better resist disease, and the attacks of insects and parasites. Food for 



The famous experiments of Lawes and Gilbert at Plant8 



Rothamsted have demonstrated that cereals . *9 



utilize more than three times as much of 



the Nitrogen in Nitrate of Soda as Pared with 



of the Nitrogen contained in farmyard farmyard 



manure ; in practice, four and one-half tons anure. 



of farmyard manure supply only as much available ammoni- 



ate usable plant food as 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda. 



Catch-crops are recommended to pre- 

 vent losses of available plant food after Catch-Crops, 

 crops are removed. Rape, Italian rye grass, Rye, Thousand- 

 headed kale and clovers are suitable. All these should be 

 top-dressed with from 100 to 200 pounds per acre of Nitrate 

 of Soda, depending upon the exhaustion of the soil. In 

 the remarks on the use of Nitrate in this sketch, we have 

 taken it for granted that our readers fully understand that 

 in all cases where Nitrate has been recommended in large 

 amounts, potash and phosphates may be used also unless the 

 soil already contains ample supplies of both. 



Nitrate of Soda Niter in Fertilizing. 



(Bulletin 24, California State Mining Bureau.) 



By Dr. Gilbert E. Bailey. 



All plants require light, air, heat, water, cultivation, and 

 a fertile soil. Every crop removes from the soil a portion 

 of the plant food contained therein, and continuous crop- 

 ping will, in time, exhaust the richest soil, unless the nutri- 

 tive elements are restored; therefore, the truly economical 

 farmer will feed the growing plant or tree with a generous 

 hand. The literature on this subject is so scattered as to be 

 difficult of access to the general reader, and the following 

 notes are added in order to give some general idea of the 

 value of Nitrate of Soda in fertilizing. 



The most important material used to supply Nitrogen, 

 in the composition of commercial fertilizers is Nitrate of 

 Soda. Nitrate of Soda is particularly adapted for Top- 



