by an average harvest. The table shows clearly that the Food for 

 principal quantity of Nitrogen is always in that portion of Plant8 

 the crop that is sold, only a small quantity of Nitrogen being 2 3 X 

 found in the straw and leaves, the portion that is retained for 

 use upon the land ; consequently, unless a sufficient quantity of 

 Nitrogenous fertilizers be applied, the soil will very soon 

 suffer from impoverishment of Nitrogen. 



GENERAL DIRECTIONS 



FOR THE USE OF NITRATE OF SODA 



ON STAPLE CROPS. 



The use of Nitrate of Soda alone is never recom- 

 mended, except at the rate of not more than one hundred 

 pounds to the acre. It may be thus safely and profitably used 

 without other fertilizers. It may be applied at this rate as 

 a Top-Dressing in the Spring of the year, as soon as vegeta- 

 tion begins to turn green; or, in other words, as soon as the 

 crops begin new growth. At this rate very satisfactory 

 results are usually obtained without the use of any other 

 fertilizer, and the Soda residual, after the Nitrogenous 

 Ammoniate Food of this chemical is used up by the plant, 

 has a perceptible effect in sweetening sour land. 



In most of our Grass experiments where Nitrate was 

 used alone at the rate of but One Hundred Pounds per acre, 

 not only was the Aftermath, or Rowen, much improved, but 

 in the subsequent seasons, with nothing applied to the plots, 

 a decidedly marked effect was noticed, even on old meadows. 

 This speaks very well indeed for Nitrate of Soda not leaching 

 out of the soil. The readily soluble elements are the readily 

 available elements. The natural capillarity of soils doubtless 

 is, in most instances, a powerful factor in retaining all readily 

 soluble elements of fertility. 



If this were not so, all the fertility of the world in our 

 humid regions would, in a season or two, run into the ocean, 

 and be permanently lost. 



This is mentioned on account of certain critics having 

 taken the trouble to object to the use of Nitrate on the 

 grounds that it would leach away. A case is yet to be seen 

 where the after-effect of Nitrate is not distinguishable, and, 



