The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-02-06
HOW MUCH FERTILIZER TO
APPLY.

The question. How much fertilizer
should be used per acre?" cannot be an
swered definitely. but only in a general
way 1t is sometimes put in this form:
What is the most profitable amount that
may be applied per acre?' Neither can
the question III the amended form be
exactly and accurately answered. The
soil. its character condition, preparation,
etc. may be well known, or comfortable
factors, but we know not what the sea-
sons may be. says Hon. R. J. Rcdding,
Director Georgia Experiment Station, De-
partrent of Agriculture, in the Virginia
Carolina Fertilizer Almanac.
We know that some crops will bear
larger amounts of fertilizers with reason
able assurance CT profitable returns than
may be expected Of other soils A crop
that occupies the soil from the fall season
until spring. or early summer will bear
heavier fertilizing than will crop that
is planted in the spring and ripens for
harvest in midsummer. The first case is
illustrated by oats. wheat. or other small
grain. or grass. especially when sown in
the fall Of the year. Such a crop occu-
pies the soil during the late fall and win
ter, and early spring-during which pc
riodS the rains are usually abundant
ripenins for harvest in late spring, or
very early summer. before the burning
summer heat and possible drouths Of
June and July. Oats and wheat therefore
are ideal crops for liberal fertilizing.
Corn is rather an uncertain crop on the
ordinary dry up!ands Of the South. It
op its 1lowers-tassels and silks-cover-
ing but I few days. Ii very dry weather
shall prevail when this critical period is
approaching, and for some time after it
is passed. the crops may prove greater
or less failure. There can be no second
effort. no second period of blooming.
1t is different in the case Of cotton,
which commences to bloom and make
fruit in June Cor even earlier) and con-
tinues throughout the summer until
checked by a severe frost in November
It has a number Of chances"
Cotton is therefore another ideal crop
for liberal fertilizins. A small amount
of fertilizers applied per acre will no
doubt yield larger percentage profit
on it's cost than will a larger amount.
Of fertilizer per acre may cause an in
creased yield Of cotton (at 10 cents per
pound) of the value of Sc to IS, OF profit
of 200 to 600 per cent. on its cost. have
frequently had such results. But 1t does
not follow that twice as heavy an appli-
cation will produce twice as large re-
suits. or that three times as much would
cause three times as great an increase
in the yield In other words the rate
Of increase in the yield Of cotton will
not be in proportion to the increase in
the amount OF fertilizers applied. TWO
dollars worth Of fertilizer per acre may
yield an increase in the crop of Sc; but
Sc worth would not therefore bring an
increase Of SIS.
But careful observation has shown that
an application Of s. to Sc worth of fertiI-
;zers properly halanced) is safe amount
| to apply per acre on cotton. Many farm
| ers in Georgia have secured satisfactory
returns iron? an application of so much
as 500 pounds per acre.
| I think COO pounds a perfectly safe limit
on upland in fairly good condition. well
prepared and properly cultivated in cot
| ton For corn. would limit the amount
! to 40 70 Co pounds per acre on old up
| lands.