74 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



down at their railway stations. Such co-operation in buying will gen- 

 erally lead to a discussion of the merits of the different brands of fertilizers, 

 and in this way the purchase is generally based upon the combined 

 judgment of the co-operating farmers instead of on an individual farmer. 

 If by chance a diversity of crops and soils of the neighborhood is such 

 that different brands are required, there will be no difficulty in having 

 several brands shipped in the same car. 



It is also wise to purchase early and avoid the rush which often 

 causes a delay in shipments in the rush season. Then, too, early orders 

 enable the farmer to plan more definitely relative to his fertilizer needs 

 and give more careful consideration to the brand most likely to meet his 

 needs. In this way he is enabled to receive and haul his fertilizer to his 

 farm at a time when the field work does not demand the time of himself 

 and teams. 



It is also well to consider the relative advantages of buying mixed 

 fertilizers as compared with the unmixed goods. In the nature of things 

 the manufacturer with his well-equipped plant should be able to mix 

 fertilizers more thoroughly and economically than the farmer. This, 

 however, is not always done, since the farmer can frequently utilize labor for 

 mixing fertilizers when it would otherwise be unemployed. The advantages 

 of buying unmixed goods are that the farmer can make the mixture 

 that in his judgment will best meet his needs. He may not be able to 

 secure on the market just such a mixture. Furthermore, it will enable 

 him to make different mixtures and try them on his soil and for his crops 

 with the view of gaining information relative to the character of fertilizer 

 that will best meet his future needs. 



Home Mixing of Fertilizers. The home mixing of fertilizers demands 

 on the part of the farmer a fair knowledge of fertilizers and the needs of 

 soils and crops. Without this, he had probably best depend upon ready 

 mixed goods such as are recommended for his conditions. Furthermore, 

 much will depend upon whether or not he can purchase a fertilizer the 

 composition of which, in his judgment, is what he should have, and also 

 whether or not there would be much saving in buying unmixed goods 

 when the additional labor of mixing is taken into account. Such a practice 

 is likely to be economical only when the fertilizers are used rather exten- 

 sively. Where only a few hundred pounds are used by the farmer it will 

 generally not be advisable for him to attempt to mix his own fertilizer. 



So far as the mechanical process is concerned, fertilizers can be 

 mixed by the farmer on the farm very satisfactorily. It does not require 

 a mechanical mixer, although this may be economical when it is done on 

 a large scale. When the unmixed goods are in good mechanical condition, 

 as they should be, definite weights or measures of the different constitu- 

 ents may be placed on a tight barn floor and shoveled over a number of 

 times until the mixture takes on a uniform color. It is advisable to empty 

 not more than 400 to 600 pounds at one time. It can be more thoroughly 



