W* RURAL NEW-YORKER 
437 
Home-Mixe 
The low price which was received for the 1020 potato 
crop as compared with the cost of production, has made 
many growers feel that some way must be found to re¬ 
duce the cost of production. There seems to be a rather 
general feeling that a start may be made along this line 
just at this time by buying the raw materials and mix¬ 
ing the fertilizer on the farm. However, a good many 
farmers hesitate to undertake this because they do not 
fully understand the composition of the raw materials 
and the methods of combining these to make a mixture 
with a definite formula. 
It is safe to say that most growers will use for the 
1921 crop a formula closely approaching one of the fol- 
ng: 
Ammonia 
Phosphoric 
Potash 
% 
% 
% 
4 
8 
Q 
O 
4 
8 
5 
5 
10 
6 
This means, in tin' case of the first formula, for ex¬ 
ample, 4 lbs. of ammonia, 8 lbs. of phosphoric acid, and 
3 lbs. of potash to the 100 lbs., or 20 times these 
amounts per ton. that is, SO, 100 and 00 lbs., respect¬ 
ively. in the ton. The next step is to find how much 
of the raw materials will be required to furnish the 80 
lbs. of nitrogen. 100 lbs. of phosphoric acid and 00 lbs. 
of potash. This, of course, will depend upon the ma¬ 
terials used. In the majority of cases, acid phosphate 
will be used to supply the phosphoric acid and the mu¬ 
riate or sulphate of potash for the potash. 
The greatest difficulty comes in deciding on the ma¬ 
terials to supply nitrogen. In making this decision 
there are three important factors to he considered, 
namely : 
(1) Which material is most efficient, considering both 
availability and the possibility of nitrogen losses? 
(2) The mechanical condition of the mixture. 
(3 The cost per unit of nitrogen. 
A fertilizer may be ever so efficient from the avail¬ 
ability standpoint, but if it clogs the drill or becomes 
hard in the bags it is not an efficient fertilizer. To 
overcome such mechanical difficulties it. is sometimes 
necessary to use more of the less readily available ma¬ 
terials than one would choose to use. Likewise, for the 
same reason, it may be necessary to pay ns much as or 
more per unit of nitrogen for a slowly available ma¬ 
terial than one would have to pay for the readily avail¬ 
able compounds. 
In a four-year test at Elmer, Salem Co.. N. .T.. using 
1.000 lbs. per acre of a 4-8-3, better results were se¬ 
cured. on the average, when one-half the nitrogen was 
secured from nitrate of soda, and one-half from another 
source, than when all the nitrogen was taken from one 
material. During three out of the four years, nitrate 
nitrogen gave better results than the organic forms of 
nitrogen. The exception noted in the fourth year—1920 
—was undoubtedly due to the fact that this was a wet 
season and. therefore, greatly favored the organic ma¬ 
terials. 
Tn the same experiment the following are the four- 
year averages when varying amounts of potash were 
used : 
1.600 lbs. 4-8-0 . 230 bu. per acre 
1.600 lbs. 4-8-3. 207 bu. per acre 
1.600 lbs. 4-8-6. 283 bu. per acre 
1.600 lbs. 4-8-10. 280 bu. per acre 
A 4-8-3 might well he made as follows: 
Ebs. 
Nitrate of soda. 200 
Ammonium sulphate . 100 
9 per cent tankage. 210 
for 11 per cent fish. 17.1 lbs.) 
16 per cent acid phosphate. 1,000 
Muriate or sulphate of potash. 120 
Total. 1,630 
It should be noted that the total weight is 370 lbs. 
short of a ton. but that this 1,630 lbs. contains just as 
much plant food as 2.000 lbs. of a commercial 4-8-3, 
and that the ingredients are just as available as those 
in (he latter. It can. therefore, replace 2,000 lbs. of a 
commercial 4-S-3 and thus save the freight and handling 
of 370 lbs. 
