1881.0 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
191 
Averages of Results of Experiments of 1878, 1879, and 1880. 
Produce, Increase , and Gain or Loss per acre, with different Fertilizers and Cl ~ps. 
Number of Fertilizer... 
Fertilizers pee Acre. 
No Manure. <= 1 
Nitrate of Soda, . 
200 lbs. 
B 
§ oS 
'8® 
?! 
s* 
G 
-cT 
G 
.si 
G 
c 
1 
Nitrate of Soda, 150 
lbs. Dissolved lionet 
Slack, 800 lbs. 
Nitrate of Soda, 150 
lbs. Muriate of t ?3 
Potash, 200 lbs. 
Dic'd. Bone Black, 
300 lbs. Muriate of s* 
Potash, 200 lbs. 
G 
® .Tb. 
®+- 
IS.1- 
• G 
GS-QO 
B 
s 
cv 
G 
a, 
V. 
S 
S 
i 
1 
Valuable Ingredients 
per Acre. 
£a 
^co 
s 
o 
Is 
C2 
00 
f2 
8 
7© 
G 
o 
§11 
o^~ CO 
Ses 
£ 
ref 
£2 .1 
<3 
, s a 
5 .a 
1-1 
* 1 
*1^-2 . 
Cr - 
g^a 
§ 
•sS 
S-s 
§.55 
S3 
£ . 
•£» § 
P 
6 
( ost per Acre*. 
$7.50 
$5.25 
$1.50 
$10,88 $10.13 $9.75 
$15.38 
$0.80 
var’blo 
Aver’e Produce p. a’e. 
bu. 
bu. 
l)u. 
bu. 
bu. 
bu. 
bu. 
bu. 
bu. 
bu. 
CORN—73 Experiments. 
26 6 
31.7 
37.4 
34.3 
11.0 
38.0 
43.2 
47.8 
32.0 
45.1 
POTATOES—22 Experim’ts. 
CORN, ( Aver’e Produce 
78.6 
88.5 
105.3 104.2 
117.2 
96 l 
135 8 
155.9 
89.5 
126.7 
24.3 
30.2 
34.9 
38.0 
40 6 
25.1 
41.8 
47.7 
26.3 
45.3 
43 Exp’ts.t i Ave’e Increase. 
5.4 
10.1 
13.2 
15.8 
.3 
17.0 
22.9 
1.5 
20.5 
POTAT’S. i Aver’e Produce 
72.1 
80.2 
95.0 103.3 
112.4 
87.7 
128.9 
154.6 
81.1 
130.1 
15 Exp’ts.t} Ave’e Increase. 
s.l 
22.9 
31.2 
40.3 
15 6 
56.8 
82 5 
12 0 
58.0 
SWEET POTATOES-5 Ex. 
74 5 
133.9 
102.3 164.3 
124.5 195.2 
161.9 
214.2 
(60.0) 
272.7 
TORNIPS—3 Experiments.. 
204.6 
425 0 
416.7 
387.7 
477.0 454.0 
489.7 
601.0 
412.0 
110.0 
SUGAR BEETS—1 Expor t. 
7!>5.3 
1113.3 1174.0 851.3 
1116.0 988.3 
1090.6 
1118.6 
960.0 1 
ONIONS—1 Experiment_ 
290.0 
530.0 
510.0 680 0 
620.0 500.0 
650.0 
610.0 
400.0 
390.0 
OATS—3 Experiments. 
19.9 
20.7 
33.6 
19.7 
16.3 
36.7 
29.1 
37.2 
24.1 
Av’e in Increase p. a’e 
CORN—73 Experiments. 
5.1 
10.8 
7.7 
14.4 
11.4 
16.6 
21.2 
5.4 
15.9 
OATS—3 Experiments. 
.8 
13.7 
.2 
26.4 
16.8 
9 2 
17.8 
4 2 
.7.5 
POTATOES -22Experim’ts. 
SWEET POTATOES-5 Ex. 
9.9 
26.7 
25 6 
88.6 
17.5 
57.2 
77.8 
10.9 
48.1 
59.4 
27.8 
89.8 
50.0 120.7 
90.2 
139.7 
14.5 
198.2 
TURNIPS—3 Experiments.. 
