The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-11

will IL do to assume that because you put
one or two thousand pounds of fertilizer
per acre last year that there will not be
any need for more this year, for it is
only by heavy and annual applications of
fertilizers that the land can be brought
up to its highest productiveness in early
market garden crops. But you may say,
How are we to accumulate this humus
in the soil which you say is SO
important in its Improvement" No
one has a better opportunity to do
this then the man engaged in the grow
Ing or truck crops, for as his early crops
come off he has still the cowpea, that
will grow an immense crop on land so
heavily fertilized. and in no way can the
humus content OF the land be so raoidly
Increased as by the sowing of peas on
every vacant place in the truck field; and
not only in places actually vacant OF at
the time OF crops. but among some of
them the peas are usefll. Melons are
far better off in the shade of peas, and
at the last working OF the melons IL Is
Is a good practice TO SOW peas among the
vines. 1t Is always far cheaper to grow
the organic matter from which humus
Is made by growing 1t all over the
land than by hauling it there in the
shape of stable manure.
stable manure is too apt to be out of
the reach Of the trucker in the South. at
least to the extent that he would like
co use it, and chemical fertilizers and
leguminous crops make an excellent
substitute. In fact, there Is no royal
road to success in trucking, and ii is
usually only after two or three fail
ures that the unskilled gardner realizes
where he has failed. In the climate,
where the crop of early potatoes s
grown in a short time. and during the
cool months of spring. when nitridcation
is not so active. there is "a need for
heavier applications of nitrogen in the
fertilizer used than there is in the North,
where the crop grows through the sum
mer, when the nitrihcation of organic
matter in the soil Is most active.
Hence, in the preparation of ferti-
lzer for the potato crop in the South
we would always use more nitrogen than
on the general crop grown North, and
not only would we use more nitrogen, but
we would use portion of it in the readi-
ly available form of nitrate, as in the
nitrate of soda, for the same reason we
have given for the extra need of nitrogen
the short time during which the crop
grows. Nitrogen must get into the form
of nitrate before green plants can use
it, and there is a need for the readily
available nitrate in the early growth of
the potato while the organic nitrogen is
getting into shape for the plants. Hence,
we would advise for the potato crop the
following mixture to make a ton:
Acid phosphate, 900 pounds;
Nitrate of soda, 100 pounds;
Cottonseed meal, 600 pounds and
Muriate of potash, 400 pounds.
If the land was IN condition to receive
1t | would use from 600 to 1900 pounds
of this per acre. but on land Nike that
described 1t is probable that a smaller
quantity would be better, since the soil
is not in condition to use the heavier APP
plcation, and therefore, TOO pounds of the
mixture would be advisable at first As
the humus content OF the soil increases
through the growing of the peas you can
safely increase the fertilizer application
with the certainty that it will not dam
age the crops, as 1t might in the unim-
proved state of the soil.
The beans and peas following on this
same land the following year will need
little If any, heterogeneous fertilizer and
will need less fertilization of any kind
Being a cheaper crop than potatoes. they
will not pay for and do not need such
heavy fertilzing. ands following a crop
OF peas will be able TO get along with a
fairly liberal--say, 400 pounds-dressing of
acid phosphate and muriate of potash, five
parts of the first to one of the last. But,
after all, the first truck crops raised on
land in the condition described will be
disappointing, but the man who perse-
veres and builds up his land by liberal
treatment. ana who sticks at 1t. Will fin
ally perceive that what we have said is
exactly true.