66 



Food for usefulness among our farmers. We ought to expect espec- 

 ^^^°^^ ially an increase in the consumption of 



Its use ug Nitrate among growers of tobacco, fibre 



to ncrease. plants, sugar beets, the hop, grape, grass 



and small fruits. The element of plant food first exhausted 

 in soils is Nitrogen, and in many cases a marked increase 

 in crop is obtained through Top-Dressings of Nitrate alone. 

 "Complete" fertilizers are generally rather low in ammo- 

 niates and Nitrate may be wisely used to supplement them. 

 As it is practically the cheapest form of plant food 

 ammonia, its use in complete fertilizers promises to increase 

 still further. 



Nitrate of Soda Niter in Fertilizing. 



(Bulletin 24, California State Mining Bureau, May, 1902.) 



By Dr. Gilbert E. Bailey. 



All plants require light, air, heat, water, cultivation, and 

 a fertile soil. Every crop removes from the soil a portion 

 of the plant-food contained therein, and continuous crop- 

 ping will, in time, exhaust the richest soil, unless the nutri- 

 tive elements are restored; therefore, the truly economical 

 farmer will feed the growing plant or tree with a generous 

 hand. The literature on this subject is so scattered as 

 to be difficult of access to the general reader, and the follow- 

 ing notes are added in order to give some general idea 

 of the value of Nitrate of Soda in fertilizing. 



The most important materials used to supply Nitrogen, 

 in the composition of commercial fertilizers are Nitrate of 

 Soda and sulphate of ammonia. Nitrate of Soda is par- 

 ticularly adapted for Top -Dressing during the growing 

 season, and is the quickest acting of all the Nitrogenous 

 fertilizers. 



Dried blood, tankage, azotine, fish scrap, castor pomace,^ 

 and cotton-seed meal represent fertilizers where the Nitro- 

 gen is only slowly available, and they must be applied in 

 the fall so as to be decomposed and available for the follow- 

 ing season. Nitrogen in the form of Nitrate of Soda is at 



