The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-04-05
WHEN FERTlLlZERS S40ruo
APPLIED.

WIN jh"os'a."I e..E.tera,... but ia ,Isa
. ablHdHl.y sustained IN a.... ass. a'So
as shown b" carefully ..-.... .aa ID -, o.
p"uLer'S Instituted for Oh. ..-...-. * *
pose OF lsD"rjHu'rE Ta. t.sr 20 pU''
y. j. krl4Lr Director ls...-..a - b. IN.
W"nt station. Department e.. srrir''It,,c.tII'
IN lHSi. .~-1ara.iua Ieru.l.- E-rr3rsn' g
The theory underlying the r..ra j., :.
fact that most ~ the ingredients g.r,-, no
Ing commercial fertile. IRE ~, rs js
mediat".y soluble and aEaL.f0r fTt III, IL
undergo certain Cheu...l ,Narvas - - Is, LSt
soil before the plant food viii be- IN t .1e
proper condition 10 boz take. I'm h., Nv
roots OF the plants. This is paTtiriyI,,-!itSs
true IN regard TO salts OF potash ana ~
less degree to acid phosphate. II +,
raCt, also, that some forms ~ ro+o.,a
notably kain.t cause chemical cb.Tr,aI.,
in the condition OF the plant food aiTateSIS
present III soil, whereby the before ~
soluble and ucu-ayailable plant food -
ready in the soil, becomes aysilaII.
The organic substances which arc L.
ly used III the make I'd OF 81 81
fertilizers FOR the purpose u suDnIvi".I
nitrogen 10 the plaLts-suCh as r0tton
seed meal dried blood, FISH scrap, tank.
age, etc, also require time in VbjcS a
undergo chemical decomposition and spcS
change OF form as Will enable the root,
TO appropriate the nitrogen Even c,,I
phate OF ammonia, highly soluble chant
cal salt, which sometimes enters IT,
the composition OF a fertilizer in o co.,
limited amount. must undergo a connIets
chemical decomposition In the soil hafors
the plants can make any use OF the nitro
gen, which ii contains in the form n,
ammonia sulphate. This must be con-
verted into nitrate, or nitrate OF lime
Nitrate OF soda iq the one chern,c.,
fertilizer salt that Is Immediately avail
able. producing very prompt effect when
applied 10 growing crop land II shoulS
be applied to none other.
Acid phosphate and potash NAV he an
piled to the soil and bedded on from two
10 six weeks before planting time u
is claimed by some experts that potssh
salts may be applied with better results
even several months before planting A
more practical and convenient rule. hov-
ever, Is to apply a complete fertilizer
from one to three weeks before pIantin.
the crop. when the latter IS a corn COZ
ton. tobacco. or other summer CROWN,
crop, always taking care TO mix the FER.
tilizer thoroughly with the soil OF the
open bedding furrow In which Il shall hs
two burrows on II.
Experiments on the farm NJ tha c.ox...
Experiment Station. projected for ~.
purpose OF comparing on the one hsnS
the effectiveness OF complete fertiiizsr
applied two weeks before planting ana
on the other hand, the effectiveness ~
the same quantity Of the same fertiI,,s,
applied In the burrows with the sgd
were followed by an unexpected and sur.
prising result-viz., the cotton seeds plant.
ed on the plats in which the fertiIizs,
had been applied and bedded on two
weeks before, came up quicker and r,ys
more uniform stand OF more yiRorons
pants than resulted on the plats In which
the fertilizer was applied in the furrov,
with the seeds. While this result was moi
II was quickly explained
by the fact that the fertilizer that had
been In the ground two weeks had under
rome the chemical changes already alIud.
"a 10, and its plant food was ready for
ne immediate wants Of the young plants,
Ihls result suggests that ii may be eI-
'edient, in any case, TO apply sman
luantlty-say 20 TO % pounds-ot nitrate
II soda IN the same furrOw with the cot.
on or corn seeds, which may be dons
With perfect safety with cotton seeds
md without danger to corn IL not placed
immediate contact with the seed.
FERTILIZER AT THE
TINE OF PLANTING.
This may be understood to mean either
pplying the fertilizer, bedding on IL and
planting the seed; or 1t NAV
eter to the practice OF putting the fer
llizer in the furrow with the seed. In
he latter case, there Is always a mani
est danger that the coming growing sea-
on may be unusually dry. in which event
ne fertilizer, being so lightly covered.
lay not be dissolved and properly dis
emlnated through the soil 1t NAV also
blow that the fertilizer being so concen-
'ated-en masse, as IL were-around the
ender rootlets OF the young plants that
le latter may be injured. or burned
not inconsiderable danger. The plan
not advisable except when a very
ght application Is to be made per acre.
his caution is especially applicable to
'edS that are planted in very shallow
lrroWs and but lightly covered, such az
'tton. and 1t Is generally safer to inter-
use some soil. or, better, deposit the fer
llzer In one furrow and plant the seeds
a furrow Immediately beside or, vice
'rsa plant the seeds first In the furrow,
ia then the fertilizer in a furrow close
side IT. But the preferred plan is 10
"a on the fertilizer, and then plant the
eds. after narrowing down the beds
nave often applied so TO 100 pounds Of
complete fertilizer per acre in the
rroW with the cotton seeds; but II was
way back" In the late sixties and early
Venties when fertilizers sold at $40 to $50
'oh' ana very light applications were
opposed to be In the interest OF a wise
onomy. We did not know much about
rtlllzers In those days, and were afraid
put too much guano on the cotton"
lat time has passed and gone. and the
-to-date farmer has found that 800 and
pounds Of fertilizer for cotton.
operly balanced high-grade fertilizer, to
en- acre OF cotton is not dangerous or
cessive. but simply liberal and judi
JUS Indeed, II is a question OF simple
lthmetic. II 100 pounds per acre is
Olltable, and IL costs no more labor TO
itlVate an acre with 5O0 pounds Of ap-
ed fertilizer. then why nor Increase
@ amount invested in fertilizers, and,
thought advisable, reduce the area and
@ labor account?
Vow, the well-informed farmer only
lnts to Know II the fertilizer be proper
balanced for the crop he wishes to
oW, and is sold at fair price and be
rests literally, Just as he would do In
ying anything at such a price that no
~ sell at a profit Of from 50 10 100 per
ltum and upward A high-grade hon.
!, fertilizer will meet this requirement.
mere Is another justification for tbs
actice OF applying fertilizers at the
ne or pldnting-viZ., when the farmer
8 failed TO put IN his order at the prop
time. He may then according 10 the
Dverb-"better late than not at ALL
I In the fertilizer With the seed, or 81
time OF planting.