suffer no lack of this element. With the introduction of Food for 

 commercial fertilizers, the question of greatest importance ants 

 has been the source of Nitrogen best suited to meet the 59 

 demands of the special early growth. The experi- 

 ments which have been conducted with a view to answering 

 this question have shown clearly that while Nitrate is most 

 useful, a combination of the Nitrate with the quickly-avail- 

 able organic forms, as dried blood, or with both organic and 

 ammonia forms, is preferable to the use of any single form. 



On good potato soils, therefore, a good 

 fertilization should consist of from 800 to Methods of 

 1,000 pounds of a fertilizer containing Practice. 

 Nitrogen, 4 per cent. ; available phosphoric acid, 8 per cent. ; 

 and potash, 10 per cent.; one-third of the Nitrogen at least 

 to be derived from Nitrate of Soda and the remainder from 

 quickly-available organic forms. On soils in good condition 

 the fertilizer may be applied in the row at the time of plant- 

 ing, though many prefer to apply one-half of the desired 

 amount broadcast previously and the remainder in the row 

 with the seed. Where there appears to be a deficiency of 

 Nitrogen, due to the fact that Nitrates have been carried to 

 lower levels by rains, or to the fact that the season has not 

 permitted the change and appropriation of organic forms, 

 then the application of 100 pounds of Nitrate per acre at the 

 time of blossoming will encourage the rapid growth of tubers, 

 though retarding, to some extent, the time of ripening. 



The sweet potato finds its most con- ^ 

 . , , {. , ., , , . Sweet Potatoes. 



genial home in a light, sandy soil, the physi- 

 cal character of the soil measuring, to a large extent, the qual- 

 ity of the crop, though the method of fertilization will also 

 influence this to a certain extent. This plant seems to have 

 the power of acquiring from the soil Nitrogen that is inac- 

 cessible to other plants, and thus, where large applications of 

 this element are made, a tendency to undue vine growth seems 

 to be encouraged, and also to change the marketable quality 

 of the tubers, causing a long, rooty growth, rather than a 

 compact, nodular form. The use of a small amount of 

 Nitrogen is, however, desirable, an increase of from fifty to 

 seventy bushels per acre being secured from such use. Hence, 

 soils rich in Nitrogen, or those upon which Nitrogen has been 

 previously applied in considerable quantities, do not produce 



