November, 1921 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



89 



mixture -which can hv math' hy fine griiid- 

 in<r and nieehanical api)lieati()n of the un- 

 treated pliosphate rock itself. 



The next carrier is bone.. This was the 

 (>: iginal source of phosphoric acid. The 

 success with which bone can be used de- 

 pends upon the fineness of its grinding. 

 It is a splendid source of phosphoric acid 

 where a continuous supply of this mat- 

 erial is desired by the crop. 



The third source is basic slag. This is 

 a by-product of the steel industry. The 

 phosphoric acid in slag is .supposed to be 

 in A^hat is known as the tetracalcic form. 

 Ra.sic slag of high quality is proving of 

 considerable value on meadow and pasture 

 crops. If the slag is of high phcspho:ic 

 acid content and is carefully applied it is 

 capable of rendering good service. 



Potash comes from salts mined in Cen- 

 tral Europe, especially in Alsace, France, 

 and in those sections of Germany closely 

 bordering Alsace. Potash salts as, a rule 

 are rapidly water-soluble. The richest in 

 potash are the miuiate and the sulphate. 



T}\e fertilizer industry obtains the ma- 

 terials for its various brands or mixtures 

 of plantfood from the foregoing sour- 

 ces. The materials are assembled six to 

 ten months ahead of the time when the 

 material is purchased by the framer. Under 

 careful chemical supervision these materials 

 are combined so as to make mix;tures of a 

 definite chemical composition according to 

 standards laid down by the Canadian Fer- 

 tilizer Act. 



Three Thing's Necessary to the Best Use of 

 Fertilizers. 



Elven though the industry assembles 

 material as described and handles it in 

 such a way as to prepare fertilizers which 

 will give the farmer greatest value for his 

 money, still there is altogether too large 

 a degree of misuse of fertilizers. This 

 often means a loss to the farmer. Tlien, too, 

 there is a general lack of appreciation of 

 what this great servant of the farm can do. 

 Three things are necessary : 



(a) Better elementary education in 

 chemistry. In our present high school 

 courses in chemistry, while the work is 

 covered with thoroughness, yet in far too 

 many cases it is dealt with entirely apart 

 from the life experiences of the student. 

 Its interesting phenomena are in too many 

 cases presented in a purely academic man- 



ner, depriving the subject of its intense 

 and lively interest. Indeed it is ques- 

 tionable wliether the charm of chemistry 

 has even been grasped by many of the 

 teachers that attempt to instruct in this 

 line. 



Before the agriculture of Canada can 

 advance to any great extent this condi- 

 tion must be corrected. Especially where 

 rural boys and girls are attending high 

 school there should be a definite attempt 

 made to relate every phase of chemical 

 study to the problems of the farm. Intelli- 

 gent study of soil management, of fertility, 

 feeding of animals and control of disease, 

 as well as other phases of farm occupa- 

 tion, depend entirely upon a knowledge of 

 chemical change. All the more reason, 

 then, that students who are preparing to 

 make farming their life work should have 

 an intimate and practical knowledge of 

 this important subject. Indeed we deubt 

 very seriously if chemistry should not be 

 introduced into the studies of the later 

 years of public school — chemistry in its 

 elementary form — so that our boys and 

 girls may form a liking for a subject which 

 is fundamental to the raising of the level 

 of Canadian farming. 



(b) Closer study of published data. In 

 all civilized countries for the last twenty 

 years there have been accumulated reams 

 of reports of scientific investigations, and 

 records of long-time practical and valuable 

 experiments. Yet how little is known of 

 this material, and how poorly prepared the 

 average institute speaker is to present even 

 the faintest application of chemical data 

 pertaining to the subject it discusses ! This 

 is due we believe to an insufficient study 

 in our college courses of the chemical data 

 developed in different parts of the world. 

 At the moment there seems to be a great 

 tendency to develop furthei- study of farm 

 economics. This is well. The subject is 

 certainly in need of Avider development, 

 but what is the use of working at the super- 

 structure while neglecting foundation 

 principles ? 



There is altogether too much tendency 

 to confine information regarding chemical 

 studies in fertility Avithin national bounds. 

 For instance, in not a few cases the writer 

 has heard the criticism that data from Eng- 

 land. Massachusetts, Ohio, New York. Aus- 

 tralia, may be alright for the sections where 



