THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER
-
FACTS ABOUT FERTILIZERS
IL Nitrogen: WherevObtametl and the Forms in Which It I Used
v By TAIT BUTLER
r
i'
96 (12) :
i i i I t n I" " " I' " 1 1 f ,r
H '
'ii: t; .fl
f ,
fill
.-
V'l $
! f J 1
III-
ifi'r
(if! -
lit
4 i -
mm
i
" V ),? '
I ' I 'I i
3 4'' .
4 4 V
mil "
t j - .A'
mm
M
m . ' - I
ou know where the
ANIMAL MATTER
in Armour Fertilizers comes
from. You may have grown
the hogs and cattle,
ArmourFertilizers are GOOD
for your land GOOD for
your crops GOOD for your
pocketbook GOOD for your
disposition a GOOD all
'round investment
w - . ...
From the farm
back tothe farm
Armour Fertilizer Works
Atlanta, Ga. Jacksonville, Fla. Greensboro, N. C. New Orleans, La.
Nashville, Teno. Baltimore, Md. Chicago, 111.
NITROGEN s the plant food which We have already seen that the ni
costs most when bought in com- trogen in thesbil is largely inthe or
mercial form and also the one ganic matter or, humus.Vor in forms
which mosi largely affects, crop pro- resulting in the decay of organic
duction. , . matter, a small amount is: washed
The nitrogen in the soil may be in down into the Joil from the air by
the form of "nitra- es," m the form rain. Viviafu estimates that from three
of ammonia, or in the organic matter to eight pounds of nitrogen per acre
which has not yet been entirely de- per year is brought down from the
composed. That is,v the humus or air; into the soil in -this wayt
humus forming materials in the soil Whilewe . know that four-fifths of
contain a large part of the nitrogen the air Js nitrogen and that there are
in the soil. The organic matter of tons upon Jons of it over every acre,
the soils, that is, the bodies of plants we are not now interested in this
and animals, supply thg humus and store of nitrogen. We are now deal-
hitroeen;of the soils, but-as the or- ing with the supplies of commercial
ganic matter decays, or what mean$
the same thing, undergoes: chemical
changes, ammonia and nitrates - are
formed and in these substances the
nitrogen is available or readily be
comes available for feeding the
plants. ; ' .r . '
Amount of Nitrogen in Soils!.
nitrogen, which may be purchased
and used for furnishing the immedi
ate needs of our crops. K
Sources of Commercial Nitrogen
TJERE again we find the supplies in
"organic form,-such-as cottonseed
meal, blood, tankagefish scrap, etc.;
or in ammonia sulphate, or in nitrates
A SOIL which contains .2 per cent " like nitrate of soda, calcium nitrate,
of nitrogen or' 4000 pounds in etc.
2,000,000 pounds, on the top six or
seven inches,. of the soil over an acre,
would ' be regarded as a fairly rich
soil in nitrogen. Such a soil contains
a store of nitrogen in - every acre
worth around $1000, at the present and become available for feeding the
cost of nitrogen in cottonseed meal, crops. , The nitrogen in these organic
A soil containing only .02 per cent of forms, of course, is not so readily
nitrogen; or 400 pounds in the top available for feeding the crops as the
six or seven inches over an acre, nitrogen in ammonia compounds and
would be regarded as quite a poor in nitrates. These organic; materials
soil, and yet, at 'the present cost of also' contain more or less phosphorus
nitrogen in cottonseed meal, say 28 and some of them smaller but appre-
cents a pound, such an acre would ciable quantities of potassium.
-The organic forms in which we buy
commercial nitrogen vary much . in
composition and also to some extent
in 'the rapidity with which they de
cay or form ammonia and nitrates
.t tei
Make Your Garden Make More
Clear Money Than the Whole Farm.
Thousands, in the South are making good- money by
growing our Everbearlng strawberrr in their .gardens-
for local sale.,. The,iovewy-or ntiestrawDemespin sum--mer
and fall caAches"the-cttstomeF: the- derlicious quallty
of this berry surpassing- that of 'almost any- other fruit
in the world holds him. Order now (plants will, be sent
; when weather is right with ree book attdplant food
doubling crop, all delivered free) full crop 1917. 'Abso
lute guarantee. Bank reference. Catalogue-which, will
pi.ve you half on Fruit trees, Shade trees;. Hedge plants,
Kose bushes, etc., u you aaares wept. u.
CONTINENTAL PLANT CO., KittrelL N.
contain around $112 worth of nitro
gen. y . ";:
Only a comparatively small part of
the nitrogen in the sou is . in the
form of nitrates, ammonia and cer
tain organic compounds from which
7 The nitrogen in nitrates, bought in
commercial forms, is more readily
soluble or available ';f or feeding the
plants than the nitrogen in cornmer
cial. ammonia compounds.
