are used rightly. Many failures with chemical fertilizers are ^^^d for 



caused by lack of knowledge. Stable manure, when used in __^1 



sufficient quantities, almost invariably pro- Fertilizers for ^^ 



duces good results, while the unintelligent Vegetables and 

 use of chemical fertilizers does not do as Small Fruits, 

 well. In this way many gardeners are 

 persuaded that there is nothing equal to stable manure, 

 which they continue to use in large quantities, paying in 

 many cases fully twice as much for it as the plant food it 

 contains is worth. There is no doubt but that stable 

 manure is valuable as a fertilizer, and in many cases is indis- 

 pensable, but at the same time the quantities necessary to 

 produce good results could be greatly reduced by using 

 chemical fertilizers to supply plant food and only enough 

 manure to give lightness and add humus to the soil. 



For crops like cabbao;e and beets, that „„ ^ _ ^.,. 

 . . , . Ti r -J .V What Fertilizers 



It IS desirable to force to rapid maturity, ^ tt f p 



the kind of the plant food, especially of ^ ^ 



^x. ■ • r 1 • . den Crops. 



Nitrogen, is ot the greatest importance. ^ 



Many fertilizers sold for this purpose have all the Nitrogen 

 they contain in insoluble and unavailable form, so that it 

 requires a considerable time for the plants to get it. Another 

 fault is that they do not contain nearly enough Nitrogen. 

 Stable manure contains on the average in one ton, lo 

 pounds Nitrogen, lo pounds potash, and only 5 pounds 

 phosphoric acid, while the average "complete" fertilizer 

 contains more than twice as much phosphoric acid as Nitro- 

 gen, a most unnatural and unprofitable ration. A fertilizer 

 for quick-growing vegetables should contain as much Nitro- 

 gen as phosphoric acid, and at least half this Nitrogen 

 should be in the form of Nitrate, which is the only 

 ammoniate immediately available as plant food. 



The best fertilizer is a mixture of 200 ^ ^ . 



jrivT- roj J- J Beets, Onions 



pounds of Nitrate of Soda and 350 pounds ^^^ ' 



phosphate. A small quantity of sulphate Carrots 



of potash should be added when the land 



is sandy. 



In applying fertilizers it should be remem- 



bered that any form of phosphoric acid, PP y 



such as acid phosphate, dissolved bone- .|! 



bUck, bone meal or Thomas Phosphate 



Powder is only partially soluble, and will not circulate in 



