j8o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 16 
bottom, filled with soil which must be cut off with a 
knife, while the mangels come out with but a single 
tap root, and with no soil adhering. Besides this, the 
improved Yellow Globe or Golden Tankard mangel, is 
very much superior to the old, coarse, woody, watery 
root of 20 or more years ago. Some of the later 
analyses show no difference in albuminoids or fat, and 
but moderate difference in carbohydrates in favor of 
sugar beets. I have raised a good many of each, but 
have for several years almost discontinued the grow¬ 
ing of sugar beets. J. s. woodward. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of 
the writer to insure attention. Before asking a question please 
see whether it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask 
only a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separate 
piece of paper.] 
A Fish Fertilizer in the Far North, 
Subscriber, British Columbia.—My soil is new, rich sandy loam, 
yet I do not get as heavy crops as I would like, and I wish to 
double them if possible. I can get fish for $5 per ton; boneblack 
for $25: muriate of potash, 80 per cent, for $60; bone meal for $40; 
nitrate of soda for $65, all delivered within one mile of my place. 
How can I best use any or all of the above to make a good ferti¬ 
lizer for fruits and vegetables ? 
Ans.—L et us first see what these various substances 
contain : 
POUNDS IN 100. 
Nitrogen. Phos. acid. Potash. 
Green fish. 5 6 .... 
Boneblack. 20 — 
Muriate of potash. .... 50 
Bone meal. 'i l /i 20 .... 
Nitrate of soda. 16 .... .... 
The boneblack is out of the question unless it has 
been treated with acid to render its phosphoric acid 
soluble. We will tell the why of this in Primer 
Science. You will see that the fish gives the cheapest 
source of plant food. In your country, many fish die 
annually when the small streams dry up, and you 
should look to this supply for your fertilizer. It will 
not pay you to mix chemicals at the high prices 
quoted. Use the fish, add what it needs, and prepare 
it so it will yield its plant food in available forms. 
Fish lacks potash, and this should be supplied in the 
form of muriate. Green fish is often injurious to some 
kinds of vegetables—it should therefore be dried or 
composted. Our plan would be to gather the fish in 
the summer and compost it with about equal parts of 
the muck or black soil found at the bottom of dry 
streams or ponds. For each ton of this mixture, use 
200 pounds each of bone meal and muriate of potash, 
scattered evenly over the surface of the pile. Make 
the compost up in this way, and let it stand for, say, 
60 days, and then work it all over with manure forks. 
This will make a more valuable fertilizer than stable 
manure, and suitable for all crops. For early vege¬ 
tables, you can use this compost broadcasted and 
harrowed in with a little nitrate of soda near the 
plants to give them a start. For fruits, you may 
safely use an extra dressing of 200 pounds of muriate 
of potash per acre. 
Can / Mix a Potato Fertilizer ? 
F. E. Y., Rochester, N. Y .—I have noticed several formulas for 
potato manure in Tiie R. N.-Y., but so far have not found any¬ 
thing that appeared to be simple enough to be put up at home 
with ease and in proper proportions. I expect to plant a number 
of acres of potatoes the coming spring, and it is a matter of 
dollars and cents to me if I can mix my own fertilizer and have it 
as good as the high priced article, I have heretofore bought. 
What proportions would you use of the three following chemicals 
to make as good a potato fertilizer as possible: muriate of pot¬ 
ash, nitrate of soda, and fine ground bone? 
Ans. —This question is often asked, and it is one of 
the hardest to answer. We can answer it more under¬ 
standing^ when we get through the discussion of 
plant food in Primer Science. On ordinary soils, a 
good fertilizer for potatoes should contain about 80 
pounds of nitrogen, 160 of phosphoric acid and 120 of 
potash to the ton. Now, 250 pounds muriate of pot¬ 
ash, 1,000 pounds of fine bone of good quality, and 300 
pounds of nitrate of soda, or 1,550 pounds in all, will 
give the required amounts of plant food—just exactly 
as certain amounts of bread, butter and ham will give 
a perfect food iD the form of a sandwich (see page 
192). We would add enough plaster or dry loam to 
make a full ton of this mixture before applying it. 