No one , can , buy nitrogen intelli-
WW
. wj. .7.3m
Nomination
Forml
FOR THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER PURE-BRED
J PIG AND CHICKEN CLUB.
. Enclosed find .-for. ...... ....... .years subscription for
Name ot Sabeertber.
Post Office.
.J5tate..l.l.:.Route..
Credit the foregoing subscription and enter the following
. in The Progressive Farmer Pig and Chicken Club, v
Name of Club Worker
Post Office ; .......State.
Route"..:
plants can obtain the nitrogen they gently for his crops 'without keeping
require. v Plants get their nitrogen . in mind the foregoing facts nor with
chiefly from: that' present in the soil out knowing the per cent of, nitrogen
use some in the form 'Of ammonia and' cannot buy pure nitrogen; for nitro
a still smaller portion, probably, from gen is a gas and can only be bought
certain organic forms, such as Urea, as- combined with other substances. These
paragin, etc. This nitrogen in the soil other substances are largely of no
in forms from which the plants can value, and the price of any material
take their, supplies is known as the bought for supplying, nitrogen should
"active" nitrogen of the soil. As a be based on the per cent of nitrogen ,
rule, the proportion of active nitro- r that is, the numbe?vof . pounds of .
gen to total nitrogen increases with nitrogen, in ' the 100 pounds of -ma-
the per cent of total nitrogen in the tenal. That is all that isr meant by
soil. - In other words, the nitrogen in :. per cent- per hundred. For instance,,
soils having a high per cent" of nitro- if nitrate of soda contains "15 per cent
gen seems more available than the ni- of nitrogen, (pure - nitrate of soda
trogen invthe soils which contain a contains 16.46 per cent of nitrogen),
low per cent of total nitrogen. The - there Js 15 pounds of nitrogen in 100
poorer soils: perhaps contain not over pounds of nitrate, of soda. This li
2 or 2y2 per cent or less of their total pounds is all. that is of any value,
nitrogen in active ior.m, wnue ncner dui we must- take, tne oo pounas oi
soils -may have 5 per cent or more useless material because we cannot
of their total nitrogen in the active buy nitrogen alone.
forms. I It being necessary to know the
In this connection it must be stated amount of nitrogen in any material ,
that there is one class of plantsthe we wish to bit v tbi frt11nwincr tabic
legumes which aided by other plants 'is civen showini? the usual compo
s-bacteria that live on their roots, sition of materials sold on the mar-
obtain a part of their nitrogen from
the air which circulates. in the soil,
ket for supplying nitrogen. As stat
ed, the organic materials vary con-
but as far. as we know practically all siderably in composition, and in buy
other -plants must get their nitrogen ing these it is especially necessary to
in the form of nitrates and ammonia, ;buy them on a basis of the guaranteed
yer ceni oi nitrogen tney contains
1 POUNDS oifl' PLANT FOOD8 IN 1(10 "POUNDS OJT
MATERIALS SUPPLYING COMMERCIAL Nl-
-trogkn ; .-, .
Orianlo Forms :
and chiefly from nitrates," which are
soluble in the soil water, s
It must also be remembered that
ammonia; and . nitrates are formed
from organic matter through the
activities of bacteria, which -are mnf '. fl'lv'A '
active under certain favorable soil wneawHwineii...
conditions; These are, chieflyt abun- jt:ottoneed me&i..,,.
t; dance of Organic: matter, good drain- Ffcu wfi;.'.,,'
1 iL. 1- . . ' . ' Tankaafl. ffencml
age,- tnorougn cultivation and rtne tttikaie co- "
presence of calcium carbonate lime
etc. rurtnermore it must not be for
waste... ...
8ulhate of- am- .
tnonla.....
Xltrogctf Phoi. Acid Potash
12 to 14
:etoi-, 1 v . - :
2 to 8 20 ; to 25
3 to 4 20 to 25 i
6 to 6.6 2.5 to -3 1 to 2
8 to 8.2 1.3 ' 12
7 to 10 i 6 to ? .
. 4 to 8 3 t.15 .
. 10 to 12- 2 to 1 " .
2to4 .5 to. I 5 to 8
. 19 to 21 ' V '
,15 to 16
. 12 to 14
.10 to 17 4 '
nitrates, which we have stated are Calcium crnamid
suiuuic-in me son, water, may oe - " ' - ' -
leached from the soil in the drainage '.v We wlu' wnte that boy" letteVand teU
water especially when there is no hlm yu hae entered his name lh our pu,
'trrnwtnff es iA " - - - ,bre1 Vl and Chlcken-Club to work for. pi,
growing crop on the Jand. - r send- In the nsmination blank today.
: 7