Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-19

. of average fertility. II has been planted
| to corn and velvet beans for the past
two years. Would like your advice in
| the matter.
/ There is some Peruvian guano still on
the market. 1t is obtained from islands off
the western coast of South America. The
amount bf plant food contained i'm it va
res much. according to the particular To-
cation from which It is secured. the
length of time the deposit has been form
| ing and the amount of rain to which II
has been exposed The amount of nitro
gen i'm Peruvian guano varies anywhere
! from TO per cent; the phosphoric acid
! from 9 to 10 per cent; and the potash
from to 4 per cent. You will thus see
that an application of 400 pounds of the
highest grade would make a very ex-
cellent fertilizer, and not so good If 1t
contains a minimum OF the constituents
mentioned above. This material should
only be bought on analysis. and you
should examine carefully to ascertain
what part of the various plant food ele-
ments are available. heterogeneous guanO
is still shipped into this country in con-
siderable quantities. OF course. the
amount is insignificant when compared
with the consumption OF fertilizer at the
present time Where Il has been made in
a practically rainless region, and has
been prepared for shipment under good
conditions. il is certainly an excellent
form of fertilizer TO use and should give
you good results.
COTTON ON RED MULATTO LAND.
W. Fl. c.. Whitesburg, Ga, writes: 1
have a piece of fresh land which was in
cotton last year and in corn the two
years previous. II is mulatto soil with
red clay subsoil. 1 have broken ii and
laid 1t of in four-foot rows. and listed
40 pounds of 1858 fertilizer. Which do
you think suits my land the better? 1t
makes a weed three to four feet high and
produces about 1000 pounds Of seed cot
ton per acre.
Red mulatto land is generally consider
ed to be a fairly fertile soil, and not to
require quite such heavy fertilization in
proportion as the sander soils. Four
hundred and 80 pounds of a 2-10-2 fertilizer
is a fairly good application for this land.
though we are inclined to think a little
mere potash will not be Objectionable.
Our preference under the circumstances
would be for a 3-10-3 for soils such as you
describe, and particularly as you seem
to feel that you secure a pretty good
growth of weed. This indicates that you
should emphasize the use of phosphates
and potash. We are inclined to think
that the best results from a second ap-
plication of fertilizer will be secured
where nitrate of soda is used a top
dressing. complete fertilizer may
prove beneficial, but the phosphates and
potash do not stimulate growth as quick
" as the nitrate, and on that account a
late application of these elements is not
always good practice. We would be IN
clined. therefore, TO use a top dressing
of 80 pounds OF nitrate of soda per acre
on this crop, putting 1t on from June
to Is. though this will depend a good deal
on the season. Later applications may
catch and destroy many of the bolls be-
fore they mature.
THE FERTILIZING VALUE OF MARL.
7. O.. Waynesboro, Ga, writes: What
are the fertilizing elements contained in
mari and what is its value as a plant
food and for building up wornout lands?
am thinking of using 200 pounds or
more to the acre and bed on II for cotton;
and put the same quantity in the drill
and cover up where 1 would plant corn.
Marls vary a good deal in composition.
Many Of them contain some potash,
phosphoric acid and lime. Shell marls are
particularly rich. in lime. but often only
contain traces Of phosphoric acid and
potash. The value OF mari will therefore
depend on its composition. II would be
impossible to cay just how advantageous
" you could use this material without
knowing how much plant food it carried
II should also not be forgotten that the
constituents of mari are as a rule rather
slowly available. This material, however.
is an important amendment to the soil be-
cause of the mineral constituents con-
tained, and because of the favorable ac-
ton IL has on the mechanical texture. In
many places unproductive lands have been
brought under profitable cultivation
through the application of mari. Mari Is
not extensively used now because artifi-
cial fertilizers containing quickly avail
able forms OF plant food can be secured
more abundantly and cheaper than some
years ago. If a farmer had deposit OF
mari on his place where II could be easily
put out on the land. II would probably pay
him to use it. Certainly a ton per acre
would be the least amount to apply, and
several tons would be more likely to give
satisfactory results. If a person has a
supply OF mari easily available, much OF
the hauling can be done at seasons of the
year when work on the farm is slack
So far as your suggestion of using 20J
pounds or more per acre on corn and cot
ton is concerned, II will be better and
more profitable for you to put on a
heavier application OF ammoniated goods.
since 200 pounds of mari would have but
little effect. and the fertilizing materials
contained would not become available
quick enough to exert any material bene-
fit on the crop.
MIXING FERTILIZER IN ADVANCE
OF ITS USE.
]. P. X. Columbus. Ga, writes: I wish
To use the following mixture: 1.25O pounds
acid phosphate. 500 pounds cotton-seed
meal. 100 pounds sulphate OF ammonia
and 80 pounds OF potash. Do you think
II I put the mixture under cotton and
corn l would lose the effects of the am
monia before the plant could utilize it?
The mixture you propose to use should
prove n satisfactory one. We would not
hesitate 10 use 100 pounds OF sulphate
OF ammonia per ton. In fact, as much as
100 to zoo pounds of nitrate are often
used per ton, and many manufacturers
use at least Ice pounds in order to get the
dIserable percentage of nitrogen. Nitrate