DIVISION OF CHEMIiiTRY 1C9 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



the application of fertilizer has given splendid returns. The profits from the 

 use of fertilizer range from 1 i>er cent to 101 -9 per cent, reckoned on the total 

 value of the crop. This latter gain means a crop worth twice as much as the 

 average from the unfertilized plots, and yet this immense gain, found after 

 deduc-ing the cost of the fertilizer, does not neceesarily mark the limits of possi- 

 bility. It must not be inferred from this that the profit to be derived from the 

 application of fertilizers is a matter of mere chance — it is not — but it will be 

 evident that there is here a problem that must be rationally attacked. In a large 

 number of instances there is a profit to be reaped from the use of fertilizers, the 

 problem is to find oiit those special forms and their amounts which will yield the 

 maximum profit. There are few other means whereby the intelligent, observant 

 farmer can so readily increase his income; on the other hand, without care and 

 thoroughness and patient investigation the use of fertilizers is fraught with uncer- 

 tainty. To double a total income from a crop might easily mean to increase four or 

 five fold the net profits from the year's work. The results here recorded, it must be 

 •remembered, apply simply to the potato crop, but they show that the study of the 

 rational use of fertilizers fully merits the attention of farmers and particularly of 

 those who are without a sufficiency of manure to maintain fertility and thus unable to 

 obtain maximum yields. 



Table III brings out in a striking manner that the largest profits and the largest 

 number of cases giving a profit followed the application of all three elements of plant 

 food. Further, where one or two of the elements only were furnished, a moderate profit 

 of only about one-half of that otherwise obtained, is shown, the stand was not so good 

 and the percentage of culls was much higher than when a complete feitilizer was used. 

 As regards healthiness, field notes showed the plants on the complete fertilizer plots 

 were the freer from rust and had in appearance the greater vigor. 



A consideration of the detailed data of tables I and II shows that as to forms of 

 plant food, nitrogen gave much the better results when applied, at least in part, as sul- 

 phate of ammonia. Phosphoric acid would seem to be equally effective either as super- 

 phosphate or basic slag, whi^e applied as bone meal it has proved, apparently, somewhat 

 more valuable. Potash may be applied in either form, muriate or sulphate, with equal 

 results as regards yield. 



A further study of the details will make it very apparent that the largest profits 

 do not necessarily follow the application of the largest amounts of fer ilizer. It is 

 strikingly noticeable that the largest increase in net profits ($02.77 or 101.9 per cent) 

 was effected by one of the smallest applications in the list, — a total of 435 pounds, at 

 a cost of $6.85 — and it is quite possible that these applications might be still further 

 reduced. 



FODDERS AND FEEDIXG STUFFS. 



Attention was directed in our last report to the working of the Commercial Feed- 

 ing Stuffs Act under the operation of the Department of Inland Revenue. This Act 

 requires that certain classes of feeds, more especially those occurring as by-products 

 in manufacturing processes, shall be duly registered and shall bear a Libel or stater 

 mcnt attached to the package giving the registraticn number and a guaranteed 

 analysis in terms of its minimum content of protein and fat and its maximum content 

 of fibre. Its enforcement has undoubtedly been of considerable protective value to the 

 farmer and incidentally has very considerably reduced the number of miscellaneous 

 samples of feeding stuffs that we have been accustomed to receive from farmers for 

 examination and report. 



The accompanying table contains the analytical data of certain fodders and feed- 

 ing stuffs examined in the Experimental Farm lal oratories during the past year. The 

 greater number of these samples arc of materials used in feeding experiments at one 

 or other of the Ex]>crimental Farms or Stations. bi;t there are several, forwarded by 

 farmers, respecting which there did not appear to be any exact knowledge on record. 



