This Is a scene from a plant food spreading demonstration held recently In DeKalb county. 



Fertilizer Now Available In Greater Amounts 



But High Analysis Carriers Of Nitrogen And Potassium Are Still Scarce 



ILLINOIS farmers have long realized 

 the value of plant foods in a sound 

 fertility program. So they will hail 

 as good news reports that fertilizers 

 are becoming available in larger 

 amounts. The picture is not as bright, 

 however, as we would like to see it. 



Increase in production of high analysis 

 materials is mostly in the production of 

 phosphate. High analysis carriers of ni- 

 trogen and potassium are still scarce. It 

 is to be expected, therefore, that most of 

 the nitrogen and potash materials will 

 continue to be used in mixed fertilizers. 

 So the time when you can expect to ob- 

 tain large amounts of high analysis 

 straight goods is still in the future. At 

 present the production situation stands 

 ibout as follows : 



Limestone 



Production of limestone is up in indi- 

 vidual quarries and the number of pro- 

 ducing quarries is somewhat greater. 

 Demand and supply are now parallel al- 

 though some quarry operators are ahead 

 of demand and are stock-piling against 

 future seasonal demand. 



Nitrogen 



SULPHATE OF AMMONIA — The 

 supply of coke oven by-product sulphate 

 of ammonia still continues to be inade- 

 quate in spite of additional production 

 from purchased synthetic ammonia. No 

 easing of the tight supply situation is in- 

 dicated. Demand continues far in excess 

 of expected supply. 



NITRATE OF SODA — Supplies of 

 nitrate of soda at warehouse points are, 

 in general, adequate for spot require- 

 ments. Producers and importers are not 

 making contracts for future delivery at 

 the present time. 



12 



By ROGER E. GISH, Director 



Soil Conservation Activities 



AMMONIUM NITRATE AND SO- 

 LUTIONS — Demand far exceeds the 

 supply of ammonium nitrate and solu- 

 tions in spite of increased production in 

 some plants. The supply of other nitro- 

 gen carriers is about the same. 



Phosphate 



The demand for rock continues at such 

 levels that producers are still unable to 

 accumulate any sizeable reserve supply of 

 raw rock. However, quantities are avail- 

 able to farmers at present. 



SUPER-PHOSPHATE — Practically 

 no shortages of super-phosphate are re- 

 ported. In general, adequate supplies of 

 triple super-phosphate are available. 



Potash 



The potash industry is in the process of 

 increasing production. It will be avail- 

 able in the future, but at present the 

 supply is short of demand. 



In looking at the above review of 

 supply, it becomes apparent as previously 

 stated that straight goods carrying nitro- 

 gen and potash will continue to be ab- 

 sorbed by the mixing industry. In fact, 

 mixing plants in operation are having 

 difficulty maintaining production because 

 of insufficient supplies of nitrogen. 



It is reported that current use of fer- 

 tilizers now is two and one half times 

 pre-war years with demand still increas- 

 ing. The absorption of the production of 

 nitrogen and potash carriers by the 

 mixing industry will continue to make 

 straight goods carrying these elements 



hard to get but will make more mixed 

 fertilizers available. 



The Illinois Farm Supply Company 

 estimates that there will be about five 

 times as much mixed fertilizers available 

 than there was a year ago. They report 

 the grades available to be 4-16-16, 3-12- 

 12, 0-20-10, and 0-12-12. These are 

 good grades of material but they may not 

 all be available at the time of the spring 

 peak demand. There are several things 

 that the farmer can do to meet the supply 

 and demand problem in his farm fertility 

 program. 



Planned Fertilizer Program 



In a farm fertility program, the farmer 

 should first abide by the slogan of "Test, 

 Don't Guess". The soil testing labora- 

 tories which county Farm Bureaus have 

 set up over most of the state make it pos- 

 sible for the farmer to follow an efficient 

 fertility program. 



In general, all land in the state which 

 has not been previously limed, needs an 

 application of limestone for the growing 

 of legumes and especially for alfalfa and 

 sweet clover. About 70 per cent of the 

 land in the state needs additional phos- 

 phate for maximum production. The 

 need for potash is a more local problem 

 and may be the limiting factor in a num- 

 ber of areas. Soil tests are the only means 

 of determining just how much of the ele- 

 ments are needed for high yields. 



Agronomists of the University of Illi- 

 nois estimate that farmers in the state 

 waste five million dollars annually by the 

 application of fertilizers where they are 

 not needed or are applied in incorrect 

 proportions. On the other hand, the soil 

 testing laboratories save the farmers an 

 estimated four million dollars annually 

 in directing the rate of application of 



L A. A. RECORD 



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