16 FOOD FOR PLANTS 



such as a harrow, weeder, cultivator or horse hoe. 

 The capillary movement of the soil waters will dis- 

 tribute it in the soil, and osmosis of soil solutions 

 and the capillary attraction of the soil particles 

 when in good tilth will retain it safely until the plant 

 uses it. 



Accepting the conclusions of these scientific men, 

 the use of Nitrate of Soda in agriculture ought to 

 increase proportionately to the dissemination of the 

 knowledge of its usefulness among our farmers. An 

 increase in the consumption of Nitrate among grow- 

 ers of tobacco, fiber plants, sugar beets, the hop, 

 grape, grass and small fruits, has been most notable 

 of late. The element of plant food first exhausted 

 in soils is Nitrogen, and in many cases a marked in- 

 crease in crop is obtained through the use of Nitrate 

 alone. "Complete" fertilizers are generally rather 

 low in Nitrogen, and Nitrate may be wisely used to 

 supplement them, as it is practically the cheapest 

 form of plant food Nitrogen. 



By "complete fertilizers," is meant fertilizers 

 containing Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. 

 These fertilizers are often called "phosphates," and 

 people have fallen into the habit of calling any com- 

 mercial fertilizer a "phosphate," whether it contains 

 phosphate or not. Many so-called "complete ferti- 

 lizers" are merely acid phosphates with insignificant 

 amounts of other essential plant foods. They are 

 frequently ill-balanced rations for all crops. 



The value of these "phosphates," no matter how 

 high sounding their names, consists in their phos- 

 phoric acid and potash in many cases. 



