The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-02-19
"FERTII. I.IEINt;."

we puDllSn the following editorial
from the Southern Cultivator, hoping
by go doing we will confer favor
and material benefit upon our farm
ers:
1--WE wish to discuss briefly fertiliz-
ing, not fertilizers. We wish to call
attention to the using of fertilizers
rather than to fertilizers themselves.
We gather, from our numerous
inquiries upon this subject, that very
many do not fully understand this
important part Of farming.
There seems to be an impression
that we use fertilizers for the benefit
OF the soil. This Is great mistake.
They are intended to help the crop
and not the soil.
Certain elements Of plant. food
are made soluble aud therefore quick
~ available to growing plants. We
call these fertilizers. We use them
to help make the crops grow more
rapidly and mature earlier.
We use them because they arc
not soil food, but plant food.
Now we see at once that a ferti.
iizer to be good must be such that
the first plant will take it up. Hence
we use, should use them, so as to get
the quickest returns.
WHY DO WE FERTILIzE?
Mainly on account of our igno-
rance and laziness. We don't know
that the same ingredients Of plant
food which we are buying, already
exist in the soil in abundant supply.
Or if we know this we are not willing
to do the work necessary to get these
from the soil.
We find that by scratching the
soil three or four inches and using
these bought helps, we can force a
fair crop. Hence we prefer to sit
about idle all the fall and winter, and
then rely upon the fertilizer to make
the crop.
Ii we break the :soil deep and pull
verize it very finely, it will supply
the same things we buy. But that
means work, and most of US are lazy.
BY continuous bad preparation
and bad cultivation, and the stimu-
lus of fertilizers, we greatly iniure
the soil. That is, we decrease it's
productive power.
SHALL WE CONTINUE TO USE THEMp
1t will pay us to do so, il we use
them right. Do all we can to get our
soil in productive shape, and then
help it out by judicious use of ferti-
lizers. We should buy as cheaply as
possible. To do this we must get
the ingredients and do our own mix
ing, as far as possible. Buy the
phosphate and potash and ammonia
each in its cheapest shape.
Then mix with reference to the
crop we are expecting to use it upon.
Plants all use much the same
food and in very much the same pro-
portions.
Phosphoric acid, potash, ammo
MIA are the Ingredients the crops
need. Some need more of one, and
some more Of another of these.
AS the Southern farmers raise all
the cotton seed, they do not need to
buy much nitrogen. II properly
handled, the cotton seed will supply
this element, at least as much OF it
as is needed after we have taken care
Of oil the animal manures and rottine
vegetation.
The phosphoric acid and potash we
can not raise. We must work this
out of the soil or buy it. Deep plow.
ing, rotation of crops, growing grasses
and clovers and peas and cattle will
soon supply all the elements of fer.
tility. But until this is done. we
must buy acid and kainit or muriate
Of potash.
If we are fertilizing the grain crops,
and large number of truck crops.
such as cabbage and tomatoes, then
we need some ammonia.
For all Of the legumenous crops we
need only acid and potash. For cot.
ton, we need very small quantity
Of ammonia.
III tho previous crop was peas OIL
clover or Bermuda grass we do not
need any ammonia for cotton or corn.
But il the land has been badly han.
died or planted in ordinary crops We
will need some.
In writing to inquire how to ferti
lie it Is not necessary to describe
your soil. The soil is the workshop
and varies too much to enable any
one to prescribe for it. Tss- - -,
FORMULAS.
OF course these are merely guides
You can vary them to suit your cir
cumstances. But they will fit mos,
cases.
For cotton:
Aoid rboonbota 10pp - -