St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-12-26
FARMER AND PLANTER,
THE COTTON PLANT.
son.s HInta In Regard to Its Proper Fer
filtration.

3 s
sonas Hinta In Regard to Its Proper Fer
4 filtration
i A few years ago when DR.. McBryde
was director Of the South Carolina ex-
pertinent station, there was an ex-
haustive series Of experiments made
on the proper fertilization Of cotton.
The results Of these experiments have
been lately published in Farmers bull
setin No. IA by the United States agri-
cultural department.. The investiga-
tlons were carried on upon several diff
ferent tracts of land, and the results
explain the reasons of the poor results
that have often been had by farmers
Ia the use OF fertilizers. The ex.
| periments showed that while cot
/ ton requires nitrogen, potash md
phosphoric acid that neither potash
nor nitrogen will have their proper ef-
feet it phosphoric acid is absent. That
q good dressing Of phosphoric acid
enables the plant to use more potash,
I and hence to make better growth
and more fruit. 1t is found that the
proper proportions Of these fertilizing
matters in a fertilizer for cotton should
be between three-sevenths and four
sevenths of one per cent. nitrogen, ~
phosphoric acid and one-half potash,
or, in other words, crop OF only 300
| pounds OF lint per acre takes 2npounds
OF nitrogen, SO pounds of phosphoric
| acid and Is pounds of potash. The
amount of nitrogen and potash that
can proftably be used is determined
by the amount of phosphoric acid used.
Ihe notion that the ehlorides or pot
| ash are Injurious was shown to be an
error, for the potash used as kainit
and as muriate gave just as good res
suits as the sulphate, and the state
menl is made that the mnriate is the
cheapest form in which potash can be
used. Preference is given to acid phos-
phates containing the largest proper
tlons OF soluble phosphoric acid. In
soluable acid in Stag, floats or mari is
of little direct value to the crop.
Cotton seed meal was found to
be better fertilizer than cotton seed.
Mari used alone on cotton has no good
effect, and mixed with acid phosphate
alone was an actual injury, in making
Isthe latter insoluble, bnt used ON pea
crop preceding the crop of cotton,
mari and potassic fertilizers had fine
effect. The bulletin deals only in fer
tillzers to produce moderate crop of
cotton on thin sandy soils, and its ten
dency is to encourage the old waste-
full and destructive method of using
fertilizers solely to get crop, a
practice that has brought more
ruin in the south than any
other. The following statement IS
made: According to the best agri-
cultural experience Of our day. the bet
ter plan is to use such fertilizers as
will meet the demands of the crop
upon which they are applied, Now,
we protest that .sthe best agricultural
experience" has demonstrated nothing
of the sort. On the contrary, the ex-
perience of all who have brought up
farms from a poor condition to one Of
productiveness is that the true use of
fertilizers is to enable the farmer to
accumulate fertility in his soil by en-
couraging the growth of crops like
peas and clover, that will add humus
and fix nitrogen for him. That
the small percentage of nitrogen need
ed by the cotton crop can be had more
cheaply by using the cheaper fetilizers,
potash and phosphoric acid, literally,
to get heavy growth of legumes pre-
ceding the cotton crop. If any extra
amount OF the potash and phosphate |
Is used it will not be lost, for the ab-
sorbtive power of the soil will keep |
these until some plant wants them,
and they will be there ready to en-
courage growth of some kind and re-
deem the soil from barrenness II
the waste places of the south are ever
to be redeemed it must be by farm
ing that will accumulate fertility /
in the soil, and never by the men who
only aim to put on just enough fertil-
izer to make 3oa pounds of lint cotton
per acre. | am thorough believer in
farming with chemical fertilizers. and
am unalterably opposed to the prac-
flce of adding only enough of a COM
piete fertilizer to squeeze out from the
soil moderate crop, to be sold off and
leave the latter state of that soil
worse than the first. This kind of
farming may DO in chemical expert
ments, but it is ruin in practice, and
is more than anything else the cause
of barrenness in much of the country
to-day.
Acid phosphate and potash in liberal
amount to grow heavy crop Of le-
eumes. and by their agency get all the
nitrogen farm crops need, must be the
rule Of the farmer Of the future In the
south. He can not afford TO buy the
costly nitrogen with four-eent cotton.
and he can not afford to buy it at any
lime, when he can get it free of cost
and goood lot of forage thrown in.
It is farming, and not homeopathic
fertilizer dosing that the cotton
interest of the south needs to-
lay. Knowing from these admira-
ply conducted experiments what the
,foD needs, let us get the food in
he cheapest way, by buying only !
hose forms we cannot capture from ,
he air, and to use them with a liberal
land to enable US to get the ever feet !
ne nitrogenin equally liberal quanti- !
les. Then we will not be satisfied /
100 pounds of lint per acre, but will :
ret more, and the cattle food besides.
While dealing in futui es'' is ordina- ]
ily risky sort of business, the farm. 7
T who does not deal ia futures with
lis soil will inevitably get 1eft''.-W
!. MASSEY. South Carolina Experi-
aent Station.
#s.