THE SOIL AND ITS IMPROVEMENT 



97 



' After thusc ingredients have been mixed, about LOO pounds 

 per acre may be applied. For small gardens the quantity is 

 reduced in proportion to the area, of course. One ounce of 

 the above potash would be enough for a single row of the 

 garden ten feet long. 



8. Exercise in Home Mixing of Fertilizers. — Choose the fertil- 

 izer ingredients to be used in the garden. Separate ingredients 

 should be obtained and the amounts are determined by the area 

 to be fertilized. MaJce this a lesson in home mixing. Pour the con- 

 tents of each separate sack of fertilizer on a smooth floor or mixing 

 board. With a shovel Crush the lumps, if any are found. Spread 

 the first kind out level and place each of the others in level layers on 

 top. The mixing is chiefly done with common shovels or hoes. By 

 cutting through the several layers the different ingredients become 

 mixed. A new pile is made by the side of the first, as the shovelling 

 or hoeing is done. One person may use a rake on top of the new 

 pile as it is being formed by other persons. A second and third 

 shovelling over of the pile will make the mixture very perfect. 



Fig. 58. — Each large square represents a ton of fertilizer. The proportion of 

 valuable ingredients in a low-grade material is shown by the black corner, and the 

 proportion in a high-grade material is shown by the white square. 



The practice of home mixing fertilizers is recommended by 

 experiment stations and many of the best gardeners and 

 farmers. High-grade materials can be purchased from the 

 leading fertilizer companies and often from their agents. 

 The prices of these materials are more stable than those of 

 ready-mixed fertilizers with registered or " patent " names. 

 In buying special brands something is paid for the "brand." 

 Many of them contain much filler or " make-weight " mate- 

 7 



