Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-08

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large and the bolls are scattering. l
Z want to know what kind of fertilizer
to use, and how much.
II seems from the description given
! i'm your letter that your land does not
contain enough nitrogen to insure
: vigorous growth of plant which is es-
sential to the development of an abund-
ance of we'll matured bolls. Nitrogen,
as YOU understand. aids in developins,
3 as it were. the skeleton or structure o.
( the plant, and on sandy land this ele-
ment is often found in insufficient
; quantities. There are two ways to inn
prove this soil, the most desirable and
effective being the use of yard manure
. or compost, or green crops to supply
. Part of the nitrogen. Land such as this
! should be put into a systematic rotation
and legumes grown on part OF II eN-
, cry year The legumes should be
Z plowed under when the land is badly in
I need of nitrogen. Some people think il
! is a mistake to pillow under green
crop, and of course il is best as a rule
I to feed IL, but when you consider that
/ buShcl of cowpeas can be purchased
/ for S2.50. and if they make good
growth when plowed under will add to
the soil 100 pounds of nitrogen. you can
see how cheaply vegetable matter ana
!. nitrogen can be added to the soil
-, through a green leguminOus crop plowed
under. On the other hand, nitrate OF
soda will probably cost YOU $3.50 to
! $500 per 100, and must be applied every
year Moreover, il has no influence on
/ tie mechanical condition of the soil,
which is after all the most important
/ consideration. If you can get any lot
manure or compost, therefore, apply II
4 a the rate of one to two tons per acre,
| and arrange to rotate your land, and
/ YOU will be able to increase the size or
: your cotton stalk materially in the near
= future. In the meantime we would sus
l gest that you use a fertilizer containing
! 3 to 4 per cent of nitrogen, 8 to 10 per
! cent of phosphoric acid, and 4 to per
cent Of potash this year. This fertilizer
! should be. used at the rate Of 500 pounds
per acre. You also select your seed
/ with care. for some varieties of cotton
produce much more weed in proportion
TO bolls than others. A selected strain
of improved seed will therefore aid you
J in securing a larger yield A fertilizer
! such as you desire to use may be pre-
ipared by mixing together 500 pounds of
cotton seed meal, 200 pounds OF SUI
plate of ammonia. 1,15O pounds of acid
phosphate, and $50 pounds of muriare
of potash.
/ AGRICULTURAL SUGGESTIONS PAY
| FOR PAPER.
| s. o. c.. Laurens, S. c., writes: I have
| Just subscribed for The Semi Weekly
Journal and like it fine. The agricultural
side more than pays for the paper. L
want to put some nitrate of soda on early
1 fall sown oats. About what time would
you put it and how much to the acre?
j want to mix my guano. How. much
phosphorfc acid muTiate of potash sand
/ y
! Does home-mixing give good results?
Nitrate of soda may be applied to fall
sown oats any time during the next ten
1 DAYS or two weeks. Just as soon as
! good growth has started is the best time
| to put it on. One hundred and 80 pounds
! per acre is not too much to use on land
of fair fertility. Some prefer to use two
/ dressings of nitrate, or 200 pounds per
! acre. In that case the first application
may be made at the time indicated, and
| the second about ten days before the oats
are shooting into head. The nitrate
should be put on when the crop is dry,
! and. if possible just after rain when tine
! weather is likely to be settled for a few
days so it will have time to dissolve and
sink into the ground and be taken up
4 by the plants. There is no trouble about
mixing fertilizer at home If you care TO
do so. This should be determined for each
| individual by first ascertaining what you
can buy the ready mixed goods for and
what you can buy the raw ingredients
for and mix yourself. If it is more eco
nomical to mix at home, there is no rea-
son why you should not do it. The mix
ing should be thoroughly and carefully
done.
| You do not say what per cent of nitro
! gen and phosphoric acid your tankage
contains. If ii is high grade material
it will contain about per cent of nitro
| gen and II per cent of potash. In max
| ing the calculation | will estimate, there
| fore. that it contains these amounts of
| available materials. BY mixing together
| 500 pounds of high grade acid phosphate,
J $40 pounds of tankage, 200 pounds of nj
| trate Of soda, or 100 pounds of nitrate
! Of soda and 100 pounds of dried blood, il
! YOU prefer with 100 pounds of muriate OF
/ potash and zoo pounds of rich earth. you
! will obtain a ton mixture which will ana
! I'VE per cent Of nitrogen, 10 per cent OF
| phosphoric acid and per cent of potash.
You will notice that the use of 200 pounds
of nitrate of soda per ton has been sug-
ges;ed. You could not prepare a fertilizer
out OF a material like tankage. which only
| contains per cent of nitrogen, and Sc
| cure the high grade goods you desire To
| prepare. 1t is for this reason that the
| use Of nitrate has been suggested. AS
matter OF fact, it would be better to use
/ 100 pounds of nitrate and 100 pounds of
blood I'm the mixture. This would give
you practically per cent of nitrogen in
your fertilizer, and would give you Some
| quick-acting nitrogen i'm the form of nj
| trate of soda, and some organic nitrogen
| i'm the form of blood and tankage The
formula suggested will certainly make an
| excellent fertilizer, and when used at the
rate Of 400 to 600 pounds per acre. de-
I! pending on the quality of your land,
| should give YOU excellent results on both
! corn and cotton.
| SEEDING OATS IN THE SPRING
| c II. w, Wintervile. Ga, writes:
| Will rust proof oats do TO SOW i'm the
spring the latter part of February or the