The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1908-09-25

the current year. The drouth, which
| has prevailed In many sections, is held
| largely responsible for the deterioration
| in the condition of the tobacco crop dur
ling the month of August.
~
SPECIAL CROPS REQUIRE SPECIAL FER
TILIZERS.
Up in the counties of Onondaga and
OsWego State of New York, where to-
bacco is an important crop, it is com
mon saying that tobacco ruins the land.
In fact this opinion is SO general that
when man wishes to buy farm, the
first question is, has tobacco been grown.
and If this is answered in the affirmative
he either passes it by or offers reduced
figure.
Now if we inquire for the reason for
this opinion, we will find that the New
York tobacco district (and it is also true
Of Wisconsin, all the manure made on
the farm is put on five or ten acres of to
bacco Is it any wonder that after few
years Of this practice the Yields On the
farm gradually decrease, the hay crop is
light and the oats short.
All special crops, like tobacco, cab
bage, apples, etc, should have special
fertilizers applied to them, and the ma
snure produced on the farm should be
applied in a regular rotation to the fields
| that produced the crop that made the
manure. Ii these special crops will not
pay for the fertilizer, the sooner the
| farmer stops growing them the better it
| will be for his pocketbook Not only
| does the above mentioned practice ruin
/ the farm, but it also ruins the tobacco
crop. After few years OF exclusive ma
nuring with stable manure, the quality
| OF the tobacco deteriorates. The reason
| for this will be very easily understood,
when we study the analysis of the two
| materials. Stable manure, on the aver
| age, contains 10 lbs. of nitrogen, 5 lbs.
phosphoric acid and 10 lbs. OF potash in
| the ton, while good crop of tobacco
| takes out of the soil rs lbs. nitrogen, 16
| lbs. phosphoric acid and 200 lbs. of pot
| ash per acre. Ten tons of manure would
| give little more nitrogen than is neces-
| sary threeti the phosphoric acid re-
ouired, but only half the necessary
| amount Of potash, while 20 tons OF ma
nure would give sufficient potash, but
six times the phosphoric acid ard nearly
! three times the nitrogen. Therefore, ii
manure is used, it is good business pol
| icy to balance it up. Fifty pounds OF
sulphate of potash added to ton of ma
nure would improve it greatly
| A much better plan, however, is to use
| the manure on the other crops in reg
ular rotation and use fertilizer on the
| tobacco. For this purpose any high
| grade tobacco fertilizer will give good
results, but would suggest the use of
| 1000 to 1900 lbs. per acre of a goods sup
| plying A per cent. nitrogen, . per cent.
| phosphoric acid and 10 per cent. potash,
| the latter guaranteed to be in the form
OF sulphate In Connecticut much larg-
er amounts are used.
/ If the farmer wishes to mix the mater
ials himself, a good combination is a
mixture of 150 lbs. each, cottonseed
meal, dried blood, tankage and nitrate of
soda, 1000 lbs. acid phosphate and 400
lbs. sulphate Of potash This is prac-
| tically the same as that used by Mr..
Peter SLAYER, in Clay, New York, who
showed me field on which tobacco had
been grown for six years, and each year
the crop was better than in the preced-
ing year. Last year he obtained the
| highest price paid in the neighborhood,
and the buyers have already been around
| trying to contract for the present crop.
| In the Chemung Valley. New York, l
| was shown fields that had grown tobac-
co for 20 years, commercial fertilizer be-
| ing used extensively. Ia Connecticut a
ton and more of high grade fertilizer is
| "a common application, and everyone
knows the reputation Connecticut has
in the tobacco markets of the world
There is no question that the senseless
practice of robbing Peter to pay Paul
robbing the rest of the farm of manure
| in order to grow tobacco, must be
stopped or these fertile counties will be
ruined, just as the southern counties OF
Wisconsin where the tobacco dealers are
| forced to farther north to newer lands TO
get fine quality of tobacco.
! Ii the tobacco crop will not pay for
the fertilizer, the sooner the farmer stops
growing it the better. But all farmers
who fertilize literally and judicjously
are unanimous IN saying that it is the
most profitable crop they can grow.
G. f. SHRAM