Mineral Manures for Potatoes.

Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 832, 16 September 1893, Page 5

Mineral Manures for Potatoes.

There are but few largely Rrown crops which pay better when sucee.-stully giown, says an American contemporary, than do potatoes. The crop requires a good ileal of labor, and it must therefore have rich land. But if farmyard manuro is used to mako the land rich it* fermentation in the soil increases tho bacteria, which produces tho tot if tlie season be at all wet. In a very dry season tho manure does not rot, and by (Irving up under tho furrow it often injures rather thau helps the crop. Potatoes are bo largely composed of water that no mauuro should bo used in growing them that can tend to make the laud dryer. It is dosirablo to have tho soil ns mellow as it can be "ot. This a clover sod insures. Any further fertilising that is needed may be given with commercial manures, especially those lich 111 potash and nitrogen. It is a crop that needs comparatively little phosphate. Probably tho hast compound for growing lar"e potato crops is a mixture of nitiat«3 with wood asbes. or, if ashes cannot be easily obtained, with potash salts. Manured thus, tho crop prows vigorously, and its foliage keeps a dark, healthy a'reen. which it could not do if stimulated by 'fermenting manure. Tho potato crop needs cool and moist ground. Mineral fertilisers tend to keep soil both moist and cool. Although phosphate itself is uot largely used in the composition ot tbo potato the making of superphosphate requires tho nen of sulphuric acid or oil of vitriol. This is a powerful germicide cr destroyer of tho bacteria which causes fungus blight and rot. Hence some portion of phosph"rio acid should be iv all potato manures. The potato manures that are ra.ide especially fov this crop, are, we believe, better adapted to potatoes thau are auy other, and their use will allow tho application of faiinv.ird maniiTO to crops on which it will probably pay bette r. This subject of adapting manures 10 the crops to which they will do most good is .mo of ureat importance. It is a matter on which there ia rreat need of thounht, nnd which needs also not lees tho tests of practical experience.