101 



If my soils needs nitrogen, or the manure at my 

 disposal does not contain as much of the element 

 as I think would be desirable for my purposes, and 

 I can buy nitrogen in the form of cotton- seed meal 

 cheaper than in any other forms (say at twenty dol- 

 lars or little more per ton), I would not hesitate a 

 minute to apply it directly to the soil broadcast. 

 Or, if my land needs phosphoric acid, and I can buy 

 it cheaper in the form of wheat bran than in any 

 other (say at twelve to fourteen dollars per ton), why 

 in the name of common sense should I refuse to 

 apply it ? The price alone must decide this question. 



People who ask questions of this character usually 

 have in view the immediate use of the articles they 

 inquire about for fertilizing purposes. They cannot 

 be expected to procure a lot of stock to which the 

 meal and bran, etc., might be fed, and to go all 

 through this slow process, and then have for their 

 pains a lot of raw manure which in turn has to be 

 composted, etc. Life is too short for all this. We 

 will take the plant foods wherever we can get them 

 the cheapest, and apply them for immediate use. 



Dried blood is another important nitrogenous fer- 

 tilizer. It often contains as high as eleven per cent ni- 

 trogen, valued at fifteen and one -half 



^and'/iih.^' cents per pound. Besides this it has a 

 few per cent of phosphoric acid, and 

 altogether its valuation comes very near to forty 

 dollars per ton. It is very effective and quick-acting 

 manure. Dried flesh, with twelve per cent nitrogen 

 and two per cent phosphoric acid, is even more val- 

 uable than dried blood, and fifty dollars is not too 

 much to pay for it. Dry, ground fish, containing 

 eight to nine per cent nitrogen and seven to eight 

 phosphoric acid, is valued at about $40 per ton. 



