The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-08-19
LIGHT FRUITING COTTON.
PRESIDENT OF AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE GIVES SOME VIEWS.
More Mineral Matter Needed in Soil
Where the Fruit Is Light What
and How Much to Supply.

and How Much to Supply
Editor of The Dawson News:
Since the nutrition of the cotton seed
is intimately associated with the for
nation of lint and determines large
ly the quality and per cent. of it OBJ
tanned from the crop the Importance
of fertilizing the land so as to stimu-
late the production of numerous,
large and vigorous seed is a matter
that needs no further elaboration.
Experience indicates the need of a
larger amount of mineral matter in
soils where light fruiting cotton is
grown, and those who have tried the
experiment of fertilizing at the rate
of 500 to 1900 pounds and using
combinations of plant food contain
ing 6 to 10 per cent. of potash and
phosphOric acid have obtained great
benefits from the practice. The
small amounts of pIant-food so fire.
quently used can have but compara-
lively little effect on crop reduction
Let us reflect for a moment. There
are 43, $50 square feet in an acre of
land. Distributing 10 to Is pounds
of phosphorus in this area of soil
means that the roots of the crop
must work over every inch of it in
order to utilize it. Since washing
and teaching will play their part,
particularly in sandy soils, a part of
the phosphorus applied may be lost
PERMANENTLY, and if the land nat
urally contains but little of this es-
sential food it is not surprising that
the crop should fail to fruit salts
factorily.
Years of experience and research
have demonstrated the great import
ance Of both phosphates and potash
to southern farmers, and wherever
the condition to which reference has
been made is observed these elements
should first be literally applied.
though muriate will probably supply
the available plant food in the cheap
est form. Kainit vii be useful where
lower grades of fertilizer are ap-
piled and where it is desired to avoid
the purchase Of low grade materials
or the use of filler in home-miXing.
Acid phosphate is most likely to give
satisfaction on thin lands devoid of
vegetable matter as cheap and re-
liable source Of phOsphoric acid
while cotton seed meal can be de-
pended on to provide the nitrogen in
a form which will become available
with sufficient rapidity to meet the
needs of the crop, while it is being
readily leached from tie soil.
+ We would suggest that farmers
who are troubled with light fruiting
cotton try the application of phos-
pilates and potash directly to the
soil. Mixtures containing per cent.
of potash, 10 per cent Of phOsphOric
acid and 6 per cent. of potash, and
- per cent. of phosphOric acid and
s per cent. of potash will be in order
These fertilizers should be applied
at the rate of 500 up to 900 pounds
in order to determine the best
amount to apply from the standpoint
.of profit. 1t will then be clearly ap-
parent which element the soil is most
deficient in and which gives the best
i99uII9' ana since many who are
troubled with light fruiting cotton
claim to grow a sufficient amount of
stalk the Withholding of nitrogen
will shed additional light on this i'm
portant and veXing problem. 1t
should be stated in conclusion that
great care should be taken to select
the seed used, for it is clearly evil
dent that where this important mat
ter is neglected the mere addition
of fertilizers will not remedy the de-
feet. ANDREW n. SOULE.