HOME-MIXING OF FERTILIZERS 



farmer soon will learn what he prefers for his soil, 

 provided he practices home-mixing. 



Let us assume that he uses nitrate of soda, 

 which never varies much from 15 per cent in its 

 content of nitrogen. If 100 pounds of nitrate 

 contain 15 pounds of nitrogen, the 9 pounds 

 wanted for an acre will be found in ^ of 100 

 pounds or 60 pounds. 



Thirty pounds of phosphoric acid are wanted 

 for an acre. If the acid phosphate contains 14 

 per cent of phosphoric acid, or 14 pounds to the 

 100, the required amount will be f J of 100, or 

 214 pounds. 



Eighteen pounds of potash are wanted for an 

 acre. The muriate of potash on our markets 

 never varies much from 50 per cent in its content 

 of. potash. If 100 pounds of muriate contain 

 50 pounds of potash, the required amount wanted 

 will be if of 100, or 36 pounds. 



Adding the 60, 214, and 36 pounds, we have 

 310 pounds for the acre of land. If the field 

 contains 20 acres, the order will call for 20 times 

 the 60 pounds of nitrate of soda, 20 times the 214 

 pounds of acid phosphate, and 20 times the 36 

 pounds of potash. 



If the farmer prefers to use sulphate of ammonia, 

 [205] 



