Soils and Fertilizers for Vegetables 1301 



ing on Long Island, conducted by the Geneva Experiment Station, 

 it was found that 1000 pounds per acre of a complete fertilizer 

 gave greater net profit than any heavier application when potatoes 

 sold at 50 cents per bushel. And in some experiments with onion 

 growing on muck soil near Florida, Orange county, it was found 

 that the use of more than 1000 pounds per acre of 4-8-10 fertilizer 

 was seldom as profitable as that amount, with onions at $1 per 

 hundred pounds. But in the growing of market garden crops 

 where earliness and quality are prime considerations and value 

 per acre of the crop high, very liberal amounts of fertilizer are 

 important. This applies to early beets, early tomatoes, early cab- 

 bage, early canteloupe, early sweet corn, asparagus, early turnips, 

 cucumbers, early sweet potatoes and others. In these cases 10 to 

 15 tons per acre of manure may be applied in the fall, winter or 

 early spring. At the time of preparing seed-bed there can be 

 used 1000 to 2000 pounds per acre of a fertilizer high in phos- 

 phoric acid and potash, with perhaps some nitrogen in organic 

 form, making a mixture of — say 2-8-10. At time of setting or 

 planting use in addition 100 to 200 pounds per acre of nitrate of 

 soda, and three or four weeks later another similar application. 

 The nitrate of soda especially promotes rapid growth and im- 

 proves quality ; also increases the yield. For most crops it can be 

 used to best advantage in the early stages of growth, and where a 

 second application is made it should not be put off more than a 

 few weeks from time of planting. A late application may delay 

 maturity. In case of sweet corn a dressing of nitrate may be 

 made when ears are beginning to form. 



A general rule as regards fertilizers for general farm crops on 

 the great majority of soils is that phosphorus is the first import- 

 ant element to be added in commercial form. If organic matter 

 is used in fair amounts, nitrogen and potash need be purchased 

 only in small quantities or can be done away with entirely. 

 Organic matter furnishes nitrogen and helps to make available 

 more potash from the large reserves of that element contained in 

 most ordinary soils ; but as the limitations of nitrogen and potas- 

 sium are thus removed, the use of larger amounts of phosphorus 

 becomes profitable. These same principles apply quite gener- 

 ally to the growing of vegetables as field crops on any but muck 

 4 " 



