l!t<)7. 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
23 
HOW TO FERTILIZE. 
livery farmer knows that plants need 
Food as much as cattle, lie knows, too, 
that plants cannot get all the 1‘ood they 
need out of the ground alone. He must 
supply them with certain hoods himself, 
or they will not thrive and hear their full 
yield of fruit. Kxactly as he supplies hay 
and oats to his horse so he must supply 
Nitrogen, potash and phosphate to his 
plants, lie may huy these in the open, 
market exactly as he does his hay or his 
oats, or lie can huy them in combination 
in the form of a “complete fertilizer." 
There is no secret value in the complete 
fertilizer, it is nothing more nor less than 
the three ingredients combined and sold at 
a higher price. Of the three Nitrogen is 
by far the most expensive and it will pay 
the farmer well to slop and think before 
he buys it in this combination form. 
The Best and Cheapest 
A m moil i ate. 
The cheapest and most practical form in 
which to furnish nitrogen to plants is 
Nitrate of Soda. In the rainless region of 
Chili are stored away vast quantities of 
Nitrogen in what is known as Nitrate 
form the only form in which Nitrogen 
cun be utilized by a plant, 'The Nitrogen 
which exists in organic matter, that is, 
roots, stems, dead leaves, weeds, leather, 
dried blood, etc., and also Nitrogen in 
the form of Ammonia salts, must first he 
changed to Nitrate before it can he taken 
up by the plants in the soil. This change 
is dependent upon conditions of weather. 
If the season is backward or there should 
be a prolonged drouth it may be so re¬ 
tarded as to deprive the plant altogether 
of Nitrate Food at the very time it needs 
it most; moreover, some of these materials 
in the form of Ammonia salts leave acid 
residues in the soil, Nitrate of Soda, on 
the other hand, is entirely independent of 
weather conditions and it leaves the sojl 
alkaline and sweet. it is immediately 
available under any circumstances, for it 
is readily soluble, and as soon as it comes 
in contact with the roots of the plants is 
at once absorbed by them, and continues 
to he absorbed until used up. It can read¬ 
ily be seen from this that the utility of the 
various forms of Nitrogen ranges from 
nothing at all, when conditions of temper¬ 
ature or soil prevent Nitration, to 100 per 
cent, when Nitration has already taken 
place, as in the case of Nitrate of Soda. 
More than this the process of transform¬ 
ing nitrogen, as it exists, for instance, in 
cotton seed meal, dried fish, dried blood, 
tankage, etc., into Nitrate is very wasteful, 
much valuable Nitrogen being lost in the 
process. Soil experiments have shown 
that 100 pounds of Ammonia in these or¬ 
ganic forms have only one half to three 
fourths the mammal value of too pounds 
of Ammonia in its NITRATED form of 
Nitrate of Soda. 
A Great Saving* 
In view of these facts it seems extraor¬ 
dinary that farmers should continue to 
purchase tbeii Nitrogen in compound form 
with phosphate and potash, when they can 
procure it much cheaper, and ready for the 
plants’ immediate use, in the form of Ni¬ 
trate of Soda. Some years ago the New 
Jersey Kxperimcnt Station, after analyzing 
IP,’, different "complete fertilizers," found 
the average agricultural value, that is to 
say, the market price of the various con¬ 
stituents, to he $23,00 per ton, while the 
average selling price was $.‘14,22 per ton. 
In some instances the actual value of the 
plant food was as low as $13.00 per ton, 
while the price per Ion was $23,00. I he 
average complete fertilizer costs usually 
23 per cent more than it is worth Avail 
able Nitrogen in the form of Nitrate of 
Soda costs about 17 cents per pound. II 
costs from 20 to 20 cents a pound in so- 
called "complete fertilizers,” and even 
then is often in a form which is not avail¬ 
able as food for the plants, for it must be 
converted into Nitrate. The time required 
to do this varies from a few days to a few 
years according to the temperature of the 
soil and the kind and condition of the 
material used. 
It must he recognized that the farmer 
should have a chance to derive some profit 
from the use of a fertilizer, and wise buy¬ 
ing is a prerequisite to successful use. 
How It Helps Crops. 
If a very young pig or a young calf does 
not have an abundance of the right kind 
of food when it is young it becomes 
stunted in growth, and never recovers 
from it, no matter how judiciously it is 
afterwards fed. The intelligent cultivator 
has learned that the same holds good in 
the feeding of plants. Nitrogen is the 
element which enters most largely into the 
building up of the plant itself- its root, its 
stem and its leaves. Most plants need to 
tube up about 73 per cent of their total 
NiIrate Nitrogen during the early stages 
of their growth, It is plain, therefore, 
that the cultivator cannot afford to over¬ 
look Nitrate, and thus endanger the 
chances of bis crops which must have 
Nitrogen in a form the plants can 
use. 'flie presence of Nitrate at the 
Outset enables the plant to gel its food 
when it needs it, and develops a vigorous 
growth of roots, leaves and stems, capable 
of withstanding the first scorching rays of 
the sun or sudden changes of the temper¬ 
ature, disease or the attacks of parasites. 
