St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-03-30
HOW MUCH FERTILIZER TO
APPLY.

The question, 'tHow much fertilizer
Should be used per acre?" cannot be am
gwered definitely, but only in a general
What is Il the G most Profitable amount that
may be applied per acre?' Neither can
the question in the amended form %
exactly and accurately answered. The
soil, its character, condition. preparations
etc, may be well known, or controllabl0
factors, but we know not what the sea-
sons may be, says Hon. r. !. Redd1ngs
Director Georgia Experiment Station, De-
partment Of Agriculture, in the Virginta@
Carolina Fertilizer Almanac.
We know that some crops with bear
larger amounts of fertilizers with reason
able assurance OF profitable returns than
may be expected Of other soils. crop
that 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 ts
illustrated by oats, wheat, or other small
grain, or grass especisily When .d sown no, IN
pies the soil during the late fall and Win
ter, and early spring-during which Pc
RODS the rains are usually abundant
| very early summer, before the burning
| summer heat and possible drouths OF
| 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. It
| has but a short period in which to devel~
| Op its uoWSrS-taSSelS ana SlLhS-SuNeT~
| ing but a, few days. If very dry weather
| shall prevail when this critical period is
| approaching, and for some time after 1t
| is passed. the crops may prove a greater
| or less failure. There can be no second
| effort, no second period Of blooming.
It is different In the case OF cotton,
which commences to bloom and make
fruit In June Cor even earlier) and con-
tinues throughout the summer until
| checked by a severe frost in November
It has a number OF s'chances."
Cotton is therefore another ideal crop
for liberal fertilizing. A small amount
of fertilizers applied per acre will no
doubt yield a larger percentage profit
TO illustrate: 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 profit
of 200 to 300 per cent. on its cost. I have
frequently had such results. But 1t does
not follow that twice as heavy an appIl.
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. Tive
dollars worth Of fertilizer per acre may
yield an increase in the crop Of So; but
s6 worth would not therefore bring ar
increase of SIS.
But careful observation has shown thai
an application Of IS to So worth of fertu.
1zers properly balanced) Is q safe amount
TO apply per acre on cotton. Many farm
ers in Georgia have secured satisfactory
returns from an application of SO Cnuct
as 800 pounds per acre.
I think 800 pounds a perfectly safe limit
on upland in fairly good condition, wei
prepared and properly cultivated in cot.
ton. For corns would limit the amount
to 200 to 300 pounds peg acre on old up
lands.