FARMING FOR SUCCESS. 89 



years wheat after wheat has been grown b}^ chemicals, and so on 

 another piece by its side wheat after wheat has been grown with 

 fourteen tons of yard manure annually, yet to-da}- the chemicals are 

 yielding the larger crop, although the average per acre from the yard 

 manure, | acre, is 34J bushels. Far the larger crops have been 

 taken from chemicals than where yard manure was used. Dr. Nich- 

 ols has brought up a worn out farm by chemicals. A host of other 

 instances might be given from shorter experiences. No fact is better 

 established in agriculture than that chemicals are plant food. Emi- 

 nent men headed bj^ Liebig, Ville, Stockbridge, and perhaps 

 Sturtevant, have looked upon 3'ard manures as waste products, good 

 and to be used when had, but needless and unprofitable to feed for. 

 Two points in chemical fertilization may be considered as established. 

 First, that the}' are eflScacious plant food, and second, that they are 

 profitable plant food when rightly bought and used. Otherwise, 

 uncertain. 



To buy right is first to buy at the market rates. Its importance 

 will be seen when it is found that 99 cent goods have been sold for 

 $35 to S40, and $30 goods for 640, while $40 goods are sometimes 

 sold for $35. Those facts can be verified b}- consulting any of oar 

 experiment stations, or chemists employed in fertilizer analyses. 

 Our State laws compel dealers to state upon each bag or barrel of 

 fertilizer its contents of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. 

 These are commercial terms and have commercial values. We 

 should banish an}- feeling that they are mysterious terms, and learn 

 their values as we learn the value of au}' article of trade. Obtain 

 the circulars of all dealers and buy of the cheapest, provided they 

 stand well with the experiment stations. I had fully intended to 

 buy a car load of goods of a firm, but shall not, because I find their 

 goods are constantly analyzing poorl}' or of a less value than their 

 price. The time is coming when many of us will buy by the car 

 load or loads. Until then, buy together. 



In buying last spring a car load lot I found a difference in dealers' 

 prices, varying on different materials from 12 to 25 per cent., or 2 

 cents for muriate of potash by one, and 2^ by another, but not in 

 the same market. 



What Shall We Buy. 

 Chemists find that all plants contain twelve to fourteen different 

 materials in their structure. You are familiar with some of them 

 like potash, sulphur, and lime. A plant would not grow in a soil 



