Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-15
cHARAcTER oF 30 SD.

CHARACTER OF THE SOD
A silly, Ioauly soil, like that found IN
many PITTS OF the coastal plain. contains
a little more vegetable matter than the
piney woods or sandy soils found further
hack from the coast IL often contains
some lime. enough indeed TO change IN
some respects tue character Of natura!
vegetation which grows thereon. This
lime. OF course. is an advantage in cor
rectiRg certain conditions i'm the soil which
are detrimental to plant growth The lime
IL also favoratte TO the development Of
Iegumes. and the bacteria which live in
the nodules FORMING on the roots of these
plants I.Snd Of this character. is also able
20 hold wafer 70 SETTER advantage than
a coarse ssnds soiI. and 1t is. therefore,
more drrsight aesistant IL we'll cultivated.
At the same time. these lands are not nat
uraHy rich I'm plant food. and. therefore.
where large crops are anticipated. crop
rotations must be practiced to supply the
needed vegetable matter. and commercial
fertilizers used literally. There is moth
ing more important to these soils than a
plentiful supply of vegetable matter. This
may be obtained through green legumin-
Gus crops pastured on or pIowed under,
or through applications OF yard manure
add compost IL is highly desirable THAI
az least tsvo tons of lot manure or rich
compost be used under the drill row on
each acre of land devoted to corn or cot
ton; where twice this amount can be used.
50 much the better. IL is better to apply
the compost under the drill row than to
scatter il broadcast over the land. and
Two tons each year will give better re-
salts than larger applications put on once
in two to four years.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD MA
NURE-
Tire farmer should strive to enrich his
compost heap by the litter OF the forest,
By saving all the manure from all the
animals he can secure, and by the addi-
ton Of 70 TO 80 pounds of floats per ton
10 all the lot manure accumulated. Farm
Yard ma nure is a one-sided fertilizer. con-
tanning but 6 per cent of nitrogen. IS per
cent OF phosphate acid and per cent Of
potash. ton of il contains only u
pounds OF nitrogen, seven TO nine pounds
of phosphoric acid and l. TO Is pounds of
potash. Its great benefit to the soil, there
fore. is not as a direct carrier of plant
food. but because of the improved me-
cbauical condition and drought-resisting
qualities which il gives to the soil. More
over. IL aids fermentation and provides
food for the nitrifying organisms in the
absence Of which fermentation cannot
proceed
SUPPLYING COMMERCIAL PLANT
FOOD.
The three essential elements of plant
food which are likely to be lacking should
be supplied in liberal quantity. These are
nitrogen phosphOric acid and potash. Nj
tragen is concerned in the development OF
vigorous plant which has a rich. green
color. Phosphorus is concerned i'm the
formation of seed and hastens maturity.
Potash aids In the formation OF starch,
and In its transference from one part of
the plant to another. On ordinary lands
10 which two tons of compost per acre
has been added, an application of a 2-IO-i
fertilizer at the rate of 500 pounds per
acre should prove satisfactory for cot
ton. Where no yard manure can be Sc
cured. use 5-lc-i under cotton. Where
the land is abundantIy supplied with vege-
table matter as for instance. where five
tons or more OF lot manure are applied
10 the acre. or where one or more green
crops have been piowed under, a IO-4
formula viii answer very well. AS the
soil becomes sander and more porous
and the cotton more likely to be attacked
BY rest. the potash should be increased
10 s or S per cent.
AMOUNT TO USE PER ACRE.
The amount Of fertilizer should also
Re Increased as the poverty or the SOIL
ircreases. Eight hundred 10 1000
pounds IS not too much 10 use per acre.
u shonId. never be forgotten that Sea
Island cotton produces more stalk than
upland cotton, and therefore. must be
fed more literally in order to insure
heavy setting on OF fruit and its
perfect maturity. Every farmer inter-
ested in growing cotton should use 500.
500 and 1000 pounds Of these mixtures
on selected acres of land, and deter
mine. just what amount OF fertilizer
will yield him the largest profit per
acre. The fertilizer mentioned may be
appned under the drill row or at the
tlnse of putting IN the compost and
rhKxed with the soil beI0re planting.
IN case the crop does not grow off Wig
crausiy. and present a rich, green color,
and show all the evidences of health
fulneSs. top dressings of nitrate of
soda will be In order. From Zoo TO
200 pounds OF nitrate of soda may be
used per acre. If the season is unfa-
vorabIe and the crop backward. il is
probably best TO make two applications
% 100 pounds each. One may be put
on IN the latter part or May: the other
some time in the month of June; prob
ably about the 18th. and not later than