256 Fertilizers 



Nitrate of soda 500 Ibs. 



Bone tankage 500 Ibs. 



Acid phosphate 400 Ibs. 



Muriate of potash 600 Ibs. 



One ton of this mixture would furnish, approximately, 

 105 pounds of nitrogen, 120 of phosphoric acid and 

 300 of potash. The application of 1000 pounds, there- 

 fore, would furnish the food in sufficient abundance and 

 in good proportions to meet the demands of a fair crop. 

 There is a contention prevalent among large growers of 

 late tomatoes that ammonium sulfate as a source of nitro- 

 gen causes injury, and it is thought best to omit it even 

 though there are not reliable experiments to prove this 

 contention. 



The advantage of using so large a proportion of nitrogen 

 in the form of nitrate of soda in this case is, that it is im- 

 mediately available, inducing the immediate and rapid 

 growth of plant, and preventing a too late growth by 

 furnishing a minimum of organic nitrogen, which would 

 become available late in the season. The cost of the 

 fertilizer suggested in these cases is high, and the necessity 

 of so expensive a dressing could be materially reduced 

 by decreasing the need for nitrogen, particularly in organic 

 forms, which may be accomplished by showing crimson 

 clover with or after the previous crop of, say, corn or 

 tomatoes. If weather conditions are favorable, crimson 

 clover may be sown in the tomato fields in August, after 

 cultivation has ceased, or at the last cultivation, and a 

 crop of clover grown which will provide nitrogen for the 

 next year's crop. This method is now practiced with 

 advantage by many growers. The late crop, like potatoes 

 and sweet potatoes, is usually grown in rotations in which 

 it is the chief money crop ; hence the unused residue from 



