  conversion  of  ice  into  water  one  hundred 
and  forty  degrees  of  heat  are  absorbed. 

Water,  when  converted  into  steam,  increases  in  bulk 
eighteen  hundred  times. 

In  one  second  of  time  —  in  one  beat  of  the  pendulmn  of 
a  clock  —  light  travels  two  hundred  thousand  miles. 
Were  a  cannon  ball  shot  toward  the  sun,  and  were  it  to 
maintain  full  speed,  it  woud  be  twenty  years  in  reaching 
it  —  and  yet  light  travels  through  this  space  in  seven  or 
eight  minutes. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  a  ball  of  a  ton  weight  and 
another  of  the  same  material  of  an  ounce  weight,  falling 
from  any  height  will  reach  the  ground  at  the  same  time. 

The  heat  does  not  increase  as  we  rise  above  the  earth 
nearer  to  the  sun  but  decreases  rapidly  until,  beyond  the 
regions  of  the  atmosphere,  in  void,  it  is  estimated  that 
the  cold  is  about  seventy  degrees  below  zero.  The  line 
of  perpetual  frost  at  the  equator  is  15,000  feet  altitude ; 
13,000  feet  between  the  tropics;  and  9,000  to  4,000  be- 
tw^een  the  latitudes  of  forty  and  forty-nine  degrees. 


17l'  Food  for  Plants. 

At  a  (k'ptli  of  forty-live  feet  under  ground,  the  tem- 
perature of  the  earth  is  uniform  throughout  the  year. 

In  summer  time,  the  season  of  ripening  moves  north- 
ward at  the  rate  of  about  ten  miles  a  day. 

The  human  ear  is  so  extremely  sensitive  that  it  can 
hear  a  sound  that  lasts  only  the  twenty-four  thousandth 
part  of  a  second.  Deaf  persons  have  sometimes  con- 
versed together  through  rods  of  wood  held  between  their 
teeth,  or  held  to  their  throat  or  breast. 

The  ordinary  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth  is  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty 
pounds  to  each  square  foot,  or  fifteen  jjounds  to  each 
square  inch;  equal  to  thirty  perpendicular  inches  of  mer- 
cury, or  thirty-four  and  a  half  feet  of  water. 

Sound  travels  at  the  rate  of  one  thousand  one  hundred 
and  forty-two  feet  per  second  —  about  thirteen  miles  in 
a  minute.  So  that  if  we  hear  a  clap  of  thunder  half  a 
minute  after  the  flash,  we  may  calculate  that  the  dis- 
charge of  electricity  is  six  and  a  half  miles  oft". 

Lightning  can  be  seen  by  reflection  at  the  distance  of 
two  hundred  miles. 

The  explosive  force  of  closely  confined  gunpowder  is 
six  and  a  half  tons  to  the  square  inch. 

How  to  Preserve  Eggs. 

To  each  pailful  of  water,  add  two  pints  of  fresh 
slaked  lime  and  one  pint  of  common  salt ;  mix  well.  Fill 
your  ban  el  half  full  with  this  fluid,  put  your  eggs  dowii 
in  it  any  time  after  June,  and  they  will  keep  two  years, 
if  desired.  A  solution  of  silicate  of  soda,  commonly 
known  as  water  glass,  is  also  used  for  the  same  purpose. 

Estimating  Measures 

A  pint  of  water  weighs  nearly  1  pound,  and  is  equal  to 
about  27  cubic  inches,  or  a  square  box  3  inches  long,  3 
inches  wide  and  3  inches  deep. 

A  quart  of  water  weighs  nearly  2  pounds,  and  is  equal 
to  a  square  box  of  about  4  by  4  inches  and  3i/2  inches 
deep. 


Food  for  Plants.  173 

A  gallon  of  water  weighs  from  8  to  10  pounds,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  of  the  gallon,  and  is  equal  to  a  box  6  by  6 
inches  square  and  6,  7  or  71/2  inches  deep. 

A  peck  is  equal  to  a  box  8  by  8  inches  square  and  8 
inches  deep. 

A  bushel  almost  fills  a  box  12  by  12  inches  square  and 
15  inches  deep.  In  exact  figures,  a  bushel  contains 
2150.42  cubic  inches. 

A  cubic  foot  of  water  weighs  nearly  64  pounds  (more 
correctly  62i/^  pounds),  and  contains  from  7  to  8  gallons, 
according  to  the  kind  of  gallons  used. 

A  barrel  of  water  almost  fills  a  box  2  by  2  feet  scpmre 
and  iy2  feet  deep,  or  6  cubic  feet. 

Petroleum  barrels  contain  40  gallons,  or  nearly  5 
cubic  feet. 

Square  Measure 

144  sq.  inches  =  1  sq.  foot.  160  sq.  rods  =  1  acre. 

9  sq.  feet  =  1  sq.  yard.  43,560  sq.  feet  =  1  acre. 

3014  sq.  yards  =  1  sq.  rod.  640  acres  =  1  sq.  mile. 

2.47  acre  =  1  hectare. 

Facts  for  Builders. 

One  thousand  shingles,  laid  4  inches  to  the  weather,  will 
cover  100  square  feet  of  surface,  and  5  pounds  of  shingle 
nails  will  fasten  them  on. 

One-fifth  more  siding  and  flooring  is  needed  than  the 
number  of  square  feet  of  surface  to  be  covered  because 
of  the  lap  in  the  siding  and  matching. 

One  thousand  laths  will  cover  70  yards  of  surface,  and 
11  pounds  of  lath  nails  will  nail  them  on.  Eight  bushels 
of  good  lime,  16  bushels  of  sand,  and  one  bushel  of  hair, 
will  make  enough  good  mortar  to  plaster  100  square 
yards. 

A  cord  of  stone,  3  bushels  of  lime  and  a  cubic  yard  of 
sand,  will  lay  100  cubic  feet  of  wall. 

Five  courses  of  brick  will  lay  one  foot  in  height  on  a 
chimney;  16  bricks  in  a  course  will  make  a  flue  4  inches 
wide  and  12  inches  long,  and  8  bricks  in  a  course  will 
make  a  flue  8  inches  wide  and  16  inches  long. 


174 


P^ooD  FOR  Plants. 


Cement  1  bushel  and  sand  2  bushels  will  cover  Sy^ 
square  yards  1  inch  thick,  41/0  square  yards  ^  i^t^h  thick, 
and  6%  square  yards  V2  "^^^i  thick.  One  bushel  cement 
and  1  of  sand  "w411  cover  2i/^  square  yards  1  inch  thick,  3 
s(iuare  yards  %  incli  thick,  and  41/4  square  yards  1/2  inch 
thick. 


Number  of  Brick  Required  to  Construct  Any  Building. 

(Hec'koniug   7   Brick  to  Each   Superficial   Foot) 


Superficial 

Feet 

OF  Wall 

Number 

OF  Bricks  to  Thickness  of 

4  inch 

8  inch 

12  inch 

16  inch 

20  inch 

24  inch 

1 

7 

15 

23 

30 

38 

45 

53 

60 

68 

75 

1.50 

225 

300 

375 

450 

525 

600 

675 

750 

1,500 

2/2,50 

3,000 

3,750 

4,500 

5,250 

6,000 

6,7.50 

7,500 

15 

30 

45 

60 

75 

90 

105 

120 

1.35 

1.50 

300 

450 

600 

750 

900 

1,0.50 

1,200 

1,3,50 

1,500 

3,000 

4,500 

6,000 

7,500 

9,000 

10,. 500 

12,000 

13,. 500 

15,000 

23 

45 

68 

90 

113 

1.35 

158 

180 

203 

225 

450 

675 

900 

1,125 

1,.350 

1,.575 

1,800 

2,025 

2,2.50 

4,. 500 

6,750 

9,000 

11,250 

13,500 

15,750 

18,000 

20,250 

22,500 

30 

60 

90 

120 

150 

180 

210 

240 

270 

300 

600 

900 

1,200 

1,500 

1,800 

2,100 

2,400 

2,700 

3,000 

6,000 

9,000 

12,000 

15,000 

18,000 

21,000 

24,000 

27,000 

30,000 

38 

75 

113 

150 

188 

225 

263 

300 

3,38 

.375 

750 

1,125 

1,500 

1,875 

2,250 

2,625 

3,000 

3,. 375 

3,750 

7,500 

11,250 

15,000 

18,750 

22,, 500 

26,250 

30,000 

.33,750 

37,500 

45 

2      

90 

3 

1,35 

4 

180 

5 

225 

6 

270 

7 

315 

S 

360 

9 

405 

10     

4.50 

20 

900 

.30 

1,.350 

40 

50 

1,800 
2,2.50 

60   

2,700 

70 

3,1.50 

80 

3,600 

90 

4,0.50 

100 

4,. 500 

200 

9,000 

300 

13,, 500 

400 

18,000 

.500 

22,, 500 

630 

27,000 

700 

31,. 500 

800 

.36,000 

900   

40,500 

1000 

45,000 

Food  for  Plants. 


