308 
tTHR RURAb NEW-YORKER 
March 23, 
A Fertilizer for Corn. 
K. G. P., Verona, N. Y .—I intend to buy 
chemicals and mix my own fertilizers, and 
do not think I understand mixing. For in¬ 
stance, if I want a 3-5-8, should I use three 
pounds nitrate, five phosphoric acid and 
eight of potash? Would it he advisable to 
use any nitrate in connection with stable 
manure (20 loads per acre) on sod ground, 
for corn? I intended to drill in fertilizer 
before planting. Would you advise doing 
this ? 
Ans.— This question of figuring a 
fertilizer confuses many of our readers, 
yet it is simple when you understand 
it. A 3-5-8 fertilizer means one with 
three pounds of nitrogen, five of phos¬ 
phoric acid and eight of potash in each 
100 pounds, or 60, 100 and 160 pounds 
respectively in a ton. Now here are 
some of the materials which provide 
nitrogen: Nitrate of soda, 16 pounds 
in each 100, sulphate of ammonia, 20 
pounds, dried blood, 12 pounds, and 
tankage, eight pounds more or less. 
So you will see that in order to get 
your three pounds of nitrogen in that 
100 pounds of mixture you must use 
19 pounds of nitrate of soda, 15 of 
sulphate of ammonia, 25 of dried blood 
and so on. Acid phosphate usually 
contains about 14 per cent of phos¬ 
phoric acid, so you will need 36 pounds 
of that. Muriate of potash contains 
50 per cent actual potash, so you will 
need 16 pounds to give the desired eight 
pounds of potash. Thus by using 19 
pounds of nitrate, 36 of acid phosphate 
and 16 of muriate of potash, or 71 in 
all, you have the plant food in a 3-5-8 
fertilizer. By adding 29 pounds of 
plaster, dried muck or black oil, you 
have 100 pounds and a mixture which 
will drill far better than the plain 
chemicals. We would not use nitrate 
of soda for corn where manure is 
spread on sod. Dried blood or tank¬ 
age would be a better form of nitro¬ 
gen for the corn crop. 
Plowing or Harrowing Manure. 
P. H. B., Little Valley, N. Y. —Is there 
any kind of soil which is not profited so 
much by plowing under manure as by 
harrowing it in, after plowing? This last 
method has been practiced on our farm for 
years, but it delays Spring work. IIow 
can it avoided? 
Ans. —This is more in the condition 
of the manure than in the soil. The 
advice to harrow in chemical fertilizer 
rather than to plow under is based on 
the argument that available plant food 
should be mixed all through the upper 
soil. We use but a few pounds of 
fertilizers to the acre and when this, 
small amount is plowed under it de¬ 
feats something of our purpose in using 
it. When spread in the furrows and 
harrowed in it is mixed in the soil 
where most of the feeding roots run. 
The same arguments are even stronger 
for lime, since that is used for its 
chemical effect upon the soil and if it 
be plowed under it would not be of 
much benefit to the upper soil. Then; 
are two kinds of manures as regards 
mechanical condition. The coarse 
green and chunky manure full of coarse 
bedding or stalks is best plowed under. 
N6 one could hope to do a good job 
at harrowing this coarse stuff into the 
upper soil. Better plow it down and 
fit the soil well above it. On the other 
hand, fine manure which has been well 
composted or fermented is much like 
th6 fertilizer, and may well be har¬ 
rowed in and well mixed all through 
the soil. As a rule this harrowing is 
better on the lighter soils. On heavy 
soils we should usually spread the ma¬ 
nure and plow under. We should go 
right ahead and spread and plow under. 
Use of Gas Lime. 
I am no farmer, but have purchased 80 
acres of scrub oak, which I intend getting 
under cultivation as soon as possible, and 
as cheaply. I saw a recent reference to 
acetylene refuse; after explaining its vir¬ 
tues, you state gas lime is another form, 
and is no good. I could not understand 
that. Where does that kind come from? I 
can get refuse from acetylene for the asking. 
Hyannis, Mass. M. g. b. 
What is called gas lime is refuse from 
ordinary illuminating gas works. In this 
case the lime is used to purify the gas and 
absorbs substances which are poisonous to 
the soil. The refuse from acetylene gas is 
very different, and is a good form of lime to 
use. Do not, however, make the mistake of 
supposing that this refuse has any plant 
food value except for the lime. The gas 
lime may be spread out and exposed to the 
weather^three or four months and will tu t ~ 
be fit for use. 
“FARMERS OF FORTY CENTURIES.” 
Part IV. 
“IIumus.”—S ome of our American farm¬ 
ers seem to think they were the first 
“humus cranks" who advocated the use of 
vegetable matter in the soil. The Chinese 
were advocating this as the best way of 
keeping life in the soil long before Europe 
knew there was any such country as ours. 