Nitrate of Soda is of high value for 
F.AKI,Y CROPS, such as I’F.AS, CORN, 
BEETS, CABBAGE, etc., where rapid 
maturity is desirable. It is a special help 
to HAY, CHAIN, RYK, WHEAT, TIM¬ 
OTHY. ORCHARD or other cereals or 
grasses, all of which are unable to obtain 
sufficient nitrogen from the soil just when 
they need it It is a great specific in the 
production of SUGAR RKF.TS, POTA¬ 
TOES, COTTON and CANE. 
Small fruits such as BLACKBERRIES, 
CURRANTS, RASPBERRIES and 
(fOOSEBF.R Rl ICS, which need a steady 
even growth are greatly benefited by Ni¬ 
trate of Soda which can be furnished all 
ready for absorption when the plants re¬ 
quire it. 
The highest agricultural authorities have 
established by careful experimentation that 
100 pounds per acre Nitrate of Soda ap¬ 
plied to crops has produced the IN¬ 
CREASED yields tabulated as follows: 
Hurley . 
lbs 
of grain. 
< lorn . 
*4 
44 
Oats . 
41 
44 
Rye . 
44 
44 
Wheat . 
, . .. 200 
44 
44 
Potatoes .. 
44 
Tubers. 
liny, upwards of. . . 
. ... 1,000 
44 
Barn cured. 
Cotton . 
44 
Hccdcnltoii. 
Hngar Heel . 
. . .4,000 
14 
Tubers. 
Fleets . 
44 
44 
Sweet potatoes. 
44 
44 
Cablmgea .. 
_ 0,100 
Pounds. 
Carrots . 
Pounds. 
Onions . 
_ I.HOO 
Pounds. 
Turnips. 
|)«T 
cent. 
Strawberries . 
.... 200 
quarts. 
Asparagus . 
bunches. 
Tomatoes . too baskets. 
Celery. 20 per cent. 
Nitrate of Soda is a plant tonic, and an 
energizer; it is not a stimulant in any 
sense of the word. 
I'hosphalic and Potassic manures should 
usually be applied in connection with Ni¬ 
trate of Soda at the rate of about 230 
pounds to the acre of each. We do not 
recommend the use of Nitrate of Soda 
alone except at the rate of not more than 
100 pounds to the acre, when it may be 
used without other fertilizers. 
How to Learn About It. 
I he Nitrate mines in Chili are super¬ 
vised by the government and authentic in 
formation is annually circulated about 
Nitrate of Soda among those who should 
profit by it. For this purpose the Nitrate 
of Soda Propaganda is maintained. Ad¬ 
vertisements have been placed in the lead’ 
ing agricultural papers and offices estab¬ 
lished at John Street and 71 Nassau 
Street, New York, for giving out infor¬ 
mation in regard to actual tests tnadc with 
Nitrate of Soda and as to its uses. 
Results oil Hay. 
For three years samples of Nitrate of 
Soda have been sent to farmers to exper¬ 
iment on timothy. In each case two 
patches were marked out in the hay field, 
side by side each about 20 feet square, 
about I 100 of an acre One received Ni¬ 
trate of Soda, equivalent to 100 pounds 
per acre, the other had none. The fol¬ 
lowing are fair samples of the results re¬ 
ported, giving the weight of cured hay 
in each case: 
ItOKACK KlHM), MaTTAI’OIHKTT, MaHH. 
I'lot without Nitrate, <10 II,h. Plot: with 
Nitrate, tin llm. 
“Iluy was well made. Nitrate plot, realty 
to nut 10 days earlier than plot without 
Nitrate and the growth now Is much heavier 
On the Nitrate plot." 
W in mam Norman, To mono, 0. 
IMot without' Nitrate, an |(,h. With Nitrate, 
02 lbs. "This Ih wlial I call dynamite mala.” 
10. P. Nawc®. Oak IiKVioi,, Ky. 
Plot without Nitrate, 70 lbs. Plot with 
Nitrate, lot llm. 
Ol.to O. ItATI.lUiAt., IlKNNON, MlNN. 
Plot without Nitrate, 20 llm. With Nitrate, 
02 llm. 
“Plot with Nitrate now thick with grass 
again and will produce second crop of huy. 
Plot without Nitrate will not be worth cutting 
again." 
David It. Kppi.bv, Mchkinoiim, O. 
"Plot without Nitrate, 42 l /fi lbs.; with 
Nitrate, 7H llm." 
“Am much planned and only wltth 1 had 
lined It on my whole Held," 
IlnmiHRT J. Franck, Iit.AiRMViu.iD, Pionna. 
Plot without Nitrate, tia lbs.; with Nitrate, 
l ih ib 
“May wan thoroughly cured when weighed. 