175 


Weight  of  a  Cubic  Foot  of 

Article  Pounds 

Alcohol 49 

Ash  wood 53 

Bay  wood 51 

Brass,  gun  metal 543 

Blood    QQ 

Brick,  eommon 102 

Cork   15 

Cedar    35 

Copper,  east   547 

Clay    120 

Coal,  Lackawanna   50 

Coal,  Lehish    56 

Cider 64 

Chestnut. 38 

Earth,    loose    94 

Glass,  window 165 

Gold 1,203% 

Hiekorv,  shell  bark 43 

Hay,  bale 9 

Ha}',  pressed 25 

Honey 90 

Iron,  cast 450 

Iron,  plates   481 

Iron,  -wrouo'lit  bars 486 

Ice 571/2 

Lisrnum  Vitte  wood 83 

Tx)e:wood 57 

Lead,  cast 709 


Earth,  Stone,  Metal,  Etc. 

Article  Pounds 

Milk 64 

Maple 47 

Mortar    HO 

Mud 102 

Marble,  Vermont   165 

Mahogany    66 

Oak,  Canadian   54 

Oak,  live,  seasoned 67 

Oak,  white,  dry 54 

Oil,  linseed 59 

Pine,  yellow 34 

Pine,  white 34 

Pine,  red 37 

Pine,  well  seasoned 30 

Silver   62534 

Steel,  plates 48734 

Steel,  soft 489 

Stone,  common,  about.  . .  158 

Sand,  wet,  about 128 

Spruce 31 

Tin 455 

Tar   63 

Vinegar 67 

Water,  salt 64 

Water,  rain 62 

Willow   36 

Zinc,  cast 428 


What  a  Deed  to  a  Farm  in  Many  States  Includes. 
Every  one  knows  it  conveys  all  the  fences  standing  on 
the  farm,  but  all  might  not  think  it  also  included  the  fenc- 
ing-stuff, post  rails,  etc.,  which  had  once  been  used  in  the 
fence,  but  had  been  taken  down  and  piled  up  for  future 
use  again  in  the  same  place.  But  new  fencing  material, 
just  bought,  and  never  attached  to  the  soil,  would  not 
pass.  So  piles  of  hop  poles  stored  away,  if  once  used  on 
the  land  and  intended  to  be  again  so  used,  have  been  con- 
sidered a  part  of  it,  but  loose  boards  or  scaffold  poles 
merely  laid  across  the  beams  of  the  barn,  and  never  fast- 
ened to  it,  would  not  be,  and  the  seller  of  the  farm  might 
take  them  away.  Standing  trees,  of  course,  also  pass  as 
part  of  the  land;  so  do  trees  blown  down  or  cut  down, 
and  still  left  in  the  wood  where  they  fell,  but  not  if  cut 


17()  Foon  FOR  Plants. 

and  corded  up  for  sale;  the  wood  has  then  become  per- 
sonal property. 

If  there  is  any  manure  in  the  barnyard  or  in  the  com- 
post heap  on  the  field,  ready  for  immediate  use,  the  buyer 
ordinarily,  in  the  absence  of  any  contrary  agreement, 
takes  that  also  as  belono-in.c:  to  the  farm,  though  it  might 
not  be  so,  if  the  owner  had  previously  sold  it  to  some 
other  party  and  had  collected  it  together  in  a  heap  by 
itself,  for  such  an  act  might  be  a  technical  severance 
from  the  soil,  and  so  convert  real  into  personal  estate; 
and  even  a  lessee  of  a  farm  could  not  take  away  the  man- 
ure made  on  the  place  while  he  was  in  occupation. 
Growing  crops  also  pass  by  the  deed  of  a  farm,  unless 
they  are  expressly  reserved ;  and  when  it  is  not  intended 
to  convey  those,  it  should  be  so  stated  in  the  deed  itself ; 
a  mere  oral  agreement  to  that  effect  would  not  be,  in 
most  states,  valid  in  law.  Another  mode  is  to  stipulate 
that  possession  is  not  to  be  given  until  some  future  day, 
in  which  case  the  crops  or  manures  may  be  removed 
before  that  time. 

As  to  the  buildings  on  the  farm,  though  generally 
mentioned  in  the  deed,  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary 
they  should  be.  A  deed  of  land  ordinarily  carries  all 
the  buildings  on  it,  belonging  to  the  grantor,  whether 
mentioned  or  not;  and  this  rule  includes  the  lumber  and 
timber  of  any  old  building  which  has  been  taken  down,  or 
blown  down,  and  packed  away  for  future  use  on  farm. 

Relative  Value  of  Different  Foods  for  Stock. 

One  hundred  pounds  of  good  hay  for  stock  are  equal  to : 

Articles  Pounds  Articles  Pounds 

Beets,  white  silesia 669  Lucern    89 

Turnips 469  Clover,  Red,  Drj' 88 

Rye-Straw   429  Buckwheat TSVo 

Clover,  Red,  Green 373  Corn   621/0 

Carrots    371  Oats 59 

Mangolds  3681/2  Barley 58 

Potatoes,  kept  in  pit 350  Rye 531/2 

Oat-Straw 347  Wheat 441/2 

Potatoes 360  Oil-Cake,  linseed 43 

Carrot  leaves  (tops) 135  Peas,  dry 371/2 

Hay,  Endish 100  Beans   28 


Food  for  Plants.  177 

Hints  for  Fanners. 

Vincent's  Eomedies  for  farm  animals  have  been  used 
with  considerable  success  for  several  years,  and  they  are 
recommended  here  as  being  worthy  of  trial. 

First  for  Horses.  When  horses  have  chills,  or  have 
taken  cold,  or  have  colic,  15-20  drops  of  Aconite  in  a  tea- 
cup of  warm  water  will  start  perspiration,  and  if  the 
horses  are  kept  heavily  blanketed,  if  the  ailments  are  not 
more  than  ordinary,  they  will  come  out  of  them  in  good 
condition. 

For  Cattle.  When  cows  get  chilled,  and  if  for  any 
reason  after  dropping  calves,  the  cows  appear  to  shake, 
15  drops  of  Aconite  in  a  teacup  of  warm  water  will  start 
perspiration,  and  if  the  cows  are  kept  well  blanketed, 
they  will  come  out  of  the  trouble  without  further  treat- 
ment, unless  the  aihnents  are  more  than  usual. 

For  Calves.  A  disease  which  has  killed  many  fine 
young  animals,  even  under  the  best  conditions,  is  known 
as  "  scours."  Vincent's  cure  in  this  case  is  a  teaspoon- 
ful  of  Essence  of  Peppermint  in  half  a  teacup  of  warm 
water.  This  is  to  be  administered  after  feeding  night 
and  morning,  and  is  ahnost  a  certain  cure,  having  saved 
the  lives  of  many  valuable  calves. 

For  Sheep.  A  disease  known  as  "  stretches,"  caused 
by  some  stoppage  in  the  bowels,  can  be  frequently  reme- 
died by  raising  the  sheep  by  its  hind  legs  and  holding  it 
in  that  position  for  some  minutes.  In  nine  cases  out  of 
ten,  a  permanent  cure  is  effected.  This  is  worth  remem- 
bering on  account  of  many  sheep  having  died  from  this 
cause. 

To  Revive  Ferns. 

Nitrate  of  Soda  dissolved  in  water  should  be  given  to 
ferns  that  are  small  or  weak,  one-quarter  of  an  ounce 
of  Nitrate  to  a  gallon  of  water.  One-half  an  ounce  of 
Nitrate  to  a  gallon  of  water  should  be  used  on  plants  that 
are  large  and  vigorous.  Soot  and  salt  are  also  good  to 
use  occasionallv. 


178 


Food  for  Plants. 


Capacity  of  Cisterns  for  Each  10  Inches  in 


•25 
20 
15 
14 
13 
12 
11 
10 

9 

8 

7 

61/2 

6 
5 

41/2 

4 

3 

21/2 


ICC't 

foet 
I'ect 
J'eet 
ft-et 
fei't 
feet 
feet, 
feet 
feet 
feet 
feet 
feet 
feet 
feet 
feet 
feet 
feet 
feet 


in  diameter 
in  (liiinieter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 
in  diameter 


holds, 
holds, 
holds, 
holds, 
holds, 
holds, 
holds, 
hlods. 
holds, 
holds, 
holds, 
holds, 
holds, 
holds . 
holds . 
holds . 
holds, 
holds, 
holds. 


Depth. 

3,059  gallons 

1,958  i,rallons 

1,101  srallons 

«>59  gallons 

827  gallons 

705  gallons 

592  gallons 

489  gallons 

39G  gallons 

313  gallons 

239  gallons 

20G  gallons 

176  gallons 

122  gallons 

99  gallons 

78  gallons 

44  gallons 

30  gallons 

19  gallons 


Surveyor's  Measure. 

7.92  inches  1  link,  25  links  1  rod,  4  rods  1  chain,  10 
square  chains  or  160  square  rods  1  acre,  640  acres  1 
square  mile. 

Strength  of  Ice  of  Different  Thickness. 

Two  inches  thick  —  will  support  a  man. 

