WINTER MEETING. 441 



honest and the fertilizer contain just the amount of plant food that is claimed 

 in the guaranteed analysis. 



The only safe plan is in a small way to try the different brands of fertilizers 

 on your special soil, and then select the one for general use that gives the 

 best results for you; do not stop with a single year's trial, for circumstances 

 have a peculiar habit, known only to them, of altering all cases. The 

 method of application has to some extent been given under the comparative 

 value of manure and fertilizers. They should always if possible be worked 

 into the soil. If applied to grass lands, sow when the ground is moist, or 

 just before a rain. It is best not to put the fertilizer in any considerable 

 amount directly on the seed or plant. 



THE AMOUKT TO USE. 



From 200 to 300 pounds to the acre is sufficient for most crops, while for 

 crops planted in hills, a teaspoonful to the hill is the average amount to use; 

 but with these latter crops it is better to sow part of the amount to be used 

 broadcast and drag it in before the ground is planted. It is better also to 

 mix that which is used in the hills with the soil, though it may be applied to 

 the surface as you do ashes or plaster. All small fruits are wonderfully 

 benefited by the use of the commercial fertilizer. For fruit trees from two 

 to three quarts are usually sown about the roots of the tree; for grape-vines, 

 from a one-half pmt to a quart is used. 



The question may be asked, is there any danger of injuring or exhausting 

 the soil by the use of commercial fertilizer? As Dr. Kedzie puts it, " As well 

 fear that a horse will starve, because he has oats in his food." Yet there is 

 a possibility, yes, and a probability too, that by the continued use of an incom- 

 plete fertilizer through the increised growth of the crop, you will sooner 

 exhaust the elements of the soil which are not applied to the soil in the ferti- 

 lizer. For instance by the use of phosphoric acid alone you will increase the 

 production of the crop, but this same increase will call for more nitrogen and 

 potash; in other words, you get the same amount of crops and use up the soil 

 supply of nitrogen and potash in ten years, that it might otherwise have 

 taken 15 years to exhaust. Yet there is but little danger from this source. 

 The wise farmer or gardener will ever study the condition and appearance of 

 his growing crops, as a good physician studies the symptoms of his patient. 



A little observation of the appearance of the different crops that are from 

 time to time grown on a particular field, 'will reveal what element of plant 

 food is especially lacking in the soil of that field. For example, if the wheat 

 crop is poor, while the pea crop is vij[orous, the soil lacks nitrogen ; if the 

 reverse is true, add to the field potash and phosphoric acid and perhaps other 

 of the mineral foods. By a little study in many ways the plant will make its 

 wants known. 



The question may also be asked, can not the farmer or the gardener manu- 

 facture his own fertilizers? The answer is, he can; so can he make a rake 

 or a wheel-barrow, but in most cases it is impracticable and unprofitable work. 

 If the soil lacks potash, he can easily buy muriate of "potash ; if it lacks nitro- 

 gen, nitrate of soda may be purchased in any village. But in each case it will 

 be somewhat difficult to apply the food in this concentrated form. Does your 

 soil lack phosphorus? (which it generally does) you can not so readily obtain 

 this element of plant food in an available form. You can however, by send- 



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