SOILS, CROPS AND FERTILIZERS. 



25 



Effect Upon the Soil of Growing Various Crops 



The tables on pages 33 and 39 

 show: (1) The amount of the prin- 

 cipal elements of fertility removed by 

 the -principal crops of this country; 

 and (2) the amount of available plant 

 food contained in the principal com- 

 mercial fertilizers and barnyard ma- 

 nure. By use of these tables, the far- 

 mer can estimate with fair accuracy 

 the condition in which his land is left 

 after cultivating and removing any 

 crop included in the list. 



For example: Suppose a farmer 

 takes from an acre of ground 30 

 bushels of barley. This would be 

 1,440 lbs. Accordingly, there would 

 be removed 14.40 x 1.51, or 21.744 



lbs. of nitrogen; 14.40 x .48, or 6.912 

 lbs. of potash; and 14.40 x .88, o* 

 12.672 lbs. phosphoric acid. If, then, 

 a farmer knows nearly the condition 

 of his land at the beginning of the 

 season, and how much fertilizing ma- 

 terial he has added in the shape of 

 manure, he can judge whether it will 

 be necessary to supply more of any 

 or all of the elements for the next 

 season, and what crop should come 

 next in rotation. The loss from de- 

 structive fermentation of barnyard 

 manures may be almost entirely pre- 

 vented by the use of absorbents, and 

 especially by keeping the manure 

 moist, and excluding the air. 



Artificial Fertilizers 



Soluble manures, such as nitrate, 

 guano, etc., should be applied to the 

 land in spring; undissolved manures, 

 such as phosphates, slag, etc., in 

 autumn. Soluble manures, again, 

 suit heavy land; while undissolved 

 varieties, whole bone, and the like, 

 give best results on light soils. Dung 

 may be plowed in in autumn on 

 heavy land, but kept over till Spring 

 on the lighter lands; on grass should 

 be applied as a top-dressing in 

 autumn on all varieties of land. The 

 «soil has great retentive power for 

 phosphates and potash, but nitro- 

 genous material easily decomposes, 

 and the resultant nitrates wash out. 

 Little at a time and more frequent 

 dressings is therefore a good rule to 

 follow in all manures, but especially 

 with the nitrogenous — nitrate of 

 soda, for instance, giving better re- 

 sults if put twice on a crop. 



Fertilizer Act. 



The law of the Fertilizer Act Is 

 stated as follows: All material ex- 

 cepting farmyard manure must be 

 sold according to guarantee. The 

 form of guarantee is as follows: 



1. Name of brand. 



2. Registration number. 



3. Name and address of manufac- 

 turer. 



4. Analysis as guaranteed by the 

 manufacturer which shall show the 

 percentage protein, fat and fibre, 

 persentage nitrogen, phosp. and 

 potash. 



Any purchaser may have an analy- 

 sis made by the Department of In- 

 land Revenue at a fee of $1.00. 

 Samples must be taken in conformity 

 with the regulations. For informa- 

 tion write the Deputy Minister of In- 

 land Revenue, Ottawa. 

 Determination of Fertilizer Needs. 



A chemical analysis is of little 

 value in determining just what ele- 

 ment of growth your soil may be lack- 

 ing in. A practical experiment is a 

 sure method to find the need of a 

 particular crop or a particular soil. 



Mark out five % acre plots and pro- 

 ceed as follows: 



Plot 1. No fertilizer. 



Plot 2. Complete fertilizer (phos- 

 phoric acid, potash, nitrogen). 



Plot 'S. Phosphoric acid and nitro- 

 gen. 



Plot 4. Phosphoric acid and potash. 



Plot 5. Nitrogen and potash. 



Then plant your crop under same 

 conditions in each of these plots and 

 watch results. 



Type of Subsoil Plow. 