Four  inches  thick  —  will  support  a  man  on  horseback. 

Five  inches  thick  —  will  support  an  eighty-pound 
cannon. 

Eight  inches  thick  —  will  support  a  battery  of  artil- 
lery, with  carriages  and  horses. 

Ten  inches  thick  —  will  support  an  army ;  an  innumer- 
able multitude. 


Kinds  of  Seed 

Rapeseed    555 

Sweet  almond   47 

Turnipseed 45 

White  mustard 37 

Bitter  almond 37 

Hempseed    19 

Linseed 17 

Indian  corn   7 


Amount  of  Oil  in  Seeds. 

Per  Cent.  Oil        Kinds  of  Seed 


Per  Cent  Oil 


Oats 

Clover  hay  . 
Wheat  bran 
Oat  straw  .  . 


61/2 

5 

4 

4 

Meadow  hay   3V^ 

Wheat  straw 3 

Wheat   flour    3 

Barley 21/2 


Food  for  Plants.  179 

How  to  Kill  Poison  Ivy. 

Spraying  with  arsenate  of  soda  (one  pound  to  twenty 
gallons  of  water)  will  kill  all  vegetation.  One  applica- 
tion, if  the  plants  are  young  and  tender,  will  do  this.  In 
the  middle  of  the  summer,  however,  they  should  be  cut 
down  tirst,  and  more  than  one  application  given. 

To  Find  the  Number  of  Plants  to  the  Acre. 

Divide  the  number  of  square  feet  in  an  acre,  which 
is  43,560  by  the  multiplied  distance  the  plants  are  set 
each  way.  For  instance:  Suppose  the  plants  are  set 
two  feet  apart  and  the  row^s  are  four  feet  apart.  Four 
times  two  are  eight;  di\i.ding  43,560  by  eight  w^e  have 
5,445,  the  number  of  plants  to  the  acre  when  set  2  feet  by 
4  feet.  If  set  5  by  1,  there  are  8,712  plants  to  the  acre, 
etc. 

Savings  Bank  Compound  Interest  Table. 

Showing  the  amount  of  $1.00,  from  one  year  to  tifteen 
years,  with  compound  interest  added  semi-annually,  at 
different  rates : 


One  year 

Two  years  .... 
Three  years  .  . . 
Four  years  . . . 
Five  years  .... 

Six  years  

Seven  years  . . . 
Eight  years  . . . 
Xine  years  .... 

Ten  years  

Eleven  years   .  . 
Twelve  A-ears  .  . 
Thirteen  years 
Fourteen   years 
Fifteen  vears   . 


Three 

Four 

Five 

^er  Cent. 

Per  Cent 

Per  Cent 

$1    03 

$1    04 

$1    05 

1    OG 

1 

08 

1    10 

1    09 

1 

12 

1    15 

1    12 

1 

17 

1    21 

1  16 

1 

21 

1  28 

1  19 

1 

26 

1  34 

1  23 

1 

31 

1  41 

1  26 

1 

37 

1  48 

1  30 

1 

42 

1  55 

1  34 

1 

48 

1  63 

1  38 

1 

54 

1  72 

1  12 

1 

60 

1  80 

1  47 

1 

67 

1  90 

1  51 

1 

73 

1  99 

1  56 

1 

80 

2  09 

18U  V\)(.)\)  i'ui;  Plants. 

Results  of  Saving  Small  Amounts  of  Money. 

The  following'  shows  how  easy  it  is  to  aecuiiiulate  a 
I'ortuiR',  i)rovi(led  proper  steps  are  taken.  The  table 
shows  what  would  l)e  the  result  at  the  end  of  fifty  years 
by  saving  a  certain  amount  each  day  and  putting  it  at 
interest  at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent. : 

Daily  Savings  The  Result        Daily  Savings  Tlie  Resu 

One  cent $950  Sixty  cents   57,02-i 

Ten  cents    9,504  Seventy  cents   66,528 

Twenty  cents 19,006  Eighty^  cents 76,032 

Thirty  cents 28,512  Ninety  cents 85,537 

Forty  cents   38,015  One  dollar 95,041 

Fifty  cents 47,520  Five  dollars 465,208 

Nearly  every  person  wastes  enough  in  twenty  or  thirty 
years,  which,  if  saved  and  carefully  invested,  would 
make  a  family  quite  independent;  but  the  principle  of 
small  savings  has  been  lost  sight  of  in  the  general  desire 
to  become  wealthy. 

Time  at  Which  Money  Doubles  at  Interest. 

Rate  Simple  Interest  -    ^('«lup(lUIlJ]IIltl■n•^t 

Two  per  cent 50  years 35  years,  1  day 

Two  and  one-halt  per  ceiit. .  40  years 28  years,  26  days 

Three  per  cent 33  years,  4  months.  23  years,  164  days 

Tliree  and  one-halt  per  cent.  .  28  years,  208  days.  20  years,  54  days 

Four  per  cent 25  years 17  years,  246  days 

Four  and  one-half  per  cent .  .  22  years,  81  days. .  15  years,  273  days 

Five  per  cent 20  years 15  years,  75  days 

Six  per  cent 16  years,  8  months.  11  years,  327  days 

One  dollar  loaned  one  hundred  years  at  compound 
interest  at  three  per  cent,  would  amount  to  $19.25,  at  six 
per  cent,  to  $340.00. 


Food  for  Plants.  181 

Analyses  of  Commercial  Fertilizing  Materials. 


Name  of  Substance 


Phosphoric  .Acid 


Avail- 
able 


Insolu- 
ble 


Total 


/.   Phosphatic  Manures  — 

Apatite 

Bone-ash 

Bone-black 

Bone-black  (dissolved) 

Bone  meal 

Bone  meal  (free  from  fata) 

Bone  meal  (from  glue  factory) . . 

Bone  meal  (dissolved) 

iS.  Carolina  rock  (gxound) 

S.  Carolina  rock  (floats) 

S.  Carolina  rock  (dissolved) .  . .  . 


7.47 


4.12 
6.20 
1.70 
2.60 


16.70 
8.28 


0.30 
15.22 


1.50 


13.53 
0.60 


4.07 
27.43 


//.   Potash  Manures 

Carnallite 

Cotton-seed  hull  ashes I     7 .  33 

Kainit I     3.20 

4.82 
2.00 
1  93 
6.31 
1  25 
4.75 
7.25 
2.75 
12.00 


Krugite 

Muriate  of  potash 

Nitrate  of  potash 

Spent  tan-bark  ashes 

Sulph.  potash  (high  grade) . .  .  . 
Sulph.  potash  and  magnesia .  . . 

Sylvinite 

Waste  from  gunpowder  works . 

Wood-ashes  (unleached) 

Wood-ashes  (leached) 


13.09 


///.  Niirogeyious  Manures 

Castor  pomace 

Cotton-seed  meal 

Dried  blood 

Dried  fish 

Horn  and  hoof  waste 

Lobster  shells 

Meat  scrap 

Malt  sprouts 

Nitrate  of  soda 

Nitre-cake 

Oleomargarine  refuse 

Sulphate  of  ammonia 

Tankage 

Tohacco  stems 

Wool  waste 


71'.  Miscellaneous  Materials. 

Ashes  (anthracite  coal) 

Ashes  (bituminous  coal) 

Ashes  (corn-cob) 

Ashes  (lime-kiki) 


2.43 


9.98 

6.80 

12.50 

12.75 

10.17 

7.27 

12.09 

7,40 

1.25 

6.00 

8.54 

1.00 

13.20 

10.61 

9.27 


5. 56 
6.66 

10.52 
7.25 

13.25 
4.50 

10.44 
4.04 

15 .  65 
2.30 

12.12 

20.50 
6.82 
2.29 
5.64 


15.45 


11.60 


3.60 


36.08 
35.89 
28.28 
17.00 
23.50 
20.10 
29 .  90 
17.60 
28.03 
27.20 
15.20 


13.68 
23.80 
13.54 

8.42 
52.46 
45.19 

2.04 
38.60 
23.50 
16.65 
18.00 

5.50 

1.10 


1.12 
1.62 


0.45 


2.20 


0.40 


0.35 


5.20 


5.02 


6.23 


6.44 
1.30 


0  10| 

0.40! 

23.20 

0.86 


8.50 


1.61 


1.85 
1  40 


2.16 
1.45 


1.83 
3  52 
2  07 
1.70 


0.88 


11.25 
0.60 
0.29 


0.10 
0.40 


1.18 


Food  Foii  Plants. 


Analyses  of  Commercial  Fertilizing  Materials.     Continued. 


Name  of  Substance 


/  V.  Miscellaneous  Materials  —  Cont'd 

Ashes  (peat  and  bog) 

Gas  lime 

Marls  (Maryland) 

Marls  (Massachusetts) 

Marls  (North  Carohna) 

Marls  (Virginia) 

Muck  (fresh) 

Muck  (air-dry) 

Mud  (fresh  water) 

Mud  (from  sea-meadows) 


.53 


Peat 

Pine    straw 

needles) 

Shells  (mollusks) 

Shells  (crust acea) 

Shell  lime  (oyster  shell) . 

