Land Fertilising.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 31 March 1910, Page 4

Land Fertilising.

SOME CANADIAN WISDOM

The subjoined article, on the subject of "Rational Fertilising," appeared originally in the "Canadian Farmers' Advocate": — "Which lertiliser would you advise me to buy—acid phosphate or sulphate of "potash.?" Which would you prefer to live on, broad or water It is impossible to compare fertilisers that are absolutely different and incapable of substitution one for the other. Acid phosphate supplies one «. the three essential elements

of fertility, via., phosphorus. Sulphate of potash furnishes another, potassium. Both elements are needed by every plant. Excess of one will not compensate or lack ol the j ether. "Docs thai niiean," you ask, "that if I apply one, say sinm, without phosphorus and .nitrogen, that I shall obtain no results?"' Not exactly. .Some results will likely he seen, but not nearly so good as if all the needs of live plant wore supplied. There is, of course, considerable of each element ol fertility in every soil, but not always enough in available form. Fertilising a>).:. manuring consists in supplementing the supply of these elements (and also of humus, important for its physical effects) already in the soil. Certain crops make specially heavy demands upon some one- particular element. For instance, turnips find difficulty in obtaining from the average soil _ a sufficiency of phosphorus, and for tli-is reason an application of acid phosphate alone to a turnip crop may often prove profitable', particularly if applied to a. soil already in good general heart, or if used supplementary top dressing of barnyard manure. Other crops, such as legumes and fruit trees, stand more especially in need of fertilising with potassic manures, though generally responding best to a complete fertiliser specially rich in the one element particularly needed. Hut, making reasonable allowance for special crops and special soils, the general principle remains that bast'results in manuring or fertilising will be obtained by furnishing a complete or balanced manure or fertiliser. Ordinary barnyard dung, carefully preserved, is a reasonably well-balanced manure for most crops on average soils, supplying not only nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, but •luini'us as well. Hence-, in large part, the excellent and dependable results following this mode of enrichment.

Where the supply ot barnyard manure proves inadequate, we believe the soundest policy is to adorn mid porseve-ringly follow a well-thought-out system of rotation and fertilising that will require the purchase rbiily or chiefly of the wo mineral uleiuonts of fertility, namoly, potassium and phosphonus, relyinj* on legumes to entrap from the a-t----mnepliure the thint and.most expensive element, nitrogen. The one difficulty foreseen oi'nnsing _ tho "■eneral' adoption of this rational practice is that results will be slow to appear, for not until the second round of the rotation, and possibly not until the. third, could they be exnr-t-ted to he very pronounced, i'Vw p(!opU> have the faith and patience to wait that kng. Nevertheless, the time is coming when <w. increasing number of Canadian faimer.s will be glad to wait for retuiva i : i\Tin just such a system. One thing certain is that, tor best ivsults in producing crops, a balanced ration of plant food must be provided, either naturally or artiii--inlly. Of course-, a plamt which iii-'s an iusufiicieiu'y of one element, lmt plenty of the others, is rather better off than one stinted for all three, just as a person can ondure !ni!i"-er' better than hunger, thirst and cold together. But the great principle is that nitrogen cannot substitute for potash, potash tor phosphorus, or phosphorus tor nitrogen, any moro than watf.r can substitute for food. And n similar principle applies, though not nearly so ngidly, to tho subs'lituti'in cf cue eleiiiont of nutrition for another in the food of man :uul beiist.