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Show o a Fertilizing Keeps Land In Good Condition Barnyard manure still is the most satisfactory fertilizer obtainable obtain-able for the average home garden, according to Prof. G. O. Baker, soil technologist with the University of Idaho agricultural experiment station. Spoiled alfalfa hay, if obtainable, ob-tainable, is even better. One ton of average manure contains con-tains 10 pounds of potash, and 400 to 500 pounds of organic matter. At present prices this is equivalent to around $2.50 worth of commercial commer-cial fertilizer. This does not include in-clude the important benefits of organic or-ganic matter which manure adds to the soil. Complete commercial fertilizers all contain nitrogen, phospnorus, and potash. Most soils of northern Idaho, says Professor Baker, respond re-spond in general only to nitrogen, which can be obtained more economically eco-nomically by buying ordinary ammonium am-monium sulfate. The usual deficiency defi-ciency in southern Idaho is 'phosphorus, 'phos-phorus, although lack of nitrogen also is becoming a problem. ,'Go easy when you apply commercial com-mercial fertilizers," warns Professor Profes-sor Baker. "They're high powered, and easily can burn crops if applied ap-plied iii excess." Best method for garden applications is to dig a small furrow a few inches to one side and slightly deeper than the seed row, and to trickle into it a line of fertilizer just thin enough to be visible against the soil, ana no more. |