The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-03-01

formula was as follows:
Superphosphate 312 lbs. per acre
Muriate Of Potash IS " 1"
Nitrate of Soda 100 /"
Total ago g F."
These proportions were systemati-
shown in Table Fo. II. The section
was one square acre, containing SO
rows, eact POI feet long and feet wide.
These rows were bisected by line
across the middle, so as to give "a plots
OF three rows each. For instance, Plot
No. Is is the western half of the same
three rows of which Plot No. is the
eastern half, and so on with all the
plots.
RESULTS.
The normal ration costing $5.7O
per acre, gave an increasedyield of 3,47
bushels Of corn, loss (corn at go cents
a busheD of $500.
Doubling the phosphoric acid, in
creasing the cost to IS. 16 per acre, re-
suited in decreased yield and an in
creased loss of 1914 per acre. In Series
3, in which the potash was doubled,
the cost falls to 5000 and the loss to
$3.50, and SO on. In Series 5-potaSh
and nitrogen doubled, and-Series O.
phosphate, potash and nitrogen dou-
bled, the yield reaches the highest
points, but still loss of SIS. "a and So. 81
respectively.
CONCLUSIONS. /. That nitrogen was
the most effective element on this soil.
2. That commercial (concentrated)
fertilizers, at present prices, are not
profitable on the soil covered by the
experiment, when planted in corn.
Subsoi1ing for Corn.
The land is a level acre of ordinary
red upland, with hard, red clay subsoii.
It was planted in cotton in 1891 and
1892, end yielded more than one bale
each year, under liberal fertilizing
with commercial fertilizers.
March IS rows were laid off across
the old cotton rows, with a scooter,
four feet apart, followed by a ten inch
shovel In these shovel burrows the
following ration of fertilizers was do
posted except in plots and 10, which
were not fertilized:
Muriate of potash 10 &c
Nitrate of Soda 100 q" /"
Total 400
Cost $50 Sc
Immediately a long, square point
scooter was run in each furrow in or
der to incorporate the fertilizer with
the soil. The burrows were then bed
ded on with one-horse turn plow, and
in all the even numbered plots the turn
pillow was followed by a subsoiler,
breaking the ground to total depth of
10 inches. The odd number plots
were not SUBSIDIZED, but broken only
inches deep with the turn plow. The
section was partly rebedded, before
planting, by reopening the beds with
shovel plow adding four burrows with
scooter. The corn was planted in
hills, 4 x 4, the same day March 14),
and covered with hand hoe. An al
most perfect stand was promptly Sc
cured.
RESULTS. Excluding the unfertilized
plots 70 and 10Y, the average yield of
the sub soiled plots was 30.44 bushels,
and of the unsubsoiled plots 91.43 bush
els of shel1ed corn per acre, a difference
of o. 90 bushels in favor of subsoiling!
Now examine the yield of each plot in
detail Compare the yield of each odd
number plot mot subsolled) with that
of the next adjacent even numb ered
plot (subsoiled) and it will be seen that
in every case, excepting plots Is and IA,
the not subsoiled plot exceeds the next
following subsoiled plot.
If we commence with number 2, sub
soiled, and compare each even plot
with its adjacent succeeding odd plot,
it will be seen that there is no excep-
ton to the rule that the yield each of
the not SUBSIDIZED plots exceeds that of
the following subsoiled plots! This is
a strong confirmation of the truth of
the general results.
CONCLUSIONS. 1. The results indi-
cate that subsoiling under the condi-
tions Of soil and seasons as given does
not pay, but results in absolute de-
crease of product, to say nothing of
the cost of extra work.
Q. That commercial fertilizers do not
pay when applied TO corn on this land,
and under the seasons and conditions
stated.
Composing elm the Heap" versus Mixing In
the Furrow-Corn.
A compost was put up in a compost
heap, under shelter, Eebruarp Sd, as
follows:
Well rotted, fine sta
BILE manure 1000 lbs. per acre.
Green cotton seed
(crushed) l,2O0lbs per acre.
Acid phosphate 400 lbs. per acre.
Cost 5000 lbs. per acre.
The above materials were thorough
" wetted with water, and intimately
mixed, and permitted to stand three
weeks, when the heap was shoveled
over again, and allowed to stand until
March 22d forty days.
The same amount of the same mate
rails were separately weighed on the
same dav February 3D. and. set aside,
unmixed. until planting time. One
acre of red clay land, in cotton the pre-
vious year. was selected, and laid otfin
the usual 81 rows. 30 feet long by four
feet wide is plots of three rows each
In each of the odd number plots the
fermented compost was applied in the
opening burrows. In the even number
plots the corresponding amounts OF the
unmixed and unfermented materials
were deposited. In each furroW the
manure was wei! Incorporated in the
soil by running a scooter pillow as deep