146 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Atwater, and by the experience of practical farmers, — 

 which, after all, is about the only safe guide. 



You come to me to know what to use. Following the 

 advice of the lecturer, I tell you to go back and find out 

 what your soil contains or what it lacks, and then fertilize 

 accordingly. You say: "I can't do that, — I haven't the 

 time ; I have got to apply something to-day." Then I say : 

 " If you are going to raise corn, we have found that a very 

 good mixture is 4 per cent ammonia, 10 per cent phosphoric 

 acid and 7 per cent potash ; for potatoes we have found that 

 a mixture of 4, 7 and 7 will produce good results." Now, 

 there is not a farmer here to-day but will use some kind of 

 fertilizer next spring, and I put it to you now : if you are 

 going to plant potatoes, what will you apply, and how much 

 per acre? Answ^er me, now, that question. 



Mr. Pratt. One ton to the acre. 



Mr. Bo^vKER. Of what grade? 



Mr. Pratt. The analysis you have just given. 



Mr. BowKER. Four, 7 and 7, — that is what you are 

 going to apply ? 



Mr. Pratt. Yes, sir. 



Mr. BowKER. Now, whatever you use, whether you use 

 one bag or one ton per acre, you have applied a definite 

 quantity of ammonia, of potash and of phosphoric acid. 

 That being the case, is it not right for us to say to 3^ou that 

 to the best of our knowledge and belief you should use cer- 

 tain rational mixtures that are based partly upon the analysis 

 of the crop and partly upon experience ? 



I don't believe altogether in the economic side of the 

 question that we have had presented to us to-day ; I don't 

 believe in robbing the soil. I believe it is better to return, 

 as far as we are able, what we take from the soil. What is 

 the matter with our New England farms to-day ? It is that 

 your grandfather and my grandfather robbed the land, — 

 robbed this generation, — which in my judgment they had 

 no moral right to do. I feel that it is our duty as well as 

 good practice to put back, as far as Ave are able to know, 

 what we have taken out. Of course I would not carry it 

 to the extent of returning all the nitrogen, because we know 



