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ments is now more needed by the plant than manures. It is better to^ 

 geek a remedy in drainage, irrigation, deep ploughing, better cultivation, 

 harrowing, hoeing, incorporation of yegetable matter, etc. After these 

 ameliorating conditions are established, then, and not till then, should 

 a liberal use of fertilisers be practised. It must be remembered that 

 every improvement in the quality of the soil increases its capacity for 

 absorbing large quantities of manure and its transmutation into maxi- 

 mum crops. Heavy plant growth and excellent soil culture mean an 

 enormous conversion of plant food into crops. Where the largest crops 

 are produced there will be the heaviest demand for manure. Hence 

 rich soils can succesfully appropriate heavy applications of fertilisers, 

 while poor soils must be fed with great care. Perfect all the other con- 

 ditions of heav}^ plant growth, and then there will be a demand for 

 commercial fertilisers, not a demand to appease hunger, but one to 

 fatten. In fattening domestic animals, all of the conditions of diges- 

 tion are first perfected, and then they are given all they will eat, not 

 what they need. The object is to transform a larger amount of plant 

 food into fat and muscles within the animal's frame than is required 

 for its maintenance, and this is accomplished by a carefully com- 

 pounded ration, known to be digestible and palatable. So in farming, 

 whenever practicable, plants of known capacity for absorbing fertilisers 

 should be cultivated, and then these plants should be stimulated to a 

 most intensive assimilation of plant food by the application of suitable 

 manures. While the better class of soils always respond more liberally 

 to fertilisers than poorer ones, still the latter, under favourable condi- 

 tions, often yield remarkable results. Great care should be exercised 

 to see that the favourable conditions are fully attained, and unless they 

 are, very unsatisfactory results may follow the use of commercial fer- 

 tilisers. Sometimes the use of fertilisers overcomes the unfavourable 

 surroundings. They cause a larger and deeper root development in 

 early growth and thus enable the plant to withstand a subsequent 

 drought. They frequently cause an early shading of the ground, thus 

 preventing surface hardening and encouraging nitrification, and with 

 the sugar planter enabling him to give an early " lay by" to his crop. 



These brief remarks are made to suggest to some planters the cause 

 of their failures sometimes in the use of commercial fertilisers. They 

 may ascribe the failure to the worthlessness of the fertiliser used when 

 it should be ascribed to some defective quality of the soil, rendering it 

 incapable of appropriating the applied fertiliser. (^) 



An examination of the cane plant by Prof. Ross revealed the fact 

 that for each ton of cane removed from our soil, with the tops and 

 leaves left in the field which are subsequently burnt, there are re- 

 moved 3.4 pounds nitrogen, 1.48 poimds phosphoric acid and 2.17 



(1) The tendency to imagine that short crops are, as a rule, due to deficiencies 

 of plant food in the soil which can be reniedied by the application of artificial 

 manures, is a most common one. It is very desirable that every one who is in- 

 terested in the use of artificial manures should thoroughly understand these points 

 with which Dr. Stubbs wisely prefaces his remarks on the manurial requirements 

 of the sugar cane, for unless this is the case, there can be no intelligent use of 

 this valuable, but somewhat expensive, aid to modern agriculture. The use of ar- 

 tificial manures renders desirable increased care in cultivation, weeding, draining 

 and similar operations. — F. W. 



