116 VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



HORTICULTURE. 



FERTILIZERS IN HORTICULTURE. 



Joseph L. Hills. 



The plaut food problem is one of considerable importance 

 to Vermont horticulturists. Their soils have been for many 

 years more or less depleted, and natural or artificial fertilizers 

 need to be used. Plant food is evanescent, it slips from the 

 grasp readily, its saving is worth consideration and its more 

 rational use deserves notice ; but in the short space which can 

 be devoted to this matter in this report one must of necessity 

 be brief. 



There are three general channels of loss of fertilizing 

 ingredients, two of which are natural and one artificial. In the 

 first place, nitrogen is lost through fermentation, leaching and 

 drainage, while phosphoric acid and potash pass off by leach- 

 ing ; in the second place there is much loss caused by the me- 

 chanical processes of nature, the attrition and denudation of 

 soil surfaces \ and, in the third place, man is responsible for 

 considerable amounts of shortage by his incorrect methods of 

 cropping the soil. There is a serious danger of shortage of 

 plant food in the not distant future unless new methods for its 

 formation be found, or modification of current methods of use 

 be adopted. It behooves us, therefore, so far as possible, to 

 prevent waste, to render the plant food which lies dormant in 

 the soil more readily available, and, in general, to study the 

 problem thoroughly that we may be better informed. Space 

 forbids, however, opportunity for discussion of this matter at 

 present. 



The three ingredients more particularly needed in our fer- 

 tilizers are nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. The func- 

 tions of these three ingredients in horticulture, and, indeed, in 

 agriculture generally, are essentially as follows : nitrogen tends 

 to increase or to improve the foliage of the plant, often, how- 

 ever, at the expense of early fruitage ; phosphoric acid, on the 

 contrary, tends to hasten fruitage ; while potash aids in the 

 formation of starch and sugar and has a notably favorable effect 

 upon the pulpy portion of fruits. It should be understood, of 



