Food for Plants. 11> 



of the so-called '' complete fertilizers," \vliich are really 

 incomplete and unbalanced as well. A fertilizer for 

 luick-growing vegetables should contain as much Nitro- 

 gen as phosphoric acid, and at least half this Nitrogen 

 hould be in the form of Nitrate, which is the only imme- 

 diately available nitrogenous plant food. 



Some interesting and valuable experi- 

 Comparative ments were made at the Connecticut Ex- 



Availability of })eriment Station, to ascertain how much 

 Nitrogen in of the Nitrogen contained in such mate- 



Various Forms. rials as dried blood, tankage, dry fish, 



and cotton-seed meal, is available for 



plants. 

 The experiments were made with corn, and it was 

 found that when the same ([uantity of Nitrogen was 

 applied in the various forms the crop increased over that 

 where no Nitrogen was applied, as shown in the following- 

 table : 



Increase of Crop from Same Quantitij of Nitrogen from Different 



Sources. 



Relative 

 Sources of Nitrogen Crop Increase 



Nitrate of Soda 100 



Dried Blood 7.3 



Cotton-seed Meal 72 



Drv Fish "0 



Tankage 62 



Linseed Meal 78 



This table shows some interesting facts. It is evident 

 that only about three-fourths as much of the Nitrogen in 

 dried blood or cotton-seed meal as in Nitrate of Soda 

 is available the first season. The Nitrogen in tankage is 

 even less available, only a little over half being used by 

 the crop. 



These experiments were made with corn, which grows 

 for a long period when the ground is warm and the condi- 

 tions most favorable to render the Nitrogen in organic 

 substances available, and yet only part of it could be used 

 by the crop, 



When it is considered that Nitrogen in tlu' foi'in of 

 Nitrate of Soda can be bought for as little or less per 



