MARCHES AND FERTILIZERS. Ill 



continued, and the nitrogenous matter is not wholly 

 converted into nitrates, and other forms suitable for 

 plant growth, until a long time has elapsed. The early 

 stages of this violent decay create a condition in the 

 soil that is bad for quality in tobacco, developing a leaf 

 with coarse texture, large veins and an excess of woody 

 tissue. Wherever possible, all animal and vegetable 

 matter should be ground to a fine, dry powder, in which 

 form it is much more easily disintegrated and that, too, 

 without excessive fermentation. Furthermore, a much 

 more even distribution of the fertilizer can be made, 

 which insures a thorough fertilizing of the land, avoid- 

 ing the liability of omitting parts of the field. 



The trouble with this class of materials is entirely 

 in the mechanical condition. Coarse fertilizers are pro- 

 verbially slow. The same matter, in a finely divided 

 state, can be used with perfect safety. But if, as in 

 castor pomace, this is impossible, it should be applied so 

 long in advance of the crop, .that all danger of excessive 

 decomposition shall have passed before the plants are set. 

 Chlorine in any form should be avoided by the skillful 

 grower, and coarse, nitrogenous matter should be used 

 with discretion and with an understanding of its dan- 

 gers and limitations. These constitute the only forms 

 of plant food that are positively dangerous, and that 

 should not be used because of the danger. Phosphoric 

 acid is not assimilated by the crop to any material ex- 

 tent, and its application, in more than very moderate 

 quantity, is unnecessary, and therefore wasteful, unless 

 the soil is deficient in this element, but its presence does 

 not produce any markedly bad results ; it is simply use- 

 less to incur the expense of an element that is not re- 

 quired. 



