200 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 19 
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SHORT TALKS ABOUT FERTILIZERS. 
BRIEF ANSWERS TO BRIEF QUESTIONS. 
A Southern Mixture. —Will it do to mix wood ashes, cotton¬ 
seed meal and dissolved bone for grapes ? In what proportions ? 
Mississippi. p. b. k. 
No, we would not mix wood ashes with any other 
material. It is too fine to mix well. Use four parts 
by weight of the ashes alone, then work in two parts 
bone and one part cotton-seed meal. It will be a good 
plan to use the ashes separate from the bone and meal 
—a month between, if possible. 
Nitrate or Soda on Wheat. —What would be the probable 
benefit of applying 200 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre on 
wheat that may reasonably be expected to yield 25 or 30 bushels 
per acre ? When and how should it be applied ? r. c. l. 
New Loudon, O. 
Under ordinary circumstances, it would not pay to 
use nitrate of soda on land capable of yielding 25 
bushels of wheat. It would be likely to make the 
wheat grow too rapidly, and lodge. The nitrate sup¬ 
plies only nitrogen, and should not be used unless we 
knew that substance to be lacking. If used at all, it 
should be broadcasted over the wheat early in April. 
How Much Fertilizer Per Acre ?—A fertilizer agent told me 
that the farmers are using too much fertilizer, that 1,000 pounds 
per acre are just as good as a ton, that it was proved to be so by 
an experiment on Long Island with potatoes. Is that so ? 
Northampton, Mass. k. h. l. 
He, probably, refers to an experiment conducted by 
the New York Experiment Station on Long Island. 
The result showed that, where more than 1,000 pounds 
per acre were used, the increase in yield was not large 
enough to give a profit on the extra fertilizer. Long 
Island farmers, however, use 2,000 or even 3,000 pounds 
per acre on potatoes, and feel satisfied with the result, 
as they usually follow potatoes with wheat and two 
years of grass, and expect the fertilizer to feed all 
four crops. 
How to Broadcast Fertilizers.— What is the best method of 
broadcasting chemical fertilizers such as muriate of potash, 
phosphoric acid, etc. ? Is there any low-priced implement manu¬ 
factured for this purpose ? f. b. d. 
Chichester, N. H. 
The ordinary grain drill is largely used in putting 
on fertilizer. All the tubes are opened, and the drill 
is used the same as for drilling grain—after plowing. 
The trouble with this method is that the fertilizer 
boxes on the grain drill are too small. They have to 
be filled too often. On our own farm, we broadcast 
the fertilizer from the wagon with a shovel, and har¬ 
row it in. The Spangler Mfg. Co., of York, Pa., make a 
broadcaster somewhat on the principle of a grain drill, 
that will carry a ton at a load. 
Contents of a Sample Mixture.— What per cent of nitrate, 
phosphate and potash would the following give me: 200 pounds 
of acid rock phosphate, 200 pounds of cotton-seed meal, and 50 
pounds of muriate of potash ? E. o. n. 
Tracy City, Tenn. 
Taking the average analyses of these substances, 
this mixture would contain the following in pounds : 
Nitrogen. Plios. acid. Potash. 
200 pounds of acid phosphate. 24 
200 pounds of cotton-seed meal 13 3 3 
50 pounds of muriate of potash. . 25 
450 pounds. 13 27 28 
This means 2.8 per cent nitrogen, 6 per cent of phos¬ 
phoric acid, and a little over (5 per cent of potash. It 
is not a particularly good mixture. It is low in phos¬ 
phoric acid, and contains only organic nitrogen. 
Land Plaster and Ammonia.— If this material is used to fix 
the ammonia in stable manure, and it is then left out for several 
months in a heap, before putting it on the ground to be plowed 
nnder, will the fixed ammonia dissolve by being exposed to the 
elements? If kept under cover, bow long will the ammonia re¬ 
main fixed ? -w. 
Connecticut. 
The “ fixing ” is done as follows : “ Plaster ” is sul¬ 
phate of lime—a combination of lime and sulphur. 
Much of the ammonia in stable manure is in the form 
of carbonate, which is likely to pass away as a gas. 
When the plaster is put with the manure, a change 
occurs. The sulphur leaves the lime and unites with 
the ammonia to form the sulphate, which is not vola¬ 
tile. The lime remains in the form of a carbonate. 
The sulphate will remain for years unless leached out 
of the pile by rains. 
Buildino a Run-Down Field.—I have a very light sandy soil, 
originally covered with a growth of small pine and oak, which 
has been badly run, but will still bear a fair crop of corn or rye. 
What will be the cheapest way to bring it up ? Will cow peas 
succeed as far north as this ? c. m. e. 
Plains, N. Y. 
