not so good. Indeed, the farther the trees extend from the dwelling
the poorer and less productive they are. This is because the trees
nearest the houses are fertilized every day in the year, more or less,
by means of what is naturally the waste of the house and kitchen,
the droppings of chickens and in many other ways. This alone
teaches the necessity of fertilizing.
 Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potash are the main elements of a com-
 plete fertilizer.
 How to obtain these in their cheapest form is a question of much
 importance. The nitrogen supply is obtained mainly from nitrate of
 soda, dried blood, cottonseed meal, cottonseed, horse an'd cow manure,
 pea vines and muck. The quantity in muck depends mostly upon its
 state of decomposition and the vegetable matter which composes it.
 Its cheapness depends upon the cost of gathering and hauling it. To
 be made most available it should be composted with other things. To
 use it alone large quantities and air exposure are a necessity.
 Cottonseed meal is the best and cheapest source of our commer-
 cial supply, because it is not so readily available and not so quickly
 leached by the rains in winter and early spring in our light sandy soil.
 Potash is obtainable from sulphate of potash, kainit, ashes and
 other commercial manures. Of these I prefer kainit, because while it
 contains about 23.90 per cent. of sulphate of potash, corresponding
 with 12.80 pure potash, it has about 34 per cent. of salt-the chloride
 of sodium. This, aside from attracting moisture, does to some ex-
 .tent serve as a protection against injurious insects.
 S Phosphate is mostly used in the acidulated form, called acid
phosphate, because it is more available as plant food in this form.
The phosphates of Florida will readily and cheaply meet this demand.
The soft phosphate, if dried and powdered or ground fine, will be
available. But it is not so easily available as when treated with acid.
I have tried the Charleston "Floats," which is rock ground very fine
and not treated with acid. The first year results are not so percepti-
ble, but they are better the second, and if the supply is kept up from
year to year there is no doubt but what this is the cheapest and best
form of applying it. This is doubtless true of soft Florida phosphate.
Those interested in the use of phosphate are referred to Bulletin 13.
It may not be out of place to caution purchasers against buying Florida
phosphate as a complete fertilizer. Should any be advertised as such,
it would be wise before purchasing largely to buy a small lot, demand
formula and send sample to State Chemist for analysis and opinion.
Phosphate used alone is not apt to produce the results desired. On
some of our lands it may be all that is required to produce good crops,
but it is not safe to rely on it.
 In our light soils lime and iron are needed. These are not by
some classed as fertilizers but stimulants, still they are necessary in
order to have healthy and fruitful trees. It is thought also that all
land possesses enough of these to meet the demands of plant life, but
their application, especially on old land, is too manifestly beneficial to
neglect their use, at least in limited quantities. I have found, espe-
cially on old land, fine results to follow their use in the form of