Soot 

Spsnt  tan 

Spent  sumach 

Sugar-house  scum 

Turf 


(dead    leaves    or    pine 


5.20 

4.40] 

1.7:i 

18. IS' 

1.50 

15.98 

76.20 

21.40 

40.37 

53.50 

61.50 

7.80 


0.30 


19.50 
5.54 
14.00 
30.80 
50.20 
19.29 


0.70 


1.25 


0.04 
0.49 


0.30 
1.30 
1.37 
0.20 
0.75 

0.30 
0.10 
6.20 


0.20 
1.00 
2.10 
1  94 


0.22 
0.20 


Phosphoric  Acid 


Avail- 
able 


Insolu- 
ble 


0.10 
0.04 
0.20 
0.0-1 
1.83 
0.10 
0.30 


Total 


0.50 


0.38 
1.05 
0.56 
0  09 


0  26 
0  10 


0  20 
0  03 
2.30 
0.20 


0.04 
0.10 


Analyses  of  Farm  Manures. 

Taken  Chiefly  from  Eeports  of  the  New  York, 

Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  Experiment  Stations. 


Name  of  Substance 


Cattle  (solid  fresh  excrement) 

Cattle  (fresh  urine) 

Hen  manure  (fresh) 

Horse  (solid  fresh  excrement) . 

Horse  (fre.sh  urine) 

Human  excrement  (solid) .  .  .  . 

Human  urine 

Poudrette  (night  soil) 

Sheep  (solid  fresh  excrement) . 

Sheep  (fresh  urine) 

Stable  manure  (mixed) 

Swine  (solid  fresh  excrement) 
Swine  (fresh  urine) 


Moisture 


77.20 
95.90 


73  27 


Nitrogen 


0.29 
0.58 
1.63 
0.44 
1.55 
1.00 
0.60 
0.80 
0.55 
1.95 
0  50 
0.60 
0  43 


Potash 


0.10 
0.49 
0.85 
0.3.5 
1.50 
0.25 
0.20 
0..30 
0.15 
2.26 
0.60 
0.13 
0.83 


Phos- 
phoric 
acid 


0 

17 

1 

0 

54 

17 

1  09 
0.17 
1.40 
0  31 
0  01 
0  30 
0.41 
0  07 


Food  foe  PLA^:TS. 


183 


Analyses  of  Fertilizing  Materials  in  Farm  Products. 
Ax-AiYSES  OF  Hay  and  Dry  Coarse  Fodders. 


Name  of  Substance 


//.  Hay  and  Dry  Coarse  Fodders 

Blue  melilot 

Buttercups 

Carrot  tops  (dry) 

Clover  (alsike) 

Clover  (Bokhara ~l 

Clover  (mammoth  red) 

Clover  (medium  red) 

Clover  (white) 

Corn  fodder 

Corn  stover 

Cow-pe^  vines 

Daisy  (white) 

Daisy  (ox-eye) 

Hungarian  grass 

Italian  rye-grass 

June  grass 

Lucern  (alfalfa) 

^Meadow  fescue 

Meadow  foxtail 

Mixed  grasses 

Orchard  grass 

Pereimial  rye-grass 

Red-top 

Rowen 

Salt  hay 

Serradella 

Soja  bean 

Tall  meadow  oat 

Timothy  hay 

Vetch  and  oats 

Yellow  trefoil 


///.     Green  Fodders 

Buckwheat 

Clover  (red) 

Clover  (white) 

Corn  fodder 

Corn  fodder  (ensilage) 

Cow-pea  v'nss 

Horse  bean 

Lucern  (alfalfa) 

Meadow  grass  (in  flower) . 

MiUet 

Oats  (green) 

Peas 

Prickly  comfrey 

Rye  grass 

Serrad.41a 

Sorghum 

Spanish  moss 

^'etch  and  oats 

White  lupin 

Young  grass 


Moisture 


8.22 


9.76 

9.93 

6.36 

11.41 

10.72 


28  24 
9.00 
9.65 


7  1.5 
8.29 


6.26 
9.79 


11.26 
8.84 
9.13 
7.71 

12.48 
5.36 
7.39 
6.30 


7.. 52 
11.98 


82.60 
80.00 
81.00 
72.64 
71.60 
78.81 
74.71 
75  30 
70.00 
62.58 
83.36 
81.50 


Nitrogen 


70  00 
82.59 


60.80 
86.11 
85.35 
80.00 


1.92 
1.02 
3.13 
2.33 
1.77 
2.23 
2.09 
2.75 
1.80 
1  12 
1  64 
0.28 
0.80 
1  16 
1.15 
1.05 
2.07 
0.94 
1  54 
1.37 
1.31 
1 .  23 
1.15 
1.75 
1.18 
2.70 
2.32 
1.16 
1.26 
1.37 
2.14 


0.51 
0.53 
0.56 
0.56 
0.36 
0.27 
0.68 
0.72 
0.44 
0.61 
0.49 
0.50 
0.42 
0.57 
0.41 
0.40 
0.28 
0.24 
0.44 
0.50 


Potas  h 


2.80 
0.81 
4.88 
2.01 
1.67 
1.22 
2.20 
1.81 
0.76 
1.32 
0.91 
1.25 
2.23 
1.28 
0.99 
1.46 
1.46 
2.01 
2.19 
1.54 
1.88 
1.55 
1.02 
1.97 
0.72 
0.65 
1.08 
1.72 
1.53 
0.90 
0.98 


0.43 
0.46 
0.24 
0.62 
0.33 
0.31 
1.37 
0.45 
0.60 
0.41 
0.38 
0.56 
0.75 
0.53 
0.42 
0.32 
0.26 
0.79 
1.73 
1  16 


Phos- 
phoric 
acid 


0.54 
0.41 
0.61 
0.70 
0.44 
0.55 
0.44 
0.52 
0.51 
0.30 
0.53 
0.44 
0.27 
0.35 
0.55 
0.37 
0.53 
0.34 
0.44 
0.35 
0.41 
0.56 
0.36 
0.46 
0.25 
0.78 
0.67 
0.32 
0.46 
0.53 
0.43 


0.11 
0.13 
0.20 
0.28 
0.14 
0.98 
0.33 
0.15 
0.15 
0.19 
0.13 
0.18 
0.11 
0.17 
0.14 
0.08 
0.30 
6.09 
0.35 
0.22 


184  Food  for  Pi.ants. 

Analyses  of  Fertilizing  Materials  in  Farm  Products.     Cont'd 


Name  of  Substance 


/  V.  Straw,  Chaff,  Leaves,  etc. 

Barley  chaff 

Barley  straw 

Bean  shells 

Beech  leaves  (autumn) 

Buckwheat  straw 

Cabbage  leaves  (air-dried) 

Cabbage  stalks  (air-dried) 

Carrots  (stalks  and  leaves) 

Corn  cobs 

Corn  hulls 

Hops 

Oak  leaves 

Oat  chaff 

Oat  straw 

Pea  shells 

Pea  straw  (cut  in  bloom) 

Pea  straw  (ripe) 

Potato  stalks  and  leaves 

Rye  straw 

Sugar-beet  stalks  and  leaves 

Turnip  stalks  and  leaves 

Wheat  chaff  (spring) 

Wheat  chaff  (winter) 

Wheat  straw  (spring) 

Wheat  straw  (winter) 


V.  Roots,  Tubers,  etc. 

Beets  (red) 

Beets  (sugar) 

Beets  (yellow  fodder) 

Carrots 

Mangolds 

Potatoes 

Ruta  bagas 

Turnips 


VI.  Grains  and  Seeds 

Barley 

Beans 

Buckwheat 

Corn  kernels 

Corn  kernels  and  cobs  (cob  meal) . 

