The Tupelo journal., 1907-07-26
WHEN FERTILIZERS SHOULD BE
APPLIED.

AS a general rule, which has but few
exceptions, the greater part of the fer
t1lizer should be applied to the soil be-
fore planting the crop it 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-
periments instituted for the express pur-
pose of ascertaining the truth, SAYS Hon.
X. j. Redding. Director Georgia Expert
ment Station. Department of Agriculture,
in Virginia-carolina Fertilizer Almanac.
h theory underlying the rule is the
fact that most of the ingredients compos-
ing a commercial fertilizer are not i'm
mediately soluble and availible, but must
undergo certain chemical changes in the
soil before the plant food will be in the
roper condition to be taken up by the
roots of the plants. This is particularly
true in regard to salts of potash, and in
less degree to acid phosphate. 1t is a
fact also, that some forms of potash,
notably kainit, cause chemical changes
in the condition of the plant food already
present in a soil, whereby the before in
soluble and non-avAihble plant food al
ready in the soil, Becomes available.
The organic substances which are large
~ 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, a highly soluble chemi-
cal salt, which sometimes enters into
the composition of a fertilizer in a very
limited amount, must undergo a complete
decomposition in the soil before
the plants can make any use of the nitro
gen, which it contains in the form of
ammonia %sulphate. This must be con-
verified into nitrate, or nitrate of lime.
Nitrate of soda is the one chemical
fertilizer salt that is Immediately avail
able, producing a very prompt effect when
applied to a growing crop (and it 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. 1t
salts may be applied with better results
even several months before planting. A
more practical and convenient rule. how
ever, is to apply a complete fertilizer
from one to three weeks before planting
the crop, when the latter is a corn, cot
ton, tobacco, or other summer-groWing
crop, always taking care to mix the fer
tilizer thoroughly with the soil of the
open bedding furrow in which it shall be
applied and then listing" or throwing
two burrows on it.
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
ppled two weeks before planting. and,
on the other hand, the effectiveness of
the same quantity of the same fertilizer
applied in the burrows with the seed.
We're 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
a more uniform stand of more vigorous
plants than resulted on the plats in which