June, 1919 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
131 
carrying at least 2 per cent of pot- 
ash, under normal conditions prob- 
ably 4 or (i per cent. Should ma- 
nure be applied to these crops, it is 
probably more profitable to cut 
down the acre application for fer- 
tilizer rather than to select a fer- 
tilizer carrying no potash. 
The same group of fertilizer does 
nicely when cabbages are grown 
under field conditions, usually for 
kraut factories. When, however, 
the same crop is grown under mar- 
ket gardening conditions, as it is 
on Long Island and in many other 
sections of the country, a larger 
amount of nitrogen is desirable. 
This gives us our second series of 
vegetable fertilizers — 4 — 10 — 6, 4- — 
10—4, 4—10—2. 
FERTILIZERS FOR BEANS AND PEAS. 
Navy beans and Canadian field 
peas, when grown under field condi- 
tions, had best have a grain fertil- 
izer containing 2 per cent of am- 
monia. These two legumes are not 
nearly as active nitrogen gatherers 
as are soybeans and cowpeas — 
hence the desirability, under nor- 
mal conditions, of including nitro- 
gen in the fertilizer used. 
Since the acre value of most vege- 
table crops is high — much higher 
than is the acre value of our field 
crops — the cost of the fertilizer for 
growing vegetables is generally of 
relatively minor importance. Be- 
fore the war it was considered good 
business on the part of vegetable 
growers to use potash, as well as 
the other plant food elements, in 
liberal quantities, on the basis of in- 
surance — for in this, as in so many 
other things, it is better to be safe 
than to be sorry. There is no doubt 
that as price conditions stabilize, 
and as production gets on a nor- 
mal basis, vegetable growers of the 
future, as in the past, will adopt 
this attitude. 
Buying- the Right Fertilizers 
Summary of Bulletin No. 22 State De- 
partment of Agriculture, C. P. 
Norgord Com., State Capitol. 
In any system of farming a cer- 
tain amount of plant food must be 
purchased in order to keep the 
soil fertile. 
There are three kinds of plant 
food in which soils may be defi- 
cient and which are sold in com- 
mercial fertilizers, — Phosphoric 
acid, containing phosphorus; am- 
monia, containing nitrogen ; and 
potash, containing potassium. 
The fertility of the soil cannot 
be profitably maintained by com- 
mercial fertilizers alone, but must 
be used as an addition to lime, 
farm manures, legume crops, and 
other crop residues. 
A so-called complete fertilizer 
contains nitrogen, phosphorus and 
potassium, but does not return all 
the plant food removed. The 
amount of nitrogen or ammonia 
added in the average application 
of the ordinary fertilizer returns 
only a small fraction of that re- 
moved by the crop. The nitrogen 
content of the soil must be largely 
maintained by legume crops or by 
legume crops and barnyard ma- 
nure. By adopting a proper rota- 
tion the nitrogen content of the 
soil can be maintained in general 
farming without the purchase of 
commercial fertilizers containing 
nitrogen. 
In order to obtain nitrogen 
through legume crops the soil may 
require inoculation. Cultures for 
inoculation can be obtained at low 
cost from the College of Agricul- 
ture. 
The phosphorus or phosphoric 
acid content of the soil can be 
properly maintained by the pur- 
chase of fertilizers. The principal 
phosphorus containing fertilizers 
are rock phosphate, bone meal and 
acid phosphate. Farm manure is 
low in phosphorus and a phos- 
phate fertilizer should be used 
even when an abundance of ma- 
nure is available. 
Potash is five or six times its 
normal price and its extensive ap- 
plication at present is profitable 
only in exceptional cases. Many 
soils contain unlimited amounts 
of potash which can be made 
available by the use of organic 
matter such, as green manure and 
barnyard manure. 
Many crops will not grow on 
sour or acid soils even if abun- 
dant amounts of nitrogen, phos- 
phoric acid and potash are pres- 
ent. Limes correct or neutralize 
acidity. The value of lime de- 
pends upon the amount of acid- 
ity overcome by unit weight. A 
large amount of impurity or 
water in lime means lower value. 
Limes should be bought on the 
basis of their neutralizing value 
(per cent of calcium carbonate or 
equivalent) and water content. 
Be sure every dahlia tuber 
planted has at least one eye at the 
tip. 
The boy or the girl interested in 
a garden, poultry, or pets, as a 
rule, becomes a self-respecting 
business man or woman. Large 
flats and small yards do not tend 
to make good citizens of the chil- 
dren compelled to be sheltered by 
them. 
Sweet peas should not be hilled, 
as there is danger from stem rot 
if this done. It is well to leave 
the rows a little bit hollow to 
catch and hold the rain. Sweet 
peas should be planted early since 
they make their best growth in 
cool, moist weather. 