Hemp  seed 

Linseed  

Lupines 

Millet 

Oats 

Peas 

Rye 

Soja  beans 

Sorghum 

Wheat  (spring) 

Wheat  (winter) 


Moisture 


1 3.  OS 
13  25 
18.50 
15  00 
16.00 
14.60 
16.80 
80.80 
12.09 
11.50 
11.07 
15.00 
14.30 
28.70 
.16.65 


77.00 
15.40 
92.65 
89.80 
14.80 
10.56 
15.00 
10.36 


87.73 
84.65 
90.60 
90.02 

87.29 
79.75 
87.82 
87.20 


15.42 


14.10 
10.  S8 
10.00 
12.20 
11.80 
13.80 
13.00 
20.80 
19.10 
14.90 
18.83 
14  00 
14.75 
15.40 


Nitrogen 


1.01 
0.72 
1.4S 
0.80 
1.30 
0.24 
0.18 
0.51 
0.50 
0.23 
2.53 
0.80 
0  64 
0.29 
1.36 
2.29 
1.04 
0.49 
0.24 
0.35 
0.30 
0.91 
1.01 
0  54 
0.82 


0.24 
0.25 
0.19 
0.14 
0.19 
0.21 
0.21 
0.22 


2.06 
4  10 
1.44 
1.82 
1.46 
2.62 
3.20 
5.52 
2.40 
1.75 
4.26 
1.76 
5.30 
1.48 
2.36 
2.83 


Potash 


0  99 
1.16 
1.38 
0.30 

2  41 
1.71 

3  49 
0  37 
0.60 

0  24 

1  99 
0  15 
1.04 

0  88 
1.38 

2  32 

1  01 
0  07 
0.76 
0.16 
0.24 
0  42 
0  14 
0.44 
0.32 


0.44 
0.29 
0.46 
0  54 
0.38 
0.29 
0.50 
0.41 


0  73 
1.20 
0  21 

0  40 
0.4-1 
0.97 

1  04 
1.14 
0.47 
0.41 
1.23 
0.54 
1.99 
0.42 
0  61 
0.50 


Phos- 
phoric 
acid 


0  27 
0  15 
0.55 
0.24 
0.61 
0  75 
1.06 
0.21 
0.06 
0  02 
1.75 
0  34 
0.20 
0  11 
0  55 
0.68 

o.a5 

0.06 
0.19 
0.07 
0.13 
0.25 
0.19 
0.18 
0.11 


0  09 
0  08 
0.09 
0.10 
0.09 
0.07 
0.13 
0.12 


0.95 
1.16 
0.44 
0.70 
0.60 
1.75 
1.30 
0.87 
0.91 
0.48 
1.26 
0.82 
1.87 
0.81 
0.89 
068 


Food  for  Plants.  185 

Analyses  of  Fertilizing  Materials  in  Farm  Products.     Cont'd 


Name  of  Substance 


Moisture 


Nitrogen 


Potash 


Phos- 
phoric 
acid 


VII.  Flour  and  Meal 

Corn  meal 

Ground  barley 

Hominy  feed 

Pea  meal 

Eye  flour 

Wheat  flour 


VIII.  By-products  and  Refuse 

Apple  pomace . 

Cotton  hulls  — 

Cotton-seed  meal 

Glucose  refuse 

Gluten  meal 

Hop  refuse 

Linseed  cake  (new  process) 

Linseed  cake  (old  process) 

Malt  sprouts 

Oat  bran 

Rye  middlings 

Spent  brewers'  grains  (dry) 

Spent  brewers'  grains  (wet) 

Wheat  bran 

Wheat  middlings 


IX.  Dairy  Products 

Milk 

Cream 

Skim-milk 

Butter 

Butter-milk 

Cheese  (from  unskimmed  milk) . . , 
Cheese  (from  half -skimmed  milk) . 
Cheese  (from  skimmed  milk) 


X.  Flesh  of  Farm  A  uimals 

Beef 

Calf  (whole  animal) 

Ox 

Pig 

Sheep 


XI. 

Asparagus.  .  . 

Cabbage 

Cucumbers . . . 

Lettuce 

Onions 


Garden  Products 


13.52 

13.43 

8.93 

8.85 

14.20 

9.83 


80.50 
10.63 


8.10 
8.53 
8.98 
6.12 
7.79 

10.28 
8.19 

12. 54 
6.98 

75.01 

11.01 
9  18 


87.20 
68.80 
90.20 
13.60 
90.10 
38.00 
39.80 
46.00 


77.00 
66  20 
59.70 
52.80 
59.10 


2.05 
1 .55 
1.63 
3.08 
1.68 
2.21 


0  23 
0.75 
6  52 
2.62 
5.43 
0  98 

5  40 

6  02 
3.67 
2,25 
1.84 
3.05 
0.89 
2.88 
2.63 


0.58 
0.58 
0.58 
0  12 
0  64 
4.05 
4.75 
5  45 


3.60 
2.50 
2.66 
2.00 
2.24 


0.32 
0.30 
0.16 
0.20 
0  27 


0.44 
0.34 
0.49 
0.99 
0.65 
0.54 


0  13 
1.08 
1.89 
0.15 
0.05 
0.11 
1.16 

1  16 
1.60 
0.66 
0.81 
1.55 
0.05 
1.62 
0.63 


0.17 
0.09 
0.19 


0.09 
0.29 
0.29 
0.20 


0.52 
0  24 
0.17 
0.90 
0.15 


0.12 
0.43 
0.24 
0.25 
0.25 


0.71 
0  66 
0.98 
0.82 
0  85 
0.57 


0.02 
0.18 
2.78 
0.29 
0.43 

0  20 
1.42 

1  65 
1  40 
1.11 
1.26 
1.26 
0  31 
2.87 
0.95 


0.30 
0.15 
0  34 


0.15 
0.80 
0.80 
0.80 


0.43 
1.38 
1.86 
0.44 
1.23 


0  09 
0.11 
0.12 
0  11 
0  13 


1>T) 


Food  for  Pt.axts. 


Table  Showing-  the  Number  of  Pounds  of  Nitrogen,  Phosphoric 

Acid,  and  Potash  Withdrawn  Per  Acre  by  an 

Average  Crop. 

(From  New  York,  Xkw  Jersey  axd  Coxnecticut 
ExPERaMEXT   Statioxs'   Reports.) 


Name  of  Crop 


Nitrogen 


Phosphoric 
Acid 


Potash 


Barley 

Buckwheat 

Cabbage  (white) 

Caviliflower 

Cattle  turnips 

Carrots 

Clover,  grecMi  (trifolium  pratense) .  .  .  . 

Clover  (trifolium  pratense) 

Clover,  scarlet  (trifolium  incarnatum) . 

Clover  (trifolium  repens) 

Cow  pea 

Corn 

Corn  fodder  (green) 

Cotton 

Cucumbers 

Esparsette 

Hops 


Hemp 

Lettuce 

Lucern • 

Lupine,  green  (for  fodder) 

Lupine,  yellow  (lupinus  luteus) .  . 

Meadow  hay 

Oats 

Onions 

Peas  (pisuni  sativum) 

Poppy 

Potatoes 

Rape 

Rice 

Rye 

Seradella 

Soja  bean 

Sugar  cane 

Sorghum  (sorghum  saccharatum) . 

Sugar  beet  (beet -root) 

Tobacco 

Vetch  (visia  sativa) 

Wheat 


41 

289 
219 

SO 
16() 

89 

96 
153 

87 
119 
154 

39 

87 
128 
297 
518 
446 

95 
127 
149 
111 


35 

40 

125 

76 
74 
65 
46 
18 
17 
29 
64 
69 
66 
32 
94 
36 
54 
34 
17 
65 
46 
37 
53 
35 
49 
39 
30 
55 
79 
24 
44 
57 
62 
37 
90 
44 
32 
35 
45 


62 

17 

514 

265 

426 

190 

154 

29 

57 

58 

169 

174 

236 

35 

193 

103 

127 

54 

72 

181 

63 

155 

201 

96 

96 

69 

87 

192 

124 

45 

76 

196 

87 

107 

561 

200 

148 

113 

58 


Food  for  Plants. 


187 


Fertilizer  Experiments  on  Meadow  Land. 

(Kentucky  Agricultural  Experiment  Station 
Bulletin,  Xo.  23,  February,  1890.) 

On  lo^v  and  decidedly  ^vet  land : 

English   Blue   Grass. 

Yield  of 

Amount  Hay  in 

Per  Acre  Pounds 

Fertilizers  used  per  Acre  in  Pounds  Per  Acre 

Sulphate  of  potash 160  3,000 

Muriate  of  potash 160  2,950 

Xitrate  of  Soda 160  3,100 

Sulphate  of  ammonia 130  3,600 

Xo  fertilizer   •  •  •  2,850 

Stable  manure 20  loads  2,970 

Tobacco  stems 4,000  4,700 

Fertilizer  Experiments  on  Meadow  Land. 

Ti  moth  II 

Yield  of 
Amount  Hay  in 

Per  Acre  Pounds 

Kind  of  Fertilizer  Used  >n  Pounds  Per  Acre 

Sulphate  of  potash 160  1,900 

Muriate  of  potash 160  2,320 

Xitrate  of  Soda 160  2,670 

Sulphate  of  ammonia 130  2,520 

Xo  fertilizer   •  •  •  1'620 

Stable  manure -0  loads  2,200 

Tobacco  stems 4,000  3,350 

Time  Required  for  the  Complete  Exhaustion  of  Available  Fer- 
tilizing Materials  and  the  Amounts  of  Each  Remaining 
in  the  Soil  During  a  Period  of  Seven  Years. 

(From  Scottish  Estimates.) 
0)1  U II cultivated  Clay  Loam. 

Exhausted        Per  cent,  remaining  in  soil  unexhausted 
Kind  of  Fertilizer  Used  (in  years)  at  the  end  of  each  year 

12  3         4  S  ^  7 

Lime                           12  80  65  55  45  35  25  20 

BonemeaV:..: 5  60  30  20  10  00  00  00 

Phosphatic   guanos    5  50  .30  20  10  00  00  00 

Dissolved     bones     and     plain 

superphosphates 4  20  10  5  00  00  00  00 

Hii^h    o-rade    ammoniated    fer- 

tllizers,  o-uano,  etc 3  30  20  00  00  00  00  00 

Cotton-seed  meal    5  40  30  20  10  00  00  0 

Barnvard  manure    5  60  30  20  10  m  on  00 


}F'S 


VooT)  FOR  Plants. 