It it is made up to 2.000 lbs., this must he done either 
by using a filler (which adds no plant food) or by using 
a larger quantity of a low-grade organic material and 
less of the high-grade materials, thus giving a less avail¬ 
able and therefore less efficient fertilizer. 
The 4-8-5 may be made in the same way except that 
it will be necessary to use 200 lbs. of the muriate or 
sulphate of potash instead of 120 lbs. 
A 5-10-6 may be made as follows: 
Ebs. 
Nitrate of soda. 200 
Ammonium sulphate. 125 
11 per cent fish. 300 
(or 9 per cent tankage, 365 lbs.) 
16 per cent acid phosphate. 1.250 
Muriate or sulphate of potash. 240 
Total. 2.115 
It will he noted that this gives 115 lbs. over the ton. 
If, however, it is desired to work on the ton basis it 
would_be entirely permissible to cut the acid phosphate 
bv 11.) lbs., since the fish for tankage) would easily 
supply enough phosphoric acid to make up for this re¬ 
duction in the amount of acid phosphate. The phos¬ 
phoric acid of the fish and tankage is not quite so avail¬ 
able as. that of the acid phosphate, but the difference 
with this small amount would not be appreciable. 
This mixture has the advantage of tiding an excep¬ 
tionally high-grade fertilizer. Sixteen hundred pounds 
of this contains almost as much plant food as 2.000 lbs. 
of a commercial 4-8-5. 
The nitrate of soda and ammonium sulphate will fur¬ 
nish quickly available nitrogen and the fish or tankage 
will serve to keep the mixture in a good mechanical 
condition. 
For sandy loam soils of only moderate quality it 
would probably be a waste of materials to use more than 
1.200-1,500 lbs. of this fertilizer per acre. For heavier 
soils that are kept under a high state of cultivation it 
is possible that one might be justified in using 1.500- 
1.800 lbs. per acre. 
In the Elmer test, already referred to. the following 
four-year averages were obtained with different amounts 
of a 4-8-3: 
d Potato 
Check (no fertilizer). 185 bu. per acre 
800 lbs. 4-8-3. 232 bu. per acre 
1.200 lbs. 4-8-3. 261 bu. per acre 
1.600 lbs. 4-8-3. 267 bu. per acre 
2.000 lbs. 4-8-3. 279 bu. per acre 
2.400 lbs. 4-8-3. 296 bu. per acre 
2.800 lbs. 4-8-3 . 304 bu. per acre 
The mixing of the fertilizer is not a difficult task. The 
materials may be put down in layers on a wood or con¬ 
crete floor, shoveled over three or four times, and then 
passed through a screen such as is used by masons. In 
the heart of one of the potato sections of Middlesex Co.. 
N. J., one firm is mixing about 5.000 tons of potato 
fertilizer annually, in this way. and so far as the writer 
knows, there is no complaint of a lack of uniformity in 
the fertilizer thus prepared. A. w. BLAIR. 
New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. 
Averaging Commission Sales 
My commission man reports as follows: 
“'The apples sold at different prices, 90c per bushel 
the highest price obtained, and we averaged them up, 
making 80c a bushel. Some sold as low as 70c a bushel.” 
Will you inform me as to the law in making up sales 
account to the shipper? It seems that is too indefinite 
a report. There are other points in the sales account 
that are hardly clear, but I am anxious to learn whether 
there is a rule governing the form of sales account. 
New York. c. E. E. 
Section 288 of Article 12-A of the Agricultural Law 
reads as follows: “Every commission merchant 
shall, upon the receipt of farm produce and as he 
handles and disposes of the same, make a record 
thereof, specifying the name and address of the con¬ 
signor. the date of receipt, the kind and the quality 
of such produce, the amount of goods sold, the selling 
price thereof and the items of expense connected 
therewith, and this record, together with payment in 
settlement of said shipment, shall he mailed to the 
consignor within forty-eight hours, unless otherwise 
agreed.” 