SUGAR BEETS—1 Expe’nt. 
220.4 
218.0 
212.1 
878.4 
183.1 
56.0 
273.4 249.4 
320.7 193.0 
285.1 
291.3 
396.4 
323.3 
207.4 
161.8 
235.4 
ONIONS—1 Experiment 
240.0 
220.0 
390.0 
330.0 210.0 
360.0 
320 0 
110.0 
100.0 
* At market price, plus $5 per ton for freight and applying, 
t Averages of Experiments in which farm manures were used. 
L 
-thus, and plant vines, whether they will see 
-the fruit or not, the average amount of 
human comfort would be greatly increased. 
"What Trees to Plant for Fuel and Timber. 
The attention of our people in the older 
States is being very properly turned to plant¬ 
ing rocky ridges and worn out pastures with 
forest trees. This work is done by those who 
have no expectation of cutting the timber 
themselves, but with a view to improve their 
property for future sale, or for their heirs. 
These old pastures now are worth $10, or 
less, per acre. Forty or fifty years hence, 
■covered with heavy timber, they would be 
-worth $300, or more, per acre. Two elements 
xnay safely enter into this calculation of the 
profit of tree planting : the steady growth of 
the trees, and the constant increase in the 
price of fuel and timber. There is great dif¬ 
ference in the price of the varieties of wood, 
hut still more in the rapidity of their growth. 
Hickory grows more rapidly than White 
■Oak, and in most markets is worth a quar¬ 
ter more for fuel. Chestnut grows about 
three times as fast as the White Oak, and for 
many purposes makes quite as good timber. 
It is in great demand by ship-builders, and 
cabinet-makers. The Chestnut, the Tulip 
Tree, and the Hickory, attain a good size for 
timber in 20 to 25 years, and the Spruce and 
Pine want about 50 years. The Maples grow 
quite rapidly, and are highly prized, both for 
fuel and for cabinet purposes. On light 
sandy land, the White Pine will grow rapid¬ 
ly, and cannot fail to be a good investment 
for the next generation. As a rule the more 
rapid growing trees, if the wood is valuable, 
will pay better than the Oaks. C. 
Science Applied to Farming—LXIX. 
General Results of tlie Farm Experiments. 
Some of the more important results of three 
years’ consecutive experiments, of which 
averages are given in the accompanying table, 
are briefly summarized as follows : 
1. —As the experiments were largely on 
worn out soils, the average produce with a 
given crop does not represent what might be 
expected under fair conditions. 
2. —The largest yield came with the “ com¬ 
plete” Chemical Fertilizer ( G ), which sup¬ 
plies 150 lbs. of Nitrate of Soda, 300 lbs. of 
Superphosphate, and 150 to 200 lbs. of Muriate 
of Potash, at a cost of a little over $15 per 
acre. I would not propose just these propor¬ 
tions for general use, however. Less Potash 
and more Nitrogen would generally be better 
for some crops, as grain, potatoes and garden 
vegetables. The object here was to test soils, 
and not to get the largest possible yields. 
3. —The next largest average yield is with 
the farm manures. Then follows the mix¬ 
ture of Superphosphate and Muriate of Pot¬ 
ash ( F). This latter averaged most profitable 
<of all for corn. 
4. —Next came the mixture of Nitrate of 
®oda and Superphosphate ( E). That this, 
which contained Superphosphate and Nitrate 
of Soda should bring a lower average yield 
than the mixture of Superphosphate and Pot¬ 
ash Salt with every crop on which the num¬ 
ber of trials is large enough to warrant any 
general conclusions, is certainly a significant 
fact. Our ordinary Guanos, Ammoniated 
Superphosphates, and Fish Manures, con¬ 
tain (like E), Nitro¬ 
gen and Phosphoric 
Acid with little or 
no Potash. Nitrogen 
is the costliest, and 
Potash one of the 
cheaper of the valu¬ 
able ingredients of 
ordinary fertilizers. 
Another season’s ex¬ 
perience thus empha¬ 
sizes our last year’s 
statement, that man¬ 
ufacturers and users 
of Ammoniated Su¬ 
perphosphate would 
do well to consider 
the substitution of 
Potash Salts for ni¬ 
trogenous materials 
in their fertilizers. 
