FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
163 
2nd. That when the conditions of 
moisture, of temperature, of freedom 
from disease and insects, and especially 
when the soil is liberally supplied with hu¬ 
mus and other factors mentioned are most 
favorable to the production of the crop, 
the kind of ammonia, the kind of potash, 
the kind of phosphoric acid, is of rela¬ 
tively less importance. In certain plot ex¬ 
periments in a bearing grove, where the 
soil is well supplied with humus, the dif¬ 
ferent plots received their plant food from 
different fertilizer materials. Results in 
growth and crop production seemed 
equally as good in one plot as another, 
where the proportions of ammonia, pot¬ 
ash and phosphoric acid were well bal¬ 
anced. 
3rd. That when the conditions of 
moisture, of temperature, of diseases and 
insects, as well as other soil conditions, 
are adverse, it becomes very important to 
apply fertilizers of any kind with the 
greatest caution. 
4th. The grove with its trees in heavy 
foliage, having large, rich, dark green 
leaves, and the appearance of being ex¬ 
ceedingly well fed, is less likely to be the 
best producer. My observations lead me 
to believe very strongly that the grove 
owner can put his grove in such good 
growth condition that the crop will be 
relatively small. We have similar illustra¬ 
tions from other lines: First, the fat cow 
is not the best milk producer; second, the 
fat horse does not win the race; third, 
the over-fed hen does not lay the greatest 
number of eggs. 
FERTILIZERS 
L. R. Woods 
There has never been in this country so 
widespread and so deep an interest in the 
subject of conservation of fertilizer as at 
the present time; and never before have 
so many men, trained for investigation, 
been engaged in studying the subject in 
all its manifold phases and varied rela¬ 
tions. 
Fertilizing is not a simple problem. Its 
solution depends upon much more than 
the liberal use of farm manure, commer¬ 
cial fertilizers or other materials. Intel¬ 
ligent and successful use of fertilizers in 
the growing of crops is based upon the 
knowledge of definite facts and of the re¬ 
lations of these facts one with another. 
The beneficial action of fertilizers upon 
crops depends upon, and is limited by, 
many different conditions, each of which 
must be taken into careful consideration 
if the cost of crop production is to be sat¬ 
isfactorily regulated. 
As commonly used, the term fertilizer 
includes compounds containing nitrogen, 
phosphorus and potash. This has arisen 
because these constituents are the ones 
that have been usually considered in the 
growing of crops. Commercial fertilizers 
are manufactured preparations, made by 
mixing plant food materials of different 
