Show fertilizer for best production fi average plant food content has risen 50 P per er cent since 1915 prepared by the united states department ot at agriculture service urging ohio farmers to take advantage 0 of the economics to be gained from the use of more concentrated fertilizers r tili A L mehring of the united states department of agriculture appearing on the farm week program of the state university at columbus ohio said the average plant food content in fertilizers linseisen has lins risen 50 per cent ince 1015 1915 from 12 per cent of avail ible nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash in the fertilizer bag to the present IS 18 per cent stressing the advantages of changing from less to more concentrated fertilizer ti mr mehring Mehrl ng who Is a fertilizer specialist of the bureau of chemistry and soils said A ton of 41 4 1 fertilizer contains as much plant food as two tons of 2 8 2 yet the one ton of concentrated mixture costs from 5 to 10 less than two tons of the mixture which Is half as con concentrated cent rated he be pointed out that in changing from tow low to high analysis fertilizer liser farmers would profit not only by paying less per unit for plant food hut but also by reducing their costs of freight hauling and application in the field profitable mixtures the manufacturer said mr air mch ring knows that mixtures containing from 20 to 40 per cent of plant food are more profitable to himself and to the customer but a great many farmers still insist on buying the low grade of fertilizer to which they have become accustomed and for such people the manufacturer Is compelled to buy sand ground limestone ashes or anything he can get cheaply enough to dilute his mixture to the desired grade tin the purchaser of course has to pay for the sand the extra b bag ag to hold the extra bulk the extra freight and the extra manufacturing cost and also has to do more work himself to get such fertilizer home and onto the crop congratulating ohio farmers on being too wise to incur such needless waste mr Ale firing praised the ohio law which bites the sale of tiny any fertilizer containing less than 16 per cent of plant food applying fertilizers discussing the application of fertilizers he said it Is now known that tha for row crops fertilizers are more profitable when placed in 6 a narrow band in the row than when broadcast for greatest profits fertilizers should also be spread uniformly at the ilie proper rate lie he said that a method has been developed in tile the bureau of chemistry and soils tor for measuring but until the benefits of this method can be made available to the farmers they should utilize simple tests which he described with the old aid of lantern slides |