FERTILIZERS 255 



HOME MIXING OF FERTILIZERS 



If it is of any advantage to mix fertilizers at home all that is 

 needed is to purchase acid phosphate, nitrate of soda and tankage 

 and, when it can be obtained, muriate of potash. These can be mixed 

 so as to supply any per cent, of the plant food essentials. For in- 

 stance, one hundred pounds of acid phosphate contains fourteen 

 pounds of phosphoric acid, fifty pounds of nitrate of soda contains 

 eight pounds of nitrogen, twenty-five pounds of muriate of potash 

 contains twelve pounds of potash, and twenty-five pounds of eight 

 per cent, tankage contains two pounds of nitrogen. This, all mixed 

 together, would make a splendid fertilizer for garden crops and would 

 contain about five per cent, of nitrogen, seven per cent, of phosphoric 

 acid, and six per cent, of potash. 



SCARCITY OF STABLE MANURE 



Owing to the almost universal use of automobiles and motor trucks, 

 the rapidly increasing demand for farm tractors, and the consequent 

 enormous decrease in the number of horses employed on farms and 

 elsewhere, the supply of stable manure has diminished to such an 

 extent that it is all but unobtainable for gardening, or even farming 

 purposes. Well-rotted manure, so generally advocated in "Cultural 

 Directions" as a means of increasing soil productiveness, has therefore 

 been largely supplanted by commercial fertilizers, upon which raisers 

 of crops will, mainly, have to rely to meet their needs in the future. 

 As an all-round soil-improving material stable manure is particularly 

 effective, but it is now well estabhshed that land may be enriched with- 

 out its use, providing the humus element in the soil is maintained and 

 commercial fertilizers are carefully selected and judiciously applied. 

 See "Humus as a Fertihzer," on page 253. 



MESSAGES OF FLOWERS, OR THEIR FLORAL CODE AND DIC- 

 TIONARY, by George H. I'Neill. Lovers of flowers and their lore will find 

 a treasure house in this interesting and comprehensive manual which gives the 

 language of flowers and a variety of other information. Paper, postpaid 35c.; 

 cloth, postpaid $1 .00. Secure your copy where you bought your Garden Guide. 



Always consult Index of Contents. Familiarize yourself with it. There 



are hundreds of good things in this book that will escape your attention 



if you do not use the Index freely. 



