PRINCIPLES OF MANURING. gl 



Although there are instances of the successful maintainance of 

 the fertility of the soil by the use of commercial fertilizers alone, the 

 basis of good farming in IMaine, consists in the manufacture of 

 manure from the food of cattle. I believe the most profitable use 

 that JNIaine farmers can make of the fertilizers of the markets, con- 

 sists in making them an amendment of those produced on the farm ; 

 as such, the}- ma}' often be made a pa3'ing investment. It is no 

 argument against their use, that the purchasers do not alwa3-s get 

 their mone}- back. The same would undoubtedly hold true of the 

 purchasing of stable manure in an equal number of cases. 



Let us now return to a consideration of what fertilizers to buy 

 and how to use them. The first principle to be laid down is that a 

 farmer can oul}' buy fertilizers with profit, when he buys what he 

 needs. Let me illustrate what I mean bj' citing two cases reported 

 by Professor W. O. Atwater : 



Chester Sage, Esq., of Middletown, Conn., raised corn at the rate 

 of 62 bushels per acre, b}' the application of four and a-half dollars 

 worth of potash manures, a gain of 51 bushels over the corn, that 

 had no manure. Superphosphate produced no increase of crops 

 with him. W. J. Bartholomew of the same State found potash 

 useless on his land, while superphosphate caused an increased pro- 

 duction of 13 bushels of corn per acre. Would any sane person 

 advise both of these farmers to manure their farms alike? We 

 think not. It is not to be expected, that soils differing in origin 

 and treatment, will each call for the same fertilizer. Practice proves 

 that such is not the case. 



Neither are we safe in assuming that the various farm crops 

 should all receive the same kind of manuring. It is not wise to fur- 

 nish a plant with what it can get for itself. No shrewd farmer would 

 ever think of applying nitrogeneous fertilizers to clover, for clover 

 can get its own nitrogen. Plants have different capacities for gath- 

 ering the various substances they need for food, and we must 

 recognize these diflTerences. 



But some one asks, — How am I to discover what my soil and the 

 various crops I grow most need? M}' answer would be : Make 

 a study of your soil and crops ; you know about the different fertil- 

 izers in the markets, or ought to ; 3'ou know when 3'ou are buying 

 largel}- of nitrogen, phosphoric acid or potash, or a mixture of 

 these, — at least you should know. Now appl3' them separately and 

 mixed, and if you are a close observer, 3'ou will not fail to discover 



