Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-26

There is no effort without cause The
ow yields OF corn which have character
zed southern agriculture for so many
years must be due to specific causes
What these may be is a subject worth
serious consideration, for IL Is yearly be-
coming more and more essential that the
southern planter grow more corn because
of the increasing numbers OF animals
he must necessarily keep TO till the land,
and the high price which the cereal now
commands and win continue 70 do in the
future
Corn f. one OF the most gross feeding
II al the plants produced in America
Fhis truth Is not realized and Is one OF
he principal reasons why larger yields
are not obtained in the south Our land
Fields relatively heavy crops Of cotton
without making a serious draft on soil
fertility. For example, a crop producing
20 rounds OF lint, including the stems.
-Oota leaves, boil and seed. viii only re-
move from the soil 20 pounds Of nitrogen,
8 pounds OF phosphoric acid and 3
pounds OF potash. When we consider that
q hounds OF lint contain but little more
han & OF a pound OF nitrogen, 10 Of a
pound OF phosphoric acid and 81 OF
sound OF potash, we see that II Is com
sarattvely easy 10 grow cotton on the
and for several years without seriously
AIKEN away from the soil, the condition
: much more serious. but even then the
int and see would take away less than
. hounds Of nitrogen. s pounds OF phos-
ohor4c acid and pounds OF potash. The
-eader should not misunderstand and con-
Jude that 80 pounds OF lint Is salts
ractory crop Of cotton to grow. No farm
- should be satisfied with less than one
oale per acre. and crop Of this size
would fmpoverish the land much more
-.7idly than one yielding 1eo pounds OF
snt. But even then IL is easy TO see that
he draft on the soil would be relatively
syht. and one that could be easily eoun-
n-acted through the judicious use OF Ter
-1fzera containing liberal amounts OF pot
ash. phosphoric acid and nitrogen
Twenty bushels OF corn is not large
yieId. There are many farmers making
a ana even so bushels. but even where
,riw " bushels Of corn are grown per
ere. the amount OF nitrogen removed IN
lie grain Is % pounds. and by the stover,
5 pounds. making in all. a pounds. OF
,hosnhoric acid the grain removes about
/ hounds. and the stover I pounds, max
ing in an Is pounds. OF potash the grain
removes pounds and the slower -
pounds, making in all 40 pounds Remem-
her that corn slower makes an excellent
i
used by the farmer every year, which
means that a 2o-busheI crop OF corn re-
moves from the land practically 46 pounds
NJ nitrogen. rs pounds Of phosphoric acio
and 20 hounds OF potash The lint cotton
and the seed the only two parts OF the
nIant removed, even where bale per
acre Is Qrown would not make anything
ike the same relative draft on the soil.
suppose a man desired 70 grow %
bushel crop Of corn. we ind that the
grain win remove OF nitrogen. 81 pounds
stover, 81 pounds, or a total Of IS pounds
or phosphorIc acid the grain viii remove
a pounds. and the slower 10 pounds
making a total OF "a pounds. OF potash
the rrain viii remove IA pounds and the
slower a. pounds. making a total OF s
pounds. Sixty bushels Of corn is not an
extraordinary yield. yet It would remove
from the soil more than twice as mucf
nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash al
is required TO produce a crop Of cotton
including the plants. yielding 80 pounds
OF lint per acre. Cotton Is a plant which
Is better adapted to the climatic condi
lions OF the southern states than corn; Il
can withstand the viscissitudes OF wealth
er 20 better advantage. II resists droutf
much more effectively than corn, and
takes a much longer period In which e
develop. Probably no crop can utilize ad
vantageously all the fertiIizing materials
added TO the soil in q single season Of
growth. much less corn with its compar-
atively short and rapid period Of develop
msnt- Is Il any wonder under the cir
cumstances that we make low yields OF
corn when we realize that so little plant
food IL returned to the soil In the way