Plot with Nitrate kept hIx or eight Inchcu 
ahem! all Hummer." 
It. K. I (apci.r, room,AMUR, Pionna. 
Plot without Nitrate, 2H llm.; with Nitrate, 
32 llm. “Am well pleased with the result." 
AlAJN/,0 j. IlllYAN, IIUNTKItDON, N. J. 
Plot without Nitrate, 21 llm.; with Nitrate, 
<12i/j llm. "The Nitrate made wonderful ro- 
MUltH," 
Cl I AH. J. (1ROTII, HlMllNOVlI.T.IO, N. Y. 
Plot without Nitrate, 7H llm.; with Nitrate, 
147 llm. "Cut Nit rule plot twice." 
K. It. Htiiono, Cad mi no. Nova Hcotia. 
Plot without Nitrate, OH llm.; pint wllh 
Nitrate, til lbs. "Much pleased with results." 
I.KONAUD I). Ml’Ii'KNAl.l,, I.a Itioi.uo, Mo. 
Plot without Nitrate, 44 llm,; with Nitrate, 
Ott llm. "I consider Nitrate of Hodit a most 
valuable producer as bay aeeniM softer and 
brighter from Nitrate plot than from the 
other." 
Wm. Mbndicknon, Atiihnn, Pionna. 
Plot without Nitrate, 24 lbs.; with Nitrate, 
(10 lbs. "It was a tine test." 
The average of these tests show an 
increase of 2,773 pounds of field cured bay 
per acre with the use of 100 pounds Ni 
trate of Soda. Hearing in mind the fact 
that Nitrate of Soda costs $2.25 to $2.73 
per loo pounds it is very evident that it 
pays to use it. 
The Purpose of the Nitrate 
Propaganda. 
Free books, bulletins and all desired in¬ 
formation arc promptly forwarded to 
farmers interested. Most farmers of the 
United States have seen Nitrate of Soda 
advertisements and thousands have written 
in answer to them for free books. 
No Nitrate is sold by the Nitrate 
Propaganda; it is maintained simply 
to put llio facts clearly and accurately 
before the cultivators throughout the 
country and rapidly they are finding 
out that Nitrate of Soda Is the cheapest 
and by far the most practical form of 
supplying their crops with Nitrogen. 
It Is the only Instantly available 
Nitrogenous Food for plants. 
Free Information. 
To a limited number of farmers who 
want to know, the Propaganda, in addi¬ 
tion to bulletins from agricultural experi¬ 
ment stations, giving results of actual 
trials with Nitrate of Soda, is sending a 
handsomely illustrated book, "Food for 
Plants," containing over 220 pages of mat¬ 
ter, wbieb any farmer may understand, 
and which should be in the library of 
every farm in the United Slates. 
Farmers who may not care to make any 
of the experiments, who would like to 
know the results that othei . have obtained 
or who desire any information whatever 
concerning Nitrate of Soda should write 
to William S. M vers, Director, John 
Street and 71 Nassau Street, New York. 
f V - 
adfc 
~ * 
.. 
‘-’t • V J ' ' 
No Nltnite/>r 
Hedii uuixl 
N Unite of Hodii 
wiin iihihI hero 
Giant Timothy Crops 
An average increase of 2775 pounds per acre of field-cured hay wan shown In 
11 actual tests where Nitrate of Soda was used. Testa were made from Nova 
Scotia to Missouri, and 100 pounds of 
Nitrate of Soda 
wan used per acre, at a cost of $ 2,55 to > 2.95 per 100 pounds. Compare Increase 
with cost of tills great fertilizer. Compare fields shown in above actual repro¬ 
duced photograph. Nitrate of Soda is best and cheapest ummoniate with which 
to furnish Nitrogen to plants. 
Test It for Yourself Entirely Free 
I Alt II. *mi<l xuflhdeiit JHtriite of H<xlu for you to try. iixklnK only Hint you uxu n.rordhm to our 
dlreuthm., nail lot u« know tlin i exult. To I Ini twenty IIvo furiuorx who not the Ixinl. roxultx, wo offer, 
I 1 H u prize, I'rof. Voorlioox uioxt vnluuhle Ixx.k on forl.ni/.orx. tholr Oompoxltlon. mol how to line for 
illlforonl. oropx llmoliioiiii.lv hound, MVfl piiuex. Apply lit onoo for Nltnito of Hodu, ill thin utt, r It 
nrrrtturllu thultnl. "Kixxl for I’lnutx,” u 287 pll«o hook of uxoful Ilifnriiiuthiii, will ho xiu.l free to 
funnel.. while the proxent edition Inutx, If pupor lx mentioned In whloii lain udvnrtlxnmniit lx xeeu. 
WILLIAM S. MYERS, Director, John Street and 71 Nassau, NEW YORK 
PLEASE APPLY BY POST CARD. 
