COMPLETE FERTILIZERS 



133 



will increase each crop 10 per cent it will mean a gain of 

 $2 per acre on the corn and $20 per acre on the truck. 

 One might pay $10 for such a fertilizer if he is raising 

 truck crops, but could not afford to use it on corn. 



FIG. 57. The crop to be grown is as important as the soil, when deciding on a 

 fertilizer. Floats are of little value for oats but best for rape. (See Fig. 58) 



Contrary to the common opinion, fertilizers are usually 

 not profitable on very poor land. Such land usually needs 

 humus, and often needs other treatment before it will 

 pay to use fertilizers. About forty farmers in New York 

 have reported trials of nitrate of soda for the production 



Fiu.58. Rape is best with float*. Compare ^vith Fig. 57 



of timothy hay. In very few cases has it paid if the field 

 did not yield at least one and one-fourth tons when un- 

 treated, and in very few cases did it fail to pay when the 

 unfertilized area yielded over one and one-fourth tons. 



