HOME COURSE
IN SCIENTIFIC
AGRICULTURE
FOURTEENTH ARTICLE,
COMMERCIAL FER
TILIZERS. By EDWARD B. VOOKHEES, late Director
of the New Jersey Agricultural
Experiment Stations.
THERE l perhaps no question
of jrreater importance to the
practical farmer than that of
soil fertility. To produce prof
itable crops and at the same time to
maintain and even to increase the pro
ductive capacity of the soil may rishtly
be termed "(rood farming." Many
farmers are able to do this, and the
knowledge of how to do it has teeu
largely acquired through years of ex
perience, during which the character
of the soil. Its adaptability for crops
and the methods of its niauagement
and manuring hare beeu made sub
jects of careful study, without. however,
any definite and accurate knowledge
concerning manures aud their func
tions in relation to soils aud crops
Experience is an excellent teacher. Still
a definite knowledge of the fundamen
tal principles may be substituted for
years of experience la the successful
use of manures.
The fertility of the soil would re
main practically unchanged If all the
ingredients removed in the various
farm products were restored to the
land. This is to a larne extent accom
plished by feeding the crops grown on
the farm to auimals, carefully saving
the manure and returning it to the
soil, and where It is practicable to pur
sue a system of stock feeding in which
those products of the farm which are
comparatively poor In fertilizing con
stituents are exchanged In the market
for feeding stuffs of high fertilizing
value the loss of soli fertility may be
reduced to a minimum, or there may
be an actual gain In fertility.
A careful study of the present condi
tion of farming in the United States In
dicates, however, that as a rule the
manure produced on the farm is not
sufficient to maintain its fertility and
that the need for artificial supplies Is
real, though the amount required may
be considerably reduced by careful
management
In the system of so called "grain
farming." which has obtalued over
large areas of this country for a long
time and Is still practiced, the live
stock is often limited to a number suf
ficient only to the needs of the farm
for labor and food. The grain is sold,
and the manure is made np chiefly of
the natural wastes or unsalable ma
terial, such as straw, stalks, etc. The
prain contains proportionately greater
amounts of nltmcen and mineral con
Ktitueuts than these wastes. Hence the
practice continued for a long time re
sults not only in a deficiency In the soil
of organic substances containing nitro
gen, but also in uu exhaustion of the
mineral substances. The original char
acter of the soil and its treatment
measure the rate of exhaustion. The
less fertile soils of the east and south
are rapidly depleted, while the rich
prairies and river bottoms maintain
their fertility for a longer period.
The continuous cotton aud tobacco
growing of the south and the wheat
growing of the west are even more
exhaustive, since here the demands
upon the soil are not changed. Vear
after ye:ir the same crop is grown,
and the same kind and proportion o
constituents are required, while even
slighter returns are made In the way
of manure than in the system of farm
ing Just described. L'nder such con
ditions the decomposition of the or
ganic matter in the soil is accompa
nied by proportionately greater losses
of nitrogen. Moreover, the land is left
bare for a large part of the year, and
its fertility is thereby still further de
creased. The crops become less abun
dant each year, not because the soli Is
entirely exhausted, but because it is so
fur exhausted of those constituents
essential to the special crop grown that
its production is no longer profitable.
Changed conditions of fanning,
which have an Important bearing on
this point are. first. Increased cost of
labor and lower prices of many of the
products of one crop fanning, and.
second, an increasing demand for mar
ket garden products and fruit. I-'or
example, in growing wheat, the labor
of preparing the soli, of sowing and of
harvesting is practically the same,
whether the yield is ten bushels per
acre or thirty bushels, and the same is
true of a number of other crops; hence
In case of the larger yield the cost of
labor per bushel is materially reduced.
Meager crops of a relatively low value
cannot be produced profitably with
high priced labor. Soils of a high de
gree of fertility are required In order
to produce large yields of these crops
The return to the soli of only the
wastes of the farm lends sooner or
later to a decreased fertility, however
good the management may be; hence
the need of supplies of plant food from
sources outside the farm In order that
maximum crops may be produced.
