The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-19
Progressive Farmer

Tt is q good tnIng TO Set tHe poS'
Interested in the production OF prlz'
crops. for they are the hope OF tn
country, and when once a boy ina
how much "a be on al
acre. he viii try when he gets Il
farming to bring all his acres up te
the notch. Not by the e~xtrayagan1
means usually employed by the mer
who work for prizes, but through sys-
tematic Improvement of the SOIL over
the whole farm. / have mentioned
the ease of a friend Of mine who last
wear made 81 Ia bushels an acre
over a thirty-acre field with only
crimson clover turned nder and no
manure or fertilizer uhed. But he
had brought that land W through
wears of good farming with clover
and peas and manure and his wheat
crops after corn are the finest IN the
neighborhood, for he usually makes
over 40 bushels per acre, ana uses
only acid phosphate and potash on
the wheat. ! am getting hundreds OF
letters. all asking sort OF a Ter
tiIiZer mixture to make for corn, WneH
the writer's would never need any II
they grew plenty of peas and crimson
clover and fed their r~ouShage on the
farm. and always a a
clover sod to turn for corn and q
clover sod to turn for cotton.
Let the boys work for prize acres,
but let the men work to make all
their acres prize ones.
Two Source of Nitrogen.
My mail is burdened with letters
from farmers asking what formula
Of fertilizer is lest to put under corn.
I invariably say that the best thing
/ have ever knoWn under corn is a
crimson clover sod on which the farm
has been broadcasted during
the winter. / would not give such a
preparation for all the fertilizer Mr..
Mr.. Williamson cures his Stunted corn
with. There is nothing that tires
me so much as the constant depend
ence of our farmers on fertilizers to
grow crops. Now and then l am en-
couraged by one Who Nsites asking
the best rotation Of crops for his land,
for [ hin hat here is at least one
who is trying to get out of the bond
age to the fertilizer trust, and to
60 to farming in reality.
one reader asks: rs cotton seed
meal and acid phosphate mixed in
equal parts better for corn than S
g fertilizer? In such q mixture
he would get over 9 per cent Of phos-
phoric acid, more than twice as much
nitrogen as in the S-2-2 and very
nearly as much potash. The Difficult
ty is, that farmer will not study the
amounts of plant food contained in
the different materials used in mixing
fertilizer nor the cost of the elements
they want in each. At present prices
nitrogen in cotton seed meal is rath-
er costly as compared with nitrate
of soda. but if nitrogen is used, we
need some organic form to go with
nitrate to keep up the feeding of
he crop, and You can refer to the
bulletins of the State Departments of
and of the experiment
stations and find out what nitrogen
costs in various materials.
But, while nitrogen is costly in IN
form when bought in a fertilizer, it
Is the cheapest thing h farmer can
get if he farms right, and uses the
to get it for him. Then he
gen in a fertilizer, and can for the
same money he has been spending
for complete fertilizer mixtures, get
more phOSphoric acid and potash,
Will stay in his soil till some
plant calls for them, and will not
away as nitrogen does as soon
as it is in a form that plants can
use.
All over the South men are paying
cents or more a pound for nitrogen
n mixed fertilizers, when by proper
farming they could have
rec on every acre cultivated more
nitrogen than a whole ton of S-2-2
Will give them. Two hundred pounds
# S-2-2 adds less than 4 pounds
IF nitrogen when spread over a Whole
acre, yet many farmers expect this
o have a great effect.
Try to spread % pounds of nitrate
# soda evenly owe a whole acre, and
fou Will find that it is put there very
-hinly. And Yet that will be about
to h 4 pounds Of ammonia
II the 200 pounds Of S-2-2. A ton
IF the S-2-2 Will contain "a pounds
II actual nitrogen. \ crop Of crimson
lover turned under mature viii give
Sou from 40 to 90 pounds an acre of
nitrogen, or far more tfIin Q would
in Il whole ton of the S-2-2. Yet
will pay hard cash to the tune
IF nearly 81 tor the nitrogen in the
of fertilizer, when the clover viii
give YOU almost twice as much and
Viii add hunuS to the soil. Thou
and are using a little over three
Of actual nitrogen when they
.ould have turned under to the crop
over 40 pounds in d crop of clover, |
ii --..-1I I-a1-- 81 "a ,1o4 49,