FOOD FOR PLANTS 25 



Italian rye grass, rye, thousand-headed kale and 

 clovers are suitable. All these should be top-dressed 

 with from 100 to 200 pounds per acre of Nitrate of 

 Soda, depending upon the exhaustion of the soil. In 

 our remarks on the use of Nitrate, we have taken it 

 for granted that our readers fully understand that in 

 all cases where Nitrate has been recommended in 

 large amounts, potash and phosphates should be 

 used also unless the soil already contains ample sup- 

 plies of both. 



The most important material used to supply Nitro- 

 gen in the composition of commercial fertilizers is 

 Nitrate of Soda. Nitrate of Soda is particularly 

 adapted for top-dressing during the growing season, 

 and is the quickest acting of all the nitrogenous 

 fertilizers. 



Dried blood, tankage, azotine, fish scrap, castor 

 pomace, and cotton-seed meal represent fertilizers 

 where the Nitrogen is only slowly available, and they 

 must be applied in the fall so as to be decomposed 

 and available for the following season. Nitrogen in 

 the form of Nitrate of Soda is available during the 

 growing and fruiting season, possessing, therefore, 

 a decided advantage over all other Nitrogen plant 

 foods. 



Chemical Composition of Soils. 



Sandy soils may be described as soils containing 

 seventy-six (76) per cent, or more of sand. 



Sandy loam is a soil containing from sixty (60) to 

 seventy-five (75) per cent, of sand, and a loam is 

 said to be a soil containing forty (40) to fifty-nine 

 (59) per cent, of sand. 



