Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-23
A suitable Formula for Cotton

T. IL.
have some new dark mulatto land that
am cleaning of to SOW in cotton this
year. am thinking of using SOO
mounds of cotton seed meal, 200 pounds
of SO per cent potash and 1900 pounds
CT Is per cent acid phosphate. Do you
think this will be a good fertilizer Tor
such land? Also, would you advise
sowing alfalfa on the above described
land for hay? viii alfalfa do as well
as Bermuda grass for pasture?
A mixture OF 800 pounds of high
grade cotton seed meal, 200 pounds OF
so per cent muriate of potash and 1000
pounds I6 per cent acid phosphate
would give YOU a fertilizer containing
per ton 81 pounds of nitrogen, 241
pounds of phosphoric acid and 1O4
pounds of potash. The percentage COM
position of this mixture would be l pei
cent Of nitrogen, 1928 per cent or phos-
phoric acid and 6.Z per cent OF potash.
IL would not be well balanced for land
such as described, probably containing
more potash and phosphoric acid than
is needed, and probably a little less
nitrogen than would be advisable I'M
less your ground is particularly rich in
vegetable matter, and we hardly judge
that il is so rich in this element that
IL would not be benefited by a little
more liberal use of nitrogen in the fer
tiIizer.
A more suitable formula for your
purpose may be prepared as follows.
Mix together $50 pounds of high-grade
cotton seed meal, LOO pounds Of acid
phosphate and 100 pounds of muriate
of potash This mixture will contain
ABOUT 81 pounds of nitrogen per ton,
1876 pounds of phosphoric acid and SO
pounds of potash, and show a percent
age composition of rs per cent Al
nitrogen, 9.S per cent of phosphoric
acid and 4.S per cent of potash. This
fertilizer should be applied at the rate
OF 800 to 500 lbs. per acre, the larger
amount being preferable in our judg-
ment, provided you have prepared the
land thoroughly well by deep breaking
and use selected seed, and give thor
ough cultivation throughout the grow
ing season. These matters are just as
important as the mere application of
fertilizer. The fertilizer, to be useful.
must be dissolved in the soil water and
brought in contact with the roots of
the plants so as to be assimilated.
Therefore cultivation is very important.
The land in question should not be
seeded to alfalfa without being thor
oughly prepared. We would advise you
10 SOW peas on the portion you wish to
put in alfalfa this spring, and pillow
them under in the fall, and apply lime
at the rate of one ton per acre. Do
this some time in advance OF applying
the fertilizer and sowing the seed. We
would advise the use Of 800 pounds
high-grade acid phosphate. 100 pounds
muriate of potash and at least 800
pounds Of cotton seed meal as a COM
plete fertilizer for this crop. The al
falfa should be seeded at the rate of
20 pounds of well-selected seed per
acre. 1t should be sown in drills some
what after the manner of sowing oats
by the open furrow method. We think
you are more likely to seed sowing it
in this way than by broadcasting ii.
or course IL should not be covered too
deeply, as the seeds are small and will
not terminate and reach the surface If
too much soil is put on top Of them.
You will find alfalfa an excellent crop,
but it is difficult to grow successfully
in this section of the country. Bermu-
da grass can be grown with compare
tive ease and is an excellent grazing
crop. We believe it will pay you to
experiment with alfalfa.