No. 4.] COMxMERClAL FERTILIZERS. 131 



of the soil, sccdini;- and fertilizin£2; than in general farniinc:;, 

 hccanse we are providing for a continuous cropping, without 

 the ahility t<» introduce and thoroughly distrihule throughout 

 the soil the various kinds of plant food. Therefore, in' the 

 pre]>aration of land for hay great care should be exercised 

 iu getting the soil in good condition, and thoroughly dis- 

 tributing in it a liberal 8ui)j)ly of fertilizer constituents, more 

 l)artic\darly the minerals, suihcient to supply the plants for 

 a number of years. The same formula mentioned above may 

 be used, but applied in larger quantity, — preferably from 

 GOO to 800 pounds per acre at time of seeding down ; this 

 quantity not only providing an abundance of food for the 

 germination and early growth, but a permanent supply for 

 future and ])rofitable crops, provided a sufficiency of nitrogen 

 of the right kind is applied at the right time later. This can 

 be accomplished by the judicious use in the spring of soluble 

 nitrogen in the form of nitrates, ranging for the varying 

 Cduditions of soil from 150 to 300 pounds per acre, — the 

 smaller quantity being used upon the poorer soils. Many are 

 of the opinion that nitrates so used cause a too rapid ex- 

 haustion of the soil ; this is an erroneous opinion, provided 

 there is such a balance of food as to provide for normal 

 growth. This system is now used by many of our farmers, 

 and the fields maintained, though large and profitable crops 

 are annually harvested. Frequently, however, the -nitrates 

 for top-dressings are mixed with bme, tankage, acid phos- 

 phate and potash, Ijoth to enable an even distribution and 

 to provide additional minerals for longer periods of cropping. 

 . By the larger use of the minerals, which are not liable to 

 be lost nor to be changed into fixed and unavailable forms, 

 and which are at the disposal of the plant, the danger of loss 

 of nitrogen is avoided because of the entire occupation of 

 the soil by the vigorous growing of the plants ; the nitrogen 

 is applied in forms taken up at once. Maximum crops may 

 be harvested year after year, and the land not reduced in 

 available fertility as rapidly as would be the case if not thus 

 well supplied with plant-food. Many failures in grass grow- 

 ing are the result of injudicious fertilization in this respect. 

 In the case of market-garden crops, which belong to the 



