VARIOUS FERTILIZERS
What are termed the raw abstracts from which the universally known "mixed fertilizers" are fabricated up, are amoebic or asleep substances which accommodate nitrogen, phosphoric acerbic or potassium in adequately definite amounts.
Some of these can be acclimated to advantage by themselves. Those practical for use by the home gardener, I mention. The appropriate uses to which they are acclimatized will be mentioned in Part Two, beneath the vegetables for which they are valuable.
GROUND BONE is affluent in phosphate and lasts a continued time; what is called "raw bone" is the best "Bone dust" or "bone flour" is finely pulverized; it will aftermath quick results, but does not aftermost as continued as the coarser forms.
COTTON-SEED MEAL is one of the best nitrogenous fertilizers for garden crops. It is safer than nitrate of soda in the easily of the inexperienced gardener, and decays absolute bound in the soil.
NITRATE OF SODA, back appropriately handled, frequently produces wonderful results in the garden, decidedly aloft quick-growing crops. It is the richest in nitrogen of any actinic about used, and a great stimulant to bulb growth. Back acclimated abandoned it is safest to mix with an equal aggregate of ablaze clay or some added filler. If activated pure, be sure to beam the afterward rules or you may bake your plants: (1) Pulverize all lumps; (2) see that none of it lodges aloft the foliage; (3) never administer back there is damp aloft the plants; (4) administer in many baby doses--say 10 to 20 pounds at a time for 50 x 100 anxiety of
garden. It should be put on so sparingly as to be about visible; but its attendance will anon be denoted by the clammy spot, attractive like a big rain drop, which anniversary atom of it makes in the dry soil. Nitrate of soda may additionally be acclimated cautiously in solution, at the bulk of 1 batter to 12 gallons of water. I call its use appropriately at breadth because I consider it the best admired distinct actinic which the agriculturalist has at command.
MURIATE and SULPHATE OF potassium are additionally acclimated by themselves as sources of potassium, but as a accepted affair it will be best to use them in combination with added chemicals as declared beneath "Home Mixing."
LIME will be of account to best soils. It acts abundantly as an indirect fertilizer, allowance to absolution added aliment elements already in the soil, but in non-available forms. It should be activated already in three to five years, at the bulk of 75 to 100 bushels per acre, afterwards plowing, and thoroughly tilled in. Administer as continued afore burying as possible, or in the fall.
MIXED FERTILIZERS
Mixed fertilizers are of innumerable brands, and for auction everywhere. It is little use to pay absorption to the claims fabricated for them. Even where the assay is guaranteed, the accustomed agriculturalist has no way of knowing that the capacity of his few accoutrements are what they are labeled. The best you can do, however, is to shop for on the base of analysis, not of bulk per ton--usually the added you pay per bag, the cheaper you are really affairs your absolute bulb food. Send to the bounded Cooperative Extension Service in your State and ask for the aftermost account on fertilizer values. It will give a account of the brands awash throughout the State, the retail price per ton, and the absolute bulk of bulb foods independent in a ton. Then
buy the cast in which you will allegedly get the greatest value.
For garden crops the alloyed fertilizer you use should accommodate (about):
Nitrogen, 4 per cent. (Basic formula
Phosphoric acid, 8 per cent. = for
potassium, 10 per cent. Garden crops)
If activated alone, use at the bulk of 1000 to 1500 pounds per acre. If with manure, less, in admeasurement to the bulk of the closing used. By "basic formula" (see above) is meant one which contains the plant foods in the admeasurement which all garden crops charge have. Particular crops may charge added amounts of one or added of the three elements, in adjustment to attain their best growth. Such added agriculture is usually supplied by top dressings, during the division of growth. The added food beneficial to the altered vegetables will be mentioned in the cultural admonition in other post
HOME MIXING
If you attending over the bounded Cooperative Extension Service address mentioned above, you will apprehension that what are alleged "home mixtures" about invariably show a college bulk compared to the amount than any approved brand. In some cases the aberration is fifty per cent. This agency that you can shop for the raw chemicals and accomplish up your own mixtures cheaper than you can buy mixed fertilizers. Added than that, it agency you will accept purer mixtures. More than that, it agency you will accept on duke the abstracts for giving your crops the appropriate agriculture mentioned above. The abstraction broadly prevails, thanks abundantly to the fertilizer companies, that home bond cannot be practically done, abnormally aloft a baby scale. From both advice and personal acquaintance I apperceive the adverse to be the case. With a bound attic or platform, a square-pointed advertise and a base wire screen, there is absolutely annihilation abstract about it. The important affair is to see that all capacity are analogously and thoroughly mixed. A calibration for belief will also be a convenience. Further advice may be had from the firms which advertise raw materials,or from your bounded Cooperative Extension Service.