Had they not done so China would have 
been to-day a desert with a few roving 
bands of wild men instead of the most 
populous country on earth, with the soil 
still feeding the vast hordes which walk 
upon it. This soil is a garden rather than 
a desert because it has been kept full of 
organic matter. We may take a brick and 
call it concentrated soil. The nitrogen and 
the organic matter have been burned out 
of it, hut it would analyze high in potash 
and fairly well in phosphoric acid. Let us 
grind this good soil up and add nitrate of 
soda, and attempt to grow plants in it. By 
keeping it soaked with water like mud we 
could grow a fair-sized plant for a year or 
two. With water corresponding to our aver¬ 
age rainfall this soil would bake itself into 
another brick in a dry time and wash 
slowly away in what corresponds to a 
heavy flood, thus following exactly what we 
see in many old fields, particularly at the 
South. After a year or two the brick dust 
would fail to grow plants, though analysis 
would still show a fair amount of plant 
food. But let us suppose that the ’hrick- 
dust were well mixed with cut and crushed 
clover chaff or hay. That would represent 
the addition of humus, and if the supply 
were kept up year after year the brickdust 
would keep on producing good sized plants 
and giving up its plant food. 
When land is abandoned as too poor to 
grow crops it is usually either sour or the 
humus has been exhausted. Some people 
think they discovered this foundation fact 
in soil improvement. They are onlv demon¬ 
strating in a scientific way w'hat the 
Chinese have known and demonstrated in a 
practical way for many centuries. One of 
the most interesting features of the book 
we are reviewing is the study of this fact. 
King shows how the Chinese make use of 
every possible form of organic matter in 
order to give life and body to the soil. As 
we have seen, much of this organic matter 
is composted or fermented in order to make 
its plant food available. Large quantities 
of it are also applied directly to the soil. 
Weeds, grass and even soft brush are cut on 
the hills and brought in bundles down to 
the cultivated lands. Much of this seems 
to be used on ground prepared for rice, 
and it is often stamped into the mud with 
the bare feet. Though often close pressed 
for fuel the Chinaman burns nothing ex¬ 
cept the coarse bits which would not de¬ 
cay rapidly. Instinct has taught him that 
the very life of his soil demands that it bo 
kept stuffed with organic matter—much 
as a farmer in our northern country knows 
that he must provide fuel to keep the house 
warm in Winter. Sooner or later our 
American farmers must realize a similar 
need of keeping the soil filled with organic 
matter. 
Double Cropping. —It is common knowl¬ 
edge that when a pioneer takes up land in 
a new country “rotation” is little thought 
of. Population is scattered. The food de¬ 
mands upon the soil are comfortably light. 
The farmer grows what he can sell ‘to best 
advantage. This is usually grain or some 
form of live stock. As the country grows 
older population thickens and the food de- 
,mand upon the soil grows stronger. There 
comes a time when land is so high in price 
that the owner cannot afford to grow only 
one crop. The land must work all the time, 
and never be idle. Along the Atlantic coast 
we are coming to this condition, and it has 
led.to the use of “catch" or “cover” crops 
which hold the land while the regular crops 
are off. These catch or side crops hold the 
soil, add humus and give grain or fodder. 
For example, the farmer who sows rye or 
clover in the corn at the last cultivation 
and lets it occupy the land through Fall 
and Winter is beginning to practice what 
the gardener carries on still further. Many 
of us have seen strawberries planted in 
Spring with rows of radish between the 
plants. As the roots come out lettuce was 
set in its place, with peppers or tomatoes 
following. It is quite common to plant 
sweet corn in the bills of squashes and set 
tomatoes or peppers midway between the 
rows. If these are staked up and the plant 
food and water are sufficient there will be 
twice the food produced as with one single 
crop. This is what we call gardeu culture, 
but the Chinese are obliged to follow much 
the same plan in their farming. The farms 
are small and every foot must be utilized 
Thus they plan to have at least two food 
crops and one cover crop for manuring 
Rice is the great national food and is grown 
everywhere as a so-called Summer crop. 
When this crop is off barley or rape or 
beans will be grown in drills, and along 
toward the harvest Sov beans are planted 
between the drills of grain. When this 
grain is cut the Soy beans come on and 
are turned under as green manure to grow 
another crop of rice. All sorts of com¬ 
binations of this sort are worked out the 
object being to keep the soil at work and 
produce as much food as possible to each 
rod of ground. This show's us why the 
Chinese spend so much time in composting 
these manures. With this quick succession 
of crops it is necessary to have available 
or quick-acting plant food. The Chinese 
would not pay much attention to raw 
ground phosphate or “stone meal,” for 
with garden culture tliev must have plant 
food that will “get there” at once. 
II. W. c. 
Pyrox fills the barrel with the apples 
that used to go on top. Write Bowkcr 
Insecticide Co., Boston, for book.—Adv. 
SULPHUR 
FOR SPR AYING P URPOSES 
The Best Sulphur for Lime Sulphur Solution. 
Combines easily and quickly with Lime. 
T. 8 S. C. WHITE CO.. BERGENP0RT SULPHUR WORKS 
100 William Street, - NEW YORK 
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— Will not rust. They are practically 
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.From ten to twelve pounds of pure zinc 
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If your dealer isn’t supplied with M. I. F. Co 
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Malleable Iron Fittings Co., Dept N.., Branford, Conn, 
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ZINC COATED NAILS 
STEVENS 
Fertilizer! Sower 
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or Sowing in Rows 
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change from broadcast- 
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Originators of Sanitary Barn Equipment and 
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DEPARTMENT 4293 - DAVENPORT. IOWA 
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Mishawaka, Ind. 
“The House That Pays Millions for Quality” 
