FOOD FOR PLANTS 



The Food of Plants consists of a number of elements, 

 including Nitrate, phosphate, lime and potash. Nearly 

 always two of these are lacking in adequate c[uantities to 

 produce crops, especially is Nitrate wanting in the vast 



majority of instances. In this case the 

 Why Nitrate normal growtli and yield of the crop will 



Is Indispensable, be limited only by the quantity of 



yifrate it can properly assimilate. 

 There might l)e an abundant supply of all the other ele- 

 ments, but plants can never use other kinds of food with- 

 out Nitrate. 



Nitrate Nitrogen is the food that is 

 Nitrate nearly always deficient. The question 



Nearly Always that presents itself to the farmer, gar- 

 Deficient, dener and fruit grower is. How can I 



supply my plants with Nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid and potash, in the best forms and at the least 

 expense? We will try to throw some light upon this ques- 

 tion in the following pages. We will take first, Phos- 

 phoric Acid. 



There are several sources of phos- 

 Phcsphoric Acid. })horic acid, the principal being bones 



and rock pihosphate. Of these, the rock 

 I^hosphate is the cheapest source. A prevailing impres- 

 sion exists that superphosphate made from rock phos- 

 phate is not as good as that made from bones. It has 

 been shown by many experiments that this idea is en- 

 tirely without foundation. What the plants want is avail- 

 able phosphoric acid, and it makes little or no difference 

 from what source it is derived. 



[5] 



