The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-02
FARM, GARDEN
AND HOUSEHOLD

/ is from $3.50 to 81 a sack, or SIS to $50
! per ton.
| I suppose the above formula is more
/ widely sold than any other brand OF
| fertilizer for cotton. 1t is fairly wei
| balanced for this crop on average soils,
| but does not contain enough potash
| for sandy soils which are always very
| difficult in this element. For sandy
| sells the fertilizer should contain at
least per cent OF potash and the
analysis should read
Ammonia ............ ....3 per cent
Ehosphoric acid .............S per cent
Potash ........ ..............4 per cent
Now potash is a very important Gle
mCnt in the production OF cotton, as IL
enters more largely into the compo-
sition of the line than either ammonia
or phosphoric acid. In an analysis or
300 pounds Of lint, we have 222 pounds
of potash, 81 pounds of ammonia, ana
IS pounds phosphoric acid. Therefore
to produce an abundance of lint, we
must have potash from somewhere. If
it is lacking in the soil it must be sup
pied in the fertilizer.
The inquiring reader will naturally
ask, why is it, if cotton uses more pot
ash than it does phosphoric aid. Il at
the latter element predOmindtes in the
fertilizer. This is because an excess Of
phosphoric acid has been found by ex-
pertinent to hasten the development of
the plant. 1t also enters very largely
into the composition of the seed and
makes it impossible for the plant to
take up more of the other elements
from the soil. Furthermore it has
been found that available phosphoi &c
acid is liable to revert to an insolub!e
state on it's coming in contact with
liTe, and other substances in the soil,
hence it has been necessary to use
more of this element in all commercial
fertilizers.
The cotton crop also uses a large
amount of ammonia, principally in its
leaves and seed. Most of this how
ever, should be obtained from the air
by growing COW peas in a systematic
rotation with other crops. A great
many people complain that the use of
commercial fertilizers has made their
land grow poorer, and that it is neces-
sary to use more fertilizer now than
formerly to obtain the same results.
The reason for this is not hard to find.
We will suppose, to start with, that
their land produced 300 pounds of lint
cotton per acre, with 200 pounds of an
S-2-2 fertilizer. This 300 pounds of lint
together with the 654 pounds of seed
that went with it, removed from the
soil yearly about $3.50 worth of fertil-
ity, which they have tried to replace
with 200 pounds of guanO, containing
SLIGO worth of plant food. The result
is obvious.
From 4OG to 500 pounds of guano per
acre should be used instead of 200
pounds. Then improve the fertility
and physical condition of your soil by
growing COW peas and crimson clover
in regular rotation with corn, oats
and wheat.
In conclusion l will give the follow
ing formula for fertilizer
for cotton; it was given
me by large grower, who had had
fine success and had been able to pre-
vent the rust on his cotton by its use
One hundred pounds cotton seed
meal; 100 pounds kainit; 200 pounds
acid phosphate. Mix together thor
o1ghly on a tight floor, pounding up
all humps, until 1t is all an even color
throughout. The analysis is as fol-
lows:
ammonia ........... ........G' per cent.
Phosphoric acid .............7 FER cent.
HOtaSh ........,. ............5 per cent.
F. J. Merriam Editor Southern Rural
list, Battle Hill, Ga.