The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-19
son lasts Needed.

sr i "a NAV advance In knowledge OF DIS
II be is an intelligent man he
:, fail TO see that there are questions
led in his farming that are not to be
rsred for him by agricultural chemists
s1periment stations. The experiments
q. he is called upon to make are not OF
Kind as will in the least involve his
- &c a farmer or his reputation as
.+icsl man. To be instructive it need
ha on an extensive scale. But small
40, of his time and a small area of his
&. a will be required to show him very con-
s 4 ,sivey whether there would be any ad-
.+oca 10 be derived from the application
common lime or salt or land plaster to
II. Acids Substances are often found
Il oct beuefcialiy on certain soils, while on
8, bors they have no effect at all. 1t does
(, Of need a verv extensive or protracted ex-
Eminent TO show which of the three priuci-
al elements ammonia, potash or phosphoric
4 ,d was the most profitable TO use on his
1 oH II may be that part of his field needs
/ "a ammonia, other parts need no potash,
%rbile Others need no phosphoric acid.
syblle these were not needed it might be
koupd that the other elements were needed.
IN small farm even there may be a
zcreat diversity in the character Of the soil,
/ nd especially where it is located on water
course, and parts of which are subjected to
8overaows at greater or less intervals. There
is no way of determining this question OF
manure satisfactorily to oneself but by
making soil test on his own land. These
tests made by ones nearest neighbor may
he suggestive of the needs of your land, but
are not conclusive from the fact that your
land may vary considerably from his,
though being in the very same section.
Every farmer is aware of the great varia-
ton in soil in a very small field often~
times.
1t certainly very haphazard system
of fertilizing ttat applies the same kind of
fertilizer to the black bottom lands that is
applied to the gray uplands; the same to the
clay loans that is applied to the sandy
loans.
Whether it be cotton seed meal or kainit or
phosphate that a farmer invests in he gen
orally applies it indifferently to all his fields
alike OF course, If one is the proper and
most profitable material to apply, the others
certainly are not, for entirely different ele-
ments are afforded by each. The cotton seed
meal is valuable chiefly, if not entirely, for
the ammonia 1t contains; the kainit entirely
for its potash, and the phosphate for its
phosphoric acid. Our long-cultivated up
lands are generally in need of all these ele-
ments, and especially ammonia and phos-
phoric acid.
Our bottom lands or other black lands
that have considerable vegetable matter in
them are rarely in need of ammonia, but do
oftentimes need both potash and phosphoric
acid, or at least one of them.
1t is part Of the business of a practical,
intelligent farmer TO find out which one of
these elements is chiefly needed on his differ
ent fields. and the way to find this out is to
apply to a small area in these fields in differ
ent substances that contain one special ele-
ment and compare the result one with the
other, and with another part that is not
fertilized at all. Taking that part of the
field that represents fair average of the
whole in three rows let nothing be applied,
in the next three rows apply only cotton
seed meal Tor dried blood or nitrate of soda) :;
in another three rows some form of phos-
phate that has no ammonia or potash COM
bined with it.; in another three rows kainit
or other form Of potash salt; then go on and
combine two elements in another set of
rows, and finally the three elements.
The whole will make up test that must
prove instructive and be of great interest
to him.
ODs Jack each of the three substances will
enables farmer to make very instructive
soil test, the result of which will have a
controlling influence probably in the selec-
non of his fertilizers another year.
1t is matter of common occurrence that
farmer notes one particular field, or part
OF 1t, that has fine, large stalks of cotton,
Dut comparatively little fruit on them, or it
may be fine stalks of corn with only inferior
ears on them; or it may be grain with straw
three to four feet high with very short, iu-
significant heads. A soil test of the matter
would show, most likely. that the soil con-
talned superabundance of ammonia. and
a deficiency OF potash or phosphoric acid or
DOM. On such a field an application of
cotton seed meal, or any other ammoniacal
fertilizer, would be so much money thrown
away, or worse than thrown away, for It
would only increase the tendency to make
stalk or foliage at the expense of fruit. So
long as there is n lI1xuriant growth of
staIk there will be no need for ammonia
IL the stalks are inclined to be small under
good seasons it is an indication that am
mona is needed in the soil
VI course in the absence of special soil
tests to show exactly what is needed, it is
safer on our ordinary uplands to use a
standard, complete fertilizer that contains
all three elements, though some waste may
ue involved in the act at the time. But a
truly practical farmer will not be willing to
20 on always in this haphazard application
VI the same kind of fertilizer alike to all
nls different soils. He is bound to make a
lew soil tests or experiments" which, as an
intelligent, practical farmer, he cannot well
get along without A farmer has got to
Know his own soil well before he can hope
70 realize the best profits from it, unless he
Is SO fortunate as to possess soil of such
natural fertility as only needs ito be
'cKIed with the hoe to produce good har-
vest" Few are so situated.
Chickens in Dixie.
II the goutharn rooultrv raiearc 10 not