USING CHEMICAL MANURES INTELLIGENTLY 239 



fertilizers has reached the enormous proportions it now 

 possesses. 



The cost of chemical manures represents a tremendous 

 draft on the profits of the farm ; a draft that is paid often 

 with difficulty. With the coming of each seed time, there 

 comes also the ever-recurring fertilizer problem. And it 

 is not solved, and so long as we continue as we are, it 

 never will be solved. What once was a choice is now a 

 necessity ; because of the constant dosings, humus has 

 been used up in a soil and many crops in many parts of 

 the country are grown with profit only when the fertilizer 

 drill injects concentrated plant foods into the soil, and in 

 constantly increasing doses. 



With good tillage, a wise, well-planned change, a lavish 

 use of legumes, humus and stable manure, the situation 

 will be relieved and chemical manures will be largely un- 

 necessary. If we would remember that fertilizers pay 

 him best who best prepares his land, we would at once 

 make a long step in the correct use of fertilizers, for 

 chemical manures, used most wisely and most economic- 

 ally, go always with high culture and improve soils. 



But we ought not blame fertilizers : only our lack of 

 knowledge in using them. We ought not use them as 

 first necessities but rather as supplementary amend- 

 ments and they are these to help in the work of crop 

 production. 



Factory-mixed fertilizers: most in use. The mixed 

 fertilizers constitute the great bulk of trade in commer- 

 cial fertilizers. As a rule, these are complete fertilizers: 

 they contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium the 

 three elements most likely to be deficient in soils. Of 

 course, the soil may require but one of these elements; 

 but what cares the fertilizer dealer if he can sell you the 

 other two also? That is his business, And it is your 