Ov  Uvcnltivated  lJ(/hl  or  Medium  Soils. 

Exhaiistod       Per  cent,  rpmaining  in  soil  une\haustrd 
Kinil  i)f  F  Ttilizor  Used  (in  year.-")  at  the  end  of  each  year 

T  2  3  4  s  6  7 

Lime    10  75  (iO  40  30  20  15  .. 

Moiic    inciil    4  ()0  ;5(>  ]()  00  00  00  .. 

Phosphatic   ^wnno    4  50  '10  10  00  (in  (Hi  .. 

Dissolved    bonos    and    jdaiii 

superphosphates    3  20  10  5  00  00  00  00 

High    grade     ainmoiiiates, 

guanos    3  ;!0  'Jd  (10  od  (hi  (mi  (mi 

Cotton-seed  meal    4  40  'M)  20  10  (HI  (H)  00 

Barnyard  manure    4  60  30  10  00  00  00  00 

On  I'vcidlivdlrd  Pasture  Land. 

Per  cent,  remaining  in  the  soil  unexhausted 
Kind  of  Fertilizer  Used  at  the  end  of  each  year 

12  3         4  5         '^  r 

Lime   15  80  70  60  50  45  40  35 

Bone  meal   7  60  50  40  30  20  10  00 

Phosphatie   guano    (i  50  40  30  20  10  00  80 

Dissolved  bone,  ete 4  30  20  10  00  00  00  0€ 

JI  i  g  h     g  r  a  d  e     ammoniatod 

guanos    4  'M)  20  1 0  00  00  00  00 

Cotton-seed  meal    5  40  .30  20  10  00  00  00 

Barnyard  manure   7  GO  50  40  30  20  10  00 

The  figures  given  above  are  used  in  fixing  the  rental 
for  new  tenants.  In  this  country  no  such  careful  esti- 
mates have  heen  made. 

Amounts  of  Nitrogen,  Phosphoric  Acid,  and  Potash  Found 

Profitable  for  Different  Crops  Under  Average 

Conditions  Per  Acre. 

{Taken  Chiefly  from  Neic  Jersey  Experiment  Stations  Reports.) 

Phosphoric 

Nitrogen,  Acid  Potash 

Pounds  Pounds  Pound.? 

Wheat,  rye,  oats,  corn 16  40  30 

Potatoes  and  root  cro])s 20  25  40 

Clover,   beans,   ])eas    and   other    leguminous 

crops   .  .  40  (!0 

Fruit  trees  and  small  fruits 25  40  75 

General  garden  produce 30  40  (iO 

Rotation  in  Crops. 

In   the  changed   conditions   of   agriculture   elaborate 

systems  of  crop  rotation  are  no  longer  necessary.    With 

the  help  of  chemical  manures  and  the  judicious  us'e  of 

renovating  crops  farmers  are  no  longer  subject  to  rigid 


Food  for  Plants.  189 

rule,  but  may  adapt  rotations  to  the  varying  demands 
of  local  market  conditions. 

Some  American  Rotations. 

1.  Potatoes.  1.  Potatoes. 

2.  Wheat.  2.  Wheat. 

3.  Clover.  3.  Grass,  timothy  and  clover. 

4.  Clover.  4.  Grass,  timothy  and  clover. 

5.  Wheat,  oats  or  rye.  5.  Corn. 

1.  Boots.  1.  Koots. 

2.  Wheat.  2.  Wheat. 

3.  Clover.  3.  Clover. 

4.  Clover.  4.  Clover. 

5.  Corn,  oats  or  rye.  5.  Wheat. 

6.  Oats. 


190 


Food  for  Plants. 


FERTILIZERS. 

After  the  original  Chart  arranged  by  Director  J.  L.  Hills,  of  the 

Vermont  Experiment  Station,  for  the  U.  S.  Government 

Fertilizer  Exhibit  at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition. 

Average  cost  of  a  pound  of  plant  food  in  "low," 
"medium"  and  "high"  grade  "complete  fertilizers" 
(Vermont,    1903.) 

The  Nitrogen  Cost  per  lb. 


!(gil^o'6ini  flow  |(Pi]d](i= 


$102  a  Ton  for 
Nitrate  of  Soda. 


=$80  a  Ton  for 
Nitrate  of  Soda. 

$71  a  Ton  for 
Nitrate  of  Soda. 

The  Nitrogen  in  Nitrate  of  Soda,  in  1903,  cost  15  cents  per  lb. 
The  Available   Phosphoric  Acid  Cost  per  lb. 

n  low  grade. 

■  in  medium  grade. 

in  high  grade. 

The  Phosphoric  Acid  in  Acid  [Phosphate,  in  1903,  cost  4 '2  cents 
per  lb. 

The!  (Actual  Potash  Cost  per  lb. 
in  low  grade, 
in  medium  grade. 

in  high  grade. 

The  Actual  Potash  in  Sulphate  of  Potash,  in  1903,  cost  5  cents 
per  lb. 


Food  for  Plants.  191 

Table  of  Quantities  Required  Per  Acre 

Sow  (if  alone) 
per  Acre  _j 

Agrostis   stoloiiifera  —  See    Creeping    Bent '-!   busliels 

Agrostis   canina  —  See   R.    1.    Beut >^  busliels 

Agrostis    vulgaris  —  See    Red    Top ^  bushels 

Agrostis    vulgaris  —  Fancy     -0  lbs. 

Alopecurus    pratensis —  See    Meadow    Foxtail 3   to  4   bushels 

Arrhenatherum   avenaceum  —  See  Tail  Meadow   Oat  Grass 4   to   5  bushels 

Avena  elatior  —  See  Tall  Meadow   Oat  Grass 3  bushels 

Arrhenatherum   avenaceum  —  See   Tall  Meadow   Oat   Grass 4   to  5   busheds 

Awnless  Brome   Grass l^O   to  25   lbs. 

Alsike   or   Hj-brid   Clover 8   lbs. 

Alfalfa   Clover    2U   to    25   lbs. 

Artichokes    «    to    10    bushels 

Australian    .Salt   Busli 2    lbs. 

Barley Broadcast,  2  to  2V2   bushels  ;  Drilled,   1%  to  2  bushels 

Beet   Sugar    6   to  8  lbs. 

Bermuda    Grass    6  lbs. 

Bronuis  inermis —  See  Awnless  Brome  tJrass 2U   to  25  lbs. 

Bokhara    Clover     10  lbs. 

Broom    Corn    8    to    10  lbs. 

Buckwheat     1  bushel 

Bean,  Field    Drilled,  1  bushel 

Canada  Blue  Grass 3  bushels 

Cynodon  dactyloli  —  Sbe  Bermuda  Grass. 6  lbs. 

Creeping  Bent  or  Florin 2  bushels 

Crested    Dog's    Tail IMi  bushels 

Cynosurus  cristatus  —  See  Crested  Dog's  Tail IV2  bushels 

Cow  Grass  —  See  Mammoth  Red  Clover 10  to  12  lbs. 

Crimson    or  Carnation  —  See   ScarlK   Clover 14   lbs. 

Corn,  Dent  and   Flint 8   to  10  qts. 

Corn,   Fodder   Broadcast.  2  bushels  ;  Drilled,  1    bushel 

Corn.   Pop    0   to  8  qts. 

Carrots    4  lbs. 

Cotton 15  lbs. 

Dactylis   glomerata  —  See    Orchard    Grass 3  bushels 

Douras 8   to   10  lbs. 

English    Blue    Grass —  See    Meadow    Fescue ^Vz  bushels 

English    or   Perennial   Rye    Grass 21/2    to    3  bushels 

Festuca  elatior  —  See  Tall  Meadow  Fescue 21/2  bushels 

Festuca  heterophylla  —  See  Various  Leaved  Fescue 3  bushels 

Festuca    ovina  —  See    Sheep's    Fescue 21/2  bushels 

Festuca  ovina  tenuifolia  —  See  Fine  Leaved   Sheep's  B^escue 3  bushels 

Festuca  pratensis  —  See    Meadow    Fescue 2V2  bushels 

Festuca  rubra  —  See  Red   Fescue 21/2  bushels 

Festuca  duriuscula  —  See    Hard    Fescue 21/2  bushels 

Fine   Leaved    Sheep's   Fescue 3  bushels 

Flax    Seed    V2   to    %  bushels 

Piorin  —  See   Creeping  Bent 2  bushels 

Grasses,    Permanent    Pasture    Mixtures 3  bushels 

Grasses,  Permanent  Pasture  Clover  for  above 10  lbs. 

