with the movements of soil water. 

 Better us« none at all. 



Commercial Fertilizers: 



Of the mineral fertilizers, sodium ni- 

 trate and potash are practically un- 

 obtainable on account of war condi- 

 tions. Acid phosphate is nearly in the 

 same class and is not usually readily 

 obtainable in small quantities. The 

 various stock-yards products, including 

 pulverized sheep manure, are quick act- 

 ing- fertilizers that may either be mixed 

 with the soil when spading or plowing 

 or used later as a top-dressing. 



Mineral fertilizers must be applied 

 with great caution to growing plants 

 as in slight excess they may kill the 

 plants outright. 



These are all very expensive and sel- 

 dom give adequate returns to the ama- 

 teur for the money invested in them. 



None of these statements should be 

 construed as an argument against the 

 use of fertilizers The market gardener 

 knows that he can make money by us- 

 ing extraordinary quantities of fertiliz- 

 ers; in fact he is not apt to make 

 much money unless he does use a lib- 

 eral amount Your- case is different; 

 you are not so much concerned about 

 making a profit on your land and time 

 as in growing a respectable crop of 

 vegetables You can do it without any 

 fertilizer if you handle your soil right. 



G«al As]ie«t 



Heavy soils may be much improved 

 by a liberal use of coal ashes. Unless 

 much wood has been burned in the fur- 

 nace in addition to the coal there is no 

 danger in using too much. It is better 

 to sift the ashes to remove clinkers 

 which prove a source of annoyance 

 when hoelngr. Coal ashes contain little 

 or no fertility. 



(5) 



