The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-07-16
Agriculture.
FEW WORDS ABOUT FERTILIZERS.

~ Hrnnicutt Advises Home-Mixing-Goo
Tiuage is Essential-sCratoh Farming
Never Pays.
rorrespondence OF The Progressive Farmer.
The use of fertilizers is one of the
most important subjects connected
with successful farming. The i'm
pOrtance is emphasized by several
considerations. Chief among these
are the cost and the increase of the
crop. Many farmers pay annually
more for fertilizers than the rental
of the land is worth. Some pay
more than the selling price. Are
these millions wisely spent? Can we
not farm without them? Does it
pay to spend so much in this way?
We are constantly forced to ask
ourselves these questions. We an
swer both yes and no. The system
of farming for the generations pre-
oeding Us has greatly reduced the
fertility of our soil. There is not
enough available phosphoric acid
and potash in the soil to make large
crops. Hence, if wisely used, it
pays to buy soluble plant food, pro
vided always that we do not pay too
much for these articles.
Corn contains about so per cent.
phosphOric acid; oats about the
same. and cotton lint about 33 per
cent. This shows us that we need
high grade phOsphates.
Now to make a full crop we need
a healthy plant. There are numer-
Gus insects, microbes and fungi that
attack and greatly weaken the plants
and often almost entirely destroy
the crop. Rust in cotton and on
wheat are familiar examples. They
cut off these crops seriously. Pot
ash helps to prevent these. Often
it will entirely prevent any damage.
This is particularly true of cotton
and wheat on gray, sandy lands. We
have found potash in the form of
kainit almost q specific. We have
raised heavy crops of cotton by using
four to six hundred pounds of kainit
per acre on land that without it
would rust so badly as to be almost
a complete failure. We have had
just as satisfactory results on wheat
and various other crops. Heavy
vigorous plants have the power to
resist rust, when weaker ones would
be ruined in the same field. By
using potash TO give health and acid
phosphate to give heavy fruitage,
we can very greatly increase the
yield.
But we should always see that we
get pure goods and high grade. We
can save nearly half by buying
these goods in large lots and paying
cash and doing our own mixing. In
this way we can vary the proportions
to suit the crop, and thus get better
results for less cost. You do not
need to give a cotton stalk as much
potash as you do u watermelon or
potato. The mixing can be done
satisfactorily with a shovel and hoe.
By using a little intelligence along
here we can save u great expense,
and at the same time largely increase
our crops.
OF course to get the best results
our soil must be fine. Water is the
great element of plant life. We
must. have the water. These ele-
ments of plant growth can do moth
ing without water. Plants cannot
use them until they are dissolved.
So. if we cannot irrigate or make it
rain when we need it, then we must
do the next best thing. We must
Dlow so deep that the water will not
run away when it rains. Then the
roots can find this water when the
plants need it. Give the depth of
soil and the water, we can use the
phosphate and the potash and feel
sure of a good crop.
These truths hold good for ali
farm crops in ali sections of our
country. They apply to grain and
grass Just as we'll Us to cotton and
potatoes. Intelligent use of these
fertilizers will pay and pay well.
But scratch farming will not pay
with or without fertilizers. After
all. active brains are the best fertili-
zer on any farm. They help to make
the others pay.
This is not theory. 1t is the re-
zuI5 of long and patient expert nee.