No. 4.] COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 37 



Mr. Aaron Low (of Hingham). I have been in the 

 habit of using commercial fertilizers ever since they were 

 first introduced to the public, in seed growing and market 

 gardening. We are able to procure as much stable manure 

 as we need, but for the purpose of testing commercial fertil- 

 izers, I have for many years been in the habit of using 10 

 to 25 tons a year in the production of almost every market- 

 garden crop. I find that we can use commercial fertilizers 

 with more economy than we can stable manure at the price 

 we have to pay for it. Bear in mind that in all places where 

 market gardening is carried on extensively manure sells at a 

 high rate. It will cost upon the land from seven to eight 

 dollars a cord. In case you apply, as we usually do, from 

 eight to twelve cords to an acre, we find the balance on the 

 ledger is against us. Two years ago I purchased a place 

 that has probably not had any stable manure on it for fifty 

 years, and I have been applying commercial fertilizers on 

 ground that has laid in pasture, at the rate of from half a 

 ton to 2,500 pounds to the acre. The past year I applied, 

 for potatoes, on a piece of land that formerly bore but 

 very little grass, at the rate of 1,200 pounds to the acre. 

 It was very light land, what we consider good gardening 

 land. The crop came up well, looked extremely well. I 

 think I never saw potato vines look better. They had that 

 sturdy appearance which betokens a good yield of tubers, 

 but an extremely dry time followed which injured the crop. 

 As it was, we had a very fair crop. On another half acre, 

 which we put to red cabbage, I put 600 pounds of commer- 

 cial fertilizer. That, I think, was without exception the 

 best piece of red cabbage that I ever saw. It made a good, 

 solid, firm head. On an adjoining half acre, a year ago last 

 fall, we applied a dressing of stable manure and sowed to 

 spinach. Although we covered it, the winter destroyed 

 considerable of it. I re-ploughed, applied 600 pounds com- 

 mercial fertilizer, planted it, and we had upon that half acre 

 just about 200 bushel boxes of extremely good cantaloupe 

 melons ; I think as good a crop as I ever saw. The past 

 year we applied 600 pounds of fertilizer to that half acre 

 and put it to turnip beets for the market. We have not 

 reckoned up how many we had from it, but I think some- 



