Fo ° d f ° r In applying fertilizers it should be 



~~~ Ph W *h f remembered that any form of phos- 



20 Fertilizers. phoric acid, such as acid phosphate, 



dissolved bone-black or bone meal is 

 only partially soluble, and will not circulate in the soil. 

 These fertilizers should therefore be evenly distributed 

 over the soil and well mixed with it. This is 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 be applied by scattering on the surface 

 of the ground as soon as the plants are up. This latter 

 method, called "Top-Dressing," is usually the best. 



Since Nitrate of Soda and salts of 

 How and potash are brought to this country by 



FertiHzine: ^ sea ' an< ^ phosphate is usually trans- 

 Materials, ported from the mines in vessels, all 

 these materials, as a rule, can be pur- 

 chased at the seaports cheaper than in the interior. 

 New York is the largest market for these materials, but 

 Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, 

 New Orleans, Galveston, and San Francisco are also 

 ports of entry. 



Lower prices can be obtained by buying fertilizing 

 materials in car-load lots. A car-load is not less than 

 ten tons. If you cannot use a car-load yourself, get 

 your neighbors to join with you. Much money can 

 often be saved in this way. 



In buying always consider the percentage of avail- 

 able fertility. 



The various "brands" of fertilizers are composed, 

 for the most part, of substances such as plaster, fillers, 

 superphosphate, etc., which can be manufactured for 

 much less than the prices charged for these substances 

 in so-called "complete fertilizers." The freight charges 

 on these are just as high as on the essential constituents, 

 so that every extra hundred weight of "filler" is useless 

 expense. 



