The Green Forest tribune., 1907-04-19
FERTIllzlNG THE CROP.

The primary object in using fertilizer Is to produce a larger yield of the crop that Is to be Immediately grown, or is already growing, on the land to which the fertilizer is to be applied. As rule, 1t contains from ten to sixteen per cent. or more or less promptly available plant food. In other words, 9. commercial fer tilizer contains in every hundred pounds weight from 10 to 16 pounds of available phosphoric acid, either alone, or that amount of phosphoric acid and potash combined, or of these two and nitrogen combined, making in the latter case, what is called "complete' fertilizer. Now, this 10 to IS pounds in each 100 pounds Of the fertilizer is supposed to be, and should be, practically soluble and avail able at once, or within week or two, for the use of the crop, says Virginia Carolina Fertilizer Almanac
 The remaining portion of the fertilizer. or the 84 to 90 pounds in each 100 pounds, IS a mixture of insoluble phosphate and Sulphate of lime, some sand, water, or ganic matter and other things that are necessarily incident to the manufacture, and cannot be economically removed. They are of very little immediate value to either the crop or the soil.
 So when we apply a high-grade fertil- izer to the soil the object is to supply the plants with soluble plant food and increase the yield of the cotton, grain, grass, or whatever the crop may be. Incidentally, however, this fertilizer does nelp the land, because it induces a larger
 
 piants-or those parts that will be re- turned to, and become part of the soil A dose of this fertilizer, for instance, not only increases the yield Of seed cot ton, but also the size of the stalks, the foliage, hGlls and other parts that go immediately back and form g part of 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 tho form of stable manure. renovating crops, rotation of crops, etc, ta a more direct Tanner.
 It would seem manifest, then, if we wish to increase the yield of corn, cotton wheat, oats, grass, etc., that the fertilizer should contain the three elements" Of best suited to the particular crop. This is particularly true if the purpose is to 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 (phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash) need not be specially considered.
 According to carefully conducted field experiments, conducted at many of the experiment stations, it has been found that cotton requires fertilizer that con- potash and 1-3 parts of available phos- phoric acid. This demand would be met by T fertilizer containing 10 per cent. available phcsphoric acid, per cent. of nitrogen and per cent. of potash; or, as ordinarily expressed a 1U-S-3 fertilizer. One analysing 9-2.70-1.70; or S-2.40-2.40; or 7-2.1e-21o, etc., would answer just as well, provided these lower grades be ap- piled in heavier quantities.
 So 1t has been found that corn, sugar caele, sorghum, grasses and other crops belonging to the grass family respond best to a fertilizer that shall contain 10 gen and parts of potash or a. 10-5-2 fertilizer. The following formulas arc in precisely the same proportions, only they are of lower grade, and would give practically the same results only when a correspondingly larger application shall pc made per acre-vis, 9-t.50-1S0; or course, these lower grades can be sold at lower prices than the high grades; but, as rule, the farmer will find it more economical to buy the high grades, per unit and also the saving of freight Che latter being precisely the same, per ton. for both high and 10 v grades.
 APPLYING FERTILIZER WHEN
 PLANTING.
 While it is certainly true, in our ex- 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 O. farmer in making one or more intercultural applications, including one at tho actual date of plant ing. The following are such circumstan- to secure the whole amount of his fer tilizers before planting time.
 @ When he concludes, after his crop has been planted and Is growing, that he did not buy and c.ppiy as much as he should have done before planting.
 (3) 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 es a general rule that small portion of Virginia Carolina Fertilizer should be applied with, or near the seed, st the time oH 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 70 to 50 pounds per acre may be applied of the came fertilizer that had been bed ded on two weeks before planting.
 A second application of high grade fer 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 tho middle to last of June.
 The intercultural applications may be made in the siding furrow, or the fer tilizer may be strewn along in the middles ahead of the blow or cultivator There Is no need to fear that the plants will not get the benefit of a. high-grade fer tilizer if put anyhere, on or between the rows. June 18th is the latest date at tilzer 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 70 pay the cost Of the fertilizer.