The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-02-16

formula for corn and cotton is we'll
adapted to the soil. The value of ex-
perimeRts to test the wants of the soil
cannot be overestinated, and the farmer
thus has at his command a simple and
Inexpensive method of ascertaining
what should be applied to his land,
which is superior to an expensive chem
ical analysis of the soil. Too often we
are prone to rely on soil test made by
others, without properly considering
their relative merits as applicable to
our land, and to reason that the same
fertilizer that produced large yield
ON one field, will produce large Weld
IN all fields whereas different chemical
and mechanical conditions may demand
fertilization of a very different charac,
ter. Those farmers who have made q
succeeds, and have converted worn lands
into fertile fields, have done so by
studying the wants Of the particular
soils, they are seeking to bring up and
by supplying organic matter, phospho-
rlc acid, nitrogen and potash, as expert
ments demonstrated it was demanded
We are thus careful to emphasize the
immense value Of experimental test Of
the soil by the farmer, as we believe
that old rules should not be departed
from until new methods have had their
worth demonstrated. Personally, we
have no doubt that on much Of our
land, especially in Southern Georgia,
an increase in the amount of. potash
orQinarally used would be found ad-
vau1ageous, yet it would be unsafe to
ask the adoption df such an increase
untiifs merits have been tried. and
Jheibest combination OF the three great
D3aat foods ascertained. From Terrell
,aty reports have been made to the
.aH8eat Of an increased yield from
{ ase Of IN additional amount Of pot
q ou the other hand in the general
fertilizer experiment on corn conducted
al tac state Experiment station, among
the conclusions reached We're these:
That the soil was efficient in all three
of the elements phosporic acid, potash
and nitrogen. That it was particular
dlthclent in nitrogen, because nitrogen
invariably produced themOst marked in
crease il, the yield. That phosphorica acid
was next IN order Of deficiency, since
its effectiveness in increasing the yield
was next after that of nitrogen That
potash was least effected, was least
needed. The results Of this experiment,
while showing the efficacy of nitrogen
and phosphoric acid as fertilizers, docs
not by any means demonstrate that Where
there Is deficiency of potash in the
soil an increase of this element in COM
bination may notN produce a large in
crease in the yield. A large number of
experiments conducted at the Hatch
Experiment station of the Massachusetts,
Agricultural college sustains this view.
and the conclusions there reached place
very high value on potash as ftrtil.
izer for corn. In comparing the results
of the eXperim ents the director of thesta
ton says: THESE comparisons indicate
the surprising importance of potash for
corn upon this soil, thus confirming the
general result of the work with corn
during the two preceding years. In
view of the almost universal response of
corn to this fertilizer upon soils of so
many different classes and of all degrees
of fertility and in so many widely sepa-
rated localities, the conclusion that it
should be prominent ingredient of fer
tilizers used for this crop appears to me
irresistible.
The director of the same station ad-
Vocates from experiments the use of
potash with ordinary barn yard or stable
manure for corn, and finds that fertil-
lzers containing a larger proportion of
potash produces in Massachusetts, better
results than the ordinary special corn
fertilizer. The conclusion reached as to
the formula to be used on the soil on
WEIGH these experiments were conducted
are so large in potash that we give the
formula recommended by the director,
as shown to what extent potash as a
fertilizer may DG'successfully used for
corn where the land does not naturally |
supply this element. The formula rec
commended is nitrogen 25 to 30 pounds, |
potash 70 to so pounds, and perhaps % |
pounds of phosphOric acid. A striking /
feature OF this formula is the small |
amount phosPhoric ELECTROMAGNETIC |
with doubt as to its value on this soil. |
The widely different results obtained |
by the Georgia station and that of the |
Massachusetts station furnishes no |
ground whatever for questioning the |
accuracy of the work Of either station,
but rather bear testimony to the value
of experimental work. 1t would seem
from the results obtained at Griffin that |
the soil is we'll supplied with potash and
that there is little need of increasing
the quantity of this ingredient while an
increase in the quantity of nitrogen |
would result in great benefit. The work |
VI tue hdSSdCiau StjJS StdllOu Is Oh more |
value as a potash test, as most of the |
experiments appear from the results
obtained to have been made on land |
depleted of this element and the in |
creased yield from very large use of it |
testify directly to is value as corn fer
tilizer.
Chemical analysis of the various crops
shows that they contain large per cent. |
of potash, and if the composition of the |
product is criterion by which to judge |
the manure to be used where potash is
deficient large per cent. is demanded.
Wheat and wheat straw ashes in 900
dry parts contain 36l potash and 500
phosphoric acid; corn and corn stalks,
351 potash, go phosphoric acid; oats
and oat straw, 453 potash and 465 phos-
phoric acid. The ashes of turnips and
potatoes show much larger amounts of
potash than of phosphoric acid. In 600
grains, air dried, of cotton stalks and
seed there is 1913 potash and 1873 phos-
phoric acid. In dealing with these
analyses the fact that some soils con-
tain supply of potash is to be consid-
cred as favoring'a larger proportion of
phosphoric acid. On the other hand
where fprtil Ii zar,s baya haa,, ,>~o.-;o,,,,1, -