The Green Forest tribune., 1910-01-28
COTTON SEED AS FERTILIZER
Not Deemed Advisable By Those Ac quainted with Scientific Data
 Owing to High Price.

Many farmers seem anxious to use their cotton seed for fertilizing pur- poses. In view of the present high price of the seed, this is certainly not a desirable thing for them to do, and can not be advised by one acquainted with the best scientific data available on the subject, but for the informa- ton of those who are determined to follow this practice, some suggestions on how to use cotton seed most ad- vantageously may be found helpful at this time.
 A ton of cotton seed contains ap- proXimately 626 pounds of nitrogen; 35,4 pounds of phosphoric acid and l 23.4 pounds of potash It is badly balanced food to commence with, the nitrogen being quite out of proportion i to the per cent of mineral matter con- tained; hence cotton seed of itself will not be found a satisfactory fer | tiliZer. Various formulas may be pre- i pared, however, with cotton seed as the basis. For instance, if the farm
 
 of seed, $50 pounds of high-grade acid phosphate and 150 pounds of muri- ate of potash, making in all one ton, the resulting fertilizer would contain about 2S pounds of available nitrogen, 163 pounds of available phosphor- ic acid and S5 pounds of potash. The 1 percentage composition of this fertiliz- CT would be 1.4 per cent. of nitrogen, S.1 per cent of phosphoric acid and 4.2 per cent of potash, writes MacNairn : Shaw, in Field and Ranch. This fer tilizer is too low in nitrogen to use under either corn or cotton unless nj trate of soda be used as a top dress ing. It would supply an abundance of potash for red clay upland soils, though it would be deficient probably in the amount of this element needed on sandy lands. If some blood or sul- phate of ammonia, or any other mate rial containing a high per cent of nj trogen were substituted for 100 to 200 pounds of the seed the percentage of nitrogen can be increased and the fer tilizer balanced up.
 If it is desired to use seed as the basis of compost, the method of pro- cedure might be about as follows: Use 1,200 pounds of yard manure or vegetable mold, 400 pounds of cotton seed, 300 pounds of acid phosphate and 100 pounds of kainit This com post would contain about one per cent. of nitrogen, 2S per cent. of phosphoric acid and one per cent. of potash. One ton of this would be about equivalent in fertilizing value to from 900 to 1000 pounds of the S-2-2 fertilizer so commonly used by the planter The advantage of com posting the seed lies in the fact that heating destroys it's germinating pow CT, which is marked advantage, as all know who have tried to apply seed directly to the drill row.
 For the farmer who wishes to use the largest possible proportion of seed the following formula is suggested: Mix together approximately 40 bush els, or 1,200 pounds of seed. 750 pounds of 16 per cent. acid phosphate and 50 pounds of high-grade muriate of potash. This mixture will contain about 38 pounds of nitrogen, 145 pounds of phosphoric acid and 39 pounds of potash In other words, the amount of nitrogen and potash is practically equivalent to that found in an S-2-2 fertilizer, though there is somewhat less phosphoric acid. This fertilizer used at the rate of 500 to l,200 pounds per acre should answer fairly well, though where extraordi- nary large yields are sought. the ap- en be necessary and profitable as well. To some the amount of compost sug- gested may seem rather large, and there will be disposition to apply smaller amounts and cover a much larger acreage. This is one of the great faults of our present system of farming, and should not be indulged in by those who hope to produce prof. itable crops. But if not more than 500 pounds of the compost be used, the re. suits obtained will be better if at least 100 pounds of high-grade acid phosphate and 25 pounds of muriate of potash or 100 pounds of kainit be applied either at the time of planting the corn and cotton, or shortly there after. By adding the amounts of min eral matter suggested, the fertilizer can be balanced up and will more nearly supply the quantities of phos. phates and potash contained in a high grade fertilizer, such as 3-1O-4 goods would constitute