Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-10
FARMER AND PLANTER.
HINTS ON TOBACCO CULTURE.
Advice 10 the Smaller Planters in
Reference 10 FertiIixing and
other Matters.

tations, where the services of an eX-
pert can not be employed profitably,
the fertilizing problem becomes Il
more serious matter, and it is to this
class that these remarks are more di-
rectly addressed.
The chief feature in tobacco grow
ing is perfect maturity of leaf, and
this can only be obtained when the
crop is grown under favorable condi-
tons, not only with reference to eli
mate, but also with reference to soil,
tillage and fertilization. 1t is taken
for granted in this paper that the
planter has favorable soil and that
he thoroughly understands the requi-
site tillage; the fertilization problem,
perhaps the most important of all, is
commonly the least understood by the
average planter.
Having in mind in the beginning
that fertilization consist broadly in
supplying certain elements neces 'ary
to the proper maturity of plants, il
should be very clearly understood
what these elements are manures,
fertilizers or plant food of any kind,
and this, of course, applies to cetton
seed meal, are useful in pronlot-
ing plant growth simply because
they contain more or less of what
are known as the ingredients OF
,,lan+ food tho oap,p,n, nauac for
these ingredients-there are three of
them-are nitrogen, potash and phos-
phoric acid. When the planter learns
to regard his fertilizer not as the bull,
in the bag, but the nitrogen, potash
and phosphoric acid contained in the
bulk of matter in the fertilizer bag,
he has gone a long way toward mas
tering the problem of fertilization.
The three fertilizing ingredients
have different uses, and there is con-
siderable variation of opinion as the
extact Iature of the separate infu-
ence of each ingredient in different
cultures. Broadly, it is understood
that nitrogen promotes the free
growth of foliage and when used ex-
cessively checks maturity, or natures
the crop unevenly. Potash gives even
maturity to the plant, is the chief
factor in maintaining quality in text
ure of the leaf, and also in aroma as
well as burning qualities;its excessive
use seems to be without injury TO the
crop. Phosphoric acid has more par
ticular bearing on the production of
seed; used in excess it natures the
crop in advance of the proper season
and thereby severely checks the yield,
which in also accompanied by u de-
terioration in the quality of the leaf.
The active function of the three
elements of plant food is also shown
by the chemical analysis of the whole
crop. \ crop of 1000 pounl Is of leaf
and 800 pounds of stems will con-
tain about 30 pounds of nitrogen, ZOE
pounds of potash and % pounds of
phosphoric acid. Compared with a
good average crop of wheat go
pounds nitrogen. - pounds potash
end "a pounds phosphoric acid per
acre., it is quite evident that for to-
bncco potash is the most important
element OF fertility. conclusion
quite in accord with the theory us
outlined by scientific men.
We must now call attention to the
action Of excessive applications of
plant food. AS shown above an ex-
cess OF either nitrogen or phoSphoric
acid is injurious TO the tobacco plant
End this is an important point to the
planter. IN excess of phosplioric acid
for example, may not mean that enor-
nous quantities OF the plaI.t food
have been applied, but that very Iit-
tie potash has been used in a miNtrre
containing considerable phosphoric
acid. AS the crop making power of IA
fertilizer is limited by the power pos
sible TO that element which is most
deficient, it follows that fertilizer
low in potash and high in phosphoric
uCIu lulllIlo al tnt tOI'iltiOilS VI II
excess Of phosphate fertilizer. If
nitrogenis substituted for phosphoric
acid in the preceding paragraph, the
same conditions prevail and the crop
suffers in quality as well as quantity
through excessive fertilization
IT is preferable to call this excessive
fertilization, as planters almost in
Yariably use far too little fertilizer,
and it is important to make clear
that light application may be more or
less Injurious unless correctly bal
anced 1t is quite needless to make
recommendation here as to certain
quantities to apply, for different soils
as well as for different types of tobac-
co: the planter will limit his appli-
cation by the length of his purse or
the extent of his credit. The planter
must do some thinking on his own ac-
count if he wants to make success
of his crop, and we have given in this
paper the main points necessary to
keep in mind in order to fertilize sue
Cessfully as well as economically. The
planter must find the hint in his own