Fertilizers for Various Special Crops 345 



service in the growing of this crop than the exclusive use 

 of yard manure, and in such quantities as to supply the 

 entire needs of the plant. In the use of fertilizer, not 

 only the total supply of the constituents, but their form, 

 may be regulated to the needs under different conditions, 

 thus permitting a full feeding of the plant, and at a time 

 most suitable to accomplish the object in view, advan- 

 tages which are not possessed by the natural manures. 



A fertilization which would meet the needs both in 

 respect to quantity and kind of fertilizers may be as 

 follows : 



On good soils, the application of a fertilizer contain- 

 ing from 40 to 50 pounds of nitrogen, from 50 to 60 of 

 phosphoric acid and from 40 to 50 of potash would be 

 sufficient to meet the demands of the plant. The nitro- 

 gen supplied should be derived largely from nitrates or 

 ammonia, or both, and the phosphoric acid from a super- 

 phosphate, while the potash may be derived from sulfate 

 or muriate of potash. The former is preferable if applied 

 during the spring preceding the planting of the beets. 

 While it is frequently desirable, for convenience and 

 economy of labor in applying, that the fertilizer should 

 be mixed, in order to prevent any waste of soluble nitro- 

 gen, it should be applied in fractional dressings. For 

 example, a mixture of 250 to 300 pounds of nitrate of 

 soda (or the nitrogen may be derived partly from nitrate 

 and partly from ammonia), 400 to 500 pounds superphos- 

 phate and 80 to 100 of muriate or high-grade sulfate of 

 potash should be applied in two or three dressings. A 

 part only should be applied previous to sowing, for both 

 the nitrate and the potash salts have a depressing effect 

 upon germination. They are preferably applied, say, 

 one-third of the mixture as soon as the plants have come 



