Food for There are no unknown conditions that enter in, in refer- 



5 ence to the solubility, and hence the availability of Nitrate of 



Soda. 



General Points The points to be observed in the use of 

 as to Method Nitrate of Soda are : Avoid an excess, and 

 of Application. do not sprinkle wet foliage with dry Ni- 

 trate, and in general Nitrate must not be 

 allowed to come in contact with the stems or leaves of plants. 

 Nitrate of Soda is a Nitrated Nitrogen and is immediately 

 available as plant food. Applications of Nitrate of Soda 

 may be made at the rate of 100 pounds to the acre. 

 There is no Nitrogenous Fertilizer in the market 

 at the present time, which sells as low as for the 

 Nitrogen contained in it. In looking at quotations Nitrogen 

 in Dried Blood, Tankages and Mixed Fertilizers costs any- 

 where from sixteen to twenty cents per pound. Nitrate is, 

 therefore, the cheapest fertilizer in the market. It should be 

 borne in mind that prices for all agricultural crops have risen 

 proportionately much higher than Nitrogenous Fertilizers. 



Manures. 



Dr. Voelcker, F.R.S., made analyses of fresh and rotted 

 farmyard manures. These analyses show a larger percent- 

 age of soluble organic matter in rotted than in fresh manure. 

 The fresh manure contains more carbon and more water, 

 while in the rotted manure the Nitrogen is in more available 

 form for root-absorption. 



If the process of fermentation has been well managed, 

 both fresh and rotted manures contain the same amounts of 

 Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. 



There should be a sufficient amount of 

 Litter. litter to absorb and retain the urine and 



also the ammonia formed in the decomposition of the manure. 

 Leaves, straw, sawdust, moss, etc., to which is added some 

 peat, muck, or fine, dry, loamy earth, mixed with gypsum 

 (land plaster) , may be used for litter. The relative value of 

 the manure is diminished by the use of too much litter, but on 

 the contrary, if insufficient absorbent material is used, too 

 much moisture prevents fermentation and the consequent 

 chemical changes in the nitrogenous constituents of the ma- 

 nure. 



