The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1907-04-13
rERTILIziNG THE o

THE primary object in using fertilizers
Is to produce a larger yield OF the crop
already growing, on the land to which
the fertilizer IS to be applied. rs a rule,
1t contains from ten to sixteen per cent.
Of more or less promptly avatlzsole plant
food. In other words, a commercial Ter
tiliZer contains In every hundred POUNDS
weight from 10 to is pounds or available
phosphoric acid, either alone, or that
amount Of phosphoric acid ana potash
combined, making in the latter case, what
is called a complete" fertilizer. Now,
this 10 to 16 pounds In each 100 pounds
OF the fertilizer is supposed to be. and
should be, practically soluble and avail
able at once, or within a week or two,
for the use of the crop, says Virginia
Carolina Fertilizer Almanac.
The remaining portion OF the fertfl1zers
or the "a to 90 pounds In each 100 pounds.
is a mixture of insoluble phosphate and
eulphate OF lime, some sand, water, or
necessarily incident to the manufacture,
and ,annot be economically removed.
They are Of very little immediate value
to either the crop or the soil.
izer to the soil the object is to supply
the plants with soluble plant food and
Increase the yield of the cotton, gTains
grass, or whatever the crop may be-.
help the land, because 1t induces Il larger
growth Of stalk. roots and foliage OF the
plants-or those parts that VIII be re-
turned to, and become part OF the SOIL
A dose OF this fertilizer, for instance,
not only increases h yield of seed cot
ton, but also the size OF the stalks.
the foliage. hulls and other parts that
the soil In the shape Of humus (decayed
vegetable matter. But the principal way
to improve the soil itself, is to add vege-
table matter to 1T In the form Of stable
manure, ~renovating crops, rotation or
crops. etc, in a more direct manner.
1t would seem manifest, then, Il we
wish to increase the yield Of corn, cotton
wheat, oats, grass, ETC., that the fertilizer
should contain the three elements" Of
plant food In the proportions that are
best suited to the para:dlar crop. TINS
is particularly true IL The purpose IS 10
use liberal amounts Of fertilizer per acre.
In such case the deficient supply, in the
natural soil, Of any one or more Of the
three valuable" elements Onospnorlc
acid, nitrogen and potash) need not be
specially considered.
experiments, conducted at many OF the
experiment stations. it has been found
that cotton requires O Fertilizer that con-
potash and 8 1-3 parts Of available phos-
phoric acid. This demand would be met
by q fertilizer containing I'D per cent:
available phosphoric acid, 8 per cent. or
as ordinarily expressed, a 1O-3S fertilizer.
One analyZing 92.7O-1.7O; or 8E24O-2.40:
or 7-2.10-210, etc., would answer just al
well. provided these lower grades be ap-
piled in heavier quantities.
So 1t has been found that corn, sugar
cane, sorghum, grasses and other crops
belonging to the grass family respond
best to a fertilizer that shall contain 10
gen and 2 parts OF potash or a 1O-5-2
fertilizer. The following formulas are
in precisely the same proportions, only
they are Of lower grade, and would give
nroaffnn1iyy tho G M YQGIJIfG nnIU Uhan a
co~rrespondingly larger application shall
be made per acre-vtz. 9c450-1.80; or
SA.0L1.60; or 7S3.51-l40. and SO on. or
course, these lower grades can be sold
at lower prices than the high grades;
but, as a rule, the farmer will find 1t
more economical to buy the high grades,
both IN account Of their cheaper price
per unit" and also the saving OF 1reigns
the latter being precisely the same,~ PEE
ton. for both high and To-" a
APPLYING FERTILIZER WHEN
PLANTING.
While It is certainly true, in u exc
perience, that the greater part OF the fer
tilizer should be applied about two weeks
before the crop is to be planted, well
mixed in the soil Of the bedding furrow
and bedded on, there are circumstances
that would justify e farmer In making
one or more intercultural applications,
including one at the actual date Of plant
ing. b following are such circumstan-
ces: -
W NIlcI d 4dTIucT lbs AOI OCCH oDA0
to secure the whole amount Of his fer
tilizers before planting time. I
G) When he concludes, after his crop
has been planted and is growing, that
he did not buy n apply as much as he
should have done before planting.
90 When the yellowish green color and
want Of vigor in the appearance of the
plants indicate that more nitrogen Is
needed by the crop.
We believe 1t may be safely accepted
as a general rule that q small portion
OF Virginia Carolina Fertilizer should be
applied with, or near the seed, at the
time Of planting. The effect Of this small
application is to supply the young plants
with available food during the first stage
of their growth. inducing prompt and
vigorous development. For this purpose
40 to so pounds per acre may be applied
OF the same fertilizer that had been bed
ded on two weeks before planting.
A second application Of high-grade fer
tilizers may be made at the second or
third blowing Of cotton. or at six or eight
inches height OF the plants up to Is inch
es. or the middle to last OF May, and the
middle to last of June.
The interculturai applications may be
made in the siding furrow or the fer
tilizer may be Strewn along in the middleS
ahead Of the pillow or c~ultivator. There
is no need to fear that the plants will
not get the benefit Of q high-grade fer
tilizer If put anyhere, on or between the
rows. June 26th Is the latest date at
which the writer has ever applied fer
tilizer In this way to either corn or cot
ton, although there is little reason to
doubt that even later applications would
benefit the crop; but probably not enough
to pay the cost Of the fertilfzer.F