Grasses,   Renovating   Mixture 1  bushel 

Grasses,  Lawn    5  bushels 

Herd's  Grass   (of  the  South)  —  See  Red  Top 3  bushels 

Herd's  Grass   (of  the  North)  —  See  Timothy V2  to   1   bushel 

Hungarian    Grass  —  See   Hungarian   Millet 1   bushel 

Hard  Fescue   -V2  bushels 

Italian  Rye  Grass 3  bushels 

June  Grass—  See  Kentucky  Blue 2  to  3  bushels 

.Tune  Clover  —  See  Red  Clover 10  to  12  lbs. 

•Japan  Clover ^- 17  'P^- 

.Johnson   Grass    1   bjishel 

Jerusalem  Corn -J   '"S. 


192  Food  for  Plants. 

Sow^(if  alone) 
per  Acre 

Kufflr  Com    8   to   10  lbs. 

Keutucky   Ulue  tirass 3  bushels 

I-iipiiis 1>   to  3  bushels 

Liiliuiii   italicuin  —  .See   Iluliaii   Kye  (irass 3   bushela 

Loliuin  pcrcuiie  —  See  English  Rye  Grass 2Vi'  to  3   bushels 

Lucerne  — -  See  Alfalfa    :.'0   to   25   lbs. 

Lespedeza  striata  —  See  Japau  Clover 14  lbs. 

Meadow  Foxtail    3  to  4  bushels 

MciuldW     Feseue     2%  bushels 

MiUiiniKth  or  Pea  Vine  Clover 10  to  12  lbs. 

Medicago    sativa  —  See    Alfalfa 20  lbs. 

Millo  -Maize —  See  Douras 8  to  10  lbs. 

Millet,    German    and    Hungarian 1  bushel 

Millet,  Pearl,  Egyptian,  Cat-Tail  or   Horse  Millet Drills.  5   to  6  lbs; 

Broadcast,   8   lbs. 

Millett,  Japanese Drills,  10  lbs.  per  acre  ;  Broadcast,  15  lbs. 

Mangels 6  to  8  lbs. 

Melilotus  alba  —  See  Bokhara  Clover 10  lbs. 

Onobrychis  sativa  —  See   Sainfoin 3  to  4  bushels 

Orchard  Grass 3  bushels 

Oats 3  bushels 

Parsnip   6  lbs. 

Poa  uenioralis — See  Wood  Meadow  Grass 2   bushels 

Poa  pratensis  —  See  Kentucky  Blue -.2  to  3  bushels 

Poa  trivialis —  See  Rough   Stalked  Meadow  Grass 1%   bushels 

Poa    arachnifera  —  See  Texas  Blue  Grass 6  lbs. 

Poa    compressa    3  bushels 

Phleum   pratense  —  See  Timothy    V2  to   1  bushel 

Potatoes 12    to   14  bushels 

Peas,   Field    3  bushels 

Peas.   Cow    2  bushels 

Pea  Vine  Clover  —  See  Mammoth  Clover 10  to  12  lbs. 

Perennial     Red     Clover  —  See     Mammoth     Clover 10  to>  12  lbs. 

Rape,    English    2    to   4  lbs. 

Red    Top    3  bushels 

Red  Top.   Fancy 20  lbs. 

Rhode  Island  Bent 3  bushels 

Red    or    Creeping   Fescue 2^^  bushels 

Rough  Stalked  Meadow  Grass 1%  bushels 

Red  Clover   (Common   or  June  Clover t 10  to  12  lbs. 

Reaua  hixurians —  See  Teosinte   6  to  S  lbs. 

Rye 1%  bushels 

Ruta  Baga 2  to  3  lbs. 

Sorghum  Halapense  —  See  Johnson   Grass 1  bushel 

Sweet    Vernal  —  true    perennial 3%  bushels 

Sheep's    Fescue     2V4  bushels 

Smooth   Stalked  Meadow  Grass —  See  Kentucky  Blue 2  to  3  bushels 

Sweet  Clover  —  See  Bokhara  Clover 10  lbs. 

Scarlet    Clover    14  lbs. 

Sainfoin 3  to  4  bushels 

Sorghums 8  to  10  lbs. 

Sugar  Beet   6  to  8  lbs. 

Sugar  Canes   8   to  10  lbs. 

Sunflower 4   qts. 

Swedish  Clover  • — -  See  Alsike    8  lbs. 

Soja    Bean     %  bushel 

Tex.is   Blue   Grass 6  lbs 

Tall   McnildW  Oat  Grass 4  to  5  bushels 

Tall  Moadow  Fescue    2^  bushels 

Timothy  or  Herd's  Grass  of  the  North i>2  to  1  bushel 

Trifoliuni  pratense  —  See  Red  Clover 10  to  12  lbs. 

Trif(diiim    pratense    perenne — See    Mammoth     Clover 10  to  12  lbs. 

Trifolinm    repens —  See   White  Clover 8   lbs. 

Trifolium    incarnatum  — ■  See    Scarlet    Clover 14  lbs. 

Trifolinm    hvbridum  —  See    Alsike    Clover 8  lbs. 

Tf'osinte  6   to   8  lbs. 

Turnips 2  to  3  lbs. 

Turnips,  Ruta  Baga,  Russian  or  Swedish 2  to  3  U»» 


Food  foe  Plants.  193 

Sow  (if  alone) 
per  Acre 

Vetoh,    Spring    (Tares) 2  bushels 

Vetch,  Sand  or  Winter 1   bushel 

Various    Leaved    Fescue 3  bushels 

Wood  Meadow  Grass 2  bushels 

White  or  Dutch    Clover 8  lbs. 

Wheat 1%  bushels 


194 


Food  for  Plants. 


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INDEX 

PAGE 

Alabama  Cotton  Prize   Experiments ••  •     32 

Alfalfa,  Cow  Pea  and  Clover  Question 113 

Alfalfa,  Grades   of    113 

Ammonium  Sulfate,  Availability  of  Nitrogen  in 149 

Analyses  of  Commercial  Fertilizing  Materials 181 

Analyses  of  Farm  Manures 182 

Analyses  of  Fertilizing  Materials  in  Farm  Products 183 

Annual  Rainfall  in  the  United  States 163 

Appearance  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 10 

Asparagus    "'^ 

Asparagus,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 63 

Availability  of  Nitrogen  in  Ammonium  Sulfate    149 

Availability  of  Nitrogen  in  Dried    Blood    149 

Availability  of  Nitrogen  in  Farm   Manures    149 

Availability  of  Nitrogen  in  Nitrate  of  Soda   149 

Barbed  Wire,  Amount  Required  for  Fences 164 

Barometers,     Farmers' 170 

Beets    64 

Beets,  Table 64 

Boll  Weevil,  Fighting  with  Nitrate 38 

Brick  Reqiiired  to   Construct  Any  Building,   Number  of 174 

Buckwheat    121 

Builders,  Facts  for   173 

Burbank,  What  He  Says 128 

Business  Laws  in  Brief 168 

Business  Rules  for  Farmers 167 

Buy  Fertilizing  Materials,  How  and  Where  to 21 

Cabbage    65 

Cabbage,  Early    65 

Cabbage,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 69 

California,  Oi-ange  Groves  in 122 

Carrots    69 

Carrots,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 69 

Catch   Crops    22 

Cauliflower 65,  67 

Celery    62 

Celery,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 63 

Chemical  Composition  of  Soils 23 

Chemical  Fertilizers,  Alabama  Cotton  Prize  Experiments 32 

Chemical  Fertilizers,  How  to  Use  to  Advantage 22 

Chemical  Fertilizers,  Materials   Used    7 

11951 


1 9C)  Index. 

