The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-03-04

Il
lacking in humus because we have
burned up or hauled off the vegetable
matter. Change your plan, Quit.
burning and haul vegetable matter
on and you will soon have humus-
Bad management has destroyed the
normal amount of nitrogen. Grow
peas, beans, and clover and cow ma
nure and restore the nitrogen.
The potash and phosphorio acid
are already there make them soluble
by good culture and your soil will be-
ready to make crops.
WHERE FERTILIZERS PAY.
Fertilizers do not paw on verv moor
land with two inches of soil. Such
soil does not furnish sufficient root
bed or water. They pay upon deep
soils with plenty of water to grow q
plenty of stalk. They pay when
used to increase the yield of fruit
upon the crop, if the right kind and
Quantity is used. But when cotton
needs phosphoric acid to mature the
seed and lint it does not pay to feed
the cotton with nitrogen. When
corn needs phosphorio acid to I'LL out
and mature the grain, it does not
pay to feed it with complete fer
tilizer.
When there is plenty of phogphorio
acid in the soil which has been made
available, by good preparation and
culture, it is wasting money to buy
and use more phosphate upon that
crop.
We wish to impress the idea that
it is the previous treatment and
present mechanical condition of the
soil that decides what kind and how
much fertilizers will pay.
It is at last more a question of
work than buying fertilizers. Ifyou
have grown a crop of clover or peas
or beans on piece of land you do
not need to buy nitrogen to put on
the crop that follows.
Fertilizers pay on good land whicIR
Is able to make good crops without
them, rather than on poor land, Just
as extra food fed to fat and growing
cattle or pigs pays better than when.
fed to stunted and lousy ones.
Consider the condition and strength
of your land and the wants of the
crop you wish to grow and you oan
come at what fertilizer ingredients
to use.
Set, printed formulas are useful
only as guides but must not be fol-
lowed too closely.
Poor lands had better be put in
grass or peas or both. and plowed
deeply until they are in good oondi-
tion before you waste fertilizers ON
them.
HOW TO USE.
We insist on farmers buying the
material and mixing for themselves
because it saves money and gives
better results. There is no seoret
about mixing. Indeed the mixing in
only a convenience in distributing.
They would do just as we'll sown
separately. But it saves time to Sow
all at once. Stir we'll together with
shovel and hoe.
We say SOW, because it pays better
to use fertilizers broadcast. The,
plants get more of them.
Put the old worn lands in grass.
Cultivate only the fields that wiI1
pay. Then fertilize the crop if you
wish. In this way you will save ex-
penses and increase profits.
But it is better to grow cattle, save
manure, and make your farm rich
and be independent.
Simply as guides, we suggest for
ordinary fair soils, in good condi-
tiun, about the following:
FOR CORN.
Cotton seed meal. .......... 200 Ibg-
ACID phosphate. 1900 4"
Kainit. 200 60
Use from 200 TO 1000 lbs.
FOR COTTON.
Cotton seed meal ........ 200 lbs-
Acid phosphate. .14OO ''
ha1n16. .................. 800 s.
Use from 200 to 800 lbs.
FOR POTATOES, MELONS, ETo.
Cotton seed meal ... $50 lbs
Acid phosphate. e............ 1000 '
Kainit. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 400 '
Use from 600 to 1000 lbs.
FOR SMALL GRAIN, GRASSES, ETC.
Cotton seed meal. .......... 800 lbs.
Acid phosphate. e........... 900
hAln16.. ............ SUU -
Uae from 300 to 600 lbs.
On anV and all crops nitrate of