We believe many experiments have given false returns, 
because the combinations of chemicals were too con¬ 
centrated. 
So much for the actual plant food side of the matter. 
While that mixture will undoubtedly raise potatoes, 
it may not be the most economical mixture. It may 
cost less than a manufactured article to begin with, 
yet it may prove more expensive. Bead what was 
said on page 138 about the lasting effect of fertilizers. 
The nitrogen in nitrate of soda, is very soluble. In a 
wet spring on well-drained ground, it might be all 
washed out of the soil before the plants were large 
enough to use it. That would be wasted and the 
plants would suffer for the need of nitrogen because 
that in the bone is but slowly soluble, and requires 
heat as well as moisture to start it. That is why 
manufacturers put blood, tankage, fish or cotton-seed 
meal in the mixtures. These “ organic” forms supply 
nitrogen that will not be washed out like the nitrate, 
but will continue to furnish it all through the season. 
The best grades of potato fertilizer contain eight or 
nine different substances, so that a continued supply 
of nitrogen and phosphoric acid may be had. Those 
who have studied home mixing most, recognize the 
value of this system, and seldom limit themselves to 
three or four substances. For example, here are some 
home mixtures made in Connecticut: 
No. 1. 
No. 2. 
No. 3. 
No. 4. 
Nitrate of soda. 
... 100 
300 
200 
200 
Sulphate ammonia. 
200 
Blood and bone. 
2,000 
500 
700 
Tankage. 
... 650 
Bone. 
... 150 
500 
600 
300 
Dissolved boneblack... 
... 800 
2,000 
600 
700 
Double manure salt.... 
... 100 
500 
Muriate of potash. 
... 200 
500 
200 
ioo 
2,000 
6,000 
2,100 
2,000 
It will not do to copy these mixtures, because they 
are the results of many years of experimenting to 
learn just what certain soils need, and what forms 
will yield the required plant food for the least money. 
The per cent of potash in these mixtures varies all the 
way from two up to eight, because these men have 
found by repeated experiments, that their soil needs 
more or less of that substance. You will see, there¬ 
fore, that successful home mixing requires something 
more than arithmetic or stirring together certain pro¬ 
portions of chemicals. 
Suppose a dairyman has Timothy and clover hays, 
but no grain, and wishes to make a “balanced ra¬ 
tion.” A dozen kinds of grain are offered him at 
varying prices. A manufacturer offers a mixture 
containing half a dozen sorts of grain—five pounds of 
it fed with 15 pounds of Timothy guaranteed to make 
a “balanced ration,” another mixture to balance 
clover, ensilage and so on. Would the average farmer 
do better to buy the “mixture,” or to buy different 
grains and mix them himself ? We can’t answer such 
a question by a “yes” or a “no,” but in the present 
discussion of plant food, we purpose to bring out all 
the facts so that each may answer the question for 
himself. 
A New Jersey Grange Fertilizer. 
H. V. If, Parsippany, N. J .—The following formula is used by 
members of the Grange at this place. What is the percentage of 
potash, nitrogen and phosphoric acid in the whole ? 
Pounds. 
Nitrate of soda. 200 
Dissolved bone.400 
Boneblack.400 
South Carolina rock.400 
Muriate of potash...100 
How much more potash must I use to bring the percentage of 
potash up to eight per cent ? This is the amount used for a ton; 
The rest is made up of plaster, burned soil (muck). 
Ans, —You do not say whether the South Carolina 
rock and boneblack have been dissolved with acid or 
not. We assume that they have. If so, the mixture 
contains this : 
Pounds. 
200 nitrate of soda. 
400 dissolved bone. 
400 boneblack. 
400 South Carolina rock. 
100 muriate of potash.... 
Nitrogen. Phos. acid. Potash. 
32 
6 60 
. 64 
. 48 
. .... 50 
Total. 38 172 50 
That fertilizer is weak in nitrogen and potash. We 
do not know what crops you intend it for. If you 
add 100 pounds more of muriate of potash, it may 
answer to use in a rotation close to a good clover sod. 
