The Southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1895-1909, 1908-06-06

Professor Welborn was speaking In general terms,
and that his desire for brevity prevented him from
going into details fully and that he would advise
The use OF potash as something of n preventative
of rust In cotton and the use of nitrate of soda
sometimes when tho aim was to force a rapid and
tender growth of such crops as radishes or let
,uce. II he holds contrary views. The southern
Farm Gazette. ~ a promoter OF truth and prizing
truth more than any theory. would checrfuily
publish Professor welborn's denial and data sup
porting such denial.
Fertilizer. and soil Deterioration.
CONCERNING tho belief of many tina, commercial
fertilizers have only a stimulating effect tina; re-
suits in the wearing out of The so!l. Professor
welborn says: Il, Is true that 100 pounds of
fertilizer will often increase the cotton crop 500
pounds of seed cotton to the acre. Th!s cotton.
together with the seed. contains more plant food
than the fertilizer contained. Notwithstanding
some of the latter IL always washed away. The
explanation Ii that the fertilizer Causes "A strong
growth of roo, ,ha, enables tho crop TO get more
plan, food gu, OF the soil than 4, would set other
wisc. To ,ha; c,tcn, fertilizer wears the land
hut II wc can get the plan, food In the form OF
valuable cotton. ~e shalt DO more than repaid for
The wearing of the land. ny asing
reasonable amounts of fertilizers with coarse ma.
nuvca and co;ioasced. or with suitable rotation
Of crops. lands are steadily and permanently on.
fichca. We have abundant cridrnc that where
lara. quantities. ray from 500 10 1000 pounds
10 the acre. arc used tor vegetables. auch ~ cab
hagc and Irish potatoes. aud these crops arc FOL.
lowed the same season By cotton or mwcct po,a-
locs. tho land grows better from year 10 year"
Whcu II Fay. Hes. tn u>c Fertilizers.
where /, ~!il pay TO use fertilizers In a auea'
ton OF general interest. and on ,his point Profess
aor Wclhosn may bc quoted aa follows. Fer
siiiscss seem tn pay bes, on land which IL sandy
enough TO drain perfectly. and which. at tho same
tfsrc has n rpnd peYrrrtagr of rtay In tho cub
soii. Such arc tho long leaf and tho ahort-leaf
pine. oak. and hickory lands of tho southern
States. Also much of tho coaa, prasrics and
practically all tho poasoaG timber lands o! Texas
aud Louisiana are OF this character. For asaplc
cropa. fcrtilixcra srun To pay beat on land nat
usally rather poor In plan, food. making n, best
half a balc OF cotton TO tho acre. Tho author
haa 3roqacntiy sccn moderate applications fail
TO show any good effects on land fertile enough
10 make two-,hirda Of n bale of cotton.
For vegetables. large applications OF fertilizer
on land OF almoat any character will generally
pay. Fertilizers have gene rally been Improbable
on lime land. These lands have such large stores
Of plant food that they only need To have their
ph y.Icai condition improved. Rotation OF crops.
coarse saanarcn. FEATURING. etc. will make avaiia-
bio enough Of their own food 10 restore their for.
ncr productiscneaa. The Alabama Experiment
Station. however. did ind that iarg. applications
OF commercial fertilizers containing an abundance
Of nitrate of soda. paid welt on we'll drained. worn
lime land. Nitrate OF soda used In aide furrowa
during cultivation also gave good rcwul,s In fire.
quent trials nj that station"
The Question of sub.oiling and deep Flowing.
The bes, depth of blowing la another matter
over which agricultural writer's hay. held widely
different views. Previous To the time that Chas.
NJ. Schercr Became editor of The Southern Farm
Gazette. something over three years ago. The Ga
scttc advocated editoriaiiy very deep blowing: but
Editor Scherer has advised that the depth OF
plowins be- Increased only gradually and that AN
the depth increases the plowed par, be nlied
more and more with coarse manures and vegetable.
matter and that very deep blowing IL too expensive
and In usually not rcsuitful enough TO pay. Pro-