Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-27
Questions Answered
APPLYING NITRATE OF SODA T,

APPLYING NITRATE OF SODA TO
CORN.
ID. T., Jefferson, Ga, writes 1 want to
use 200 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre
on corn The land was turned with a
two-horse pillow, and narrowed we'll Be-
fore planting there was broadcasted 500
pounds Of 1888 fertilizer and two tons
OF stable manure. I put 200 pounds of the
1858 In the drill, and am going to use
30 pounds more in cultivating. When
should II be applied? The corn was
planted the first day of April; has been
worked out one time. Rows are four
feet apart and corn u inches in the drill.
1t would be best to apply the nitrate in
two applications where you contemplate
using as large an amount as suggested in
your letter. The first one may be made
ABOUT the first of June, and the second a
rev days before the corn is shooting into
tassei. In both instances the nitrate
should be used as a top dressing and
should be applied alongside the drill
rows but not in contact with the plants,
as the moisture Of the soil will dissolve il
ana bring it within the reach of the
plants. 1t would be a mistake to bury it
IN the soil, because nitrogen is contain
Cd In a form in which plants can utilize
H. and II must therefore be taken I'M
very quickly or IL may be leached away
and washed out OF the land by a violent
rain or course, there is much more
danger OF teaching on sandy than on
req clay lands. You have prepared your
lano well for corn and fertilized il lio-
orally. The use of stable manure under
the drill now should supply a fair amount
OF vegetable matter and will help the
crop should dry weather follow Where
size applications OF comparatively slow
acting mineral fertilizers are to be used.
II Is well to put them in comparativeIv
early IN the season. Where one eontem-
plates using 600 pounds per acre, we
would make the first application i'm
Ihedlately' and the others at intervals of
two weeks. A complete fertilizer is best
buried in the soil, but not deeplv. In
other words, il might be broadcasted and
covered with a cultivation, or il NAV he
applied alongside the drill row. Where
the land has been we'll prepared. how
ever by deep blowing before planting. the
roots or the crop will readily spread
through the soil, and in that case broad
! casting Is probably preferable, for the
laIser the area through which the roots
groW In their search for food the better
the yield is likely to be-
PURCHASING AND APPLYING LIME.
T. +. c. Knoxville. Ca, writes: | send
you a letter which I received from a
iertillzer firm, and wish to know what
you think about the analysis shown 7
used some under my corn at the rate NJ
about 400 pounds per acre. would like
10 use some guano as a top dressing
around my cotton, also have about 400
pounds OF nitrate of soda to use. When
would De the best time to apply the nj
trate?
Nhen limestone is burned a partial de-
composition takes place, carbonio acid
gas being driven or and calcium oxide
or quick lime left behind II a pure sam
pie OF lime were burned there would he
left In the kiln about Sc pounds of calci-
Um oxide, A pounds of carbonic acid gas
having been driven off. There might be
small traces of impurities left i'm the lime
as shown by complete chemical analy-
sis, but there could be no SO per cent OF
carbonic. acid derived from rock phos-
phate, nor per cent OF salt and rock
phosphate, nor ! to 2 per cent CO potash.
as is claimed for the sample of lime fer
tiliZer about which you write Lime is
not regarded as a helpful material to use
under cotton, but when il is
needed, IL should be purchased and
used as such. getting either the
purest grade of caustic lime possible
or IL cheaper. you may use the finely
ground rock In larger quantities with
probably about the same result There
Is no reason, therefore, why you should
pay any more for the material referred
TO in your letter than for ordinary lime.
In any complete fertilizer you will of
necessity use phosphate and potash, and
these are best compounded with some
form of materials which will furnish nj.
trogen rather than with lime. Salt would
not be of any value as a fertilizer. and
rock phosphate or floats is not of much
value in the soil except when il is very
rich I'm organic matter.
The ACCESSIBILITY OF using nitrate OF
soda as a top dressing on your cotton I'm
preference 10 a side application Of a COM
pIete fertilizer will depend very consider
ably on what you put under your cotton
at the time Of planting. Cotton requires