COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS 
69 
out knowing the source of the various materials which 
enter into the composition of the brands used. 
1 14. The home mixing of fertilizers. — Home mixing of 
fertilizers is increasing in popularity. The following ad- 
vantages may be mentioned: (1) The grower knows ex- 
actly the kind and amount of each ingredient used; (2) 
he can adapt the mixture to the needs of the different 
classes of crops to be grown; (3) he can adapt the mix- 
ture to the needs of the particular soil to be cropped; (4) 
FIG. 14. LIME SPREADER 
he usually saves several dollars a ton; (5) he becomes 
more intelligent every year in the application of the prin- 
ciples relating to plant nutrition. 
Numerous experiments have proved that home-mixed 
fertilizers are fully as valuable as factory-mixed goods 
of equivalent composition. 
The arithmetic of home mixing is very simple. Sup- 
pose fertilizer is wanted that will contain 4 per cent of 
nitrogen, 8 per cent of phosphoric acid and 10 per cent of 
