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A Few Combinations Are Safest

Categories: MIXTURES FOR CROPS

It is the best judgment of scientists

to-day that greater results would be obtained from the use of

commercial fertilizers if the number of formulas could be reduced to

ten, or even a less number. The satisfactory fertilizers fall into

three classes:



1. The phosphatic fertilizer, carrying phosphoric acid to land that

gets its nitrogen from clover or stable manure, and that continues

to supply its own potash. Such a fertilizer should have a high

content of phosphoric acid in order that the freight charge, per

pound of plant-food, may be as low as possible. Acid phosphate,

basic slag, and bone are chief in this group.



2. The combination of phosphoric acid and potash that is needed by

soils obtaining all required nitrogen from clover or manure. In

most instances the phosphoric acid should run higher than the

potash, but the percentage of potash should never run lower than 4.

A lower percentage of potash is not as profitable as a higher one,

provided any potash is needed. The potash content should be greater

than that of the phosphoric acid in case of some sandy soils and of

some crops of heavy leaf growth, including various garden crops.



3. The so-called "complete" fertilizer that supplies some nitrogen

with the two other plant-constituents. Such fertilizer should

furnish, with few exceptions, 3 per cent of nitrogen, if no more.



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