Times-promoter., 1907-03-29
WHEN FERTILIZERS SHOULD Be
APPLIED,

tore planting the crop II Is intended to
benefit This rule is not only in accord
With theoretical considerations. but is also
abundantly sustained in actual practice
as shown by carefully conducted field ex-
pertments instituted for the express pur-
pose of ascertaining the truth, says Hon.
r. j. Redding, Director Georgia Experi-
ment Station, Department OF Agriculture,
in Virginia Carolina Fertilizer Almanac.
The theory underlying the rule Is the
fact that most of the ingredients compos-
ing commercial fertilizer are not inn
mediately soluble and availible, but must
undergo certain chemical changes In tho
soil before the plant food will be In the
proper condition to be taken up by the
roots of the plants. sThis Is particularly
true in regard to salts Of potash, and in
less degree to acid phosphate. It is
TACT, also, that some forms or potash,
notably kainit, cause chemical changes
in the condition Of the plant food already
present in SOIL whereby the before In
soluble and non-availabie plant food al
ready in the soil. becomes available.
The organic substances which are large
iy used in the make up Of commercial
fertilizers for the purpose of supplying
nitrogen to the plants-such as cotton
seed meal, dried blood, fish scrap, tank
age, ETC., also require time in which to
undergo chemical decomposition and such
change Of form as will enable the roots
TO appropriate the nitrogen. Even sui
phate Of ammonia, highly soluble chemi-
cal salt, which sometimes enters into
the composition of a fertilizer in very
limited amount, must undergo a complete
chemical decomposition In the soil before
the plants can make any use of the nitro
gen, which 1t contains in the form OF
ammonia sulphste. This must be con-
verted into nitrate, or nitrate of lime.
Nitrate OF soda Is the one chemical
fertilizer salt that Is Immediately avail
able, producing O very prompt effect when
applied to growing crop (and 1t should
be applied to none other).
Acid phosphate and potash may be ap-
piled to the soil and bedded on from two
to six weeks before planting time. It
Is claimed by some experts that potash
salts may be applied with better results
even several months before planting.
more practical and convenient rule, how
ever, Is to apply complete fertilizer
from one to three weeks before planting
the crop, when the latter Is corn, cot
ton, tobacco, or other summer growing
crop, always taking care to mix the fer
tiltzer thoroughly with the soil OF the
open bedding furrow In which 1t shall be
applied and then listing" or throwing
two burrows on 1t.
Experiments on the farm Of the Georgia
Experiment Station. projected for the
purpose Of comparing on the one hand
the effectiveness. OF a complete fertilizer
on the other hand, the effectiveness of
the same quantity Of the same fertilizer
applied in the furrows with the seed,
were followed by an unexpected and sur
prising result.viz.: the cotton seeds plant
ed on the plats in which the fertilizer
had been applied and bedded on two
weeks before, came up quicker. and gave
q more uniform stand OF more vigorous
plants than resulted on the plats in which
the fertilizer was applied in the burrows
with the seeds. While this result was not
contemplated, 1t was quickly explained
by the fact that the fertilizer that had
been in the ground two weeks had under
gone the chemical changes already allud-
ed to, and its plant food was ready for
the immediate wants Of the young plants.
This result suggests that it may be ex-
pedient, in any case, to apply a small
quantity--say 70 to rs pounds-of nitrate
of soda in the same furrow with the cot-
ton or corn seeds, which may be done
with perfect safety with cotton seeds:
and without danger to corn II not placed
in immediate contact with the seed.
APPLYING FERTILIZER AT THE
TIME OF PLANTING.
This may be understood to mean either
applying the fertilizer, bedding on it and
Immediately planting the seed; or 1t may
refer to the practice Of putting the fer
tilizer in the furrow with the seed. In
the latter case, there Is always a mani
fest danger that the coming growing sea-
son may be unusually dry, in whiC.i event
the fertilizer, being so lightly covered,
may not be dissolved and properly dis
seminated through the soil. 1t may also
follow that the fertilizer being so concen-
trated-en masse, as 1t were-around the
tender rootlets of the young plants that
the latter may be injured, or burned
a not inconsiderable danger. The plan
is not advisable except when very
light application is to be made per acre.
This caution is especially applicable to
seeds that are planted in very shallow
burrows and but lightly covered, such as
cotton, and 1t is generally safer to inter-
pose some soil. or. better, deposit the fer
in furrow Immediately beside; or, vice
versa, plant the seeds first In the furrow,
and then the fertilizer in q furrow close
beside 1t. But the preferred plan Is to
bed on the fertilizer, and then plant the
seeds after harroWing rS down aod the beds
complete" fertilizer per acre in the
furrow with the cotton seeds; but it was
''away back" in the late sixties and early
seventies when fertilizers sold at $40 to SEQ
ton, and very light applications were
economy. We did not know much about
fertilizers In those days, and were afraid
to put too much guano on the cotton" ;"
That time has passed and gone. ana the
up-to-date farmer has found that 500 and
800 pounds of fertilizer for cotton, q
properly balanced high-grade fertilizer, to
each acre Of cotton Is not dangerous or
excessive, but simply liberal and judi
cious. Indeed. 1t is q question Of simple
arithmetic. II 100 pounds per acre Is
profitable and 1t costs no more labor to
cultivate an acre with 800 pounds Of ap-
Piled fertilizer, then why not increase
the amount invested in fertilizers, and,
IL thought advisable, reduce the area and
the labor account?
Now, the well-informed farmer only
wants to know II the fertilizer be proper
iy balanced for the crop he wishes to
grow, and is sold at a fair price, and he
Invests literally, Just as he would do In
buying anything at such price that he
may sell at q profit Of from 80 to 100 per
centum and upward. A high-grade, hon-
est fertilizer will meet this requirement.
There is another justification for the
practice Of applying fertilizers at the
time of planting-viz., when the farmer
has failed to put In his order at the prop
er time. He may then, according to the
proverb-"better late than not at alI''--
put in the fertilizer with the seed, or aS
! fho fyr,a ~ r,Ia utirv