1880 .] 
137 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Science Applied to Farming—LVI. 
General Results of the Farm Experiments. 
The Table on page 136 gives examples of the ex¬ 
periments with fertilizers in 1878 and 1879, and the 
one on this page general averages of results. I 
commend their study to all thoughtful farmers. 
1. It must be remembered that the trials were 
not only subject to all the vicissitudes of weather 
and season, but were made on soils of all sorts, but 
mostly very much run down. The directions were 
to select worn OUt soils. Hence the average re¬ 
sults With a given crop do not fairly represent 
what might be expected on soils adapted to its 
growth aild In average condition. 
2. As wodid be expected, the results of the two 
seasons agree in the main, though with the less 
favorable weather of 1879 the crops averaged ieSS 
than those of 1878. 
The Effects of the Different Fertilizers. 
3. The “ Complete Chemical Fertilizer,” the 
mixture of 300 lbs. Superphosphate, 150 to 200 lbs. 
Potash Salt, and 150 lbs. Nitrate of Soda, costing 
$15.38 per acre (including $5 per acre for freight), 
brought the largest crops, excelling even the farm 
manures with all the crops on which the number 
of experiments is large enough for a fair comparison. 
But it must be remembered that this mixture was 
proposed to test soils and not to bring large yields, 
and does not show how well chemical fertilizers 
may do. The “ complete fertilizers ” prepared by 
reliable dealers for special crops, are of course more 
appropriate for them and would give better results 
than the mixture. 
4. The mixture of superphosphate and potash 
salt, costing $9.25 per acre, brought a trifle less corn 
and decidedly more potatoes than farm - manures. 
6. The mixture of nitrate of soda and super¬ 
phosphate, which corresponds closest of all to the 
ordinary ammoniated superphosphates, fish ma¬ 
nures, and guano, though costing more than the 
mixture of superphosphate and potash salt, 
brought less increase of corn, potatoes, turnips, 
sweet potatoes, and indeed of every crop but oats. 
The number of experiments with oats, however, is 
too small for any general conclusions. It is very 
probable that they and the cereals generally would be 
more helped by nitrogen,and less by potash,than the 
other crops. But it is a question whether manu¬ 
facturers of ammoniated phosphates would not do 
better to substitute potash salts for the nitrogenous 
materials in compounding their fertilizers, at least 
for some crops. The mixture of nitrate of soda and 
potash salt the least efficient of all. 
6. As to the efficiency of the materials separate¬ 
ly, the nitrate of soda by itself was seldom of much 
use, the sulphate of lime was frequently, the mu- 
riate of potash very often, and the superphosphate 
generally profitable. Doubtless considerable of the 
effect of the superphosphate was; in many cases, 
due to the sulphuric acid and lime. 
7. As to the effect of ashes, the results are vari¬ 
able, though generally they were efficacious. 
8. One of the chief defects of these experiments 
is that so few parallel trials with lime were made. 
There are many cases in which a dressing of lime is 
the cheapest and best means of improving the land. 
Artificial Fertilizers vs. Farm Manures. 
9. Not only did the Complete Chemical Fertil¬ 
izer” bring a larger average increase than farm 
manures as actually used ; and the mixture of super¬ 
phosphate and potash salt nearly as large average 
increase, but the quality of the crop was generally 
better with the chemicals than with the farm ma¬ 
nures. Potatoes, especially, were finer in quality 
and less disposed to rot with the artificial fertilizers 
than with the farm manures. 
As to Mode of Applying the Fertilizers, 
Whether Broadcast, or in the Hill or Drill. 
The results are on the whole against applying in 
the hill or drill. The best results in the majority 
of cases came when the fertilizers were sown broad¬ 
cast. Several of the very best were where the ma¬ 
terials were scattered over a strip a couple of feet 
or so wide along the rows, Many of the worst re¬ 
sults came when the 
fertilizers were put 
in the hill or drill. 
The nitrate of soda 
and potash salts thus 
applied often injured 
the crops, especially 
in dry weather. 
Effects of the Fer¬ 
tilizers on Differ¬ 
ent Crops. 
10. Potatoes and 
turnips responded 
most profitably to 
the “ Complete Fer¬ 
tilizer,” in nearly 
every case. Com, on 
the Other hand, was 
largely helped by the 
superphosphate and 
potash salt, but re¬ 
ceived little benefit 
from application of 
nitrogen in any form. 
The Feeding- Capa¬ 
city of the Plants. 
11. The experi¬ 
ments imply that the 
Com was some how 
able to gather ni¬ 
trogen from natural 
sources, provided it 
had enough of the 
mineral ingredients 
at its disposal. They 
do not tell how much 
of the nitrogen came 
from the roots of 
the preceding crops, 
how much from 
other nitrogen com¬ 
pounds in the soil, and how much from the 
air. They imply that potatoes possess in far less 
degree than corn the power of gathering suffici¬ 
ent supply of either nitrogen or the other in¬ 
gredients of its food from soil and air. They imply 
that turnips are generally unable to obtain enough 
phosphoric acid from the soil, and are greatly 
helped by it in fertilizers; that without its applica¬ 
tion they usually get but little good from other 
materials; that with it alone they can generally 
g ther but a partial supply of the other materials 
of their food ; and that for a full yield considerable 
quantities of all the soil ingredients of plant food 
are needed close at hand and in available forms. 
