Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1907-03-13
HOW MUCH FERTILIZER TO
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:
What is the most profitable amount that
may be applied per acre?' Neither can
the question in the amended form be
exactly and accurately answered. The
soil, it's character, condition, preparation,
etc, may be well known, or comfortable
factors, but we know not what the sea-
sons may be, says Hon. R. J. Redding,
Director Georgia Experiment Station, De
Carolina Fertilizer Almanac.
We know hat some crops will bear
larger amounts of fertilizers with reason
able assurance Of profitable returns than
may be expected of other soils. A crop
hat occupies the soil from the fall season
until spring, or early summer will bear
heavier fertilizing than will a crop that
is planted in the spring and ripens for
harvest in midsummer. The first case is
illustrated by oats, wheat, or other small
grain, or grass, especially when soWn in
the fall of the year. Such a crop occu-
ter, and early s~pring-during which pc
RODS the rains are usually abundant
ripening for harvest in late spring, or
very early summer, before the burning
June and July. Oats and wheat therefore
are ideal crops for liberal fertilizing.
Corn is rather an uncertain crop on the
ordinary dry uplands of the South. 1t
d DuL. d SlOlI DCl y IL 111S1 L " uSNS4-
op it's fio~wers-tassels and ~silks-cover-
ing but a few days. If very dry weather
shall prevail when this critical period is
approaching, and for some time after it
is passed, the crops may prove a greater
or less failure. There can be no second
effort, no second period of blooming.
1t is different in the case of cotton,
which commences to bloom and make
tinues throughout the summer until
checked by a severe frost in November.
1t has a number of chances"
Cotton is therefore ANOTHER ideal crop
of fertilizers applied per acre will no
doubt yield a larger percentage profit
on it's cost thar will a larger amount.
To illustrates: An application of 81 worth
OF fertilizer per acre may cause an in
creased yield of cotton Cat 10 cents per
pound of the value of Sc to IS, or a profit
of 200 to 300 per cent. on it's cost. I nave
frequently had such results. But it does
not follow that twice as heavy an appli-
cation will produce twice as large re-
suits, or that three times as much would
cause three times as great an increase
In the yield. In other words, the rate
of increase in the yield of cotton will
not be in proportion to the increase in
the amount of fertilizers applied. Two
dollars worth of fertilizer per acre may
yield an increase in the crop of S.; but
IS worth would not therefore bring In
Increase of $18.
But careful observation has shown that
an application of IS to Sc worth of fertil-
lzers properly balanced is a safe amount
TO apply per acre on cotton. Many farm
ers in Georgia have secured satisfactory
returns from an application of SO much
as 800 pounds per acre,
L think 800 pounds a perfectly safe limit
on upland in fairly good condition, well
prepared and properly cultivated in cot
TO 200 to 300 pounds per acre on old up
lands.