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The Filler

Categories: HOME-MIXING OF FERTILIZERS

There has been much misleading use of the word "filler,"

as applied to fertilizers. We have seen that a pure grade of dried

blood contains about 13 per cent of nitrogen. The buyer of a ton of

dried blood thus gets about 260 pounds of plant-food. The remaining

1740 pounds constitute what may be called nature's "filler." The blood

is a good fertilizer. We do not buy nitrogen in a pure state. We buy a

ton of material to g
t the needed 260 pounds of nitrogen. Thus it is

with nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, acid phosphate, muriate and

sulphate of potash, and all other fertilizer materials. As freight must

be paid upon the entire ton, it usually pays best to select materials

that run high in percentage of plant-food. It is possible to get very

low-grade fertilizers that have not had any foreign material added by

the manufacturer. An acid phosphate may be poor in phosphoric acid

because low-grade rock was used in its manufacture. Kainit is a

low-grade potash because the impurities have not been taken out. Filler

may be used, however, for two reasons, and one is legitimate. When

limestone or similar material is used merely to add weight, reducing

the value per ton, the practice is reprehensible. The extent of this

practice is less than many suppose, preference being given to the use

of low-grade materials in making very low-priced fertilizers.



A legitimate use of filler is to give good physical condition to a

fertilizer. Some materials, such as nitrate of soda and muriate of

potash, take up moisture and then become hard. The addition of peat or

limestone or other absorbent is necessary to keep the mass in condition

for drilling. The use of some steamed animal bone or high-grade tankage

in the mixture helps to prevent caking. The home-mixer can use a drier

without loss, as he does not pay freight upon it. Dry road dust will

serve his purpose. His need of a drier may be greater than that of the

manufacturer, as he probably will use only high-grade unmixed

materials. If the use of the home-mixture is immediate, no drier to

prevent caking is needed, but its presence facilitates drilling.

Storage of unmixed materials in a dry place is an aid in maintaining

good condition.



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