The farmer and mechanic., 1910-03-01
tas.,.EKCINL F'E.RIILiZF
THEIR PROPER USE.

Farmer.)
The idea has become very S6o
in the South that the farmer news
-, aaial fertilizer mixture for every
f|I,, nlanted. and that the onlE use
ta. commercial fertilizers IS TOT .ii5
,i+,c+ increase of the crops plahte,
frr sale. regardless of the lutUle u
the land. oo7rc of
If is well known to the feaoelS ~
r-hn Progressive Farmer ano .'7l -
that / have always opposed ei,, 80 fe,-
d.. have. no antagonists to artllltlai
+itilers but believe that their fue
$50 is in increasing the forage ana
rnn1ns-makins crops ana the
l,1i1dinc of the soil. That Is. pe-
1ieye that the true use OF ihe eol1l
,oercf;,l fertilizers is Tor the - <la o'., 9,
increase Of the productivity OIL 'iie son
t1,,r tba,, merely to get sale crops
nd leave the land worse off than pc
fore their use. ,.,-44ia,,
Dean breaking and level cultivation
and q rational use OF the toiail'' 90. 'sl
fertilizers. when needed, IN q MOI
aiberal manner is what is needed III
connection with the increased P,o
ductior of le3ume forage ana 'iiS "
feadins, of this and the corn stoNt
and cottonseed meal in 1udlclod9
wav | have often stated, ana '', eN
,erierce of the farmers VINO nave
adouted it has shown. that VITA oul
ordinary farm crops the 1li"h viz
nor1,a his land in q good short ro'a
500, growing AN abundance of forage
from peas and crimson clover heed
never buy al ounce of ammonia IN
{. fertilizer.
1t is done. not by what men eau
"restins" the land, hut by Keeping
Il harder at work growing sometnln.
that will benefit it through the Iced
ing of cattle between the sale crops.
we have seen that the Southern SOILS
will make great crops of corn bH
riIine on the fertilizers regardless OF
cost But this is merely demonstrate
ing what can be done in that way. II
is not profitable farming by any
means. and we can, through good
farming and the judicious use of the
needed fertilizers get all of our land
not Il single pet acre-to malIlng
great and profitable crops. building
Up its fertility while paying it's way
to improved conditions.
! have often said that / have never
seen :any real profit from the grow
ing of corn through the use of com
mercial fertilizers. Not that we car
not get a largely increased crop from
their use, and while corn is at ;
high figure, get a profit from tn
application, but that in the long rul
it IS not profitable to use the lant
in this way and neglect its perman
cnt Improvement. The abONc-men
toned land has been improved till
makes nearly TOO bushels of corn pc
acre at an acutal cost of about /
cents peC bushel. Can the men VIII
use heavy applications of complet
fertilizers on corn show any sue
profits? ] think not Their profit
arc only temporary. While the Ian
sets no better and they are spendin
money year after year for what the
can get in abundance free ii the
simply use the means at hand.
do not believe there is a farm i
the South that cannot be brought u
10 ii high state of productlNenes
through q good rotation of crops an
the use of no fertilizer at all eNcel
some carrier of phosphorous. and
some soils, potash. In most Of TT
lands of the lower Mississippi the sts
tion inNestiga tions have shown ths
potash is not needed, and While "
can set all the nitrogen we need fre
through the growing and feeding
the legune crops these lands nee
only phosphoric acid,
And yet. the burden of nine-ten
of the thousands Of letters | set fro
Southern farmers is. What fertiliz
formula shall | use, and how mut
per acre for cotton corn. oats al
wheat? They seem to lock upt
the soil as simply place to put fe
tilizers and raise crops by their hel
And most of them so in debt eve
spring for fertilizers, a great part
which they need never buy if tn
would simply so to farming inste;
OF speculaung on the chances Wi
some ones S-2-3 or S-2-2 at ia
of $50 to zoo pounds per acre, a
p2NinG freight on a lot of filler
make these low grade articles
The crying need Of our soils is
hunUs. u restoration of the ne
ground conditions, and we can resto
this only by good farming, and it
not good farming to be ever deper
ing on the fertilizer sack for 0
sale crops The money that a farm
pays for a ton Of the poor 2-S-
would buy a great deal more Of q,
phosphate or basic stag, and t
used on the peas or clover Wal
eventually give him greater pTt
than the 2-S-2 used to make a
tie more cotton.