But except on corn and potatoes these experiments 
are still too few for reliable data. 
The Best Fertilizers for Different Crops. 
12. The most profitable material in a given case 
is that which is best fitted to its needs. The chief 
factors of the problem are: first, soil; second, 
season; third, feeding-capacity of the crop, its 
power to gather its food from soil and air ; fourth, 
form of combination of the ingredients of the 
fertilizers ; fifth, the indirect action of the fertilizer. 
Soils vary in respect to the plant food they sup¬ 
ply in available forms. Phosphoric acid is most 
often deficient; next come potash and nitrogen; 
then, lime and sulphuric acid, and rarely magnesia. 
But the infertility of soils is due to physical 
causes perhaps nearly as often as to chemical. 
Soils often do not have the proper texture, they are 
too compact or too loose; or they lack absorptive 
power, they cannot retain the plant food until plants 
use it but suffer it to be leached away by drainage 
water; or the moisture supply is bad, they are 
too wet or too dry. These defects are as fatal as 
lack of plant food. Many soils need amendments 
first and then manure. Drainage, irrigation, til¬ 
lage, use of lime or muck are often the cheapest 
if not the only means for bringing up poor soils. 
Season counts for much, often for everything, in the 
action of manures. 
The effects of the forms of combination of the in¬ 
gredients, i. e., of phosphoric acid in bone as com¬ 
pared with superphosphate, of potash as sulphate 
Averages of Results of Experiments of 1878 and 1879. 
Produce, Increase, and Gain or Loss per acre, with different Fertilizers and Crops. 
Number of Plot . 
Kinds and Amounts of 
Fertilizing Materials 
Applied per Acre. 
No manure. o 
A 
e 
■a 
si 
<3 
{Dissolved Bone 
Black, 300 lbs. W 
Muriate of Potash,-, 
2u0 lbs. 
D 
00 
CQ »co 
<v -v 
f§l 
§1 
Nitrate of Soda, 150 
lbs. il unate of M 
Potash , 2 0 lbs. 
F G 
V 0 . T-. O 
2 g” s||« 
K- .A 
^ Sc? S^sjj 
SI Ssi 
Plaster, 200 lbs. fd 
F M 
5 
V. 
g 
£ 
Valuable Ingredients 
Applied per Acre. 
8 09 
Sg 
g 
s 
« 
►Q 
§ 
00 
S 
|s;3 
% 
pi 
i § 
% 
“ 1 
•s’J 
§ I 
n, n, 
Nitrogen, 24 
lbs. Phos. Acid, 
48 lbs. Potash. 
100 lbs. 
s> S 
£ 
& . 
_ TO 
111 
6 
Cost per Acre . 
$7.50 
$5.25 
$4.50 $10.88 
$10.13 
$9.75 
$15.38 
$0.80 
var’ble 
Avr’ee Yield pr. acre 
COHN—53 Exp’s in '78&’79. 
POTATOES-18 Ex. ’78,’79. 
( CORN. (Produce 
} J *37 Exper’s ) Increase 
) POTATOES i Produce 
( 14 Exper’s ) Increase 
SWT.PO’S — 4 Exp’s in ’78. 
TURNIPS—3 Ex. in ’78,’79. 
SUG.B'TS—1 Experiment 
OATS—3 Experiments 
bu. 
24.3 
75.4 
75.0 
58.7 
245.0 
795.3 
19.4 
bu. 
30.4 
89.1 
30.1 
8.8 
85.7 
10.7 
127.7 
283.0 
1013.3 
23.6 
bu. 
35.2 
106.1 
34 0 
12.7 
97.9 
22.9 
89.7 
391.0 
1174.0 
38.6 
bu. bu. 
33.3 38.8 
107.4 108.2 
88.7 40.0 
17 4 18.7 
109.0 114.9 
34.0 39.9 
158.2 115.1 
274.0 391.0 
851.4 1116.0 
17.8 51.8 
bu. 
36.8 
94 S 
23.4 
2.1 
92.0 
17.0 
194.0 
288.0 
988.3 
42.2 
bu. 
41.8 
137.2 
41.5 
20.2 
131.9 
59.9 
154.1 
401.0 
1090 6 
30.0 
bu. 
47.6 
1*9.2 
47.9 
26.6 
156.6 
81.6 
214.2 
501.0 
1118.6 
41.8 
bu. 
29.0 
87.6 
24.8 
2.5 
87.3 
12.3 
60.0 
312 0 
960.6 
25.2 
bu. 
44.6 
182 2 
43.5 
21.2 
13.9 
56.9 
210.0 
374.0 
26.9 
Ay , i ,, ki* IncV pr si ere 
CORN—53 Experiments. 
