'or Example IV. 



Plants 



~^ In the next example, a field of rye, which had produced 



in the previous year, without a dressing of Nitrate of Soda, 

 1760 Ibs. of grain, but which, as the soil was favorably cir- 

 cumstanced as respects moisture, could probably yield some 

 1232 Ibs. more, was dressed with 308 Ibs. of Nitrate of So- 

 da with the object of obtaining that yield; 206 Ibs. of Ni- 

 trate of Soda were applied at the end of February, and 102 

 Ibs. at the end of March. The yield obtained from this, 

 was: 



Without the dressing of nitrogen 1496 Ibs. of rye. 

 With the dressing of nitrogen 2640 Ibs. of rye. 



By the dressing of nitrogen, an additional yield was 

 obtained of 1144 Ibs. of rye; 100 Ibs. of Nitrate of Soda 

 had, therefore, produced 371 Ibs. of grain. 



These examples suffice to show that it is not so very 

 difficult to find the approximate quantity of Nitrate of Soda 

 which should be employed in a given case. It is only neces- 

 sary for one to have a little experience, and to know the soil 

 of his farm. One must aim at a certain yield, and must 

 not be too moderate in doing so. If soil conditions and cli- 

 mate are favorable, the farmer should not be content with 

 less than the yield that is possible to obtain when climatic 

 and seasonal conditions are favorable. If the possible yields 

 in his neighborhood are 75 bushels of oats per acre, 50 bush- 

 els of wheat, 400 bushels of potatoes, 12 tons of tomatoes, 

 30 tons of fodder cabbage, or beets, or 4 tons of timothy 

 hay, he must so dress his soil as to provide the necessary 

 plant- food, for these high yields. If the land, notwith- 

 standing favorable conditions of soil and weather, produces 

 little, he must ask what had to be done to bring the yield 

 to the figure aimed at. Fertilizing alone does not suffice; the 

 fertilizing elements are but the raw materials, out of which 

 the substance of the crop is to be produced; but the plant 

 can only convert the greatest possible quantity of raw mate- 

 rial into the greatest possible quantity of crop-substance, if it 

 be of high capacity as respects yield. But its capacity in re- 

 spect to yield can only be made fully effective if all exterior 

 conditions, soil, climate, weather, space, warmth, light, are 

 the most favorable possible, while on the other hand, even 

 plants of the highest capacity as respects yield can only pro- 



