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FERTILIZERS FOR RENEWING NURSERY SOILS. 



RALPH E. BROCK, Forester. 



In discussing the subject "The Best Method of Renewing Nursery 

 Soil," I have endeavored to include the two methods most generally 

 followed in best agricultural practice, that is, the one in which there 

 is application of commercial or other fertilizers, and the other, green 

 manuring. The latter is preferable for supplying essential plant 

 foods, because of its cheapness, reliability, and mostly because it in- 

 volves few or no experiments to determine the plant foods, or the 

 amounts that are most needful. 



But laying aside the methods of fertilizing, there is nothing that 

 brings the soil up to "dot/' so much as thorough tillage, bringing out 

 the old adage from which we get the word manoeuvre or manure, "he 

 who tills the soil, manures it." From this tillage or working of the 

 soil, the texture is improved, and in heavy or clay soils its absorptive 

 value is increased. Of course tillage alone will not suffice. Compost- 

 ing or fertilizing must be relied upon to aid. From this source we 

 obtain the needed materials, nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid. 



Supply of Nitrogen. 



There are two ways of supplying this essential plant food to the 

 soil, the one by the application of nitrates, and the other by the prac- 

 tice of green manures, the latter of which is preferable, especially if 

 the soil is poor. Where the nursery is of sufficient size to keep a por- 

 tion of it (one-fifth) unused, this method is very suitable. To restore 

 this portion is to begin early in the spring, sowing Canada field pea, 

 seeded deeply at the rate of two bushels and one-half per acre, giving 

 the soil a top dressing of 300 pounds of acid phosphate and 120 pounds 

 muriate of potash. This crop should be ploughed under during the 

 latter part of June and the land sown in cow peas. Plow this under 

 in September and then sow rye. Give the land now a top dressing of 

 350 pounds Thomas meal, 2,650 pounds slaked lime, and 900 pounds 

 kainit. This method will give the area one year in good nitrogen 

 catch crops, and will improve the texture of the soil considerably, 

 making a loose soil more binding and retentive of moisture or a 

 clayey soil more open, porous, and absorptive. Also, it would insure 

 nitrogen for years to come, the soil being thoroughly inoculated and 

 also possessing a supply of potash and phosphoric acid. 