6.1 10.9 
9.0 
14 5 
12.5 
17.5 
28.3 
4.7 
20.3 
OATS—3 do. .. 
4.2 
9.2 
1.6 
32.4 
22 8 
10.6 
22.4 
5.8 
7.5 
POTATOES—18 do .. 
13.6 
30.7 
82.i 
32.8 
18.9 
61.8 
76.8 
12.2 
P6.8 
S. POT A TOES—Ido. .. 
71.0 
sr.o 
99 5 
56 4 
135.3 
95 4 
155.5 
1.3 
231.3 
TURNIPS-S do. .. 
38.0 
146.11 
29 0 
146.0 
43.0 
156.0 
256,0 
67.0 
129.0 
SUG. BEETS—1 do. ... 
218.0 
878.7 
56.(1 
320.7 
193.0 
294.3 
323.3 
164.3 
Gain or Loss per Acre. 
No 
A 
B 
C 
D 
E 
F 
G 
H 
G 
5 
tl 54 130 
1.10 
8.62 
+0 38 
12 38 
5.51 
6 
+6 02 
17.47 
t3.89 
15 76 
t9 80 
18 50. 15 73 
7 
t3.nl 
t5 63 
t6 09 
t7 45 
+5 65 
+1.38 
+13 60 
4.49 
16.94 
9 
3.71 
t0.74 
34 0 
t8 17 
81.68 
33.57 
34 40 
16 
+1.13 
9.99 tl2.58 
21.68 
17.43 
21 08 
46.35 
2 55 
+1.98 
22 
1.95 
1.85 
5.95 
5 02 
13 52 
10 47 
8.22 
8.55 
24 
0 94 
tl 25 
11.03 tlO.SO 
4.60 
9 30 
1.49 
27 
0.86 
13 55 
+2.20 
12 30 
t5.62 
15.25 
7.14 
+2.26 
1.95 
57 
+5.31 +12.44 
t3 41 
14 25 
20 60 
+6 94 
27.73 
0.47 
POTATOES. 
61 
0 50 
20 60 
19 00 
18 00 
51.70 
59 50 
25 50 
65 
+8.17 
t5.67 
6 66 
+7.I0 112.34 
(i S3 
13 38 
3.16 
69 
25.80 
18 59 
7 22 
27 59 
6 52 
19 37 
1161 
14 34 
17.12 
TURNIPS . 
77 
3.37 
14.75 
t4 88 
35 37 +Z0.12 
33 87 
52.62 
6.50 
SWEET POTATOES.... 
74 
52.0 
59 0 
65 00 
48.00 
59 00 
68 00 
OATS. 
80 
t6.74 
10.83 
+7.22 
12 48 
t2. 9 
11.05 
0.62 
6.02' 
* As calculated by the experimenters by subtracting the cost of fertilizers, freight, and 
applying, from value of increase over uo manure. f Loss, 
t Including only those in which farm manures were tested with the chemical fertilizers. 
vs. muriate, were not tested. Nitrogen in differ¬ 
ent forms was used in some special experiments 
with, on the whole, the best results from Peruvian 
guano, next from a mixture of nitrate of soda, sub 
phate of ammonia and dried blood, and the worst 
from these last separately. As to the indirect action 
of fertilizers in improving the texture of the soil 
and setting its plant food free, the experiments 
have nothing to say, but we know that it often 
makes a large part of the usefulness of the fertilizer. 
13. Leaving differences of soils out of account, 
and considering the average results of the experi¬ 
ments ; the best among the materials Ubed to 
produce large crops of Corn would probably be 
a mixture of Peruvian guano and potash salt, with 
perhaps the addition of some fine ground bone or 
superphosphate. The most profitable mixture 
would probably consist of muriate of potash with 
either superphosphate or fine ground bone, or both. 
In a number of special experiments on corn a mix¬ 
ture of 300 lbs. of superphosphate and 150 lbs. of 
muriate of potash, which can be bought in the 
larger markets for $7.50 to $3.00, brought on the 
average 501 bushels of shelled corn per acre. 
14 For Potatoes, which responded well to all the 
materials, probably a mixture of Peruvian guano, 
or fish with potash salts would be generally profit¬ 
able. For either corn or potatoes, nitrate of soda, 
sulphate of ammonia, dried blood, or better, a mix¬ 
ture of these, could be advantageously used to sup¬ 
ply the nitrogen, and superphosphate or bone-dust 
or a mixture of the two, for the phosphoric acid. 
15. The common impression among farmers that 
the best use of artificial fertilizers is to supplement 
farm manure is doubtless, in ordinary circum¬ 
stances, correct. The right way is to make the 
most and best manure that is practicable upon the 
farm, and piece out with such commercial fertilizers 
as experiments and experience prove profitable. 
16. I derive no formulas for fertilizers from these 
experiments. There are many cases in which 
complete fertilizers are in place and many more 
in which the farmer does not know what his soil 
and crops need. 
Middletown, Conn, W, O. Atwateb, 
