178 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[Mat, 
thus excelled the farm manures, which were vari¬ 
able in amount and quality, but brought on the 
average 46 bushels. The variations with the same 
fertilizer in different experiments were very wide. 
Does Com Demand Nitrogenous Fertilizers P 
In the above experiments, Corn (1) responded 
less to the nitrogen than to either of the other 
elements; (2) did well with the mineral mixture, 
No. F, and (3) was but little helped by the addition 
of nitrate of soda in No. G. All of these facts im¬ 
ply that coi n can do a good deal toward gathering 
its own nitrogen from the soil, and perhaps from 
the air. To test this question more thoroughly, a 
special series of experiments were undertaken by 
Prof. Farrington, of the Maine Agricultural Col¬ 
lege, and Messrs. Bartholemew and Sage, of Con¬ 
necticut. Eighteen different fertilizing mixtures 
were used, each ou one-tenth of au acre. The first 
eight were essentially the same as Set No. 3 of this 
year, except that the muriate of potash was re¬ 
duced to 150 lbs. per acre. The amounts of phos¬ 
phoric acid and potash were about such as occur 
in a crop of 50 to 56 bushels per acre. The nitro¬ 
gen was applied in successive portions of 24, 48, and 
72 lbs., or one-third, two-thirds, and the whole 
amount found in the same crop. The nitrogen was 
supplied in different forms, in nitrate of soda, in 
su’phateof ammonia, in dried blood, in a mixture of 
ail three, and in Peruvian guano. As regards the 
effects of nitrogen in different forms, the Peruvian 
guano brought the largest increase; the mixture of 
nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, and dried 
blood next; then followed in order of valuable 
effects produced : nitrate of soda, sulphate of am¬ 
monia, and last and worst of all, dried blood. 
The guano appears at a somewhat unfair advan¬ 
tage, however, because it had rather more phos¬ 
phoric acid than the other mixtures, but this 
consideration is partly counterbalanced by its low 
cost. Estimating a bushel of corn, with its stalks 
and roots, to contain 11 lbs. nitrogen, and to be 
worth 80 cents, the effects of the nitrogenous fer¬ 
tilizers in all the experiments, general and special, 
may be summarized as follows, remembering that 
the superphosphate and potash salt, “ mixed min¬ 
erals,” supplied the amounts of phosphoric acid 
and potash in a crop of 50 to 56 bushels, which 
would also contain about 72 lbs. of nitrogen : 
The Crop 
With Averaged and Contained 
Mixed Minerals alone. 42.9 bushels. l>7.2 lbs. Nitrogen. 
Mixed Minerals, plus 24 
lbs. Nitrogen. 48.8 bushels. 65.0 lbs. Nitrogen. 
Mixed Minerals, plus 48 
lbs Nitrogen. 50.5 bushels. 67.8 lbs. Nitrogen. 
Mixed Minerals, plus 72 
lbs. Nitrogen. 52.2 bushels. 69.9 lbs. Nitrogon. 
The crop was but little helped by nitrogen in the 
fertilizers, and evidently gathered a good deal 
from natural sources. This appears more clearly 
if we look at it another way : 
In num¬ 
ber of 
trials. 
With Nitrogen. 
The average 
increase of 
Corn was 
Theincrease 
of nitrogen 
in the crop 
was 
Amount 
per acre. 
Contained in 
Crop of 
29 
24 lbs. 
18 bushels. 
5.9 bushels. 
7.9 lbs. 
15 
48 lbs. 
86 bushels. 
7.6 bushels. 
9.1 lbs. 
9 
72 lbs. 
54 bushels. 
9.8 bushels. 
12.4 lbs. 
Or, from the pecuniary standpoint: 
In Tri - 
The Ntrogen 
The ave- 
als. 
paid for 
failed to 
rage loss 
Total 
With Ni- 
itsef >n 
pan for 
in the set)- 
num - 
trogen. 
trials. 
itself in 
eral tri- 
her. 
Amounts. 
Costing. 
trials. 
als was. 
