The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1900-01-31
TOBACCO
MATURING
Tobacco Fertilizers Require A
High Degree of AvaiIa-
biIity.
BY X. GarwOod in Southern Farm
Magazine.

Manuring for heavy tobacco for ex-
port or plug is a very simple matter. A
heavy rank growth is wanted. and pl nty
OF heterogeneous manures answer the pur-
pose For cigar and smoking tobacco a
very different plan must be followed. In
the first place, the soil should be as
clean as possible, and fall plowed unless
the soil is so light that winter washing
is feared. II clover crop can be turned
under in the fall the organic matter will
b. sufficiently rotted for good tobacco
the following year, and the nitrogen ac-
cumulated by the clover will be used to
good advantage.
Tobacco manures have a marked inf1u-
ence on the quality of the crop. Nitrate
OF soda is a good form of nitrogen, and
acid phosphate is satisfactory form Of
phosphate. For potash, those forms
which contain no chloride should be
used, such as sulphate, double sulphate
OF potash magnesia, or double carbonate
of potash magnesia. II seems settled
that chlorides injure burning qualities,
but if the potash is applied the previous
fall there is no danger of injury from this
cause. All the fertilizers except the nj
trate may be applied the previous fall
without danger of loss unless the soil is
very light, in which case the fertilizer
must be applied very early in the spring
The proportions of nitrogen, potash
and phosphoric acid in tobacco fertili-
zer Is subject to some controversy. 1t
would seem that a safe plan would be to
follow the proportions shown by the nat
ura. selection of the plant itself that is,
its chemical analysis. While this may
not be an ideal fertilizer, it certainly
shows what the plant must have to make
a good growth. A crop OF 1000 pounds
of leaves and 1900 pounds stems con-
tains: Nitrogen, SO lbs; potash, lO3
pounds; phosphoric acid, % pounds
This fertilizer is contained in $50
pounds of nitrate OF soda, 2l0 pounds of
sulphste Of potash and 200 pounds OF ~
per cent acid phosphate. A large pro-
portion Of the nitrogen may be obtained
through the use of crimson clover, or
even cowpeas, but the potash and phos-
phate must be applied to every crop. All
fertilizer for tobacco must have high
degree of availability, as the plant has
little power Of foraging through the soil
for food. Its roots are thick and heshy,
and there is lack of fine fibrous feeding
roots so common in grain crops
While it is very important to have an
ample supply of fertilizer, it must be well
balanced. A great excess Of nitrogen
will cause too rank growth, making a
thick leaf, unsuitable for smoking or
cigar tobacco. Similarly, a great excess
of phosphoric ACID will force an early
maturity, causing woodiness OF leaf as
we'll as diminished crop. Limestone
soils should have the potash applied in
the form of double carbonate of potash
magnesia, as il is claimed that bad burn
ing qualities are caused by lime salts in
the leaf. A crop OF cowpeas, heavily
MANFRED with fertilizer materials, is
good advance crop, but 1t must be turned
under early in the fall and cross-plowed
early in the spring By this method
any form OF potash salt may be used.