148 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April. 
Important Experiments, 
Which Kvery Farmer Can Profitably Make, and 
Should Make, thia Year. 
Making an exception of new fertile soils and 
those of inexhaustible native fertility, and leaving 
out of the question proper drainage and tillage, 
every intelligent farmer will agree to the following : 
Since the cost of preparing 60 il, seeding, and 
cultivating, is as large per acre for a poor crop as a 
good one, it stands to reason that if any fertilizer 
will bring an increase of crop worth more than the 
fertilizer costs, it will pay to use it. 
On almost all soils that have been in cultivation 
for a time, the right fertilizers, rightly used, will 
more than repay their cost in the increase of crop. 
If one has, or can buy cheaply near home, all 
the good-yard manure he needs, that is enough. 
Few farmers are thus supplied, for all the land 
they could cultivate. Abundant experience has 
proved that after all home manures are exhausted, 
there are some manufactured fertilizers that may 
be properly used either to piece out the manures 
and increase their value, or to use by themselves 
on other fields. 
It has been settled beyond all question, that 
there are several elements or ingredients supplied 
by fertilizers which are useful for wheat, corn, 
grain, grasses, roots, and all other crops. Also, that 
all fertile soils contain these elements. Also, that 
cropping removes these elements of fertility, and 
that, as a rule, the needed soil elements which are 
likely to be soonest exhausted are PHOSPHORIC 
ACID, NITROGEN, and POTASH. 
If a soil lacks, or is exhausted of, one fertilizing 
ingredient, only, and we supply that element, we 
restore fertility. H two chief elements are ex¬ 
hausted, we must supply these two. 
If we apply a “ complete fertilizer,” that is, one 
containing all these elements, we of course sup¬ 
ply any one or more that is lacking. But if, for 
example, a soil lacks only one element, say potash, 
all the other elements supplied by the complete 
fertilizer are so much needless expense, and that 
fertilizer is not the most profitable one ; indeed, it 
may be quite unprofitable. (If a man only wants 
a vest, costing $5, and, to get it, buys a $25 suit,the 
$20 for the coat and vest, which he does not need 
and can not use, is 60 much loss.) 
On the contrary, if a soil lacks and needs two 
elements, say phosphpric acid and nitrogen, and 
the owner applies only potash, in a German potash 
salt, it is wasted, because the want is not met. If 
be apply only phosphate, the crop may still be 
poor, because the nitrogen is missing. 
Now, then, we affirm that the progress in agri¬ 
cultural investigation renders it practicable for 
every farmer to easily and cheaply put a direct 
question to his own soils, and make them tell 
him what they lack in order to enable them to 
grow good crops of wheat, corn, oats, barley, 
potatoes, grass, etc., etc. 
But no one can certainly tell what his soil does 
lack or what can be profitably added to it, without 
actual experiment. And it is costly and risky to 
apply fertilizers to a whole field at hap-hazard, 
though a complete fertilizer may pay because one 
or two of its elements are greatly needed. 
Soils are so different, and so differently affected 
by cropping, that it is important to ascertain just 
what is adapted to each farm and crop, and often 
to different fields on the same farm. 
It is to help every farmer to find out for him¬ 
self, what his own soils want, and what fertilizer 
he can use profitably, that the “ American Agricul¬ 
turist Fertilizer Sets ” were planned. They have 
now been in use for the past four years by a great 
number of farmers, by Agricultural Experiment 
Stations, by Agricultural Colleges, etc., in every 
State east of the Mississippi River, and in some 
west of it, and in the Canadas. The results ob¬ 
tained have been of great value to the individual 
experimenters, and at the 6ame time have developed 
some principles which will be of general applica¬ 
tion and great utility throughout the whole country. 
Sorghum, and Roots, and in the Southern States, 
Cotton, Sugar Cane, and Cow Peas, are desirable. 
The Plan. 
Eight bags containing carefully weighed amounts 
of Potash Salts, of Superphosphates, of Nitrate of 
Soda, etc., are supplied. Three bags contain the 
ingredients singly; three each contain them two by 
tvvo ; one contains all of them ; and one contains 
Sulphate of Lime. » 
The eight bags contain enough materials for half 
an acre. They are properly labelled, and are accom¬ 
panied with full explanations and directions for use, 
and blanks for Reports. Applied, under the direc¬ 
tions given,each will answer one or more questions 
as to the wants of the soil, and of the crop which 
they are used upon. 
They are supplied at the actual cost or less. The’ 
Half Acre Set costs $6.00, and the Acre Set $11.00, 
including bags, labels, and delivery to railroad, 
steamboat, or express. (Bags, labels, etc., cost 
little more for the acre set than the half acre set.) 
Aside from the important information gained for 
future use, these fertilizers will, in the increased 
crop, go far toward meeting their cost, and often 
more than repay their expense. Each bag sup¬ 
plies fertilizers for one-twentieth of an acre—two 
plots on each half acre being left with no fertilizer, 
for comparison. The acre bags each supply ma¬ 
terials for one-tenth of an acre. (Bag G, it will be 
noticed, contains a “ Complete Fertilizer.”) The 
experience of the past four years has suggested 
slight alterations in the proportions used, and this 
set differs a little from previous ones. 
Half Acre Set. 
Bag 
Lbs. in 
Lbs. $ 
Valuable 
No. 
Kind of Fertilizers. 
Bag. 
Acre. 
Ingredients. 
A. 
Nitrate of Soda. 
... 71 
150 
Nitrogen. 
B. 
Superphosphate. 
...17J 
350 
Phos. Acid. 
C. 