If that farm were south of New York, we would 
work it up with a Cutaway or disk harrow this Spring, 
and broadcast per acre 300 pounds of acid phosphate and 
100 pounds of muriate of potash. The latter part of 
May, we would sow broadcast one bushel per acre, or 
more, of the Early Black cow pea. These would make 
a fair growth during the Summer. Late in July, we 
would sow, right among the vines, 12 pounds of Crim¬ 
son clover seed per acre. With a favorable season, 
some of this seed will grow through the Fall and 
Winter after the cow peas have been killed by the 
frost. This mass of dead and living vines plowed in 
the following Spring will increase the yield of corn 
or potatoes on that soil by 25 per cent. We would 
use corn for the first crop, with a fair dressing of fer¬ 
tilizer, and follow it with Crimson clover or rye. We 
are not sure that cow peas will succeed so well in your 
latitude, and would not advise them at first except as 
an experiment. The Canada field pea may be better 
used in the same way. 
A Mixture for Vegetables.— Would a mixture of pure flue- 
ground bone meal and nitrate of soda answer for a fertilizer 
for beets, onions, radishes, celery, etc. ? What quantities of each 
should I use in order to make one ton ? I can buy bone meal at 
$22 a ton, delivered at Bethlehem ; is that a reasonable price ? 
Bethlehem, Pa. t. f. j. 
This will not make a good mixture unless your soil 
contains all the available potash that is needed. The 
bone and the nitrate supply only nitrogen and phos¬ 
phoric acid. You should add to this mixture, potash, 
and more available phosphoric acid. A mixture of 
one part by weight each of nitrate of soda, muriate of 
potash and cotton-seed meal with two parts bone and 
one part dissolved rock will give a much better mix¬ 
ture. That is a low price for good bone. 
What Fertilizer for Oats.— What is the best fertilizer for 
oats on heavy black loam ? The land is an old pond bottom, sur¬ 
face drained. The good soil is two or three feet deep, and when 
left untilled fora year, produces very high weeds. It has not been 
limed. What is the best fertilizer for oats, generally speaking ? 
Delaware. j. c. e. 
Oats feed at the surface of the ground. They grow 
rapidly, and start in cool weather. They must, there¬ 
fore, have plant food, especially nitrogen, soluble and 
close at hand. On lighter land, we would suggest one 
part nitrate of soda, two parts cotton-seed meal or 
one part tankage, five parts dissolved rock, and one 
part muriate of potash. On this pond bottom we 
would omit the cotton-seed meal or the tankage, as 
the soil itself will supply organic nitrogen enough. 
Nitrogen in Crimson Clover.— Is the nitrogen in Crimson clover 
in the best form for potatoes, or would it be best to apply nitrate 
of soda in addition to 600 pounds of dissolved bone that has from 
16 to 18 per cent phosphoric acid and two per cent nitrogen ? I 
shall also apply 100 pounds muriate of potash. My soil is a good, 
dark loam six to eight inches deep, underlaid with a yellow clay. 
I have a good stand of Crimson clover that appears to have stood 
the winter all right. If nitrate be used, how much ? c. l. k. 
Edgewood, Pa. 
The nitrogen in the Crimson clover is organic, and 
will not be available early in the Spring when the 
young plants most need it. The nitrogen in the dis¬ 
solved bone is also organic. Two hundred pounds of 
nitrate of soda will help the mixture by providing 
soluble nitrogen. You can, also, safely use 50 pounds 
more of the muriate. 
• 
A Fertilizer for Kentucky Corn.— What composition of fer¬ 
tilizer would you use on rolling Blue grass, limestone land, to 
get a large yield of corn from a field that has grown wheat the 
past two years ? Fifty bushels of corn are a crop from this land 
without fertilizers, in an ordinary season. Is it reasonable to 
expect a yield of 100 bushels by judicious use of fertilizers on such 
a field ? The ground was broken up last Winter eight inches deep ? 
Danville, Ky. j. H . 0 . 
We would not care to guarantee a yield of 100 bushels 
of corn, yet it is not impossible. A standard corn 
fertilizer for such soil ought to contain three per 
cent of nitrogen, 10 per cent of phosphoric acid, and 
six per cent of potash. If you can buy cotton-seed 
meal for $20 per ton or less, you should use it for the 
organic nitrogen. A mixture of 150 pounds of nitrate 
of soda, 500 of cotton-seed meal, 250 of muriate of 
potash, 700 of dissolved rock or acid phosphate, and 
300 of fine ground bone will give you a reasonably 
good mixture for corn. 
Manured Ground for Potatoes.— I have been reading lately 
considerable about the cultivation of potatoes. One article es¬ 
pecially interests me. The writer says in part: “ In order to ob¬ 
tain the best results, plenty of barnyard manure should be 
applied, as few crops will give such good returns from manure as 
the potato.” I would like to know whether potatoes can be 
raised profitably without the use of fertilizers. I have a piece of 
ground that was heavily manured for ensilage corn for two years, 
and last year was seeded with oats. This year, I purpose to plant 
potatoes on this ground. a. w. b. 
Groton, Mass. 
Certainly, potatoes have been and can be grown with 
stable manure alone. On stock or dairy farms, where 
there is no need of buying complete fertilizers, man¬ 
ure will undoubtedly be cheapest. On farms where 
fertilizers are used, farmers generally use the manure 
on corn or grass, as they consider it better adapted to 
these crops. The fertilizers on these farms are put 
mostly on potatoes, and before the rotation is finished, 
all crops receive the benefit. Manure contains an 
excess of nitrogen in proportion to phosphoric acid 
and potash, and this would be likely to make a rank 
potato vine—more liable to disease. If we had such 
soil as you mention, and wished to plant potatoes on 
it, we would use a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high 
in potash and phosphoric acid. A mixture containing 
one part cotton-seed meal, four parts dissolved rock, 
and one part muriate of potash, ought to give good 
results on that soil. We believe that mixture on such 
soil would give better results than manure. 
