220 
Germans used the blue-bottle fly for intaking fat or 
oil. It was used to lay billions of eggs in fish refuse. 
Within a few days there appeared a yellow larva 
which actually yielded a yellow oil, which, when 
purified, might, even be used as food! These and 
many more wonderful things are described in “Cre¬ 
ative Chemistry” to show how the chemist is com¬ 
pletely changing the old order of things. 
Reconsideration of the Fertilizer Problem 
Part II. 
STANDARD FORMULAS.—Tile determination of 
formulas is not difficult in case it is desired to home- 
mix, buying the raw materials at the lowest possible 
price. A general mixture suitable for corn, grain 
and grass is composed of 100 lbs. nitrate of soda, 100 
lbs. sulphate of ammonia, 1,500 lbs. acid phosphate, 
120 lbs. muriate of potash, ISO lbs. tankage (10 per 
cent ammonia). This will analyze approximately 
3 per cent ammonia, 12 per cent phosphoric acid and 
3 per cent potash. A mixture for potatoes and truck 
crops may lie made as follows: 200 lbs. nitrate of 
soda, 200 lbs. sulphate of ammonia, SO lbs. dried 
blood, 1,200 lbs. acid phosphate, 240 lbs. muriate of 
potash, SO lbs. steamed bone. This material will 
analyze 5 per cent ammonia, 10 per cent phosphoric 
acid and 0 per cent ]>otash. Both of these are high- 
grade mixtures and should be used in less amounts 
than materials of lower analysis. If it is desired to 
prepare a fertilizer according to a certain formula 
which has proved successful Ihe following method 
shows how this may be readily calculated. Suppos¬ 
ing that a 4-8-2 mixture is desired and recalling that 
per cent means per one hundred, we know that this 
mixture calls for 80 lbs. ammonia, 100 lbs. phos¬ 
phoric acid and 60 lbs. potash. Knowing that nitrate 
of soda contains an equivalent of 18 per cent a ms 
monia, high-grade blood, 10 per cent ammonia, sul¬ 
phate of ammonia. 25 per cent ammonia; acid phos- 
1 hate 16 per cent, phosphoric acid and muriate of 
potash about 50 per cent potash (K 2 0) the formula 
may be made up as follows: 
Lbs. 
Chemicals 
Ammonia 
Phos. A. 
Potash 
200 
Nitrate of soda.... 
36 
100 
Blood . 
16 
KM) 
Sulp’te of ammonia 
• 25 
160 
1,000 
Acid phosphate.... 
1 . 
80 
Bone . 
12 
60 
120 
Muriate of potash. 
1,600 
78 
172 
60 
4% 
8.5% 
3% 
In 
addition to these 
materials 
one may 
use as 
sources of ammonia tankage containing from t to 10 
per cent ammonia and from .10 to 15 per cent bone 
phosphate of lime, and ground lish containing 10 
per cent ammonia and 10 per cent phosphate of lime. 
Ground bone contains from 3 per cent to 4*4 per cent 
ammonia and 50 per cent phosphate of lime. Bone 
is now used largely as a conditioner in fertilizer, 
since it absorbs moisture and makes the mixture 
drillable. Blood, tankage and iisli are also used for 
this purpose. Because of its lower price, muriate of 
potash is used very largely for fertilizers, although 
sulphate of potash (47 per cent actual potash) is 
used by tobacco growers and sometimes by truck 
growers who desire high quality products. Potash 
manure salts containing 20 per cent actual potash 
can frequently be purchased to good advantage. 
UNIT VALUES.—The intending purchaser can 
secure from his county agent or from the State 
Agricultural College the addresses of reliable dealers 
in fertilizer chemicals. These may be quoted by the 
dealer by the ton or by the “unit.” The term unit 
means 20 lbs. of actual plant food. To convert the 
quotation of .$2 per unit of potash into the price per 
ton of muriate of potash, for example, we divide the 
$2 by 20. which makes the price of the potash 10c 
per pound. Knowing that muriate of potash con¬ 
tains 50 per cent actual potash, or 1,000 lbs. to the 
ton, we multiply the price per pound (10c) by the 
quantity of actual potash in a ton (1,000 lbs.), which 
gives the price of 8100 per ton. 
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. — In 
calling attention to home-mixing it is well to review 
the advantages and disadvantages of such a practice 
before beginning the operation. First, it is some¬ 
times difficult to secure small amounts of pulverized 
ingredients. Unless-the goods are purchased on the 
pulverized basis regrinding may be necessary by the 
home-mixer. Second, indifferent mixing may cause 
indifferent results, since the application of plant food 
will not be uniform on the field. Third, the work 
of home-mixing is disagreeable and may be almost 
as expensive if additional day labor must be hired 
to do the work. The advantages of home-mixing 
are: First, economy in the saving of freight rates 
by using high-grade chemicals only, and taking ad¬ 
vantage of the present falling market on ingredients 
has already been pointed out, and is one that should 
■Iht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
be given consideration. Second, the man who mixes 
his own fertilizer knows the composition of the 
goods, lie knows that only the best materials are 
used and that poor results in the crop must be laid 
to some other cause than the use of low-grade un¬ 
available materials. Moreover, he is in a position 
to vary the mixture to suit different field conditions, 
adapting his fertilizer to the response shown by crops 
and their probable demands upon the soil. Third, 
home-mixing is a valuable educational practice in 
showing the farmer that he can mix fertilizers that 
will give results under his own conditions without 
depending upon the general mixtures put out. by 
fertilizer companies. 