Muriate of Potash... 
.... 71 
150 
Potash. 
D. 
j Nitrate of Soda._ 
.... 71) 
150 
j Nitrogen. 
| Superphosphate. 
. ..171 I 
350 ’ 
| Phos. Acid. 
E. 
( Nitrate of Soda. 
.... 711 
150 
) Nitrogeu. 
I Muriate of Potash.... 
.. 71 f 
150 ’ 
j Potash. 
F. 
( Superphosphate. 
...171) 
350 
j Phos. Acid. 
) Muriate of Potash... 
.... 7H 
150 ’ 
j Potash. 
( Nitrate of Soda. 
... 71) 
150 
( Nitrogen. 
G. 
■1 Superphosphate. 
....171 
350 
\ Phos. Acid. 
( Muriate of Potash... 
.... 71 | 
150 
( Potash. 
H. 
Plaster . 
...20 
400 
The full “Acre Set” is the same as “Half Acre 
Set” except that the quantities are twice as large. 
The Manner of Conducting the Experiments,' 
is very simple. A plot of half an acre, or an acre, 
of uniform, nearly level, worn-out land, is laid out 
in ten parallel strips, the first and last left unma¬ 
nured, while the contents of one of the eight bags 
is applied to each of the intervening eight plots. 
The whole is then planted with potatoes, corn, or 
other crop, as is convenient, cultivated with care, 
and the produce on each crop noted. Full explana¬ 
tions of the experiments and directions for making 
them, also for laying out the ground, are given in 
pamphlets which go with each set of fertilizers. 
What is Expected from the Experiments. 
We urge upon the experimenters of previous 
seasons the importance of repeating the trials 
through a series of years, and trust many will con¬ 
tinue the good work, and report their results. 
The following parties have kindly consented to 
put up and ship the bags, without any charge above 
the actual cost, viz : Messrs. H. J. Baker & Bro., 
215 Pearl St.. New York, and the Mapes Formula 
& Peruvian Guano Co., 158 Front St., New York. 
—These houses will each put up precisely the same 
articles, subject to analysis by Prof. Atwater. Our 
readers may send their orders (accompanied by the 
cash) to any one of them. If any prefer to send their 
orders to the office of the American Agriculturist , 
we will hand them to the dealers. We have named 
the above houses because they are near at hand 
We shall be quite glad if other leading reliable 
houses in different parts of the country will supply 
their patrons with similar sets of fertilizers and 
thus widen the field of useful experiments. 
The Bean Weevil, 
Several letters lately received show that the Bean 
Weevil is spreading rapidly. The latest from “ N.,” 
Branford, Conn., mentions the kind of manure 
used, as if thinking that this might possibly have 
something to do with the insect. The Bean Weevil, 
shown in the engraving, is a near relative of the 
Pea Weevil; which rarely, if ever, has more than 
one insect in a pea, while a bean may have from 
one to a dozen in each seed. The parent beetle 
lays her eggs on the outside of the young pod; 
the grubs, when hatched, eat their way into the 
young beans, where they live upon them, destroy¬ 
ing the material stored in the seed-leaves for the 
nourishment of the future bean plant. When the 
grubs first enter the bean, they cut a hole quite up 
to the skin, or hull of the bean, to prepare for the 
future escape of the Weevil; afterwards they have 
only to feed and grow. When the grub has reached 
its full size, it goes into the pupa state, and re¬ 
mains dormant until spring, and usually does not 
make its exit until after the bean is put into the 
ground. The Weevil in due time appears, lays its 
eggs, and the round is repeated. There is but one 
help for this, now really serious pest, which is for 
all in a neighborhood to agree to plant no buggy 
beans. It is a matter in which individual effort can 
* 
the bean weevil (Natural size and magnified). 
First—By watching the growth, and measuring 
the gathered crop, it will be easy to see how the 
crop on that soil is affected by each material and 
each mixture. 
Second—A comparison of each lot with the no 
fertilizer plots will show which fertilizer pays the 
greatest profit. 
Xl,i r( |_Such experiments stimulate thought, and 
lead to more extended investigations, 
Fourth—It will be a good step toward helping 
each experimenter to decide for himself, and for 
his neighbors, what fertilizers, if any, they can use 
more largely in the future. 
Fifth—Experiments like these will awaken in¬ 
terest in the minds of boys, and serve as an excel¬ 
lent school for them. 
It is recommended that other fertilizers than those 
in the sets be used on parallel plots of same size. 
A majority of the experimenters selected Corn 
and Potatoes, probably because they are easy to 
manage, but more trials made with Grain, Grass, 
do but little. If one person plants only sound 
seed, all his neighbors who are less careful will 
supply him with an abundance of Weevils. This is 
one of the many cases in which farmers’ clubs, or 
other associations of farmers, can be of great use. 
A little cooperation would greatly diminish both 
the Bean and the Pea Weevil. It is said that the 
weevils within the beans may be killed by putting 
the seed in a tight jar, and pouring in a teaspoon¬ 
ful of Spirits of Turpentine to each quart of beans. 
However effective this may be, we do not advise 
its use, save in very rare cases, where a supply of 
sound seed can not be readily procured. The wee¬ 
vils, whether two or a dozen, have eaten the food 
intended for the young bean plant, which needs all 
that was thus provided. As a consequence, even’ 
if the germ is not destroyed, and it rarely is, the 
young plant will be weak, and can not, later in 
life, be so vigorous and productive as a plant from 
a sound seed. If all resolve to plant no buggy 
peas or beans, the evil, if not entirely checked, 
would cease to increase at its present rapid rate. 