29 
24 lbs. 
$5.50 
8 
21 
$0.90 
15 
48 lbs. 
11.00 
1 
14 
4.45 
9 
72 lbs. 
16.50 
0 
9 
8.51 
The nitrogen increased the crop enough to cover 
its cost in 9 trials out of 53. The pecuniary loss 
was greater in proportion as more of the nitrogen 
was used. With mineral fertilizers alone, the crop 
gathered by the above estimate, on the average, 57 
lbs. of nitrogen per acre. If the corn were fed out 
on the farm, the bulk of the nitrogen would go into 
the manure—accordingto Mr. Harris’ estimate, with 
careful husbanding, nine-tenths. Allowing only 
three-fourths to be saved and used, the amount of 
nitrogen thus returned to the soil would at ordinary 
market rates cost as much as the fertilizer used for 
the crop. 
I am too well aware of the defects of this system 
of experimenting, and of the danger of basing con- 
phisione upon insufficient data, to attempt to for¬ 
mulate any positive theories from these experi¬ 
ments. It may not be amiss, however, to note 
some of the ways in which the experiments agree 
or disagree with the doctrines referred to above. 
The Best Fertilizers for Corn 
depend, first of all, upon soil and season. Leaving 
these out of account, and judging from the experi¬ 
ments : (1) We should expect the largest crops with 
a mixture of superphosphate, potash salts, and 
nitrate of soda; or better, with nitrate of soda, 
sulphate of ammonia, and dried blood, instead of 
nitrate of soda alone; or, perhaps, better still, when 
the cost of the materials is taken into account, with 
a mixture of Peruvian guano and potash salts. If 
the higher “10 per cent ammonia” grades of 
guano is used, it would be well to put in some 
superphosphate or dissolved bone to increase the 
phosphoric acid. With the lower grades, contain¬ 
ing 4 to 6 per cent of ammonia, and 15 to 18 per 
cent of phosphoric acid, muriate of potash would 
suffice. (2) The mixture of 300 lbs. superphos¬ 
phate, and 150 lbs. muriate of potash, was the most 
profitable one used. This, at li cents per lb., for 
superphosphate, and the same for the potash salt, 
would cost $7,871, a low price for a fertilizer for an 
acre of corn. 
The superphosphate brought piling returns in 
about three-fourths of the experiments, the potash 
salts in one-half, and the nitrogen none, except a 
few cases where the smallest quantities were applied. 
The Experiments and Mr. Lawes’ Recipe. 
The mixture of superphosphate and nitrate of 
soda, recommended by Mr. Lawes, often did well, 
and often failed. It was rendered safer by the ad¬ 
dition of the potasli salts, and more profitable by 
omission of the nitrate of soda. 
The Experiments and the Ville Formula. 
Phosphoric acid, which Villc makes the “ domi¬ 
nant” for corn, was often, and potash occasionally, 
the most effective ingredient. It is a question how 
often so much of superphosphate or of plaster as 
Ville recommends would be profitable. The idea 
of supplying nitrogen and potash in so costly a 
form as saltpeter is economically absurd. 
The Experiments and the Stockbridgre 
Formula. 
In circumstances like those of the experiments, 
the phosphoric acid in the Stockbridge formula 
would be sometimes, the potash often, and the 
nitrogen generally, used at a loss. So little phos¬ 
phoric acid as the formula provides would be ill 
advised, and so much nitrogen wasteful in the ex¬ 
treme. 
Formulas in General. 
Finally the experiments illustrate two important 
truths :—1. A formula for any crop, to fit all cases 
economically, is simply out of the question, and 
must remain so as long as soils and seasons con¬ 
tinue to differ. 2. With the right materials in the 
right places, chemical farming is profitable business. 
Still, when a man does not know wha( his soil 
and crop need, it may often be better policy to buy 
“ complete ” fertilizers and pay the penalty of lack 
of knowledge in the purchase of superfluous ma¬ 
terial than risk the loss of his crop. Formulas are 
irrational, but they mark the first step in the pro¬ 
gress toward rational manuring. W. O. Atwater, 
Weslegan University, Middletown, Conn. 
