PEACH GROWING IN NEW ENGLAND. 33 



30 pounds of lime in air-slaked form 17 cents. In ashes I got about 

 35 pounds of lime for 15 cents. If I bought quicklime it would 

 cost me about .|12.00 per ton in INIedway or 60 cents per 100 pounds. 

 As commercial lime is not pure it is doubtful if 100 pounds would 

 contain more than 90 pounds of actual lime, making 30 pounds of 

 lime cost 20 cents, while in ashes I get about 35 pounds for 15 cents. 

 As an additional item in favor of ashes I think the ash lime of greater 

 value than stone lime. Also ashes are in far better condition for 

 spreading than either air-slaked or quicklime. 



But it is my present thought that the cheapest way to supply 

 lime to the soil is to use basic slag as a source of phosphoric acid 

 for the fertilizers. Slag carries from 30 to 50 per cent of lime, and 

 the value of the phosphoric acid it carries will cover its whole cost. 



In regard to nitrate of potash which I stated cost me about $90.00 

 per ton, S4.50 per 100 pounds, the exceeding richness of the chemi- 

 cal makes it the cheapest source for potash and nitrogen that I 

 know. Each 100 pounds carries 44 pounds of potash, equal in 

 value to the same quantity derived from high-grade sulfate of potash, 

 in which form it cost me this season in Medway about 5^ cents per 

 pound. This 44 pounds at Si cents comes to $2.28, which taken 

 from $4.50 leaves $2.22 for the value of the 14 pounds of nitrogen 

 contained in 100 pounds of nitrate of potash, or 15f cents per pound 

 for the nitrogen which Prof. Goessman assured me is equally val- 

 uable with the nitrogen derived from nitrate of soda which costs 

 me in Medway this season $58.00 per ton, or $2.90 per 100 pounds. 

 100 pounds of nitrate of soda contains about 15| pounds of nitro- 

 gen, making the cost of one pound of nitrogen in nitrate of soda 

 18^0 cents per pound. The difference in cost of nitrogen per 

 pound in favor of nitrate of potash is 2tVo cents, making the sav- 

 ing in 100 pounds of nitrate of potash $.399, or $7.98 per ton. 



Nitrate of potash is not a fertilizer which can be used alone to 

 advantage. The potash and nitrogen are not well proportioned 

 and it is wholly lacking in phosphoric acid. To get a fertilizer such 

 as I want for use in my peach orchard I mix with it Lobos guano, 

 basic slag, and high-grade sulfate of potash. 



]\Iv formula for this season's use is 



150 poiuids nitrate of potash 

 150 " Lobos guano 