The law does not specify the form or rule under 
which account of sales must he made, hut it does 
specify that the record give the “selling price.” and 
it goes without saying that the record must he accu¬ 
rate, and it is not an accurate record to report apples 
that sold for 80c when some of them sold at 90c and 
others at 70c. The shipper is clearly entitled to a 
report that will show the exact number of barrels 
that sold -at the different prices. Any other practice 
would encourage abuses. 
The Canadian Milk Problem 
The proposed “emergency tariff” puts a duty of 
two cents a gallon on liquid milk and five cents a 
gallon on cream. There have been many calls for 
the figures showing what our imports of milk amount 
to, and why Canadians can make milk at lower cost. 
The officers of the New England Milk Producers' 
Association have compiled State-wide figures on 
this subject. They say that in 1920 a total of 
4.120,000 gallons of milk and cream were imported 
into this country. Of this 3.900.000 gallons came 
through Vermont and St. Lawrence customs dis¬ 
tricts, and was distributed in New York, Boston and 
smaller cities. In 1913 this country sent 800.000 lbs. 
of butter to Canada, while in 1919 we imported 
2.700,000 lbs. from our neighbor. While formerly we 
sent 150,000 lbs. of cheese to Canada, the balance of 
trade is now about even. The Canadians are de¬ 
veloping their milk and cream trade, and in a few 
years it would, if left untaxed, greatly increase. 
But how can the Canadians produce milk cheaper 
than we do? The following figures are given in 
answer: 
C<*st100 Cost 1 lb. Cost 1 lb. 
lbs. milk. 
blitter. 
cheese. 
New England States. 
. 3.79 
.62 
.379 
Province of Quebec... 
.51 
.326 
.11 
,053 
Tn obtaining these figures the Warren formula is 
worked out as follows, with the quantities of feed 
required to make 100 lbs. of milk: 
Grain. 23.79 lbs. at $76 per ton. $1.28 
Ilay. 43.3 lbs. at $21 per ton.45 
Dry fodder. 10.8 lbs. at $10 per ton. .11 
Silage. 100.5 lbs. at $8 per ton.40 
Labor, 3.01 hours at .253.76 
Total ... $3.00 
This represents 79 per cent of cost: therefore final 
cost of 100 lbs. is $3.79. That is for the New Eng¬ 
land States. The figures for Quebec dairymen are 
the same for grain, hay and fodder. Canadian silage 
is figured at $7. or $1 less per ton, while Canadian 
labor in valued at .193 cents per hour—six cents less 
than the' American. Instead of figuring the total 
cost of feed at 79 per cent of the total cost, the Can¬ 
adian feed represents 85 per cent. That is deduced 
Fertilizers 
from a study of barn records on both sides of the 
line. These records show that most Canadian farm¬ 
ers have less expensive barns, less dairy equipment 
and a less laborious method. 
The prices of hay and grain are taken from the 
regular market reports. Some of the Canadian grain 
costs are lower; for instance, bran averages about 
$5 per ton cheaper in Montreal than in Boston. 
Labor figures are taken from the public reports, and 
show that on the average labor is cheaper in Canada, 
which, of course, gives a lower cost to such a feed 
as silage. The figures show, therefore, that under 
present conditions the Canadians are making milk 
about 53 cents a hundred cheaper than dairymen 
on this side of the line, while, apparently, our own 
consumers receive no benefit, from this lower cost. 
Maintain the Character [of the Geneva 
Station 
I want to commend the attitude you have taken in 
regard to the candidacy of Prof. TJ. P. Hedrick for the 
directorship of the Geneva (N. Y.) Agricultural Experi¬ 
ment Station. 
We need to maintain research. We have catered to 
extension teaching to an extent which is out of propor¬ 
tion to our research activity. Geneva Station stands 
for research. Most of the easy problems in agriculture 
have been touched upon. I use the word advisedly, 
many of them have not been thoroughly investigated. 
Many of the big problems which take decades to solve 
are awaiting solution. 
Geneva Station has stood for attacking certain lines 
of work. Prof. Hedrick is well versed, not only in re¬ 
gard to the policy of the station, but also the problems 
which are now in process of investigation, and he is 
a man who will continue this work in the manner in 
which it was begun. 
