The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-10

large a yield of lint and not weed or stalk
per acre and an excessive growth of weed,
instead of insuring a correspondingly large
yield of lint. effectually initiates
against it. This excess of ni-
trogen also causes the plant
TO grow too late in the season, hence there
Is on this class of soils, an annual loss
of from one-eighth TO one-quarter of the
entire crop from frost Now, the point
we wish 10 impress is this, that this excess
is not an excess. but il Is an excess over
and above the other leading elements, l.
e. the phosphoric acid and potash, present
in the soil; hence whenever phosphates
and potash are added to the extent OF
bringing about due proportion OF the
three leading elements nitrogen, phospho-
rio acid and potash, a prodigious yield, or
at least, a yield far above the ordinary,
is the perfectly natural sequence. This Is
the theory" and the aforesaid yield OF
4. 200 pounds OF seed cotton per acre proves
conclusively that 1t win stand the test of
"practice."
Now. this land would average, without
fertilizer, 600 pounds Of seed cotton per
acre. with 800 pounds Thomas (slag) phos-
phate and 100 pounds muriate OF potash,
per acre, at "A total cost for fertilizers OF
$3.50 per acre. the crop was Increased 70
4 200 pounds; and what Is Of still greater
me the appellation of "crank'-is the fact
that above yield Is positively not frac-
ton above the half of what can possibly
be raised on the single acre, when all IN
fuencng and controlling factors are raw
orab!e.
we are going to strive faithfully to hit
the "six-bale per acre" mark In 1893, ana
even If we fail to get there" we can sun
make a right respectable showing, as well
4. IL q
acid and poAsh that should be In excess,
if excess there be and not nitrogen
Land was broken IN with turning pillow,
shallow. on May 6; bedded in rows four
feet apart on May T. and planted to cotton
Of the "King's Improved" variety on May
2 TN TO this date not an ounce Of manure
or fertilizer had ever been applied 70 this
land. Land was laid off into three separate
plots. one Of these plots contained square
acre, the other two contained one-fourth
acre each. one Of the quarter acre plots
vyas fertiIized with 200 pounds OF Thomas
(slae) phosphate, the other with 200 pounds
Of acid phosphate. This was to test first
the effects OF phosphates alone on these
soils. and second, the difference, II any,
between Thomas phosphate ana acid phos-
innate as a source of phosphoric acid. The
acre patch which received 800 pounds of
Thomas phosphate and 100 pounds of Mu-
riate of potash in addition, was designed
TO test the effect, if any, to be derived by
applying potash TO virgin soil The two
smaller plots to which phosDhates alone
were applied yielded on an average so
mounds Of seed cotton TO each 70 YARDS of
row or at rate Of 312l pounds per acre.
There was no appreclabl5 difference in
them. The acre plot yielded an average of
50 rounds to each 10 yards Of row, or 4,20O
pounds seed cotton per acre Counting the
increase due the phosphates as evidenced
bv the increase on the two smaller plots
AT 2.12O pounds. would still leave / 100
hounds Increase TO be credited to the pot
ash. The soil was SO nearly alike in all the
plots that the difference, If any, could not
be detected by either a close and careful
examination Of the soil or of the crop
grown upon II.
Nitrogen has a tendency to both increas sc
and prolong growth. which is just exactly
what we did not want on this land; while
phosphoric acid has, on thei contrary, a
tendency to dwarf the plant by forcing
an early maturity, which effect was ex-
actly what we did want, hence, our en-
ployment of phosphates and omission of
nitrogen In any form. Nitrogen tends TO
make the plant live longer" and to
make the growth OF the stalk excessive.
This excessive stalk growth being at the
expense Of the frultage of the plant, phos-
phoric acid on the other hand, tends to
make the plant "die faster by increasing
it's frutfulness, this same increase OF
fructivity tending to hasten maturity,