THE nqO 



GARDEN YARD "^^ 



there are times when commercial fertilizers are 

 absolutely necessary if only to start the growth, 

 but we should be sure what we are getting. 



When we try to find out something about 

 fertilizers, we get such technical and compli- 

 cated explanations about phosphates and ni- 

 trates and other " ates," that the ordinary ama- 

 teur or beginner just takes some one's advice; 

 while the professionals mostly stick to what they 

 have been doing. But the subject is clear enough 

 if it is clearly stated. 



Nitrogen and potash are about the best ele- 

 ments in artificial fertilizers and perhaps the 

 hardest to retain. We have learned that 

 nitrogen can be best and cheapest added to the 

 soil by means of certain cover crops, or crops 

 sown only to be turned back into the ground as 

 green manure. It is also present in large quan- 

 tities in stable manure, if it has not leached 

 away before being put on the field. But this 

 book could scarcely tell you all about the best 

 ways of handhng manure to get the best re- 

 turns. The Government, however, has done 

 this, in Bulletin 192, and you cannot do better 

 than send for it and study it carefully. You 

 will learn from it the immense importance of 

 taking proper care of the manure you have, and 

 how to get the best possible results from its 