The State has_ been wise to maintain its director, 
Dr. Jordan, for 2.> years; it will be wise if it maintains 
the policy of the institution, and I believe Prof. Hedrick 
will do so. The research work in regard to fruit and 
dairying at Geneva places that station in the front rank. 
It is a most economical institution. It receives compar- 
tively little support for the work it in doing. It has 
^set a standard for all other agricultural experiment 
stations in many ways. Some of these are: 
It. does not try to cover too much territory. 
It. attacks fundamental problems. 
It undertakes to solve problems which cannot be 
solved except by scientists. 
I he director has fought hard to save the time and 
energy of Ins staff, and not have their time broken and 
often frittered away in extension teaching. He has 
consistently maintained that his was a research institu¬ 
tion, and it is as such that it should be maintained. 
We have other agencies in the State for extension 
teaching. 
1'his station undertakes problems requiring decades; 
the problems of agriculture cannot be solved in a year, 
and tin* people of New 5 ork are wise when they give 
the director and his staff time enough. There should 
be no hurry, either in doing the work or printing the 
results. One needs an infinite capacity for taking pains 
if lie would find the solution to many of our farm prob¬ 
lems. These are some of the established policies at 
Geneva., and the great need of American institutions is 
continuity of purpose, and such is not secured by con¬ 
stant change in personnel. 
I believe the best interests of the State and of agri¬ 
culture will be served by the policy of maintaining the 
established methods, and that same will he done by the 
promotion of Prof Hedrick to the directorship of the 
Geneva Experiment Station. SAMUEL FRASER. 
A Note From Southern California 
A New England Y'ankee who is spending the Winter 
in Southern California makes some observations about 
agricultural operations in a recent R. N.-Y. It is 
hardly safe for a tourist to generalize about California. 
The “barren land, unproductive as a desert” that he 
speaks of is unpromising now. certainly, but with the 
advent of the first rain hundreds of teams and tractors 
will be seen preparing the land for barley hay, and thou¬ 
sands of acres that have been already sown in anticipa¬ 
tion of the rain will turn green almost over night. BET 
(I capitalize the'but, and with reason) it may not rain. 
I have been here five years, and every year there has 
been rain enough to make the crop, but old residents 
tell me there have been years when no rain fell, and 
the seed and labor of the barley farmers went to 
naught' But, take year in and year out, the barley 
farmers are a prosperous lot, and a bad year does not 
tend to make them quit. 
As to oranges, this is not an orange county. San Bar- 
nardino and Riverside counties are the orange counties, 
and even before the war $800 to $1,000 net receipts to 
the acre excited no comment. Tn this county, San Diego, 
lemons are the one best bet, but no novelist ever wrote 
a tale more exciting than the history of the lemon indus¬ 
try. In 1912 a neighbor who owns five acres of lemons 
sold his crop for $4,500. on the trees. In 1913 the 
freeze came and he got nothing. In 1915 the trees had 
about recovered, but the price was excessively low. But 
then came the war high prices and the lemon growers 
paid off their debts, bought automobiles and the like. 
Soon, however, a cloud appeared in the sky, no bigger 
than a man’s hand ; the high price of sugar, and a cor¬ 
responding drop in the price of lemons. Then, after 
the war. the rate of exchange on Italian money is such 
that if the Sicilian grower gets one United State dollar 
where he formerly got. three he is happy, and conse¬ 
quently he is flooding this country with lemons. A few 
days ago I was offered 10 tons of lemons if I would 
pick them off the trees, but I declined, as the price here 
now is $6 the ton. But if anyone thinks he may there¬ 
fore buy lemon groves at bargain prices he has yet 
something to learn. 
There is, however, one feature of Southern California 
so evident that the way-faring man. though a fool, can¬ 
not help noticing, and that is the climate. I started this 
season to plant early potatoes before the late tomatoes 
had their final picking. p. b. crosby. 
