FERTILIZERS FOR THE GARDEN. 



171 



of whom found decided advantage in using nitrate of 

 soda on tomatoes. The principle here involved is of 

 vast practical and theoretical importance. 



Prof. Voorhees' experiments were made on the farm 

 of Mr. C. M, Housell, Middlesex county, N. J. Mr. H. 

 is an intelligent, practical market gardener, and the soil 

 on which the experiments were made has been used for 

 growing market garden produce for ten years, and is 

 consequently in high condition. It consists of a sandy 

 loam, is level, well drained and of uniform quality. 

 Late in the fall of 1888 the land was sown with rye. In 

 the spring of i88gthe rye was plowed under as a green 

 manure. The manure and fertilizers were used May 7, 

 and the tomato plants set out immediately afterwards, 

 four feet apart each way. Details of the experiments 

 are given in Bulletin 63, N. J. Ag. Ex. Station, New 

 Brunswick. Some of the more important results are : 



Cost of Manures V^alue 



Manures and Fertilizers and Fertih- of crop 



used per acre. zers per acre. per acre. 



No manure of any kind $271 88 



20 tons fine barn-yard manure . . . %->fi 00 291 75 



8 tons fine barn-yard manure and ) ^ , 



400 lbs. complete fertilizer . . . )' j 7 3 



160 lbs. nitrate of soda, alone .... 4 00 361 13 



The above manures and fertilizers were all applied 

 May 7. On an adjoining plot, 160 lbs. of nitrate of soda 

 was sown Alay 7, and again, on June 12, when the toma- 

 toes were beginning to set, another dressing of 160 lbs. 

 nitrate of soda was sown on the surface around the 

 plants. This plot produced a crop which sold for $369 

 per acre. The first dressing yielded a profit of $85. 25 per 

 acre , the second dressing, aprofitof only $3.87 per acre. 



It is evident that 160 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre 

 was all that the plants needed, or could make use of 

 without a greater supply of phosphoric acid and potash 

 than the soil afforded. The 160 lbs. of nitrate con- 

 tained 25 lbs. of nitrogen. This is as much nitrogen as 

 would be furnished by 1,250 lbs. of a " complete ferti- 

 lizer, " containing 2 per cent, of nitrogen. In fact, how- 

 ever, the 160 lbs. of nitrate would furnish the plants, 

 early in the season, more nitrogen than 1,250 lbs of the 

 " complete fertilizer " because it is in an available con- 

 dition, whereas that in the complete fertilizer would have 

 to be converted into nitrate before the plants could use it. 



In addition to the above experiments, however. Pro- 

 fessor Voorhees made others that are worthy of con- 

 sideration. The results may be tabulated as under : 



Cost of Valtw 

 Fertilizers per acre Fertilizers. of crop 



and when applied. per acre. 



A No manure $271 88 



f 160 lbs muriate of potash and . | j ^ g 



( 320 lbs. superphosphate . . ) * t- o 



P / Same as B, with 160 lbs .... ) , , , , 



^ 1 nilrateofsoda, May 7 . . . . / =° MS*^ 63 



( Same as C, with 160 lbs. addi- j 

 D - tional nitrate of soda, sown >- $15 20 $429 38 



I June !2 J 



J Same as B, with 320 lbs. nitrate ) . ^ 

 ^ 1 of soda, sown May 7 .... J * '^^^ 25 



It will be seen that the addition of phosphates and 

 potash to the 160 lbs. of nitrate of soda had no ef- 

 fect. The reason for this is that the soil could fur- 

 nish enough phosphoric acid and potash for all that the 

 crop produced by the 160 lbs. of nitrate required. 

 But when an additional 160 lbs of nitrate of soda 



was used, then the phosphoric acid and potash came in- 

 to play, and the crop brought $429.38 per acre. 



It will be seen, furthermore, that the 320 pounds of 

 nitrate applied May 7, on plot E, did not have as great 

 an effect as the same amount of nitrate of soda applied 

 at two dressings, on plot D. 



Several reasons for this result may be given : First, 

 320 pounds of nitrate of soda is more than the tomatoes 

 on this soil (already in good condition) could utilize. In 

 no case did the second 160 lbs. of nitrate of soda pro- 

 duce as great an effect as the first 160 lbs. Second, the 

 first application of nitrate was made May 7. On May 

 31st, a heavy wind and rain storm set in and continued 

 four days. It is quite possible, therefore, that on this 

 sandy loam the four days rain may have more than sat- 

 urated the soil and carried the nitrate into the sub-soil 

 beyond the immediate reach of the roots. The second 

 dressing, therefore, June 12, after the rain had ceased 

 and the tomatoes were beginning to set, furnished the 

 additional nitrogen that the plants needed. Had there 

 been a drouth at this time, instead of a four days rain, 

 the results might have been precisely the opposite. In 

 other words the one dressing at once might have been 

 better than the same quantity applied twice. The 

 second application during a drouth Would have done little 

 good. Third. It is quite probable that a too liberal ap- 

 plication of nitrate of soda at the time of setting out the 

 plants, especially if, as in these experiments, the nitrate 

 was sown, not broadcast over all the land, but for a foot 

 only on each side of the plants, may have induced a too 

 luxuriant growth of vines ; whereas, if applied after the 

 fruit was set it may have favored the growth and early 

 maturity of the fruit. 



Whatever the explanation, we take the liberty of 

 thanking Professor Voorhees and Mr. Housell for their 

 extremely interesting experiments, and of expressing the 

 hope that many similar ones will be made, not only on 

 tomatoes but on other fruits. If it is found that an 

 early application of nitrate, in connection with other 

 fertilizers, will produce a vigorous, healthy growth early 

 in the season, and that this vigorous condition, with 

 plants full of rich sap, has a tendency to ward off, or re- 

 sist, or endure with comparative impunity, the attacks 

 of insects and fungi ; while after the fruit is set and we 

 no longer desire a growth of vine or wood, if it is found 

 that a second application of nitrates will increase the 

 growth, size and quality of the fruit, we shall enter on a 

 new era in fruit-growing and gardening. 



It may surprise many gardeners that 20 tons of fine 

 barn-yard manure did not produce as large a crop of 

 tomatoes as 160 lbs. of nitrate of soda. The 20 tons of 

 manure contained not less than 160 lbs. of nitrogen, 

 while the nitrate of soda contained only 25 lbs. And 

 that the great effect produced by the nitrate of soda was 

 due to the nitrogen, there is abundant evidence. Why 

 then, did not the 160 lbs. of nitrogen in the manure do 

 as much good as the 25 lbs. in the nitrate ? Simply be- 

 cause the nitrogen in the manure has to be converted 

 into nitrate before the plant can use it. 



Moreton Farm. Joseph Harris. 



