Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-27

fairly liberal fertilization with phosphate
and potash as we'll as nitrogen. We be-
Iieve that about a 2-10-3 or 2-1O-4 at the
rate of 300 pounds per acre would be
good application to use under cotton al
the time of planting, the nitrogen In THIS
material to be supplemented by Top
dressing with nitrate of soda at the rate
of 100 to $50 pounds per acre from the
lst to the 18th of June. If you have not
used a fairly liberal amount OF phos-
phates and potash under your cotton, we
would suggest that an application OF
s-1O-4 at the rate of 800 pounds imme-
diateIy would be the best practice 70
bursue. Then Nyou may apply 100 POUNDS
Of nitrate of soda as a top dressing IL
YOU do not get a strong vigorous grown,
say from the 18th of June to the lst Oh
July. as the season is unusually late this
year. BY making the two applications
as suggested, you would give the crop
ample time to assimilate and utilize poth
to advantage. You would be putting INTO
the soil some of the mineral elements
essential for the development and early
maturity of the crop, and enough nitrogen
as we'll to stimulate a sufficient amount
of growth to insure a good yield.
FERTILIZING SUGAR CANE.
w A. S, Duluth, Ga, writes: l nave
about one acre of black bottom LAND
planted TO syrup seed. / used 40 pouncJ
of 1922 guano on it, Can use nllsate
of soda to advantage on H. ana no"
much and when should 1t be appliedE
Where large Yields of sugar cane are
Anticipated, liberal fertilization is neees-
sary as this crop draws heavily on all the
essential elements of plant food, and 4oo
pounds of a 2-10-2 fertilizer would not
he considered a heavy supply of potash.
A better formula would have been per
cent of nitrogen, 10 per cent OF phos-
phorie acid and 6 per cent OF sulpnate OF
potash. An application of l,oOO pounas Oh
such a mixture would certainly not be
too much to use on this crop, and 1900
To 1000 pounds can often be used to good
advantage The only chance or AIDING
potash to the soil under the circum-
stances would be to make a second ap-
pIieation of 100 pounds of sulphate OF
potash per acre as soon as possible. Then'
you might make an application OF ioo TO
$50 pounds of nitrate Of soda some time
in June OF early July. The nitrate VIII
furnish the crop with quickly available
form of nitrogen and will stimulate
rapid and vigorous growth which is or
course what you need in order to secure
tonnage The sulphate of potash might
be applied alongside the drill rows or In
cornorated in the soil by scattering
broadcast and working into the surface
when cultivating the crop. The nitrate
should not be covered into the SOIL out
used strictly as a top dressing, and may
either be put along the drill rows or
scattered broadcast. AS it becomes very
quickly available, 1t is best put on after
a rain rather than before.
TOP DRESSING WITH NITRATE OF
SODA.
r. B., Braselton, Ga. writes: We have
a good many farmers in this section who
are going to use nitrate of soda around
their corn. We have used the nitrate on
wheat and oats, but have never tried it
on corn. When would be the best time
/ to apply nitrate to corn?
Nitrate of soda may be used as top
dressing on corn with good advantage
under certain conditions. The advisable
| ity OF using nitrate depends on the ma
! ture of the land, the condition of the crop
and its previous cropping and fertiliza-
| ton. Land that contains a plentiful sup
ply of vegetable matter, and has been
| literally fertilized when the corn was
planted may not respond to an applica>
| tion Of nitrate. Field corn is rather b
! long season crop, and has considerable
time I'm which to gather its store of
food from the soil, and If ii is efficiently
cultivated so as to hold the water which
| falls as rain and make ii pass out
through the tissues of the plant, surprts-
ingly god results may sometimes be Sc
cured from what might be regarded as
a modest application of fertilizer. On the
other hand. most of our lands do not
contain as much vegetable matter as is
desirable for corn, nor has this been sup
piled in anything like sufficient amount
through the turning under of cowpeas
or applying yard manure. Therefore in
most instances. one might anticipate n
good response from the use of nitrate OF
soda unless in an exceptionally good
growing season. The present year, all
our crops, and particularly corn, are very
backward Much of the corn is yellow
i'm appearance and stunted apparently by
the cold and unfavorable sea son. and IL
would seem that the use of nitrate would
he more likely to be profitable this year
than at any time within the writer's ex-
perience.
The amount to use and the method OF
applying nitrate varies with the charac-
ter Of the land. There is much less dam
ger OF loss from teaching on heavy clay
lands than on sandy soils, but as a rule.
nitrate should always be applied as a
top dressing unless in a very protracted
dry SMELL It may he broadcasted or
scattered ALONGSIDE the drill row. We
would prefer the latter practice. as
er than Just before one. and this is es-
peciany true on sandy soils or those
that are leachy in character With
crops IN the condition thew are at pres
emit the writer would be disposed to adj
wise an application OF 150 TO 200 pounds