EQUIPMENT NEEDED.—The equipment needed 
for home-mixing includes a strongly supported, tight 
floor in a covered building. If this floor can be built 
on a level with the bottom of the wagon body trans¬ 
ferring the raw materials and'the mixing of the 
goods will be greatly facilitated, since a bag truck 
can then be used and lifting eliminated. Also we re¬ 
quire platform scales, shovels, a wire rake, tamper 
for mashing lumps and a screen. A small grinding 
machine may also be necessary unless finely pul¬ 
verized goods are purchased. 
METHODS OF MIXING—Directions for home¬ 
mixing may be briefly given as follows: The 
materials should be accurately weighed, carefully 
screened and all lumps mashed; then spread evenly 
on the floor a third of the quantity of acid phos¬ 
phate, following this with a third of (lid other in¬ 
gredients; then repeat with another third of the acid 
phosphate, continuing until all the quantity in that 
batch is included. The heap should then be thor¬ 
oughly shoveled -over three times and allowed to 
remain in the heap for two or three weeks until it 
is “cured.” At the end of this period the heap will 
probably be found to be hard, especially on the sur¬ 
face. This should be broken up and tfie whole batch 
put through a screen, when it can be bagged and 
held in good condition until used. It is necessary 
in mixtures of high analysis to include a small 
amount of bone, tankage or other conditioner, so 
that the moisture contained in the chemicals may be 
absorbed and the goods put in drillable condition. 
CAREFUL STUDY NEEDED.—It is important 
that we give careful consideration to the fertilizer 
that we use for this year's crops. While authorities 
do not believe that present low crop prices can con¬ 
tinue it will be necessary to do business on a smaller 
margin than has been the case <>f some producers in 
war times. A closer study of the fertilizer problem, 
including the importance of high analysis goods, the 
relative merits of purchasing raw materials or mixed 
goods, and the increased transportation <barges, will 
materially aid in farm production on a strictly 
economic basis. wii.t.iam b. duryee. 
Remarks About a Cover Crop 
Will you tell me what I can sow on land for a cover 
crop so I can keep the land up and get a crop to har¬ 
vest beside? I do not know anything better than rye 
and vetch. I am located so I am unable to keep stock. 
Mayville, N. Y. F. O.A. 
F course you cannot expect to seed a cover crop 
and harvest it for hay‘or grain, and then ex¬ 
pect to keep up the soil by plowing under the stub¬ 
ble. Tn order to get much benefit you must plow all 
the cover crop into the soil and use lime and chem¬ 
icals in addition. A cover crop is one that grows be¬ 
tween two regular farm crops, and occupies the land 
while it would otherwise remain idle. We know of 
eases where land is very light and very deficient in 
organic matter. Rye and vetch are seeded in the 
corn at last cultivation. This cover crop -went 
through the Fall and Winter and started to grow in 
Spring. The farmer felt that his land was too light 
so he plowed the rye and vetch under and seeded to 
oats and Canada peas. Tn late June this crop was 
well grown and he plowed it under and used a ton 
of lime to the acre. Then he planted late cabbage 
and used fertilizer. This gave a good cabbage crop 
and the land was seeded to rye once more. Tn an¬ 
other case wheat was seeded on light land. The 
wheat crop was cut in July. Then the ground was 
well fitted and seeded to a combination of buck¬ 
wheat, rye and Alsike clover. The buckwheat made 
seed and fell down on the ground, where the grain 
was eaten by poultry. Then the rye and clover came 
on and was plowed under for corn the next Spring. 
There are many other combinations, but the usual 
cover crop is one seeded in the corn at last cultiva¬ 
tion. or after potatoes are dug. We have seeded in 
tomatoes, cabbage and other crops the same as in 
corn. Rye and Winter vetch make a good combina¬ 
tion for this work. We should add a little Alsike 
clover seed, too. We have had good results with rye 
alone, rye and clover and rye. clover and turnip or 
rape seed. The last named combination makes a 
February 12, 1921 
heavy growth during the Fall and early Winter. You 
cannot hope to keep up or improve the land by cut¬ 
ting this cover crop and hauling it away for hay or 
fodder. It must all be worked into the land. Some 
farmers use the cover crop as a Fall pasture, but 
often in a wet season that packs the soil too hard. 