Value of Coal Ashes. —What is the relative fertilizing value of 
hard-coal and liard-woofi ashes? lean get several loads of coal 
ashes for the hauling, seven miles. Will it pay me to get them 
to apply on sandy soil ? a. j. k. 
Grand Haven, Mich. 
Here is a fair comparison of unleached wood ashes 
and coal ashes: 
TOUNDS PER TON. 
Potash. Phos. acid. 
One ton wood ashes. 100 30 
One ton coal ashes. 2 2 
With potash valued at five cents a pound, and phos¬ 
phoric acid at 4%, you will see that the coal ashes are 
hardly worth hauling as fertilizers. Many people 
make the mistake of supposing that coal ashes ought 
to be as valuable as those from wood. Coal contains 
but little potash and phosphoric acid. The coal ashes 
have a good effect in binding sandy, open soils together, 
and making them hold moisture better, but as a fer¬ 
tilizer alone they are not worth hauling. 
Coal and Wood Ashes Mixed. —I have a quantity of mixed 
wood and coal ashes from a furnace in which green oak and soft 
coal are used as fuel, which I would like to use as strawberry 
fertilizer if proper. Is there any harmful substance in the coal 
ashes? If so, would it be enough more than to balance the value 
of potash contained in the wood ashes ? j. w. l. 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Coal and wood ashes mixed are safe to use on straw¬ 
berries, provided too much of the coal has not been 
left unburned. There is nothing in the coal ashes 
that would harm the strawberries except the fact that, 
on a heavy clay soil, the powdery coal ashes would 
make this clay more compact than before. It might 
pack it down too hard, and thus make it harder to 
work. There is almost no potash in the coal ashes, 
probably not over two pounds to the ton, hence the 
fertilizing value would be little or nothing. We would 
rather use the coal ashes around currant bushes, where 
they form a good mulch, and are useful to keep down 
weeds. You might add to every ton of coal ashes, 100 
pounds of muriate of potash, and in this way, secure 
a fair fertilizer. 
How to Handle Compost.—I am interested in strawberries and 
potatoes, and must depend almost altogether on commercial ferti¬ 
lizers. We have several tons of leaf mold gathered last Fall, part 
of which has been mixed with stable manure from one cow, one 
horse and six pigs. In the light of modern science, what is its 
agricultural value, and how should it be combined and used ? 
Our soil is medium light with gravelly subsoil, probably lacking 
humus. Would lime be useful with the mold, and if so, in about 
what proportion ? a. m. b. 
Massachusetts. 
All organic manures are one-sided—that is, they 
contain too much nitrogen in proportion to the potash 
and phosphoric acid. Like meat in human food, they 
need to be “ balanced ” with other substances. Cotton¬ 
seed meal and clover hay come the nearest to being 
complete manures, but even these are one-sided. It 
would be impossible to give more than a guess at the 
value of your compost. Do not use lime with it. You 
may be sure that the compost is deficient in phosphoric 
acid and potash. With every load of the compost, we 
would mix 75 pounds of muriate of potash, and 150 
pounds of dissolved phosphate rock. Mix them thor¬ 
oughly, working the compost over several times, if 
possible. This will make a mixture suitable for al¬ 
most any ordinary crop. It is the best way to handle 
such compost. 
What About Home Mixing ?—What are the advantages and dis¬ 
advantages of mixing fertilizers at home ? Is it easy to do ? 
subscriber. 
By mixing the chemicals at home, a farmer is sup¬ 
posed to save much of the cost of handling, manipulat¬ 
ing and selling which the manufacturer claims. In 
theory, the work can be done at odd hours—on rainy 
days or at times when nothing else is pressing. The 
manufacturers are usually able to make a more per¬ 
fect mixture, since they have powerful and complete 
machinery for doing it. and can mix a large lot ahead 
so that it may work over or “ blend ” in the pile, and 
then be reground and mixed. Farmers who use large 
lots of fertilizer are able to make special arrange¬ 
ments, and thus prepare a good mixture. Mr. Runyon 
Field, of Somerset County, N. J , thus describes his 
method : 
“ I put the different chemicals on the floor, shovel 
them over twice, and then put them through my 
mixer, which is made of an old thrashing machine. I 
used an old under-shot machine, put a hopper on top, 
and made a short shaker with a four-mesh wire sieve 
in the bottom. I run this machine by horse power, 
using one horse. With two men and myself, I can 
mix and bag 10 tons of fertilizer in a day. I am very 
careful in weighing the different materials, and use 
care to have them evenly distributed over the heap, 
consequently I have had very good success, as the 
actual analysis has never varied more than one-fourth 
of one per cent from the calculated analysis. I have 
been doing my own mixing for the past six years, have 
