6o 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
satisfactory for its use. Many experiments have been 
made at the New Jersey station, and one of the bulletins 
(N. J. Sta. Bui. 172, p. 11), which reports the results, 
contains the following statement : “It is quite possible 
to have a return of $50 an acre from the use of $5 worth 
of nitrate of soda on crops of high value, as, for example, 
early tomatoes, beets, cabbage, etc. This is an extraor- 
dinary return for the money invested and labor in- 
volved; still, if the value of the increased crop from its 
use was but $10, or even $8, it should be regarded as a 
profitable investment, since no more land and but little 
more capital were required in order to obtain the extra 
$5 or $3 an acre. It is the accumulation of these little 
extras that oftentimes change an unprofitable into a 
profitable practice.” 
The amount of nitrate of soda applied to the acre at 
any one time may vary from 100 to 250 pounds. Larger 
applications are sometimes made, but they are of doubtful 
economy. The better and safer practice is to make fre- 
quent applications of smaller quantities. 
There are no rules concerning the frequency of applica- 
tions, but it depends upon the fertility of the soil, the 
character of the crop and the time of planting. Nitrate 
of soda is especially valuable for early spring applications 
before soil nitrification becomes active. If used when the 
ground is cool it may be the means of encouraging a 
rapid growth when all other agencies fail. A common 
practice is to see that some nitrate is contained in the fer- 
tilizer applied before planting. After two or three weeks 
a second application of the nitrate can often be made 
with profit, and additional ones are frequently advan- 
tageous. For more specific information on this question 
see Chapter XXI on the cultivation of different classes of 
vegetables. 
The following methods may be employed in applying 
nitrate of soda: (1) It may be applied alone or mixed 
