EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 139' 



liberal supply of available potash, and if the natural resources of the 

 farm are insufficient to supply the deficiencies, then a fertilizer con- 

 taining the lacking elements in liberal quantities should be used, and 

 it would manifestly be poor economy to add potash to the already suf- 

 ficient supply. On the other hand, if potash is the lacking element, 

 then it should be supplied; it may, however, happen that a sufficient 

 supply of all three elements is lacking, in which case a complete fer- 

 tilizer should be used. 



The question naturally arises then, how is the farmer to tell when 

 his soil is deficient in plant-food? 



First of all, let it be clearly understood that a chemical analysis is 

 of no avail in determining this point, because it reveals only the total 

 amount of plant food present in the soil without giving any idea of its . 

 availability. A soil may contain a great abundance of plant-food, but 

 if it is present in an unavailable form, it is of no more benefit to the 

 growing crop than so much quartz sand. 



The only way, then, by which a farmer may ascertain whether his 

 soil is deficient in any one or more of the elements of plant-food, is by 

 applying them singly and in combinations, and noting the effects pro- 

 duced upon the crops. If, for instance, the addition of nitrogen to the 

 soil results in an increased yield, then it is safe to conclude that the 

 soil is deficient in available nitrogen. In this way the effect of the 

 other plant-food elements and the several possible combinations may 

 be tested, the results carefully noted and compared with those of a 

 check plot where nothing has been applied. That application which 

 produces the largest yields and the greatest returns for the money in- 

 vested and labor expended is, of course, the most economical and should 

 be used in preference to any other. 



The farmer should ever be an experimenter, and it is hoped that some 

 of the points that have been briefly touched upon in this bulletin may be 

 helpful to many. 



LEGAL GOODS. 



Twenty-one manufacturing companies have paid licenses required by 

 law on 134 brands shown in the following tables. The sale of these 

 brands, within the State during the season of 1906, and of these brands 

 only, is legal. 



Fertilene, manufactured and sold by Nathan Smith & Son, is in- 

 tended solely for the use of florists and is sold at such a price as to 

 prohibit its use by farmers. 



