S"ood for fjie sQJl These fertilizers should theretore be evenly dis- 



^° ^ tributed over the soil and well mixed with it. This is 



26 usually best done by applying broadcast before sowing the 

 seed and before the ground is thoroughly prepared. In this 

 way it gets well mixed with the soil. 



Nitrate of Soda, on the other hand, will diffuse itself 

 rapidly and thoroughly throughout the soil wherever there 

 is enough moisture to dissolve it. It can therefore either be 

 applied with the phosphate before sowing the seed or scat- 

 tered on the surface of the ground as soon as the plants 

 are up. This latter method,Top-Dressing, is usually the best. 



The best way is to scatter the fertilizer for 



^ , ' two feet around the hills and rake it into 



Cucumbers and u 1 • u i 1 1 -ru- 



the sou with a steel garden rake. 1 his 



" ■ not only mixes the fertilizer with the 



^oil, but It loosens the ground and kills all small weeds 

 'that are coming up. 



Comparative ^°"^^ interesting and valuable experi- 



Availabilitv of ments were made at the Connecticut Ex- 



ivTji^^ : periment Station, to ascertain how much 



JNitrogen in r 1 at- • 1 • 1 • 1 



^ro,:^, -c" ~ or the JNitroeen contained in such materials 

 Various Forms. j • 1 i i ^j 1 ^ c u a 



as dried blood, tankage, dry hsh, and cotton- 

 seed meal, is available to plants. 



The experiments were made with corn, and it was found 

 that when the same quantity of Nitrogen was applied in the 

 various forms the crop increased over that where no Nitrogen 

 was applied, as shown in the following table: 



Increase of Crop from Same Quantity of Nitrogen 



from Different Sources. „ , 



Relative 



Sources ot Nitrogen. Crop Increase. 



ISIitrate of Soda 100 



Dried Blood 73 



Cotton-seed Meal 72 



Dry Fish 70 



Tankage 62 



Linseed Meal 78 



The above table shows some interesting facts. It is 

 ■evident that only about three-fourths as much of the Nitro- 

 gen in dried blood or cotton-seed meal as in Nitrate of Soda 

 is available the first season. The Nitrogen in tankage is even 

 3ess available, only a little over half being used by the crop. 



