The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-28
The Fertilizer Question.


ished condition of the farmers is the use of
too much commercial fertilizer and the in
judicious application of the same. For
twenty years we have bought any and every
thing thai has been offered for sale, says
Capt James A. PeterkiD in the Charleston
NeLGs and Courier. All that has been
necessary was to put something in a sack or
barrel and brand some unusual or peculiar
name on it. l do not accuse the manufac-
turers of fraud, but do accuse my brother
farmers Of being the biggest set of fools
there is in all the land, and the writer the
king of fools, or the biggest fool of all.
For several years l bought ammoniated
fertilizers at high prices, aud applied in con-
nection with cotton seed meal or cotton seed
in the natural state. After spending thou
sands of dollars in this foolish way,
dropped the ammoniated goods to a great
degree and bought acid phosphate aud acid
ulated rock, and mixed it half acid or acid
ulated rock and half cotton seed meal
Three or four years ago l concluded had
enough sulphuric acid aud phosphate in my
land, and began to put in less phosphate
and commercial fertilizers, and brought it
down to 100 pounds with whatever amount
of meal used per acre. I am now salts
fed that where lands have been continuous
ly planted in cotton, that it is unnecessary
to apply commercial fertilizers of any
kind; the lands need rest from them for at
least one year. If you buy at all, only buy
to mix with meal, where you plant on lands
that we're grown in something besides cot
| ton, and put not over l00pounds to the acre.
There are various reasons for this. BY using
| little or no commercial fertilizer the plant
will start off in the spring little slow,
will have less fruit in July and stand the
July and August drought. Take the lower
and middle cotton belts Of tho cotton states
aud we want to make late or August crop.
| We need but little if any commercial fer
tilizer. The upper or clay belts need little
to get July and August crop, well say l
pound of commercial to three of meal or
its equivalent Of seed. The clay lands do
not require any kainit or potash.
| This is not all theory. l know what I am
| talking about. l know it from actual
practice. If the farmers of cotton country
who buy commercial fertilizers will adopt
the plan, say use at least one-third of the
amount they have been in the habit of
using, it will add many millions to their
purses, and enable them to pay for fertii-
zers they have thrown away. Don't blame
| the men who manufacture or sell the fer
tilizers. We have encouraged them; and
the demand is now so great that we can't be
supplied, except at a price beyond our
reach. The high price will continue. 1t is
Derih 10 To oh
cept by giving the land rest say for one
year.
If you make the experiment one year you
will continue it, and prices will for many
years be in due bounds. Our manufacture
ers do not claim that the home demand has
increased SO much, but foreign demand.
Just let the foreigners have it all this year,
we will save many millions. We will have
as much or more cotton, and pay up back
Indebtedness.
Let the agricultural clubs, the Alliances
and Changers consider this matter If there
are no societies in your neighborhood call
the neighbors together and calmly consider
the matter. If you cannot do this let every
farmer decide for himself and say l will for
one year let my land rest from fertilizers.
1t will not look so bright for us in May and
June, but October and November will show
you where the millions have been fooIishly
spent for the last twenty years.
l have been told of late that farmers
could not buy it; that their only chance was
to get it through their or some one else's
merchant. This may be true to some ex-
tent OF course money enough will buy it,
but we don't need it. That is the subject
for us to consider, and let them that have it
| keep it. Spin out your cotton seed from
fifteen to twenty bushels TO the acre. Mix
the stable manure fine and spread it with
the hand. Make it go over large area in
stead of carelessly throwing it down in
piles from pitchfork. Too many fertilizers
are dangerous. They have never done the
great amount of good we have imagined
Good and proper cultivation pays better
than large quantities Of fertilizers. There
is such thing as too much ammonia, and
we oftener put too much than not enough.
The phosphate and kainit, or potash salt,
are there to stay. Our lands need rest from
commercial fertilizers as much as they do
rotation. l am almost tempted to say if
you take my advice In this matter and it
proves wrong, appoint a day next fall and
hang me.