The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-07-30

can tell for yourself whether your SOIL
neds lime, phosphoric acid, potash or
nitrogen, one or all. That method is
as follows:
Method by which the Farmer May An
aIyze His Own Soil.
First, select a piece of ground as
level as possible, so that rain may not
wash the fertilizer from one plont in
to an adjoining plot. Secondly, for
the purpose of the experiment mark of
ten plots, each one just one-tenth OF an
acre in area. If convenient, make the
plots long and narrow, say one hun
dred and thirty-six feet long by thir-
ty-two feet wide; these dimensions
would enable you to have eight long
rows, four feet apart, in each plot Amy
other shape of plot will answer, only
be careful to lay off the plots so thac
they shall each contain one-tenth OF
an acre, or 4,365 square feet. Sepa-
rate the plots from each other by
paths, at least three feet wide, SO that
the effect of fertilizer in one plot may
not be felt in an adjoining plot. !:
would be well to locate these expert
mental plots on some of your poorest
land, or that which stands most badly
in need of fertilizer. When all is
ready carefully number the plots from
one to ten so that you may keep rec
ord of the nature and amount of fer.
tilizer applied on each plot. Let us
suppose that you decide to plant cot
ton on the ten prepared plots for the
purpose of finding out what fertilizins
constituent is most needed by your soil
when growing cotton. Plant the COT
ton in your usual manner, after care
full preparation of the soil of the plots,
thoroughly blowing and narrowing the
plots in order. Then apply the f9"-
tilizers as follows:
No. mo fertilizer.
No. 2-143 pounds of cotton seed
meal
No. 300 pounds of IA per cent
acid phosphate.
No 40 pounds OF kaIn1t.
No. 5-No fertilizer.
No 900 pounds OF acid phosphate
and 143 pounds of cotton seed meal.
No. 7-143 pounds of cotton sed meal
and 80 pounds of kainit.
No. 300 pounds of acid phosphate
and 80 pounds of kainit.
No. 900 pounds of acid phosphate
so pounds of kainit and 143 pounds Of
cotton seed meal.
No. 1880 pounds air-slaked lime.
In many of our Georgia soils lime is
sadly lacking, and it may be just the
thing needed by the soil, in conjunc-
ton with certain other fertilizers; to
discover il this be the case, after hay.
ing fertilized Plot No. 2, mark off
strip 21a feet in width diagonally
across the plot, that is running from
one corner to the opposite corner. APP
ply to this strip so pounds of air
slaked lime, and work it in we'll with
the soil and other fertilizer with
rake. Do the same with each OF th3
other plots, emitting No 10. Thel
when the crop begins to grow. if lime
was specially needed by the soil in any
of the plots, you ought to notice
marked superiority in the 212 foot
strip which runs diagonally across all
the rows in all nine plots.
In the above fertilizers it is pre-
sumed that the acid phosphate is the
kind most usually sold, containing IA
per cent of available phosphoric acid
to the plot.
The cotton seed meal is presumed
to contain per cent. of nitrogen, So
that 143 pounds of it supplies 10
pounds of nitrogen to the plot, and the
kainit to contain 1218 per cent OF pot
ash, so that 80 pounds yield 10 pounds
of potash to the plots the kainit is
applied to.
In applying the fertilizers observe
the following precautions Sow each
fertilizer on the plot to which it is II
be applied broadcast, using your best
care and judgment to distribute the
fertilizer evenly over the entire plot.
In order to get an even distribution it
is best to SOW in such quantity that
you will have to go over each plot
at least twice to get all the fertilizer
distributed. Take care not to SOW
while the wind is blowing as it may
blow some of the fertilizer on to th9
adjoining plots. After sowing har-
row the ground, and then it will be
ready for you to plant.
Plant thick enough to insure per-
feet stand, and at the proper time
thin, out to a uniform stand. Treat
all the plots exactly alike, except as
to the fertilizers Applied. Prepare
the ground in each plot the same,
plant the cotton all at the same time,
and always cultivate the same and at
the same time each day. Take pains
to have the same number of plants IN
each row. 1t will be well to keep 4
notebook, with page for each plot,
in which to record your observations.
l-Ir IL