plants, and its effects are at once noticeable in the deep, rich Food f 

 green, and vigorous growth of crops. The growth of plants Plants 



is greatly energized by its use, for the Nitrate in supplying a 3 

 an abundance of nitrogenous food to plants, imparts to them 

 a thrift and vigor which enables their roots to gather in the 

 shortest time the largest amount of other needed foods from a 

 greater surface of surrounding soil. The thirty-seven to forty 

 per cent, of Soda which Nitrate contains is practically of no 

 use to agricultural plants. In the increased crop obtained by 

 its use there must necessarily be more potash and phosphoric 

 acid than would have been contained in a smaller crop on 

 which the Nitrate of Soda had not been used. The increased 

 consumption of phosphoric acid and potash is due to the in- 

 crease in the weight of the crop. The office of the Nitrate is 

 to convert the raw materials of the soil into a crop; for we 

 obtain by its use, as Dr. Griffiths has tersely said, "the fullest 

 crop with the greatest amount of profit, with the least damage 

 to the land." 



On cereals Nitrate of Soda should be 

 used alone or mixed with dry superphos- ow Usedt 

 phate and applied as a top-dressing. 



On grass lands it may be applied as a top-dressing at 

 the rate of 150 to 200 pounds per acre. 



Some of our most successful onion growers use Nitrate 

 of Soda at the rate of from 500 to 700 pounds per acre, 

 applying the Nitrate in three successive top-dressings, the last 

 ration being given when the crop is about half grown. 



From what is known of the fertilizing action of Nitrate 

 of Soda, the following conclusions may be safely drawn, viz. : 



First. The Nitrate of Soda is, in most cases, a reliable 

 manure for cereals, roots and grasses, increasing the yield 

 over other nitrogenous manures. 



Second. Many crops grown with Nitrate of Soda ma- 

 ture from one to two weeks earlier than when grown with 

 other nitrogenized manures. 



Third. The best results are obtained by applying the 

 Nitrate to crops in fractional top-dressings during the active 

 stages of growth. 



Fourth. Crops grown with Nitrate of Soda generally 

 have a higher feeding value than those grown with other 

 forms of Nitrogen. 



