lish such a vigor of growth that they can much better £? od f0T 



resist disease, and the attacks of insects and parasites. 



The famous experiments of Lawes and Gilbert at 2 5 

 Rothamsted have demonstrated that 

 cereals utilize more than three times as Nitra j-te Corn- 

 much of the Nitrogen in Nitrate of J^JJd 

 Soda as of the Nitrogen contained in Manure 

 farmyard manure; in practice, four and 

 one-half tons of farmyard manure supply only as much 

 available plant food as 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda. 



Catch-crops are recommended to 

 prevent losses of available plant food c ~ Cro P s - 

 after crops are removed. Rape, Italian rye grass, rye, 

 thousand-headed kale and clovers are suitable. All 

 these should be top-dressed with from 100 to 200 

 pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda, depending upon the 

 exhaustion of the soil. In the remarks on the use of 

 Nitrate in this sketch, we have taken it for granted 

 that our readers fully understand that in all cases 

 where Nitrate has been recommended in large amounts, 

 potash and phosphates may be used also unless the 

 soil already contains ample supplies of both. 



Nitrate of Soda Niter in Fertilizing. 



(Bulletin 24, California State Mining Bureau.) 



By Dr. Gilbert E. Bailey. 



All plants require light, air, heat, water, cultiva- 

 tion, and a fertile soil. Every crop removes from the 

 soil a portion of the plant food contained therein, and 

 continuous cropping will, in time, exhaust the richest 

 soil, unless the nutritive elements are restored; there- 

 fore, 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 following notes are added 

 in order to give some general idea of the value of Nitrate 

 of Soda in fertilizing. 



