The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1910-01-20

Cotton seed meal. 600 $500 5 8. 65
Acid phosphate, Is
per cent avail
able .......... Jos 1900 S.31
Kainit .......... 202 1900 1.21
Total .........2 1000 .... SIS II
"(These prices are based on cotton
seed meal, at $25 per ton; acid phos-
plate at SIS, and kainit at SIP. If the
price of these articles varies up on
down, of course that of the ton of fer
tilizer will vary accordingly
Ammonia is nothing but nitrogen in
combination with another substance of
no value. Inserting ammonia in the
formula is apt to deceive one who does
not know the distinction. Remember,
that it is the pounds of plant food that
are wanted, and not just sack of stuff
the majority of which is of no value
Taking acid phosphates as an exam
pie, we find that there is great varia-
ton in their composition. Some run as
low as ten pounds of available phos-
phoric acid to 100 pounds, while others
contain as much as IA to Is pounds. As
phosphoric acid generally sells at about
five cents pound, the former would
be worth fifty cents a hundred, whereas
the latter would cost seventy-fve cents.
In buying, then, it is economy to take
the high-grade goods, even though they
cost a little more.
"An average sample of cotton seed
meal contains the following percentages
of plant food:
Phosphoric acid rs per cent
Potash LIS per cent.
"a 100-pound sack will, therefore, con-
tain the following quantities of plant
food:
Nitrogen .............. 10 POUNDS
Phosphoric acid ............ rs pounds
Potash i s pounds
"The phosphoric acid may be consid-
/ cred as available as the fermentation
renders it so.
How to Use Commercial Fertilizers.
"If fertilizers are used, the following
general rule should govern:
son rich lands use mainly fertilizers
that will stimulate the fruit and not
the stalk growth. On lighter lands use
more of the elements to force growth,
combined with others which will mature
the fruit.
'High-grade IA per cent. acid phos-
phate may be considered as basis for
increasing fruit and fastening maturity
of crops. Even on the richest land it
has been demonstrated that small per-
centage of nitrogen added to the acid
phosphate will give better results. Use
three parts of acid phosphate and one
part of cotton-seed meal for cotton.
ga mixture of one part of cotton-seed
meal to two parts of high grade acid
phosphate will greatly increase the grow
ing condition and will be better for
medium soils.
"Air-slaked lime is of no value for use
on stiff or gummy soils to loosen them
up, permit the air to enter, and prevent
sour condition of such soils when too
wet.
"On thin or impoverished soils equal
quantities of cotton-seed meal and acid
phosphate can be used to advantage.
"In case the following cannot be OBJ
tanned standard grade commercial fer
tilizers may be used. These should con-
tain in the mixture to 10 per cent.
of available phosphoric acid, 2 to 8. per
cent. of nitrogen, and ~ to 2 per cent.
of potash, or on some lands a high
grade acid phosphate, IA per cent, may
be used.
"On black waxy lands the best prac-
tice is to have the cotton follow crop
of cowpeas.
'Where lands are greatly worn by
years of cropping, more fertilizer should
be used to the acre, and it should con-
tain about equal parts of cotton-seed
meal and high-grade acid phosphate.
The beneficial effect of commercial fertil-
izers depends largely upon the presence
of humus in the soil; hence the import
ance of using stable manure and blowing
under green crops.
'In applying the foregoing instruc-
tons the farmer must use considerable
Judgment and modify his practice where
necessary to fit local conditions"
How to apply the fertilizer after the
soil has been thoroughly pulverized.
In the absence of good machine, APP
ply the fertilizer as follows:
mark out the rows or bed up spacing
as specified in the circular of this series
containing general instructions Circular
No. sA'-69), and distribute the fertilizer
in rows. Follow after with a bull tongue
or scooter shallowly to mix the fertilizer
thoroughly with the soil.
"Bedding-up land is precaution
against heavy rain fall after planting.
In sections where there is no danger
from excessive moisture, fiat planting is
preferred, and in some cases it may be
necessary to plant a few inches below
the surface Seeds must have moisture,
but they must be kept out of standing
water in the soil.
"The fertilizer should be distributed
several days before planting, as there is
danger of injuring the seed if brought in
immediate contact with strong fertilizer
A very careful mixing of the fertilize,