REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 



AGRONOMY. 



THE USE OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS.* 



J. F. BARKER. 



Observations on the popular methods of using commercial fertil- 

 izers in this State leave no doubt but that, even at the present 

 time, fertilizing practice is influenced more by the advertising agencies 

 of the various fertilizer concerns than by the results of work at 

 the agricultural experiment stations throughout the country. The 

 fertilizer companies are in close and frequent touch with the farmer 

 by means of elaborate advertisements in farm papers and through 

 their numerous agents, and in this way the farmer has been 

 influenced more than by all the information that has reached him 

 regarding carefully conducted experiments and correct principles of 

 soil management. In this time of many conflicting theories and 

 much unsound teaching on the subject of soil fertility, well grounded 

 facts are refreshing. In these few pages the reader is asked to con- 

 sider some important facts and their bearing on the practical use 

 of commercial fertilizers. 



ELEMENTS REQUIRED FOR PLANT GROWTH. 



Ten chemical elements are essential to the growth of all plants. 

 They are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, 

 calcium, magnesium, iron and sulphur. If any one of these elements 

 is entirely lacking plants cannot be grown. In addition, lime 

 carbonate and decaying organic matter are materials necessary to 

 a fertile soil. 



Of these ten elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are freely 

 furnished by air and water. Iron is supplied in abundance by all 

 soils, and sulphur has scarcely been found to limit crop yields. 

 But the other five elements, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, 

 calcium and magnesium, together with lime carbonate and decaying 

 organic matter, are all of vital importance in the practical problem 

 of soil fertility. Certainly every landowner should be on such 

 familiar terms with these materials that he can call them by name 

 and understand fully their relation to his business of farming. 



Reprint of Circular No. 26, January 12. 



[43] 