We would prefer to add 150 pounds of muriate. You 
should add 220 pounds to give eight per cent. We think 
it is a mistake to use dissolved bone. We would always 
use bone meal raw—without the acid; in this case, 
we would much prefer 800 pounds of pure bone meal 
and 400 pounds of dissolved rock or boneblack to 1.200 
pounds all dissolved. 
Preparing for a Pasture. 
A. R. M ., Thorndike, Me .—I have a piece of ground that had 
been pastured to cows about 20 years, and was pretty well run 
out. I plowed it in August, 1893, and sowed it to oats and peas in 
1894, without fertilizer. In the spring of 1895, I wish to seed to 
grass with oats, take off a crop of oats and one crop of hay, then 
turn to pasture again. I think of using for a fertilizer, fine ground 
bone and muriate of potash. How much would you advise per 
acre, and in what proportions ? 
Ans. —We would use 600 pounds per acre of a mix¬ 
ture containing three parts fine bone to one of muriate. 
To Mix a Fertilizer Out West. 
A. T. A., Tamaroa, 111 .—What shall I add to 100 pounds of the 
following fertilizer to make it all right for potatoes ? Will 800 
pounds per acre be enough to give it a fair test ? It is entirely an 
experiment, as no one uses a fertilizer here : Available phos¬ 
phoric acid, 8 to 11 per cent; available nitrogen, 1.85 to 2.40; pot¬ 
ash II 20, 1.50 to 2. This costs $26 a ton, wholesale. With raw bone 
meal at $29, and sulphate of potash $3.25 per 100 pounds, can’t I 
make a cheaper mixture, and will it be good for potatoes ? 
Ans. —In 100 pounds of the fertilizer mentioned, you 
are guaranteed 8 pounds of phosphoric acid, 1.85 
pounds of nitrogen, and 1 % pound of potash, which 
costs $1.30. If the bone has the average analysis of 
3% per cent nitrogen and 20 per cent phosphoric acid, 
50 pounds of it costing 72 cents, will give you as mu,ch 
nitrogen as, and more phosphoric acid than, 100 pounds 
of the mixed fertilizer. There are 50 pounds of actual 
potash in 100 pounds of the sulphate. At the price 
named, that costs seven cents a pound for actual pot¬ 
ash, or 10% cents for the amount in 100 pounds of 
your fertilizer. For less than 85 cents, therefore, you 
can buy the plant food for which you pay $1.30 in the 
mixed goods. Of course, this is on the supposition 
that the bone analyzes at least 3% per cent nitrogen 
and 20 per cent phosphoric acid. A mixture of 50 
pounds of the bone, 12 of the sulphate of potash, and 
either 10 of nitrate of soda or 20 of cotton-seed meal, 
will give you a much better fertilizer than the 100 
pounds of the mixed goods with sulphate of potash 
added. The advantage of adding the nitrate is that 
it is quickly soluble, and will help feed the young 
plants early in the season. 
Dynamite, Corrosive Sublimate and Fertilizers. 
F. H. R., New York. — 1 . Where can a farmer buy dynamite ? 
Will the railroads carry the stuff ? 2. Where can the corros¬ 
ive sublimate be bought ? What is its cost per pound ? How 
much will treat 150 bushels of seed potatoes ? 3. Would it be ad¬ 
visable in applying commercial fertilizer to potatoes, to sow it 
with a grain drill, work it into the soil with some good harrow, 
then plow the ground, say, eight inches deep, fit, and plant the 
potatoes ? 
Ans. —1. Write to the Atlantic Dynamite Company, 
245 Broadway, New York. Yes, the railroads carry 
it. 2. Of any druggist. Its cost varies with the 
location and the quantity purchased. One pound of 
corrosive sublimate will be ample for that quantity of 
seed. 3. No. Do not plow the fertilizer under. Put 
it on last—near to the surface. The grain drill will 
give enough harrowing. 
