SOIL IMPROVEMENT 



T n^h' -frx ><<^i.v C^.'l for therein lies the very foundation of your farming or gardening success. 

 L/OOK lO your OOU plant food"! . - _ . ...... 



Does your soil need 

 If so, what elements are lacking? Does it need lime? How much lime? Or, does 



it need acid' 



Accurate answers to these questions are worth many dollars to every grower because they often mean the difference 

 between a successful crop and a poor crop. Save money and increase your profits by knowing the possibilities of your 

 soil in relation to the chemical requirements of the crop you plan to grow. 



The accompanying chart and tabulation of varieties show that most vegetables thrive best in a slightly acid soil. It is 

 very necessary however, to first know the pH (or degree of acidity) of your soil as determined by soil tests, before applying 

 acid or lime, rather than by guesswork. The desired amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash should also be deter- 

 mined as a matter of economy. Use a soil test kit and feed your soil the elements which are needed. 



PLANT FOOD ELEMENTS 



Plants require nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (the thre 

 from air and water) and the minor elements usually found i 

 brands of mi.xed fertilizers. 



These minor elements are calcium, sulphur, magnesium, 

 manganese, iron and boron. Their functions are largely 

 indirect, but very essential as they aid the chemical changes 

 which render other ingredients more available. Calcium 

 (lime), for example, aids in making the nitrogenous materials 

 more quickly available and changes the physical nature of 

 soils. Sulphur seems to exert a beneficial influence on plant 

 growth and iron is necessary in the formation of chlorophyll. 

 xr*j„_ __„ is the "top growth" element needed for leafy 

 iM ILrUyvn vegetables such as spinach, kale, parsley, etc. 

 Aside from mixed fertilizers, nitrogen can be had in various 

 organic forms as in bone meal, blood meal, tankage, fish 

 meal, cotton seed meal and inorganic forms such as nitrate 

 of soda (tending toward an alkaline reaction), amonium 

 sulphate (tending toward an acid reaction), urea and 

 potassium nitrate. The organic materials are safest to use 

 as they react slowly and do not burn. 



Phnsnhnfue ^^ generally the most needed element, as 

 rflObpnorUS the continued use of manures possessing 

 such a little of it, combined with the fact that most crops 

 are heavy phosphorus feeders, soils worked for a number 

 of years are practically depleted of this element. A real 

 fertile soil is rich in readily available phosphorus. It is 

 the element which promotes growth and vigor, flowers, fruit 

 and seeds. Beans, corn, cucumber, tomatoes, turnips and 

 rutabagas seem to respond to heavy feedings of phosphorus. 

 It is available in mixed fertilizers, superphosphate, bone 

 meal and tankage. 



p J t is the root growing element. Asparagus, beets, 

 rOlUSn carrots, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, potatoes and 

 radish all respond to extra potash feeding. Sulphate of 

 potash is best for tobacco, lettuce and leaf crops, while 

 muriate of potash is most beneficial to carrots, potatoes and 

 root crops. 



KNOW which elements are needed 

 in your soil 



Practical tests with the Sudbury Soil Test Kit will 

 show the acidity of soil and any possible deficiency in 

 nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. Each kit is accom- 

 panied by complete instructions and tables of plant 

 needs. 



MODEL D (as illustrated) — Contains enough soil 

 testing solutions to make 20 individual tests. $2.00. 



MODEL C — In permanent metal case, (Contains suf- 

 ficient chemical for 60 individual tests for nitrogen, 

 phosphorus, potash and acidity. Case contains test tube 

 rack, extra test tubes, special glass funnels, color 

 charts and a supply of filter paper, $9,75. 



TESTING FLUID for refill. Specify whether fornitro- 

 gen, phosphorus, potash or acidity. 2 oz., 75c; 6 oz., $1.50. 



e most important I. oxygen, hydrogen and carbon (obtained 

 n the soil in sufficient quantity but also supplied in the better 



ACID OR ALKALINE PREFERENCES 



(Letters refer to degree of 

 VEGETABLES, GRAIN 



Alfalfa A 



Asparagus A 



Barley A 



Beans C 



Beets A 



Bent Grass D 



Blue Berries E 



Blue Grass A 



Broccoli B 



Cabbage A 



Carrots A 



Cauliflower A 



Celery A 



Chicory B 



Corn B 



Clover A 



Cowpeas C 



Cranberries E 



Cucumber B 



Currants C 



Eggplant B 



Endive B 



Gooseberry 



Grapes D 



Kale B 



Laurel E 



acidity in chart below) 



S, GRASSES, ETC. 



Leek B 



Lettuce A 



Muskmelons B 



Oats C 



Onions A 



Parsley A 



Parsnips D 



Peas B 



Peppers C 



Plums D 



Potatoes D 



Pumpkin D 



Radish B 



Raspberries B 



Red Clover B 



Rhubarb B 



Rye C 



Spinach B 



Squash C 



Strawberries C 



Tobacco C 



Tomato C 



Turnip C 



Rutabaga C 



Watermelon B 



Wheat A 



FLOW 



Azaleas E 



Anemone B 



Aster B 



Begonia B 



Bleeding Heart C 



Bouvardia C 



Calendula A 



Candy-tuft B 



Canna B 



Carnation B 



Centaurea B 



Cineraria A 



Chrysanthemum B 



Clarkia B 



Clematis A 



Columbine B 



Cosmos B 



Cyclamen C 



Dahlia B 



Delphinium C 



Didiscus B 



Easter Lily C 



Euphorbia C 



Feverfe\v B 



Ferns C 



Forget Me Not A 



Fuschia B 



Gardenia E 



Genista A 



Geranium A 



Gerbera A 



Gladiolus B 



Godetia B 



Heather D 



Heliotrope A 



Holly E 



Hyacinth B 



ERS 



Hydrangea Blue E 



Hydrangea Pink C 



Iris B 



Lady Slipper E 



Larkspur B 



Lilac B 



Lily C 



Lupine C 



Marigold B 



Mignonette B 



Morning Glory A 



Myosotia B 



Narcissus B 



Nasturtium A 



Orchid D 



Pansy B 



Peony B 



Primula B 



Poinsett ia B 



Petunia A 



Phlox C 



Poppy B 



Rhododendron C 



Rose B 



St. Paulia B 



Salpiglossis B 



Scabiosa B 



Schizanthus B 



Snapdragon B 



Stocks B 



Swainsonia A 



Sweet Peas A 



Tulips B 



Violet B 



Westeria B 



Woodbine R 



Yucca B 



Zinnia B 



4pH 



5pH 



6pH 



614 7pH 



71A 8pH 



E 



D 



C 





B 



A 1 



* . ? 1 



■ 11 1* 

















Neutral 

 B, C, D and E indicate degrees of acidity from 7 pH, which 

 is neutral, to 4 pH which is extremely acid. ".A." indicates 

 a slightly alkaline condition. — (1000 lbs. Hydrated Lime per 

 acre will change a sandy loam from pH 5 to pH 6.") 



Superior Seeds 



J. MANNS & CO., Baltimore, Md. 



91 



