The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-13


 complete fertilizer containing liberal amounts of kainit was applied, suffered much less from drouth than the other pats and was also damaged but little by rust; whereas, plats and 2, but es- peciall plat l. suffered severely from rust, bearing out what has been observed with reference to the prevention of rust through the medium of liberal applica- tions of kainit and muriate of potash to the land The year 1908 was an unfa- vorable year for cotton, being cold and wet in the early part of the season ana dry during the summer. As result only fair stands were obtained, plats ana Q again suffering from the dry weather much more than plat g.
 The land selected for the various tests was as nearly uniform throughout as pos sible. On the first plat no fertilizer was applied; on the second, 240 pounds or kainit 800 pounds of acid phosphate and 159 pounds of dried blood was the ap- plication made; and on plat 3, 300 pounds of acid phosphate and 159 pounds Of dried blood was used. The experiments were thus arranged to determine the influence of kainit on the yield of seed cotton. The fertilizer used was the same in all in stances save one 21O pounds of cotton seed meal being used by MT Treadwell in place of 159 pounds of dried blood. For the convenience of the reader a sum- mary of the results of these tests has been prepared In the following table
 Summary of results of fertilizer experi- ments with cotton, 1907 and 1908:
 Plot 10, no fertilizer; yield seed cot ton, pounds, 750.
 Plot 2-KPN, 240 kainit, 300 acid phos- phate, 158 D. blood; yield seed cotton, pounds 2106; increase over no fertilizer pounds, 1856; per cent of increase over no fertilizer, 1S0; profit from increase with cotton at 10c per pound, s3S 20.
 Plot 3-PN, 300 acid phosphate, 159 D. blood; yield seed cotton, pounds, 1212; in crease over no fertilizer, pounds, 462; per cent of increase over no fertilizer, 6l; profit from increase with cotton at 1Oc per pounds, S9.S5. Soil, sandy loam with yellow clay subsoil.
 Plot 10, No. fertilizer; yield seed cote ton, pounds, 519.
 Plot 2-KFN, 24O kainit, 300 acid phos- phate, l59 D. blood; yield seed cotton, pounds. 13OS; increase over no fertilizer, 7S9; per cent of increase over no fer tilizer, 152; profit from increase with cot ton at 10c per pound, $19S0
 Plot 3-PN, 300 acid phosphate, 159 D. blood; yield seed cotton, pounds. S94; in- crease over no fertilizer pounds, 375; per cent of increase over no fertilizer, 72; profit from increase with cotton at 10c
  clay sub-soil.
 Plot 10, No fertilizer; yield seed cot ton, pounds. 756.
 Plot 2-KPN, 24O kainit, 300 acid phos- phate, 210 c. S. meal; yield seed cotton, pounds 1892; increase over no fertilizer, pounds, 1236 per cent of increase over no fertilizer, 163; profit from increase with cotton at 10c per pound $35 15.
 Plot SPIN, 300 acid phosphate, 210 c. s. meal; yield seed cotton, pounds, 12SO; in crease over no fertilizer pounds, 474; per cent increase over no fertilizer, 62; profit from increase with cotton at 10c per pound, $11. %. Soil, dark red with red clay sub-soil.
 Plot 10, no fertilizer; yield seed cot ton, pounds, 627
 Plot 2-KPN, 24Oa kainit 300 acid phos- phat, 159 D. blood yield seed cotton, pounds, 1858; increase over no fertilizer, pounds, 729; per cent of increase over no fertilizer, 116: profit from increase with cotton at 10c per pound, $1730.
 Plot 3-PN, 300 acid phosphate, 15e D. blood; yield seed cotton, pounds, 981; per cent of increase over no fertilizer, 56; profit from increase with cotton at 10c per pound, $6.25. Soil, gray, sandy loam with red clay sub-soil.
 It will be observed that the no-fertilizer plants made yields of from 519 to 758 pounds of seed cotton per acre. The plats on which the complete fertilizer containing kainit was used yielded from 1908 to 2106 pounds of seed cotton per acre. The plats to which acid phos- phate and dried blood were applied yield ed from S94 to 1212 pounds of seed cot ton per acre. Two facts are graphically illustrated by these results: First, the need of commercial fertilizers on these soils and the high benefit in increased crop yields which their application con- fers on the farmer. Second, the essen- tial nature of potash salts as fertil- izer on cotton soils which contain a con- siderable admixture of sand even though the subsoil be of 8 retentive character.
 The results obtained are most striking. MT. Hobbs, for instance, found that an application of phosphoric acid and nitro- gen gave him an increase over no fer tilizer of 81 per cent; whereas, an ap- plication of potash, phosphorio acid and nitrogen gave him an increase over no fertilizer of 1s0 per cent. MT. Treadwell, who used cotton seed meal in the place Of dried blood, found that phosphorio acid and nitrogen gave him an increase over no fertilizer of 62 per cent; whereas, & complete fertilizer containing potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen gave an in- crease over no fertilizer of 163 per cent. From these results we would hardly be
 
 marked difference in the efficiency of the nitrogen supplied to the cotton in the form of dried blood and cotton seed meal, though the reader should not lose sight of the fact that cotton seed meal containing per cent of nitrogen would only supply in this instance about 14.7 pounds of this element per plat; where as, 159 pounds of dried blood, containing 13 per cent of available nitrogen, would supply nearly 21 pounds of this element, or little over 6 pounds more per plat, a sufficient difference to account for the variation in yields observed.
 It would not do to base conclusions on one test. The farmer should be gov erned largely in this matter by the rela- tive cost of a pound of available plant food. A fair price for available nitrogen is probably 16 cents a pound; for avail able phosphoric acid, 5 cents; and for available potach, cents. On this basis