It has been demonstrated In the case
of market garden crops that even very
fertile soils contain too little available
food to Insure a maximum production.
This Is esieclally true where rapidity
of growth, eurliness and Mjjl) quality
ef produce are Important factors. The
arvua now ueceicMirlly devote to these
cnps arv so grvt that the amount of
farm manures available is much too
imall. Hosides, (he constituents con
tained In such manure, being in part
but slowly available, are less useful
limn the more active forms contained
in commercial fertilizing materials.
Market garden crops are In a sense
artificial crops aud, as a rule, uccd
artificial supplies of plant finxl.
fruit culture, an Industry of grow
ing luqortanoe. is profitable, particu
larly on the poorer soils near the east
era markets, largely In proportion to
the amounts of the mineral elements
applied lu excess of those contained in
soils otherwise well adapted to the
crops. A proper supply of food not
only enables the trees to resist unfa
vorable condition, but improves the
quality of the fruit and prolongs tho
Invirlug period of the orchards aud
vineyards.
It will be thus seen that commercial
fertilizers can be used most advan
tageously either la reenforeing farm
manures lu general or In providing a
generous supply of quickly available
plant food in specialized. Intensive
farming. It should be tho aim iu ap
plying such fertilliers to supplement
rather than to replace entirely the
manurial resource of the farm, for
the host results from their application
may he secured only on soils well
stocked with organic matter thumusf,
a material that can he maintained iu
the soil only by the systematic appli
cation of the bulky barnyard or green
manures.
Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash
are the constituents niost likely to be
deficient in soils or most quickly ex
hausted by the production aud removal
of crops. They arc known as "essen
tial" fertilizing constituents, and the
value of a commercial fertilizer is de
termined almost exclusively by the
amount and form of the nitrogen.
phosphoric add and potash which It
contains. It does not follow, however.
that all soils, or crops will resnd
equally to application of materials
containing these elements, for the
needs of soils aud the requirements of
crops vary.
Soils differ as to their needs for
specitic fertility elements, owing ei
ther to their method of formation or
to their management and cropping. A
sandy soil Is usually deficient In all
the essential plant food constituents
nitrogen, phosphoric acid ami potash-
while a clayey soil usually contains
the mineral elements In abundance,
particularly potash. On the other
hand, a soil very rich in vegetable
matter is frequently deficient In min
eral matter, while a limestone soil Is
likely to contain considerable pru;or
tions of phosphoric acid.
These are the Indications In a gen
eral way, and they explain why It Is
that different kinds of soil that have
not been cropped differ as to their
need of the different fertilizing con
stituents. Methods of management and crop
ping also exert an Influence. For ex
ample, soils of equal natural fertility
may not respond equally to uniform
methods of fertilization, because Id
the one case a single crop requiring for
its growth proportionately more of one
of the essential elements than of nil;
other Is grown year after year, ami It
may be that the element required is
the one that exists In the soil iu least
quantity.
(In the other hand, crops mny tic
grown that demand but minimum
amounts of the element In question.
Summarizing the conclusions of sci
ence and practical oxfierienoe In regard
to the use of commercial fertilizers. It
may I said:
First Commercial fertilizers are
mainly valuable because they furnish
the elements nitrogen. phq,horIc
acid and potash which serve as food,
not as stimulants.
Second. The kind of farming In the
past and the demands for special prjd
ucts In the present make their use uec
essary In profitable farming.
Third. In order to use them profita
bly the farmer should know
la) That nitrogen, phosphoric acid
and potash are the essential manurial
constituents.
(b) That the agricultural value of
these constituents depends largely
upon their chemical form.
() That these forms are contained
in specific products of a well defined
character and composition and may be
purchased as such from dealers and
manufacturers and may be mixed suc
cessfully on the farm.
