Food for Plants. 21 



fore, 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 thor- 

 oughly prepared. 



Nitrate of Soda, on the other hand, will diffuse itself 

 thoroughly throughout the soil if there is enough mois- 

 ture to dissolve it. It can therefore be applied by scatter- 

 ing on the surface of the ground. 



Since Nitrate of Soda and salts of pot- 

 How and ash are brought to this country by sea, 

 Where to Buy and phosphate is usually transported 

 Fertilizing from the mines in vessels, all these ma- 

 Materials, terials, as a rule, can be purchased 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, San Francisco, Portland and 

 Seattle, are also ports of entry. 



Lower prices can be obtained by buying fertilizing 

 materials in carload lots. If you cannot use a carload 

 yourself, get your neighbors to join with you. Much 

 money has often been saved in this way. 



In buying, always consider the percentage of avail- 

 ability. 



This may be illustrated by comparing gold ores of the 

 same percentages derived from different sources, — one 

 gold ore containing ten ounces to the ton might be worth 

 a great deal of money per ton, — that is to say, if the ore 

 were extractable with ease and without undue expense, — 

 whereas another ten-ounce ore might contain its gold in 

 such form as to be extracted only with great difficulty and 

 at great expense. 



