Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-24

hardly necessary. II 1t is not OF good
color we would suggest that you use nj
trate Of soda as a top dressing at the
rate OF 100 pounds per acre. This should
be put on after the corn has been up
four to six weeks, and should be used as
top dressing We should prepare the land
by blowing as soon as possible, provided
II is not so steep as to cause serious
erosion We would plant in row foul
feet apart and two feet apart In the
drill row. using the fertilizer under the
corn at the time OF planting. We would
cultivate thoroughly and persistentiy' ana
II is important above all that you use
a selected strain of corn and one that
has been shown by growth in your vi
cinity 70 be well adapted to the local
environment.
WANTS TO BUY KLONDYKE CHICK
EMS.
b. II. F., Plant City, Fla, writes; Il
would like to know where I can get the
KIondike chickens.
We are not familiar with the Klondike
breed of chickens. We have known or
so-called varieties of corn and cotton
bearing this name, and are inclined TO
think that our correspondent must have
the names confused. If any reader OF
these columns is familiar with the Klon-
dixie breed OF chickens ano can tell US
where they can be had, and give an &C
count of their origin and history, we
should be glad to have the same for the
information of our readers.
PREPARING FERTILIZER AT HOME.
J. o. E.. Ivey, Ca, writes: / would Ike
to ask a few questions regarding the
home mixing of fertilizers, as the idea
seems to be very popular and growing:
have been using for cotton on good
grade of sandy land 200 pounds of 1922
cotton seed meal mixture. 200 pounds OIL
iO-4 acid and potash and 200 pounds OF
u per cent kainit, applied at the rate
Of 400 Ia 600 pounds per acre. For corr
have used about 200 pounds of the 1919
mixture per acre. How would II DO TO
ammoniate the home mixture with nitrate
of soda as IL seems II is going 10 De
cheaper in proportion than cotton seeo
meal. / would like to have my fertilizer
analyze about as follows: 10 per cen.
phosphoric acid. per cent potash and
ner cent nitrogen. am aware OF the
fact that the mixture have been using
IS low in nitrogen, and want to increase
IL. but am afraid the nitrate OF soda
would appear before the crop could use
II II YOU can give me any assurance
along this line the same will be appreciat-
ed.
Two hundred pounds of a 1922, 200
pounds of a 1914 and 200 pounds of II per
cent kainit, making in all 600 pounds
would contain approximately 4 pounds
OF nitrogen. 40 pounds of phosphoric acid
and 4S pounds of potash. The percentage
( cononosition would be about 6 per cent
| Of nitrogen, SIS per cent of phosphoric
: acid and per cent of potash. This fer
tflizer is very deficient in nitrogen, low
| in phosphoric acid and high in potash
! for all except sandy soil. Nitrate Oh
/ soda is a good source of nitrogen and
1 may possibly prove cheaper in some IN
stances this year than cotton seed meal
owing to the unusually high price of the
latter Cotton seed meal is an organic
source of nitrogen and it thus becomes,
relatively speaking, rather slowly avail
able I'm the soil The nitrogen in nitrate
I of soda is in the most quickly available
form. being Immediately soluble in water,
/ and hence it must be taken up and used
| by the plant or it is likely to be washed
| away or leached out of the soil before il
/, can be utilized. For this reason nitrate
of soda should as a rule be used as q
| top dressing. It is all right to use a
f, moderate amount of 1t under the drill
row at the time of planting the crop
4 but the greater part should be reserved
and used as a top dressing after the crop
is up and growing.
You can make a fairly efficient fer
tilizer by using 16 per cent acid and 1.
per cent kainit. 1t will be difficult, how
ever, to make one of as high a grade as
you have suggested, named 4-10-3, since
1t will take 1850 pounds Of acid to supply
200 pounds of available phosphoric acid
4 and 500 pounds of kainit to supply the
necessary amount of potash. The addi
ton of $50 pounds of nitrate of soda
would bring the mixture up to 2,00I
pounds, and yet this would only supply
S7.5 pounds of available nitrogen, where
as, you want approximately so. Yor
would thus--have to use at least 251
pounds of nitrate Of soda as a top dress
ing. We think IL unnecessary, probably
TO use quite so much nitrogen, unles,
your land is very deficient in vegetable
matter. Three per cent of nitrogen and
per cent of potash, would in our judg
ment give better results.
You might proceed as follows In the
preparation of q fertilizer which we
believe will give you excellent satisfac.
ton. Take 100 pounds of high-grade
acid phosphate, $50 pounds OF muriate OF
potash and $50 pounds OF cotton-seed meal
and mix together. You should use only
high-grade meal or that which contains
per cent of nitrogen. This mixture will
contain approximately % per cent of nj
trogen, 104 per cent of phosphoric acid
and as per cent Of potash. The nitrogen
supply may then be increased II possible
by using nitrate of soda as a top dressing
at the rate OF $50 pounds after the cror
is up and growing vigorously or II would
| OIaah hc IN ha
in two applications of rs pounds each
This would give you the equivalent OF
to 3.5 per cent of nitrogen in your fer
tilizer and should prove about as much
as is needed for cotton, though possibly
a little more can sometimes be used with
advantage on corn. We have suggested
that you use cotton-seed meal to supply
part Of the nitrogen because it would be
inexpedient TO use nitrate of soda ex-
clusively owing to the danger of losing
a part Of the nitrogen on account Of its
being so readily soluble in the soil water.
STATE FARM CIIPPI IES