5. —These experi¬ 
ments explain very 
clearly why Guano, 
Fish, Bone, Super¬ 
phosphates, etc., so 
often fail. In many 
cases the trouble is 
a lack of Potash. 
The Best Fertilizers for Different Crops. 
6. —To presci'ibe formulas fitting all cases is 
utterly impossible. The needs in any case, 
and the effects of the different materials, are 
decided by numerous factors, of which the 
most important are soil, season, tillage, feed¬ 
ing capacity of the crop, and indirect action 
of the fertilizers. The character of the season 
can not be foretold. The wants of the soil 
can only be learned practically by experiment. 
Of the feeding capacities of different crops, 
much is already known, and experiments like 
these are telling us much more. As to the 
indirect action < f fertilizers in improving the 
texture of the soil, and setting plant food free, 
science has taught us a great deal, but more 
research will be needed before we shall be able 
to lay down general rules, with certainty. 
Formulas for Fertilizers. 
7. —I am continually receiving requests for 
formulas for fertilizers for different crops, 
and such letters just received are before me. 
The best answer I can make is this : The first 
and most important thing to be found out is 
what your soil lacks. That I can not tell 
you. It may be Phosphoric Acid, or Potash; 
perhaps Plaster or Lime may help, and pos¬ 
sibly the trouble may be one that fertilizers 
will not help, at least not until the soil is 
drained, irrigated, or better tilled. The best 
advice I can give is to experiment on a small 
scale, find what materials are most effective, 
and profitable, and then use them. But if 
one cannot or will not do this, he can either 
use Guano, or Phosphate, or Bone, or Potash 
Salt, and take the risk of its fitting the case; 
or use a complete fertilizer which contains 
all the materials that soils generally lack. In 
the latter case one risks paying; for some in¬ 
gredients that will give no adequate return. 
As to special formulas for different crops, 
I make no prescriptions. The intelligent 
dealers who do so, know very well that it is 
for their interest to make their mixtures 
su9h as will on the average bring the largest 
practicable profit to the consumer, and are 
very careful to get the best results of research 
and experience and use them in preparing 
their materials. Borne I know to be among 
our most enthusiastic and successful students 
of these subjects. I can suggest no better 
formulas than many of those in actual use by 
trustworthy dealers. 
8. —Leaving variations in soil and season 
out of account, and considering the feeding 
capacity of the crops, as shown by these and 
other experiments, and by general experience, 
it is safe to say that: (1) For Corn, an excel¬ 
lent fertilizer to bring large crops, is a mix¬ 
ture of Peruvian Guano and Muriate of 
Potash. To this it might be profitable to add 
some fine ground Bone or Superphosphate. 
In the majority of cases, though not always, 
a more profitable mixture would probably be 
one of Muriate of Potash, with either Super¬ 
phosphate, or fine ground Bone or both. At 
the same time there are cases in which Nitro¬ 
gen helps the crop enough to make it profit¬ 
able, and in which Nitrate of Soda, Sulphate 
of Ammonia, Dried Blood, Guano, or Fish, 
would be in place. (2) For Potatoes, which 
respond more generally than com to both 
Nitrogen and Potash, such of the above 
mixtures as contain considerable Nitrogen 
would generally be in order. 
As to Commercial Fertilizers in General. 
9. —For general farming, at a distance from 
the large markets, the chief use of commer¬ 
cial fertilizers should be to supplement the 
manure of the farm. The right way is to 
make the most and best manure that is prac¬ 
ticable upon the farm, and piece out with 
such commercial fertilizers as experiments 
and experience prove profitable. At the 
same time there are many cases, especially 
near cities, were every tiling depends upon 
getting the largest and best yield, and where 
more exclusive use of chemical fertilizers 
is advisable. 
10. —Either the combined testimony of 
these experiments, similar ones elsewhere, 
and the best experience are totally false, or 
chemical fertilizers bring larger, better, and 
even surer crops than farm manures. That 
rightly used, they must become a more and 
more potent means for the restoration of 
the agriculture of our older States, it is use¬ 
less longer to deny. W. O. Atwateb. 
Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn, 
