82 The Sugar-Beet in America 



materials in special cases, but their general use is not 

 recommended, since they add no plant-food and their 

 temporary benefit may have a later and undesired re- 

 action. 



HOME-MIXING OF FERTILIZERS 



Many farmers would rather pay more for fertilizers 

 that are already mixed than to take the trouble of mix- 

 ing them. This is largely because they do not realize how 

 much more they have to pay for the various elements 

 when purchased in the commercial brands of fertilizer 

 than if obtained as the simple fertilizing materials, such as 

 sodium nitrate, acid phosphate, and potassium sulfate. 



Fertilizer manufacturers possess no special secrets that 

 cannot be learned by any farmer who will study the 

 subject a little. It is a poor policy to pay hundreds of 

 dollars every year for a fertilizer about which nothing is 

 known except what is told by a salesman. Better economy 

 would lead the farmer to spend a few dollars buying books 

 on the subject, as the information obtained from any 

 good book on fertilizers may make possible a saving of 

 25 to 50 per cent of the fertilizer bill. Any farmer can, 

 with but little expense, prepare a place in which to mix 

 fertilizers. Then by purchasing the materials best 

 suited to his conditions, he can mix them himself and 

 thereby obtain a much more effective fertilizer at the same 

 cost. 



FARM MANURE FOR SUGAR-BEETS 



In every beet-producing section an effort should be 

 made to utilize fully all farm manure that can be obtained. 



