rationally, and in quantities suitable for normal plant £° odfor 



feeding, the question of Chilean Nitrate leaving ab- 



normal amounts of alkali residues becomes a purely J 73 

 fanciful one, and is not worth the serious attention of 

 a practical business horticulturist or farmer. 



In all our literature, we recommend the rational 

 and not the irrational use of fertilizers; i. e., normal 

 amounts of the three elements of fertility. We never 

 recommend the use of Chilean Nitrate alone, except 

 at the rate of 100 or 200 pounds per acre, which is a 

 trifling tonnage application; and we always advise, 

 when larger amounts are used, that the horticulturist 

 or farmer use as much or more in quantity of the 

 phosphates and potashes. 



On the other hand, as previously stated, in the 

 case of 95 per cent, of our soils, the use of acid phos- 

 phate tends to leave acid residuals, as sometimes the 

 potash salts likewise do. The actual need of Chilean 

 Nitrate is, therefore, quite obvious. 



The vast majority of farm lands of our country, 

 where so-called "Complete" Fertilizers have been 

 used, have the tendency to become sour and acid; and 

 Chilean Nitrate could not only be used indefinitely 

 with an extremely beneficial effect for this particular 

 purpose, but there is an immediate general need for it. 

 An acre of ground one foot deep is the active 

 service part of the soil, and, to a large extent, its 

 chemical composition determines its usefulness. This 

 service soil weighs on an average 2,000 tons per acre. 

 There is enough sulphate of lime or gypsum 

 present, as well as acid, in the average acid phosphate, 

 to materially help the black alkali of many alkaline 

 soils, but gypsum alone may be used also for correcting 

 alkali. 



Since we never recommend the use of Chilean 

 Nitrate alone, except at the rate of from one hundred to 

 two hundred pounds per acre, this trifling amount 

 could have no material influence whatever in increas- 

 ing the alkali content of soils. For two hundred 

 pounds of Chilean Nitrate per acre is a mere trifle 

 for producing alkali, hence even the continued use of 

 Nitrate under rational methods of fertilizing, would 



