206 SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



acid phosphate, and mix them as desired. By so 

 doing a fertilizers of any composition may be pre- 

 pared and there is less danger of securing an inferior 

 article. Of course it is not possible by means of 

 shovels and sieves to accomplish as thorough mixing 

 of the ingredients as with machinery. 



278. Fertilizers and Tillage. Commercial fer- 

 tilizers cannot be made to take the place of good till- 

 age, which is equally as important when fertilizers 

 are used as when they are omitted. Scant crops are 

 as frequently due to the want of proper tillage as to 

 the absence of plant food. Poor cultivation results in 

 getting the soil out of condition ; then instead of thor- 

 ougly preparing the land, commercial fertilizers are 

 resorted to, and the conclusion is reached that the soil 

 is exhausted, when in reality it is suffering for the 

 want of cultivation, for a dressing of land plaster, for 

 farm manures, or for a change of crops. There is no 

 question but what better tillage, better care and use 

 of farm manures, the culture of clover and the sys- 

 tematic rotation of crops would result in greatly re- 

 ducing the amount annually spent for commercial 

 fertilizers, and also increasing the yield of crops. The 

 better the cultivation, the less the amount of commer- 

 cial fertilizer required. Cultivation cannot, however, 

 entirely take the place of fertilizers. 



279. Abuse of Commercial Fertilizers. When a 

 soil produces poor crops, a complete fertilizer is fre- 

 quently used when an amendment only is needed. 

 Restricted crop production in long cultivated soils is 