The Rockaway Grain-Fan. 
A good fan is a good thing. By thorough work 
it can add to the price of each bushel of grain sent 
to market, and what is of quite as much import¬ 
ance, it can (like the boy Franklin’s “ grace over 
the whole barrel of pork”), so clean the seed-grain 
that there will be very few weed-seeds to be re¬ 
moved from the harvested crop. Nearly every 
farmer complains of the weeds, but few are aware 
of tbe extent to which they sow the seeds of these 
very weeds. In March of last year, page 108, we 
showed engravings of no less than ten different 
seeds of weeds that may be, and frequently are, 
sown with clover. It is the same with other seeds, 
and in putting in grain that has not been properly 
cleaned, the farmer cultivates the weeds just as 
Much as fee does fare wheat or barley. We have Ik- j 
fore referred to the excellence of the “ Rockaway,” 
and a pretty thorough experience with it the past 
season, allows us to repeat with emphasis what 
has been said in its favor. The engraving of the 
Rockaway Fan shows one of its peculiarities—Its 
compactness, a point second only to the excellence 
of its interior arrangement. This fan is by no 
means a new machine, as it has been before the 
public for over twenty-five years, and the number 
of successive premiums it has taken at fairs show 
that in whatever improvements may be made in 
fans, the Rockaway has kept pace with the best, 
and the list of its successes at fairs is one that the 
makers of any machine may be proud of. The test 
of excellence in a fan is its ability to separate seeds 
that are closely alike in size. A weed-seed, while 
its shape may be so unlike that of grain that the 
THE ROCKAWAY GRAIN FAN. 
two may present a very different appearance, may, 
nevertheless, be of so nearly the same diameter as 
to make it very difficult to separate the two. This 
is the case with the seed of the “Partridge Pea,” 
the seed of a plant (Cassia Chamcecrista) so abund¬ 
ant in Virginia and southward, as to be the chief 
pest of the wheat-growers. To separate this seed 
from the wheat is regarded as the severest possible 
test for a fan, and the makers of the Rockaway 
put forth its ability to do this as one of its highest 
excellencies. Rapidity and ease of motion are 
here joined with thoroughness in work. 
Steam Engines for Farm Use. 
If one has occasion to select an engine for agri- 
ricultural purposes, he will be surprised at the 
great variety of style and make there is to choose 
from. Some establishments make only stationary, 
others only portable engines while many supply 
both kinds. Though the manufacture is a com¬ 
paratively recent one, it is already a. very important 
branch of industry, and the improvements in the 
direction of simplicity and safety are frequent and 
important. Among the oldest engines for farm 
use in this country are those made by the Water- 
town (N. T.) Steam Engine Co. So long ago as 
1850 the predecessors of the present company re¬ 
ceived the medal of the New York State Agri¬ 
cultural Society, since which time the establish¬ 
ment has continued to increase its works and to 
improve its engines, both stationary and portable. 
Among the points of superiority claimed for this 
portable engine are : The engine is placed upon 
a substantial bed that relieves the boiler of all 
strain while it is working, and allows the engine 
to be removed and placed on a separate founda¬ 
tion if. desired. The cylinder is so protected 
as to check condensation of steam within it, and to 
prevent loss of heat. The engine is so placed and 
connected that all side strain is avoided. The pe¬ 
culiar style of governor used upon these engines, 
while of the simplest construction, is claimed to be 
superior to every other device of the kind, and to 
allow of an immediate adaptation of the speed to 
the work ; a similar superiority over the common 
form is also claimed for the safety valve used upon 
these engines. The stationary engines made by 
this company are furnished with all of the above- 
named improvements, and the boiler is constructed 
with special regard to safety. These are largely 
used for creameries, cheese factories, etc.; they 
are especially adapted to farm and plantation uses 
as well at to furnish power formnafi inftnufactorfofc 
