Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-20
Feeding Early veustabIes.

Feeding Early Vegetables.
The main point with early vegetables is
to force them forward as rapidly as pos
sible. Fully as much of the final success
depends on this rapid development as in
having the plants started early, and the
result justifies liberal outlay in fertiliz-
ers and labor.
In the early spring soil conditions are
unfavorable and nitrihcation. The wealth
er is usually wet, which binders extra
tillage and our main resources must be
the manure pile and guano sack to make
our vegetables grow.
While there is nothing superior to sta
BILE manure as fertilizer when 1t is in the
right condition, at the same time it is
very seldom in the proper shape on the
majority Of farms. You can haul green
manure from the. stable to the field to
ferthze a corn crop and the result will
be ID that could be desired. The corn
crop, however. has three or four months
in which to make, the weather becomes
hot, and the manure has the time and the
conditions necessary for its decomposition
in the soil. With many early vegetables
which must make their growth in thirty
to sixty days, the case is different. They
cannot wait for the manure to decay to
get their plant food: ii must be immedi-
ately available. If it is manure that we
contemplate fertilizing our early vegeta"
bles with. it should be old, welI-rotted and
fine. If therefore, your manure is coarse
and lumpy it would be better to save It
for the corn crop and use guano on your
early vegetables.
y The plant food in commercial fertilizers
is always available. some forms act more
quickly than others It is true. especially
where part of the nitrogen is derived from
nitrate of soda; but most of them become
soluble in a very short time. Nitrate of
do chn hn to nyrfn Ina
nearly all fertilizers for early vegetables
to supply a portion Of the ammonia. 1t is
not dependent on heat to make it availa-
BILE, but can be taken up by the young
plants at once and gives them a quick
start 1t is also valuable for top dressing
young vegetables where the nitrogen
seems TO have been leached away by
heavy rains and the yellowish appearance
OF the crop donates its absence.
/ But ammonia. or nitrogen is not the only
element of plant food needed in a fertilizer
for early vegetables. While the nitrogen
tends to produce a luxuriant growth of
tops, potash is needed to strengthen the
plant and help it to resist disease, and
phosphoric acid is needed to enable it to
produce fruit and seed.
With such vegetables as cabbage and
lettuce. the amount Of the two former
elements should be relatively larger, while
with turnips, although they use a great
deal of potash, they require also a larger
amount of phosphoric acid for their best
development.
A great many people make the mistake
of using the same grade of fertilizer for
their vegetables which they would on
their cotton or corn crop, sometimes as
matter Of convenience, but more often
because they do not appreciate the
fact sufficiently that different crops re-
quire different fertilizers. They fail to
understand why it is that a guano which
will make good cotton will not make good
cabbage.
Now guano for cotton is prepared to
produce fruit and therefore contains
very large per cent of phosphoric acid.
With cabbage we want strong growth
of top. and therefore, as ! before remark
ed. we neer fertilizer with relatively
large per cent of ammonia and potash.
The following formula will be found ef-
fective for early cabbage. lettuce. spinach,
and other vegetables where a strong leaf
growth is desired: Ammonia per cent,
available phosphoric acid per cent, and
potash per cent. To compound this fer
tilizer. thoroughly mix together until it
is an even color 800 lbs. nitrate of soda,
$50 lbs. cotton seed meal. 200 lbs. acid
phosphate. and $50 lbs muriate of potash.
to make a ton; apply at the rate of 2,OOO
lbs per acre.
For early beets and turnips use the fol-
lowing: Ammonia 5 per cent. phosphoric
acid per cent and potash per cent. To
make this fertilizer. take $50 lbs. nitrate
of soda $50 lbs. cotton seed meal. 900 lbs.
acid phosphate. and 800 lbs. muriate OF
potash, to make a ton. If you prefer to
use animal matter in your fertilizer. take
800 lbs high grade blood. 1850 lbs. bone
meal. and $50 lbs. muriate of potash. APP
Div at the rate of 1000 lbs per acre. This
guano contains more ammonia than would
be necessary for a late crop of turnips,
but in the early spring we have found it
advisable to use larger per cent of this
element for all vegetable crops.
Beans and peas. being of leguminous
nature. will not require as much ammonia,
and for these crops the following formula
is recommended; Ammonia per cent
phosphoric acid per cent. and potash 1
per cent. To make this fertilizer take 100
lbs. nitrate of soda. $50 lbs. cotton seed
meal. 200 lbs acid phosphate. and $50 lbs.
muriate of potash to make ton. Or LOO
lbs. bone meal and 300 lbs. muriate Of pot
ash will give the same result. Apply at
the rate of. 500 lbs. to the acre.
If YOU mix your own fertilizers. be care
ful to see that the work is thoroughly
done Ii should be mixed with shovel
on tight floor by shoveling the combined
mass over from one pile to another four
or five times. being careful to beat up the
Jumps as they roll down on the edges.
Where nitrate of soda is used. Il should
be run through a sand screen before mix
ing at IL is usually quite lumpy.
Whenever possible. II is a good plan to
spplv the fertilizer TO the land a week or
ten DAYS before sowing your seed. In all
cases. see that II is thoroughly incorporat-
ed with the soil otherwise injury to
young plants may result.
Guano. when properly handled and ap-
piled Is very valuable for the production
of early truck. and will be found to give
the most gratifying results.
i. J. MERRIAM,
The purchase price OF the Danish West In
1f,v sglavde haa NOT vat heau announcad o.