Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-09-16
QUESTION AND ANSWER Department
FERTILIZER INVESTIGATION
ON POTATOES

OF sulphate OF ammonia. and 672 pounds
Of superphosphate. Heavy applications
OF farmyard manure produced watery
tubers. showing the advisability Of COM
bining manure and fertilizers. Potash
with farmyard manure increased the dry
matter and starch content of the tubers.
About 150 pounds of sulphate of potash
was the most profitable quantity to
apply. This authority reports that sui
phate gave the finest quality OF potatoes.
muriate an intermediate grade, and kali
nit an inferior quality, though muriate
gave about the same results as to guam
tity when used with manure as the sui
phate.
In Ireland it was observed that 20
tons of farmyard manure increased the
yield OF potatoes 10.l12 pounds, and an
application Of Is tons S,sSs pounds. When
commercial fertilizers were applied in
addition TO lighter dressings of farm
yard manure there was a larger yield In
all cases, which shows the advisability
OF using commercial fertilizers in con-
junction with vegetable matter as ap-
piled in the form Of farmyard ma
nure.
c. B. Jones, an English investigator,
reports that his experiments with po-
tatoes Indicate that potash was most
needed. and he also recommends appli-
cations OF complete fertilizers either
alone or in conjunction with farmyard
manure.
F. W. E. shirven and B. Dyer, Of
Great Britain, report the best results
with potatoes from applications Of Is
tons OF farmyard manure. but better re-
suits were obtained where half of the
application Of manure was supplement-
ed with commercial fertiligzers. They
report that the use Of potash has regu-
larry increased the yields, though the
increase has been less with early than
with late potatoes.
Us. Gordon, an English investigator,
found that muriate of potash was more
effective than kainit and that the use OF
112 pounds of potash gave profitable re-
turns.
The report OF the county councils Of
Cumberland. Durham and Northumber-
land refers to the fact that the most
profitable dressing of commercial fertil-
izer for potatoes when used alone con-
sisted of 252 pounds OF sulphate of am
monia. 3s2 pounds Of acid phosphate, and
S5s pounds of sulphate of potash. Liberal
applications of sulphate and muriate Of
potash were found profitable. but heavy
applications OF kainit Objectionable. 1t
was found on all farms where kali
nit was used that the presence of dry
matter was decreased 2Ss per cent.
DATA CONCERNING SOY BEANS IN
GEORGIA.
J. E. NJ, Jefferson, Ca, writes: l wish
some information in regard to raising soy
beans; how to plant. amount to acre.
kind of fertilizer, etc. Also some idea as
10 the value Of the beans and vines.
Soy beans may be planted on any
ground suitable for cowpeas, and should
be seeded about the same time of the
year. For the earliest possible grazing
they should be sown as soon as danger
of frost is past. Seed at the rate of about
three pecks to one bushel per acre. We
prefer to seed in drills about "a inches
apart. We often plant soy beans with
a grain drill by stopping up two out Of
three tubes. You may put them in with
any drill, however, suitable for planting
cowpeas. The beans are much more re-
sistant to weevil than the cowpeas.
Among the best varieties to grow In
Georgia are the Black, Tho San Yellow
and the Mammoth Yellow. The Black
and Tho San are both earlier varieties
than the Mammoth Yellow and produce
seed abundantly. The Mammoth Yellow
Is one OF the strongest and most vigor-
GUS growing FaEleuess yleluinB as mucn
as s. bushels of seed per acre In tests
we have made. Soy beans should be fer
tilted with a 1914 acid and potash mix
ture. They need little II any nitrogen,
except on land that is very deficient in
vegetable matter because they belong to
the family of legumes, and when once
well established assimilate their own nj
trogen from the air by means of the
bacteria which live in the tubercles on
their roots. In our experience 1t has
not been necessary or profitable to inocu-
late cowpeas. When first grown on a