Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-08-09

also be applied with safety some time
before planting and care should be taken
TO see that the fertilizer does not come
in direct contact with the seed. Owing
TO the comparatively short period of
growth of the potato plant, It will be
advisable in many instances to open the
furrow and apply the fertilizer under the
drill row so that the roots Of the plant
will quickly come in contact with this
concentrated portion Of plant food and
make a vigorous growth from the start.
Where nitrate OF soda is used, it should
be applied as top dressings two or three
times during the growing season.
PREPARING AND MIXING POTATO
FERTILIZERS.
II will now be proper to consider the
mixing OF fertilizers for potatoes in order
to secure the best combinations Of plant
food to supply the needs Of the crop. II
the amount of fertilizlng ingredients re-
moved by given crop could be taken
as a safe basis In preparing field for
potatoes the question or supplying the
proper amount and kind Of plant food
would be a relatively simple one, as
chemical analysis has shown us the kind
and quantity Of plant food which a potato
crop will remove from the soil. As
rule, the three essential elements-nitro-
gen. phosphoric acid and potash. need
TO be supplied. Assuming the yield on a
given area TO be 200 bushels per acre, 81
pounds OF nitrogen, Is pounds Of phos-
phoric acid and IS pounds of quickly
available potash would re required. A
formula prepared on this basis would
vary markedly from the mixed goods
generally found on the market. Its pro-
portions would be somewhat as follows;
parts, and potash, parts. Attention Is
called to he fact that many OF the for
mulas for potatoes on the market con-
tain parts of nitrogen, parts OF phos-
phoric acid and parts Of potash. IN
other words. they are not at all suited
70 the needs OF the potato, being espe-
cially deficient in available potash and
overabundantly supplied with phosphoric
acid The selection OF a potato fertilizer
is therefore a very important matter,
and one destined to have marked effect
on the yield as numerous experiments
have shown The farmer should insist
therefore on securing a fertilizer from
the manufacturers that quite nearly APP
proximates the theoretical needs OF the
crop. or II he cannot do this, buy the
raw ingredients and mix them for him
self, which is, after all, comparatively
simple matter.
FEEDING COTTON SEED MEAL TO
HOGS.
c. G. B.. Macon, Ga, writes: What do
you think OF cotton seed meal as a food
for hogs? 1 have been feeding my hogs
on cotton seed meal and bran mixed
with slop for eight or ten days. and they
are fond of IL and seem to be thriving
on IL.
Small quantities of cotton seed meal
may be fed TO hogs for periods Of from
20 to 90 days with safety, and will in
sure better gains than where corn alone
is fed. II is best to ferment the cotton
seed meal for from "A to Y hours, de-
pending upon the weather. In warm
weather the shorter period will answer,
but in cold weather the longer period
should be employed. Hogs fed on cot
ton seed meal in any quantity whatever
should be provided with a pasture to
range over. Vetch and oats or rye, and
burr or crimson clover may be used dur
ing the winter, and any of the legumi-
nous crops during the summer. After
100 to 40 days the feeding OF cotton seed
meal does not seem TO be profitable ac-
cording to so many experiments which
have been made; in other words, the
gains from adding IL to the ration were
Where corn alone, and corn and ferment-
ed cotton seed meal have been fed bet
ter results in the way of gains and
quality Of pork have followed the use
OF the combination OF concentrates rath-
er than from corn alone. 1t would, there
fore. seem to be safe to make one-ffth
to one-sixth OF the ration cotton seed
meal. and the balance corn, for hogs
weighing 50 10 Is pounds, provided the
nnf
IS TO 80 days. and the hogs are given a
green crop TO Craze on, as already sug-
gested.
The suggestions made in this letter
are confirmed by experiments made in
Texas. Oklahoma and i'm North Caro-
lima as well In North Carolina IL was
found that the addition Of a small guam
tity OF cotton seed meal to the ration
was more beneficial in the matter OF
economy OF gains than the use of lin
seed OIL.
WANTS TO BUY JOHNSON GRASS
SEED.
j. ". NJ, Cleveland Tenn, writes: Can
you tell me where I can get some John
son grass seed? I would like to know
how 70 SOW IL 10 make a success of it,
Some say il is such a pest. but I have
poor farm, and must have hay. and
would like to try some OF It.
Johnson grass is one OF the most diff
hcult OF all grasses to eradicate where II
once obtains fOOthold. and since IL Is
almost impossible TO prevent its spread
from one part Of the farm to another. II
has generally been regarded as a nuisance
and its cultivation is prohibited by law
in your state. IL ! am not badly mis-
taken. You should inform yourself very
carefully on this point before seeding II
as IL might make you serious trouble
in more ways than one. Johnson grass is
not good pasture; IL does not compare
at all favorably in this respect with Ber-