WINTER MEETING. 439 



mer in the increased value of the first crop, and the increase in the succeeding 

 crops will be pure profit. 



We notice thirdly the value of commercial fertilizers as compared to barn- 

 yard manures. We have already seen the foods that must be artificially 

 applied to the soil were potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. How does the 

 amount of these foods present in one compare with the amount present in the 

 other? Take for instance an ordinary well-known fertilizer, the Homestead 

 superphosphate. An analysis shows it contains : 



Available phosphoric acid 10.62 per cent 



Potash --- 3.94 '' 



Nitrogen --- 3.12 



Dry stable manure contains : 



Phosphoric acid . 1.04 



Potash 2.64 



Nitrogen .2.21 



(( 



And one pound of the above superphosphate is equal to 75 pounds of this 

 stable manure when in the wet form ; further, the one pound of superphos- 

 phate is much more easily handled and applied, and hence is actually worth 

 about 100 pounds of stable manure. 



A farmer or market gardener buys manure in a city three miles distant at 

 30c a load and thinks he is making a bargain. At this rate a hundred tons 

 would cost about 140. It would take at least 25 days for one man and team 

 to haul and thoroughly apply the manure, and at a cheap rate of $2 per day 

 would amount to $50; total cost of this manure would then be 190. A ton of 

 fertilizer equal in value to this manure can be purchased for 138.00, and it 

 will not cost to haul and apply this ton more than $5 ; total cost of fertilizer 

 then is $43, or less than half the cost of the manure. To be sure there may 

 be some mulching qualities in the manure not to be found in the fertilizer, 

 but the almost universal, scientific and practical idea to-day is that thorough 

 cultivation is the best mulch. A fertilizer will in no way hinder this opera- 

 tion of stirring the soil, at the same time its own value will be enhanced 

 thereby. (The results of analysis of the dry manure here used were taken 

 from the works of that eminent agricultural chemist. Dr. Ville, of France.) 

 Practical experiments on the use of fertilizers and manures at the New Jersey 

 experiment station shows nearly the same difference. On corn one ton of 

 superphosphate at a cost of $30 per ton gave the same result as 115 two-horse 

 loads of fine barn-yard manure at a cost of $173, while on clover one ton of 

 superphosphate equaled 64 loads of manure; on wheat 82 loads; on potatoes 

 81 loads, and on oats 76 loads. 



Again, the relative value of barn-yard manure and commercial fertilizers 

 does not depend wholly on the amount of available food present, for the 

 great question of application to the soil must be considered. It has always 

 been a question of debate among farmers and horticulturists as to how, when 

 and where to apply manures. One would plow it under 12 to 14 inches deep 

 where there will be no danger of its rotting, and very likely the plant will 

 wear itself out trying to find this food, and by the time it has found the 

 place where the manure ought to be the latter has quietly eloped with Miss 

 Eain Water for the next county. Another farmer would leave it on the sur- 

 face to load every passing zephyr with the phantoms of its departing life. 



