The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-08-24
FERTILIRING wHEAt.

report will be published in the next
issue.
FERTILIRING WHEAT.
In reply to number of questions on
fertllizing for wheat we give a general
answer
The study of proper application of
fertilizers presents two matters of par
amount consideration. First, the ne
cessities of the plants. Second. the
constituents of the soil. The first is
easy to ascertain by chemical analysis
but the second will require the exercise
of the best Judgment of the farmer
based upon the previous treatment the
! land has received and the results OBJ
tanned. Careful experiments would
| give correct idea of the character of
fertilizer demanded and reasonable de-
auctions can be made from the ordina-
ry course of crops and fertilizers.
LII the last issue table was given
showing the proportions of phosphoric
acid and potash in wheat and adding
nitrogen to this would show exactly
what the plant demanded. and theoret-
ically what fertilizer to use. In practi-
cal agriculture, however, a different
phase is presented, as the farmer for
| his basis of operation has land already
supplied in various proportions with
plant food and for this reason emperical
rules as to fertilizing are impossible and
only general deductions can be made.
AS indicated these general deductions
must depend on the general character
OF the soil and its previous treatment as
to both crops and manures.
When not exhausted much of Geor-
gla soil is high in potash, being formed
from the disintegration of feldspathic
and micacious rock, but we are inclined
to the opinion that the general deduc-
ton by reason of this has been too
largely followed and that much of our
land would be benefited and our crops
increased by an additional amount of
this element of plant food. In wheat
its principal function is in the forma-
ton of straw to which 1T give strength
while growth is promoted by the nitro
gen. 1t also enters into the grain of
which phosphoric acid is the chief part.
Phosphoric acid as the principal com
ponent of the grain was recently strik-
ingly.illustrated by magnificent speci-
men of oatswith the exception of the head
sent the department. The straw was
large and the yield would have been
unusual had the head shown a proper
| Development The inquirer as to the
cause of the deficiency, informed us
that the land had received aliberal sup
| ply of manure from cows fed on cotton
| seed meal. This supplied an abun-
dance of nitrogen to promote growth,
while the heads failing to fill out evil
| denced the fact that phosphoric acid
was wanting. In regard to nitrogen
it should be remembered that it is the
most costly OF plant foods when pur-
| chased while the farmer has a cheap
method of supplying it and at the same
| time placing, in the soil the humus nee
essary to its fertility. In the case of
wheat and other cerials it is especially
easy to obtain this supply at small
cost. We ai1ude to the pea crop or 9TH
er leguminorS plants which have the
power of appropriating free nitrogen.
Not only will expense be saved, but
the best results obtained by the use of
the COW pea. Experiments begun in
18SS-S9 at the North Carolina expert
ment station on the value of COW pea
wipes in wheat culture, and which were
continued up to last year forcibly illus
trate the great value of the COW pea to
this crop especially when used in con-
junction with phosphoric acid. The
following table shows the results OBJ
tained:'.