The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-02-15
HOW MUCH FERTILIZER TX
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
.WhGt is the most profitable amount thai
may be applied per acre? ?" Neither chi
the question in the amended form i.
exactly and accurately answered. The
soil, its character. condition, pHcparaticu.
etc. may be well known. or c,,ntrolab BIZ
factors, but we know not what the sea
SONS may be, says Hon. r. J.. Raddinr.
director Georgia Experiment Station, De-
partment Of Agriculture, in tho virpinia-
Carolina Fertilizer Almanac,
We know that some crons will bear
larger amounts of fertilizers with reason
able assurance of profitable returns thar
may be expected Of other soils, A cron
that occupies the soil from the Nail season
until spring. or early summer, viii beai.
heavier fertilizing than will a crop that
Is planted In the spring and ripens for
harvest In midsummer. The first case il
Illustrated by oats, wheat, or other small
gram, 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
Rods the rains are usually abundant
ipening for harvest in late spring, or
very early summer, before thI burning
summer heat and possible dtouths Of
June and July. Oats and wheat therefore
are Ideal crops for liberal fertilizlng.
Corn is rather an uncertain crop on the
ordinary dry uplands of the South. 1t
mas but a short period in which to devel-
op It's howers--tassels and silks-coyer-
ing put q few days, III very dry weather
shat prevail when this critical period ia
approaching. and for some time after it
IS passed, the crops may prove h greater
or less failure. There can be no second
enort, no second period of blooming
y different In the ease Of cotton,
when commences TO bloom and make
fruit in June Tor even earlier) and con
tlnues throughout the summer until
checked by a. severe frost In November
IL has q number Of chances"
Cotton y therefore another ideal crop
Tor liberal fertilizing, A small amount
Of Fertilizers applied per acre will no
doubt yield a larger percentage profit
on Its cost than will a larger amount
~ Illustrate: An application of 81 worth
OF ferttlfxer per acre may cause an IN.
creased yield OF cotton lat 10 dents nar
pound Of the value OF IS to IS, OF a profit
81 w 70 so per cent. on its cost have
frequently had such results. But II does
not follow that twice as heavy Nm annIis
cation Will produce twice as large re-
suits. or that three times as much would
cause three times as great an Increase
" the yield. In other words, the rata
o. increase IN the Yield of cotton will
not be In proportion to the increase In
the amount OF fertilizers applied. Two
uoi,nrss worth OF fertilizer per acre may
yield an increase In the crop sof ~. hut
y worth would not therefore bring an
Increase OF SIS. o :"
an application OF IS to So worth ~ fertis
isers properly balanced is a safe amount
% apply per mere on cotton. Many FARM
err IN Georgia have secured sntIsfactorv
returns from nm application OF 10 much
81 " pounds pei. acre.