A Chemical Mixture for Potatoes. 
If. V. T., Ifarwinton, Conn. —What is the analysis of the following 
mixture: 800 pounds fine ground bone, 800 pounds cotton-seed 
meal, 150 pounds nitrate of soda, 200 pounds dissolved South 
Carolina rock, 200 pounds high grade sulphate potash ? Will the 
above mixture contain enough soluble phosphoric acid for pota¬ 
toes, the ingredients all being of the best ? 
Ans.— By avera/je analyses, these substances will 
contain: 
Lbs. 
Nitrogen. 
Phos. acid. 
Potash. 
800 bone. 
.... 28 
160 
800 cotton-seed meal. 
.... 56 
24 
16 
150 nitrate. 
200 . dissolved rock 
200 Sulphate potash. 
.. .. 24 
24’ 
ioo 
2150 
108 
208 
116 
Of course, these are average analyses. Some of these 
ingredients—like the bone—may contain more or less 
of nitrogen and phosphoric acid. We would prefer 
somewhat more potash, say, 50 pounds more of the 
sulphate. With that added, the mixture ought to do 
well on potatoes. We consider that the 200 pounds 
dissolved rock supplies ample soluble phosphoric acid. 
Sowing Grass Seeds ; Humus, Etc. 
E. D. G., Ashburnham, Mass. —1. The past season, I raised an 
acre of sweet corn and garden truck on an exhausted piece of 
land, using eight cords of stable manure and 400 pounds of chemi¬ 
cal fertilizer. Which will give the best grass, to seed as it is next 
spring, or raise a crop of potatoes first, using one ton of high- 
grade potato fertilizer per acre ? 2. Will a crop of oats or corn 
leave the land as well supplied with humus as it was before they 
were grown ? 3. Will Crimson clover do well here ? 
Ans. —1. Our way would be to plant potatoes this 
year with the fertilizer, and follow with rye or wheat 
in the fall, sowing the grass seed with the grain. 2 . 
Yes, we think so, if the stubble is left reasonably 
long. 3. We hope so, but are not prepared to say defi¬ 
nitely until we hear from the people who are experi¬ 
menting with it. 
Any Fodder Earlier than Oats and Peas ? 
W. If. M., Canton, 0 .— 1. Is there any crop that I can raise for 
feeding purposes this year, that would be better than peas and 
oats, that would occupy the ground for a shorter period ? 2. How 
many of each should be sown, and how ? 3. Is the new fodder 
pea, the Mummy, better than the Canada field ? 4. Could the 
crop be taken off in time to occupy the land to grow a late crop of 
tomatoes ? 5. What variety of corn do you recommend to sow for 
fodder ? How much per acre ? In drills or broadcast ? My land 
is gravelly loam, and rather poor. Can I sow buckwheat after 
harvesting the peas and oats, and turn under, or would you rec¬ 
ommend a better plan. I sowed some Crimson clover last fall, 
and so far, it promises me a crop, although we have had zero 
weather. Could I, after turning under the buckwheat, have time 
to sow Crimson clover ? 
Ans. —1. No. 2 . On the Ohio University Farm 
(Columbus, 0.), on quite rich soil, last spring, they 
drilled, March 31, at the rate of one bushel of peas 
aDd two bushels of oats per acre, and had an immense 
yield of excellent green forage, which was cut and 
fed between June 17 and July 5. 3. Sow either the 
White or Blue Canada field peas. The Mummy will 
more likely yield ashes of sorrow than 60 bushels of 
dry grain per acre. 4. Yes; if you cut the oats and 
peas for green fodder, and have your tomato plants 
large and vigorous, say, from 8 to 12 inches high with 
good strong stalks ready to go in immediately. To do 
this, you will need to transplant one or more times 
between the seeding bed and the field. 5. If by fod¬ 
der you mean the whole crop to be fed from the silo 
or dry without husking, and if you wish the largest 
possible food value per acre, plant the best, rather 
late maturing, variety that is grown in your locality. 
Plant either in hills or drills—as you prefer for con- 