It is necessary to use lime every few years when 
these cover crops are plowed under, and it is good 
fertilizing economy to use phosphorus and potash 
right on the cover crop. That will give a larger 
growth to plow under, without wasting the fertilizer. 
In the Spring, when woiking the cover crop into tho 
soil, it often pays to go over it with a disk harrow 
and chop it up before plowing it under. 
Water for House and Barn 
I wish your opinion on installing a water system as 
per outline given on next page. The ground from well 
to house and house to barn is about level. I would like 
to run one line of pipe from well to house and continue 
this line to barn, attaching a pump to this line at the 
kitchen, also a pump at barn. Will you advi.se me the 
size of pipe to use and kind and size of pump? I wish 
to use hand pumps, as no power is available. Size of 
family, six; stock, five bead. D. g. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
O arrange the system as you have suggested 
with a pump at both house and barn operating 
on the same line. it. will be necessary to place two 
valves in the pipe, as indicated in the drawing. The 
valve in the house pump line should be closed when 
pumping at the barn, and the valve in the harn 
pump line is to he closed when the house pump is 
being used. Both of Ihese valves should be of (he 
“gate” type, which leave an unobstructed pipe when 
fully open. The pipe to he used in this case should 
be of the same size as the fittings on the suction side 
of the pump in use, probably 114-in. The following 
scheme is offered as a substitute of the one outlined 
by you. Tt seems (o the writer that if will he found 
more convenient, economical and reliable: 
Dig through the cellar wall and lay a 114-iii. pipe 
to well, connecting it to a force pump placed in the 
kitchen or basement. The pump may be placed in 
the kitchen, where it will he convenient for house 
use, and the cylinder, drainage and pipe connections 
placed in the cellar out of the way and where they 
will be nearer the water level in the well. 
The pump should be fitted with what is known as 
a three-way cock, permitting wafer to be pumped 
from the spout in the kitchen or through a 1 -in. pipe 
to a tank in tho barn by simply turning a valve 
handle near the spout. Aside from the saving 
occasioned by the use of the smaller-sized pipe and 
one pump instead of two, the discharge pipe, if given 
sufficient slant to drain properly when pumping is 
stopped, may he carried on posts, doing away with 
the expense of digging a ditch to lay if, as would 
be required for Hie suction pipe of a pump placed 
at the- barn. 
If this method is used the discharge pipe may be 
led up through the kitchen, and a small gravity tank 
placed over the kitchen may be supplied from a 
branch from this pipe, the water supply being con¬ 
trolled by valves, as indicated in the drawing. A 
galvanized range boiler and water front is all that 
will now he required to have hot and cold running 
jvater at the kitchen sink. R. h. s. 
Buying Cattle Feeds Co-operatively 
For considerable time dairy farmers have paid (no 
high for feeds. For sonic time, too, they might have 
benefited considerably by uniting and buying to better 
advantage. This has been possible if caeh would have 
conceded something to the other, and united on a ration 
and bought direct in cases where it was found impossi¬ 
ble to buy locally at fair prices. Now since the forma¬ 
tion of the G. L. F. it is even easier to do this, but the 
fact yet remains that each must concede something and 
all must act in harmony. Can we do it? 
I heard a talk yesterday in which a mixture bought 
through tho G. L. F. and mixed at home was compared 
with a commercial feed. The latter sells at $62 a ton. 
Tt is guaranteed 24 per cent protein, but no one knows 
how much is digestible, because the ingredients arc not 
given. The proposed mixture was 100 wheat bran. 14 
per cent protein; 100 oats and corn. 10 per eent; 100 
oilmeal, 31 per cent; 100 brewers’ grains, 26 per cent; 
100 cottonseed meal, 36 per cent. This makes a mix¬ 
ture of nearly 24 per cent protein, and it contains no 
filler. It is highly digestible. The cost in mixed cars is 
about $45 a ton. This mixture can be varied greatly 
and not particularly injure it. Before the discussion 
ended one man suggested a mixture of the following: 
200 corn and oats. 100 brewers’ grains and 100 or 43 per 
cent cottonseed meal. This figures 23 per cent protein. 
This can be had in mixed care for less than $45 a ton. 
All there is to do is for a number of farmers to get 
together, pool their needs and get a car of these feeds, 
ordering in proportion to the needs of the farmers. This 
can be ordered through the local dealer usually at a 
small margin if the money is put up by the farmers, as 
it should be. If the dealer refuses to make the order, 
then it is time to go right direct to the G. L. F. and get 
it. One to two dollars is all the dealer needs to get that 
ear of stuff, or that can be saved by direct dealing. If 
the dealer is to do the job. then he should buy of the G. 
L. F. at least a part of the time, if he can buy as cheap¬ 
ly as elsewhere. These details can be worked out locally 
if the farmers will only work together. Now let’s see 
if they can and will. Much depends on the local man 
who manages the deal. , h. h. l. 