Fourth. The agricultural value of a
fertilizer bears no strict relation to
the commercial value. The one Is de
termined by soil, crop and climatic
conditions, the other by market and
trade conditions only.
Fifth. The variations in the compo
sition and value of manufactured fer
tilizers wlil'-h contain the three essen
tial constituents nre due to variations
in the character and In the proportion
of the materials used.
Sixth. The ton basis alone Is not a
safe guide In the purchase of these
commercial fertilizers. Low ton prices
mean either low content of good forms
of plant food or the use of poorer
forms. Fertilizers, high grade both In
quality and quantity of plant food,
cannot be purchased at a low price per
ton.
Seventh.-The best fertilizers cannot
exert their full effect on soils that nre
too dry or too wet. too compact or too
porous. They can furnish but one of
the conditions of fertility.
F.ighth. The kind and amount to use
should be determined by the value of
the crop grown and Its power of ac
quiring food.
Ninth. A definite system or plan
should be adopted In the use of fertili
zers. "Hit or miss" methods are sel
dom satisfactory and frequently wry
expensive.
WH I t-l-M I ! I ! t !Wf
A LITTLE FARM.
IUU Arm bought s fiirm last erae
The htrs't on for tittles arouml
llr cmiMn t till ll well t.-auM
'Tae -slli'iHt ovwr loo much
gmtimt
IU could n. l krtp the wtnMa cut
down.
Nor jroultl he taerp'th fences up.
lit hud lo ll sttd move to town
And now owns notion but a imp
Jim llomtelii1 bought Itttle tra.'t
80 smalt tltnl n hen he atari.! out
Polks Inughetl al him. but 'tis s
fact
That he Is rich now anil about
As frve from car ss he couM lis
And lea.le s IK that's full of
charm
Its tlltnt ihs soil so wrll that lis
Jual matin II wur Hint mils farm.
Charli-s It. Mvlvri In American
ASTtcuiturlal
-I M-t Wii i H t iW H-i M
TYING UP A FLEECE.
Directions For tho Propor Caro of ths
Wool Grower's Crop,
First, all the tag lock must be re
moved, whether they be dung or
grease sad dirt, writes W. C. Coffey
of the Illinois station, describing the
proper way to tie up fleece; second,
the fleece should be carefully rolled
up by hand (not In wool box), with
no ends or stray locks protruding and
with the Deob side out; third, the
fleece should be tied with a hsrd.
glatcd twine, not larger than one
eighth Inch In diameter. In tying (he
end of the twine especial care should
be taken to make a Arm, hard knot
that will not slip
Tag lock nre not so common that
their presence In fleecv from farm
flocks Is the rule rather than an ex
ceptlon. The total effect of leaving
them on fleooes Is bad. It puts our
wools In bad standing with wool
houses and miinufaclurers. Long (Mil
tinned. It has led to the only logical
result namely, discrimination lu price"
against our wool
Careful rolling, with the flesh side
out and no ends or stray lock show-
j lug. adds greatly to the appearance of
the fleece. It also prevents mixing
the wool from different fleeces, and.
by the way, each fleece should tie tied
to Itself. In the wool warehouse It
I Is a pretty sight to c the heaps of
I graded wool faced with a tier of care
I fully rollid ami tied fleeces.
GOOD FOR THE GRUNTERS.
This Handy Swill Barrel Doesn't Nssd
Much Material or Labor.
A very bandy swill barrel for find
ing a lot of hogs when they come
crowding nmnml the trough Is made
as follows, stys the Iowa Homestead,
from which article and Illustration are
reproduced.
The barrel A Is set on a small pint
form lmmisrte!y above a trough. 11,
next to the hydrant 0, which hit a
goose neck so that water can be drnwn
Into the barrel directly from the hy
drant In the center of the bottom of
the barrel Is bored
a two inch auger
hole which Is kept
closed by means of
a plug. C, the han
dle of which Is
HANKY nwtnk H.KDKH.
made of an old broom handle and long
enough to reach to the top uf the bur
rel.