PAGE 

Chemical  Properties  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 10 

Citrus  (rrowinjj  in  California 126 

Citr\is  in  California,  Tnstrurtions  for  l'sin<j  Nitrate  on 123 

Clover,  Cow  Pea  and  Alfalfa   Question 113 

Commoj'cial  Fertilizing:  ^laterials,    Analyses   of    181 

Commercial  Fertilizers,  Materials  Used    7 

Comparative  Availability  of  Nitrogen 10 

Complete  Fertilizers    15 

Compound  Interest  Table,  Savings  Bank 179 

Composition   of    Soils,    Chemical 23 

Corn,  Fertilizers  for   44 

Com,  TIow   Deep   to   Plant 163 

Corn,  How  to  Measure  in  Cnb 165 

Com,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 53 

Com,  Sweet   48,  72 

Cotton  and  Fibre  Plants 31 

Cotton,  Fighting  Boll  Weevil  with  Nitrate 38 

Cotton,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 39 

Cotton  Prize  Experiments,  Alabama  32 

Cost  of  Transportation  of  Fertilizers 161 

Cow  Pea,  Alfalfa  and  Clover  Question 113 

Cranberi-y  Soils,  Leaching  of  Soluble  Fertilizer  Salts  from 82 

Crops  on  Which  Nitrate  Should  Be  Used 18 

Cucumbers    70 

Currants   54 

Deed  to  a  Fann  in  Many  States  Includes,  What  a 175 

Dried  Blood,  Availability  of  Nitrogen  in 149 

Dressing  (xrass  Lands   93 

Early  Cabbage    65 

Early  Lettuce    73 

Early  Peas    77 

Early  Potatoes    77 

Early  Tomatoes    80 

Edible  Value  of  Plant,  Special  Influence  of  Nitrate  on 28 

Eggs,  How  to  Preserve   172 

Egg  Plant    73 

Endive    72 

Exliaustion  of  Available  Fertilizing  Materials 187 

Experiments,  Indian  Corn,  New  York 48 

Experiments,  Maize,  New  York 48 

Farm,  How  to  Rent  a 169 

Farm  Manures,  Analyses  of   182 

Farm  Manures,  Availability  of  Nitrogen  in 149 

Famiers'  Barometers    170 

Farmers,  Hints  for   177 


Index.  197 

PAGE 

Farm  Products,  Analyses  of  Fertilizing  Materials  in 183 

Farmyard  Manure,  Nitrate  Compared  with    22 

FaiTQvard  Manure,  Why   Valuable    25 

Fences,  Amount  of  Barbed  Wire  Required  for 164 

Ferns,  To  Revive  177 

Fertilizers,  Quality   of    25 

Fertilizing  Materials  in  Farm  Products,  Analyses  of 183 

Fibre  Plants,   Cotton  and 31 

Fighting  Boll  Weevil  with  Nitrate 38 

Financial  Profit  from  Use  of  Nitrate.. 91 

Flowers   ^^ 

Flowers,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 60 

Food,  Principal  Elements    24 

Food,  What  It  Is   24 

Foods  for  Stock,  Relative  Value  of 176 

Freight  Car,  Carrying  Capacity  of  a 165 

Functions,  Unusual,  of  Nitrate 26 

Garden  Crops,  Fertilizers  for 18 

Golf  Links  57 

Golf  Links,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 58 

GoosebeiTies    ^^ 

Grain,  How  It  Will  Shrink 164 

Grades  of  Hay  and  Straw HI 

Grapes    ^^ 

Grapes,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 56 

Grass    '^^ 

Grass,  Alkaline  Soil  Necessary  for 91 

Grass  Lands,  Dressing    93 

Greenhouse  Plant  Food 56 

Hay,  Effect  of  Nitrate  on  Quality  of 89 

Hay,  Grades  of    HI 

Hay,  How  to  Measvire  in  Mow 165 

Hay,  Percentage  of  Water  Lost  During  Storage 95 

Hay,  Rhode  Island  Ofacial  Experiment 95 

Ice  of  Different  Thickness,  Strength  of 178 

Indian  Corn,  Experiments,  New  York -48 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Asparagus    63 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Cabbage    69 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Carrots    69 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Celery    63 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Citrus   in    California 123 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Corn     53 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Cotton    39 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Flowers   60 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Grapes     56 


198  Index. 

PAGE 

InslriK'tious  i'or  Using  Nitrate  on  Meadows,  Lawns  and  (lolf  Links  58 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Oats    119 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Onions    76 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Potatoes    79 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Rye    I'-^U 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Sugar  Beets 65 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Tobacco     -44 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Tomatoes    HI 

Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on  Wlieat    116 

Interest  Table,  Savings  Bank  Compound 179 

Investigations  Relative  to  Use  of  Nitrogenous  Fertili/.ej'  Materials.  144 

Late  Potatoes   78 

Late  Spinach    80 

Lawns   57 

LaAvns,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 58 

Leaching  of  Soluble  Fertilizer  Salts  from  Ci-anbi'n-y  Soils 82 

Lettuce,  Early    73 

Liming    10  '^ 

Maize,  Experiments,  New  Yoi'k 48 

Manures,  Analyses  of  Farm  182 

Manures,  Farm,  Availability  of  Nitrogen  in 149 

Manures,  Quality  of   25 

Market  Gardening  with  Nitrate 62 

Meadow  Land,  Fertilizer  Experiments  on 187 

Meadows,  Instmctions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 58 

Measures,  Estimating   172 

Measure,  Square    173 

Melons,  Musk   "4 

Mississippi  River,  Length  of  Navigation  of  the 106 

Modern  Agriculture,  Position  of  Nitrate  in 12 

Money  Crops  Feed,  How 24 

Money  Doubles  at  Interest,  Time  at  Which 180 

Musk  Melons    74 

Natural  Plant  Food,  Sources  of 28 

Navigation  of  the  Mississippi  River,  Lengtli  of 166 

Nitrate  of  Soda,  Availability  of  Nitrogen  in 149 

Nitrogen,  Amounts  Found  Profitable   188 

Nitrogen,  Number  of  Pounds  Withdrawn  by  Average  Crop 186 

Nitrogen  Predigested    25 

Nitrogenous  Fertilizer  Mateiials,  Investigations  Relative  to  Use  of  144 

Oats  118 

Oats,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 119 

Oil  in  Seeds,  Amount  of 178 

Onions    75 

Onions,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 76 


Index.  199 

PAGE 

Orange  Groves  in  California 122 

Oranges,  Results  at   Corona 125 

Peas,  Early  J^ 

Peppers    ^ ' 

Philosophical  Facts   1^1 

Phosphates    1^ 

Phosphatic  Fertilizers,  How  to  Apply 20 

Phosphoric  Acid    -^"^ 

Phosphoric  Acid,  Amounts  Found  Profitable 1^:58 

Phosphoric    Acid,    Number   of    Pounds    Withdrawn    by    Average 

Crop    1J^6 

Plant  Food,  Special  Functions  of 26 

Plant  Food  Withdrawn  by   Crops    3  41 

Plants  in  Pots    57 

Plants  to  the  Acre,  How  to  Find  Nundjer  of 1"9 

Poison  Ivy,  How  to  Kill 1^9 

Porto  Rico,  Sugar  Cane  in 84 

Potash    24 

Potash,  Amounts  Found  Profitable 188 

Potashes,  Sources  of  6 

Potash,  Number  of  Pounds  Withdrawn  by  Average  Crop 186 

Potatoes,  Early    ' ' 

Potatoes,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 79 

Potatoes,  Late   •  '8 

Pots,  Plants   in    ^^ 

Predigested   Nitrogen    25 

Prices  of  Farm  Products,  Relation  of,  to  Nitrate  of  Soda  Prices.  .  142 
Prices  of  Nitrate  of  Soda,  Relation  of,  to  Prices  of  Farm  Products  142 

Prize  Experiments,   Alabama  Cotton 32 

Quantities  of  Seed  Required  Per  Acre 191 

Radishes    ^** 

Rainfall,  Average  in  the  United  States 163 

Raspberries    "-^^ 

Reference  Table  for  Vegetable  Seed  Sowers 194 

Refining  Nitrate  of  Soda,  Method  of H 

Report  on  Alabama  Cotton  Experiments 32 

Rent  a  Farm,  How  to 1^^ 

Rotation  in  Crops   1^^ 

Rye    119 

Rye,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 120 

Saving  Small  Amounts  of  Money,  Results  of 180 

Savings  Bank  Compound  Interest  Table 1'''9 

Seed,  Quantities  Required  Per  Acre 191 

Seeds,  Amoimt  of  Oil  in 1^8 

Seed  Sowers,  Reference   Table  for  Vegetable 194 


200  Index. 

PAGE 

Seeds  Retain  Their  Vitality,  Xuinljer  of  Yeai-s 1G4 

Silage    47 

Small  Fruits    53 

Small  Fruits,  Fertilizers  for    18 

Soiling    47 

Soils,  Chemical  Composition  of   23 

Soluble  Fertilizer  Salts,  Leaching  from  Cranheiry   Soils 82 

Sources  of  Natural  Plant  Food 28 

Special  Functions  of  Plant  Food 26 

Spinach,  Late   8U 

Spraying  with  Solutions  of  Nitrate,  Winter 129 

Square  Measure   173 

Standard,  Nitrate  as  26 

Staple  Crops 31 

Strawberries    54 

Straw,  Grades  of 112 

Sugar  Beets,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 65 

Sugar  Cane  in  Porto  Rico 84 

Sunstroke,  How   to   Treat 168 

Surveyor's  Measure   178 

Sweet  Corn  48,  72 

Table  Beets  64 

Time  at  Which  Money  Doubles  at  Interest 180 

Tobacco    42 

Tobacco,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 44 

Tomatoes,  Early    80 

Tomatoes,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 81 

Transportation  of  Fertilizers,  Cost  of 161 

Unusual  Functions  of  Nitrate 26 

Uses  of  Nitrate  of  Soda 12 

Value,  Edible  Value  of  Plant 28 

Values,  Intrinsic  Values  of  Nitrogen  Based  on  Nitrate  as  Standard     26 

Various  Forms  of  Nitrogen 19 

Vegetable  Seed  Sowers,  Reference  Table  for 194 

Vegetables,   Fertilizers   for 18 

Vitality,  Number  of  Years  Seeds  Retain  Their 164 

Weight  of  Cubic  Foot  of  Earth,  Stone,  Metal,  Etc 175 

Wheat    114 

Wheat  Crops,  How  Nitrate  Increases 22 

Wheat,  Instructions  for  Using  Nitrate  on 116 

Where  Nitrate  of  Soda  Is  Found 11 

Winter  Spraying  with  Solutions  of  Nitrate 129 


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