232 



FERTILIZERS FOR VEGETABLES 



ideal conditions for using up the organic matter. Under 

 those conditions the probable reason why you did not get 

 satisfactory results with the chemicals was due to the lack 

 of organic matter. In putting in pomace, you are putting 

 on organic matter. 



Mr. Wortley: In one case organic matter had been used 

 very freely for fifteen years. 



Professor Van Slyke: Did the application of chemical 

 fertilizer give no satisfactory results? 



Mr. Wortley: In that case, it gave no improvement over 

 the castor pomace. The manures were very carefully 

 weighed. 



Professor Van Slyke: Without a fuller knowledge of 

 all conditions I could not explain just what was the trouble 

 where the stable manure had been applied. 



Mr. AVortley : Do you think the rains would have any- 

 thing to do with it? We applied certain manures later than 

 we intended to. In that case, the increase was most marked 



Professor Van Slyke: Do you know whether the seed 

 was injured? Did you put on all the fertilizer at once? 



Mr. Wortley : Yes, before the seed came up. There was 

 no injury. 



Question: I would like to know how to overcome that 

 scab condition in certain ground. 



. Professor Van Slyke: The ordinary potato scab is 

 caused by alkaline conditions of the soil, and the only way 

 of getting rid of that is to make the soil slightly acid. That 

 is the quickest way. The application of sulphate of am- 

 monia and acid phosphate and either muriate or sulphate of" 

 potash would all work that way. Do you have scab right 

 along? 



A Member : We do have considerable. We use quite con- 

 siderable quantities of sheep and cow manure. 



Professor Van Slyke : I suspect that that is where your 

 trouble comes from. Those animal manures in undergoing 

 decay turn into ammonia first and for a while produce an 

 alkaline condition of the soil ; and if that came right at the 