Swill Is made of ground feed, and
when It Is desirable to feed the bogs
all the operator has to do Is to stir
the swill ami pull the plug, and the
swill runs out Into the trough without
any trouble.
When enough has run out the plug
may be returned to its place, and In
this way there Is no spilling or han
dling of swill The trough may be of
any convenient length.
Spring Cultur of Wheat.
Harrowing wheat lu the spring Is a
practice that is receiving considerable
attention of lute years. Where the
ground is compacted hurd from beating
rains of early spring, followed by rath
er dry weather, the harrowing of wheat
with u drug harrow Is good practice.
So fur experiments have shown at
the Missouri station, however, the har
rowing of wheat is not always suffi
ciently beneflciul to pay for the work,
although where one burrows lu clover
seed at the same time the practice 1
usually a paying one.
Where the wheat Is badly "heaved"
the use of a heavy roller In the early
spring Is a good practice. All depends,
however, upon the extent of the "heav
ing" Kill ths Rats and 8avs Chicks.
Ill answer to a subscriber who com
plains of rats getting away with his
young chicks and requesting a remedy
for exterminating the rodents, 'a corre-
I spondent of the Kunsas City Farmer
i says that If powdered sulphur and cay
I enne pepper are scattered around the
rnt holes the vermin will disappear
Another remedy Is to scatter powder
ed lye around their holes. The lye
will stl -k to the rat's feet. He com
mences to lick them, which causes
death.
Why Rely on Corn?
In sections where corn has not prov
ed a success It Is folly to rely upon
corn. In such sections there are crops
which do succeed, and It Is the part of
Intelligence to plant them. Kaffir, mllo
and other crops grow and do well
where corn falls. Then why rely on
corn? Farm and Ranch.
rr.
" The LIFE of a wagon is what counts I
that's why I buy a Studebaker' 1
"Tluit's reasonable, isn't it ?
"A wngnn that doran't last i ripmwv no rnMtcf
what price you pay for it,"
"Suppose you buy three vnnns, on nftrr (lie
otlirr, ft mi the three of thrm don't hint Ion i on a
iHuJrbiilter which it tho tct hnrnin "
I ,ulnt fiml (hit out rnvsvl. h-td my ffn HalW ivit
poo, many yeara g.K I it u, ha .tl pfuvnl tltat ii t. to buy
iiUilrlkert I followed hti fttlvue la my owu mi if Action'
' "A WAffon crni'l hv lifa in it unlM it baa (Ke i-nMirri l an.l
work mil) finuh in it I ho JuuilrhaLff peoplo hAvo ht makm-i
vt-ltK Ira (W tity yrr. 1 hey ought to know how to mke sn
light antl they clo, 'Wry have tli rrputaltnn b-iiMt (hry'vrt
prtnlured tho gomi. 1 hry chnt put the namfl i'tu,t"hilitr on
tinttl lh WAttott i rtfH n4 hrn yu tho nam iStuJebaki r
on a vrhUlo of any ktnJ it ia your intufstiwo uf quuiv.
MTKat' why 1 buy a 5tuIrbnkrr. Ittut $mlrhkr wKn
bsM-aurt t trust lh tmla that itmka thrm. li t KJ buu ."
"A StuJcbkor prutn tj twya mmle -jooU."
5 out DtuUr
H
STUDIXAKER
D. P. Adamson & Co.,
Druggists
For Drugs, Patent Medicine, Chemicals
Lowney's Candies, Ice Cream Soda, Sta
tionery and Prescription tee
D. P. Adamson & Co.
DeLAVAL
Cream Separators
Sold on Easy Terms
Pioneer
Prineville, Oregon
NIGHT TRAIN SERVICE DAILY
Through Between
Cent'l Oregon! Portland
Beginning Sunday. June 22d, 1913
Tourist Sleeping Cars and First-Class Coaches
This service in in lion of the day trains run heretofore. The
train will leave Bend at 8:30 p. in.; DeHchuteR, 8:48 p. nr..; Red
mond, 9:10 p. m.; Terrebonne, 9:24 p. m.; Culver, 10:02 p. m,;
MetoliuH 10:20 p. m.; Madras 10:30 p. tn.; Mecca, 11:08 p. m.;
Maupin, 12:40 a. m.; Bherar, 1:08 a. m., arrive Portland 8:10 a. tn.
