Food for dressings, the last ration being given when the crop is 



Plants i . i ip 



about halt grown. 



226 From what is known of the fertilization action of 



Nitrate of Soda, the following conclusions may be safely 

 drawn, viz. : 



First.. Nitrate of Soda is, in most cases, a reliable 

 fertilizer for cereals, roots and grasses, increasing the 

 yield over other nitrogenous fertilizers. 



Second. Many crops grown with Nitrate of Soda 

 mature from one to two weeks earlier than when grown 

 with other nitrogenized fertilizers. 



Third. The best results are obtained by applying 

 the Nitrate to crops in fractional top-dressings during 

 the active stages of growth. 



Fourth. Crops grown with Nitrate of Soda gener- 

 ally have a higher feeding value than those grown with 

 other forms of Nitrogen. 



Fifth. Crops grown with Nitrate of Soda seem to 

 resist the attacks of parasitic organisms better than 

 those grown without its aid. 



Sixth. Nitrate of Soda does not exhaust the land. 



Economy in the Purchase of Fertilizers. 



Home Mixtures 



Economy in the purchase of fertilizing materials 

 or of agricultural chemicals depends not only on the 

 price paid per pound or per ton, but also on the relation 

 existing between the price paid and the amounts and 

 forms of the Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash 

 furnished. To illustrate, we will assume that two 

 fertilizers, both made from the best class of materials, 

 are offered by a manufacturer at thirty dollars and at 

 thirty-five dollars per ton. The first is guaranteed to 

 contain three per cent, of Nitrogen, seven per cent, of 

 available phosphoric acid, and three per cent, of potash. 

 The second is guaranteed to contain five per cent, of 

 Nitrogen, ten per cent, of available phosphoric acid, 

 and seven per cent, of potash. 



We have but to calculate the commercial values of 

 these fertilizers to ascertain their true relation to the 

 prices asked by the manufacturer. By simply multiply- 



