Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-21

/ from bone or other animal by-products, 1t
becomes more quickly available in the
soil than when derived from mineral
I sources This is due to the fact that
there are certain organic materials con-
tanned in animal by-products which hast
en- decay. These being absent from min
eral sources of phosphorus make the de-
cay OF rock phosphate very slow. me
ADVANTAGE of using rock phosphate will
also be determined considerably on the
fneness of division; the finer 1t is ground
the better the results obtained. The
I character of the soil is also important.
1t should be open and porous, thus per-
uniting the free access OF air and the
/ ready circulation Of water. II should
, also contain a large per cent of decaying
vegetable or organic matter. Then, the
crops grown will determine to some ex-
I tent in what form the materials should
/ be applied, as vigorous growing and
widely roofing crops can gather their
/ food more readily than shallow rooted,
short-seasoned crops.
Personally, we do not believe that our
Georgia soils contain enough vegetable
matter to justify the use of floats. The
good results obtained in Illinois are
chiefly on soils containing a superabund-
ance of vegetable matter, such as the
alluvial prairie soils of the Mississippi
valley. Our soils do not contain as much
phosphoric acid as many of those in Illi-
nois, and to secure good results II is alb
solutely necessary that we apply some
form of phophorus which will be rela-
lively quickly available to growing crops.
In view of the prices mentioned and the
cost of acid phosphate as compared with
the raw rock, II seems to the writer that
you would secure better results from US
ing it in preference to floats On the
lIother hand, you may apply as much as
100 pounds OF floats to each ton ofFma-
nure to good advantage. This means
that you will probably use much as
one to two pounds per day per animal
kept In your stables. Undoubtedly floats
give good results when combined with
yard manure. balancing it up, and the in
corporation with the manure seems to
render the phosphoric acid contained in
the floats more quickly available. Kainit
contains only potash, while the Tennessee
and Florida rock contain only bone phos-
phate of lime. They are entirely differ
ent materials, and perform different
functions in plant economy, so that you
could not use one in place of the other.
There would be no advantage in mixing
kainit with yard manure. Kainit is val
liable as an antidote for cotton rust, and
for applying potash directly to such crops
as need it in considerable quantities. 1t
is not as cheap source of potash, as a
rule, as the concentrated muriate, and we
would generally prefer to use the latter
for the sake Of economy.
INFORMATION ON MARLBORO CORN
H. c., Wayside. Ca, writes: 1 would
like all the information you can give me
in regard to Marlboro corn. including fer
! tilization and cultivation.
l.
! life varieties of corn for cultivation in
Georgia. 1t is small-eared variety as
compared, for instance, with Henry Ora
dy, and produces, as a rule, two or more
| ears per stalk We have found a pro-
! life corn of this type, however, to out
/ yield the large-eared varieties on all ex-
| cept very rich land. The Marlboro corn
is quite fiinty in character and the ears
are well covered; the per cent of the cob
! is low.
For corn of this character we would
prepare the land thoroughly by deep
breaking in the fall II possible, and plant
early on the level. 1t is best planted in
rows from four to Ave feet apart, de-
PENDING on the richness of the land
while the grain should be dropped from
Is inches to two feet apart in the drill
row. We think from 1000 to 5000 stalks
per acre about the right number to
leave. the variation in thickness of plant
ing to be governed by the richness of the
land. This variety Of corn should DO
well fortified. We would use at leas:
500 to 600 pounds of high-grade fertilizer
on all land except that which has been
made rich in vegetable matter by plow-
ing under green crops or the liberal ap-
plication of farmyard manure. Under
such circumstances an application of 300
pounds of 1914 fertilizer would answer
fairly we'll on clay lands On sandy lands
more potash should be used Where the
land is not we'll supplied with vegetable
matter use a 3-10-4 fertilizer, putting 800
pounds under the drill row at the time of
planting and if the stalks do not make
sufficient development apply nitrate of
soda at the rate of $50 pounds per acre
as a top dressing about the LIST to 18th
of June, depending on the season and To-
cality The cultivation of the crop
should be shallow. Run the weeder over
the surface to break the crust shortly af-
ter planting; then cultivate with one
or two-horse cultivator, according to the
steepness or levelness of the land. Gull
tivation should be persistent, and the
crop should not be laid by" until after
silking and tasseling. 1t may be neces-
| sary to muzzle the mule and use one
horse implement for the last two or three
CIVILIZATIONS. but persistent late cultiva-
ton will pay in the average season.
INFLUENCE OF THE MOON ON CORN
X g. Ashland, Ga, writes: 1t is
claimed by many old men that corn will
do better planted on the old of the moon
l would like to have your advice as I
have but little faith in It.
The question of the moon having an in
fiuence on crop production apparently
dates from the first existence of man on
this mundane sphere. Mythology and
the writings of the ancients certainly bear
cut this claim. and in view of the super
| stitious fear of natural agencies which
have pervaded the mind of the human
race through so many centuries, it is not
...-...arI-.- CANA shnIlld still feel that