The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-02-06
PLANT GROW H AND CONNER.
CIAL MA GURRS

R"@O OFF,
soil contains; here the needs Of plants
are mentioned and some lines of sue
cesstul practice are pointed out.
OF the fourteen essential elements
for plant gro WITH it was explained that
most soils contain q sufficient OF all ex
cept the three named and which are
aimed to be supplied in commercial
manures.
The needs of plants d fer somewhat
according to the family habits acquired
by them in development. For instance,
some plants, as the potato, store up
large quantities of starch; and it has
been found that potassium plays an
important part in this work. The ash
of the potato contains a high per cent.
Of potash, but it has been observed that
ia the presencs of nitrogen the plant ia
capable OF finding potash enough in
some clay loans which were Consid-
cred rather poor in available COM
pounds of potash. The clover plant.
whose ash consists of about one third
potash, gathers this from compounds
in the soil when lime, which acts on
these compounds in the soil, is ap-
piled, while by the active association or
co operation Of soil microbes the nitro
gen which is essential to all plants,
and which is stored in so large quaint
ties in clover and other legumlnoseae,
is obtained by combinations made up
between the two org Anisms by a pro.
cess called asymOiosis. This, when
taken advantage of by the farmer, may
preclude the application of nitrogen in
commercial manures by a j1dicious
rotation Of crops, and such a farmer
no Ion ger need g to consider ammoniated
manures beyond those prepared by his
own stock as by products of his farm.
Not 30 easily provided for are the
potash and phosphoric acid which
must be supplied sooner or later, &C,
cording to the character of soil; though
with stock reising and rotation OF crops,
the needed supply OF these may be re
duced to the minimum. Phosphoric
acid seems to have a strong power to
Influence maturity. Large amounts
produce early maturity by what Wag
ner has called phosphoric acid poison
ing, but it generally gives plump grain
and has been resorted to in sugar beet
gro wing to regulate ripeness to suit the
needs of factories.
The great grass family, gramineae
is one requiring a liberal supply of all
the clemens of plant food in an easily
soluble condition for a vigorous growth
and are especially grateful for supplies
of easily available nitrogen. The
small grains: rice, oa;s, wheat, rye.
aud barley, are examples of this fam.
lily as are also the millets, sorghum,
aud corn.
The latter plants make their moss
vigorous growth in the warm moist
periods Of SUNNI when nitrIh sation
is active. b. this means the habits of
these crops enable them to gather large
amounts of nitrogen fixed by nltri6ca
ton, which otherwise might not be
saved. In order to prof. by this habit
of growth and secure the maximum o.
growth at least expense it is necessary
only to make sure Of the presence of
humus To do this, apply stable ma
nure, or pillow in vegetable matter;
then give good preparation and go
over the soil rapidly when crust begins
to form after every shower to hold the
moisture which promotes notification
we'll as the growth Of the crop.
Therefore, only in special instances
does the general farmer need to use
any of the amm0niaGed brands Of com
mercial msnures; unless, after careful
trials, it is found that a field responds
to an addition OF 100 TO 800 pounds per
acre in addition to the treatment given
above. When this lie the case it may
be found profitable to use commercial
manures and they should be applied,
logically, as directed in previous ar
ticles, just as might find a loan pro
ducing him profit when he has Toe lit
tie capital to carry on business as he
should for his best advantage.
The amounts to be used Of each ar
ticle should be such as to give q regu
lar number of pounds of the essential
of growth contained in it. These have
in some experiments been figured out
as regular loses half doses and double
doses. The variation of half anddouble
dosss in a soil test is made to combine
in one year by 9 of nor plats the
information which was in our former
article LETT for the second year and q
new set OF plats. The complication ia