Leave Portland 7:00 p. m., arrive Bherar 3:03 a. m.; Iiiu
pin, 3:20 a. art,; Mecca, 5:18 a. m.; Madras, 6:00 a. m.; Metolius,
6:13 a. m.; Culver, 6:28 a. m.; Terrebonne, 7:08 a. m.; Redmond,
7:23 a. m.; DeHchutes, 7:43 a. m.; Bend, 8:00 a. m.
Connections are made in Portland to and from Willamette
Valley and I'uget Sound points.
Fares and schedules and details will be furninhed on
application or .by letter.
W. C. WILKES, ' R, ll. CROZIER,
Asst. Gen. F. & P. Agent. , Asst. Gen. Pass. Agent.
.11. BAUKOL, Agent, Redmond, Ore. 6 19-tf
ot wilt ui.
Soulli DonJ, I
t N t R
Cream Co.
CENTRAL OREGON LINE
HAVE YOU
I ilfil your Drrtl? Of Course.
HAVE YOU
An Almtrnct)
(Vrlnlnly I'Vervniir hue an ahelrart now,
I in von snow where ytnir comers lira.
U ell, Nil, Not viactly,
Brcwiler Engineering Company,
I'mmvilln, Orviiiin, will liaato Ihein ..r
vou and ifiiaiaiilc tlm wmk. Surirv
liitf, I'laitluK, Irrigation Kiitliuariiif,
riion rioncor iv.
i " RECEPTION "
Champ Smith, Propr
J Imported and Domeitic
1
i
Cigars
Famous Whiskiet
A Old Crow; I Icrmitngc; Red
Top Rycj Yellow Stone, r
I, Cttnudirm Cluhj Crenm r
4 Rye; lames IL Peniier: t
Moore Malt.
4
si
j t Porter, Ale and Olympia
j ej Draft Beer on Tap.
j :
1 4 Imported Wine and
J
Liquors.
4
The Brosius Bar
Finest Brands of Wines,
Liquors and Cigar.
LAGER BEER ON DRAUGHT
F. E. BROSIUS, Proprietor
Coroner's Coctail
Mix lliron thorns (lirln wilh
as iiui n y men nmt souk in
rliiuil'iiiKti until iiiiilnnlil.
Hciii'cn inlii nn RUto, Ailil it
il rli ill joy ntiil ii drunken
fliiiuffiir. Slmki) well. Servo at
seventy miles nn hour
Ami iln not (nrifet that wci ilo
nil kiu.li of photo work. 1(
you rt WHiiliti); liuyinn or
liarvestiiiK iii'Hiri'ii, not our
prices. Wo am ctiiiHlmitly
milling hew ninrutn mid
doinjj better work. See our
latent work nnil lie ronvinreil.
Amateur HiiIhIiIiiu dune neatly
anil quickly. Mall orders at
tended to iriniiitly. l'lioto
Work c xrliauifcd (or wood.
LAFLERS STUDIO
We Strive to 1'leaHU
Fruit Trees! 8
Central Oregon Grown
The only klml you can nffonl
to plant. ILLUSTRATED
..-.TALOGUE FREE. ,Vrtto
for one, I'rlrcH low ciiiiukIi
to mirprlne you,
Lafollette Nursery Co.
Prineville, (t fl Oregon
The Oregon Bar
At the Old Stand
G. W. Wiley & Co., Prps
All kinds of Choice Liquors
Wines and Cigars.
Famous Ranier Beer in
Bottles and on Draft.