Food Ytm i*LAM'8. 15 



such as a harrow, weeder, cultivator or horse hoc. 

 The capillary movement of the soil waters will distribute 

 it in the soil, and osmosis of soil solutions and the capil- 

 lary attraction of the soil particles when in g-ood tilth will 

 retain it safely until the plant uses it. 



Accepting' the conclusions of these scientific men, the 

 use of Nitrate of Soda in agriculture ought to increase 

 proportionately to the dissemination of the knowledge of 

 its usefulness among our farmers. An increase in the 



consumption of Nitrate among growers 

 Its Use Is of tobacco, fiber plants, sugar beets, the 



Increasing. hop, grape, grass and small fruits, has 



been most notable of late. The element 

 of plant food first exhausted in soils is Nitrogen, and in 

 many cases a marked increase in crop is obtained through 

 the use of Nitrate alone. ^' Complete " fertilizers are 

 generally rather low in Nitrogen, and Nitrate may be 

 wisely used to supplement them, as it is practicall}^ the 

 cheapest form of plant food Nitrogen. 



By " complete fertilizers," is meant 

 " Complete fertilizers containing Nitrogen, phos- 



Fertilizers " and phoric acid and potash. These fertil- 

 " Phosphates " izers are often called "phosphates," 

 the Most Expen- and people have fallen into the habit of 

 sive Plant Food, calling any commercial fertilizer a 



'' phosphate," Avhether it contains phos- 

 phate or not. Many so-called " complete fertilizers " 

 are merely acid phosphates with insignificant amounts of 

 the other essential plant foods. They are frequently ill- 

 balanced rations for all crops. 



The value of these " fjliosphates," no matter how high 

 sounding their names, consists in their phosphoric acid 

 and potash in many cases. 



The Nitrogen contained in these " complete fertil- 

 izers " is often in a form that is neither available nor 

 useful to the plants until it has become converted into 

 Nitrate. The time required to do this varies from a few 



