Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-01-20

feeding over 1000 head of beef cattle and
IN raising hundreds of hogs under care
fully recorded conditions indicates that
there are good profits in this business
for the farmer who pursues Intelligent
methods, and, of course, It is needless TO
say that this is the surest and best
method for building up and maintaining
the fertility of Georgia soils for an
indefinite period of time
PLANT FOOD DEFICIENCIES OF
y PINEY WOODS LAND.
A Subscriber, Bristol, Fla, writes: l
have some piney woods sandy land with
clay about three feet from the surface.
1t will not make anything without fer
tiIizer. Last year 1 had one acre in
cotton and used 800 pounds of 1888
guano and got 312 pounds of lint cotton.
| also had one acre IN sweet potatoes
and got 100 bushels I used 200 pounds
of cotton seed meal, 200 pounds of 1O-4
acid 100 pounds of potash. / would like
to have suggestions from you as to how
to Increase the yield of both these crops.
Also a good fertilizer for sugar cane
and corn.
Very sandy land is, as rule. not
rich In those elements which are re-
garded as essential to soil fertility. Land
of this character is very likely to be
quite deficient in phosphorus and potas-
stun, and it is probably on this ac-
count that you did not secure larger
yield from the fertilizer used last year.
Of course, most soils must contain a
certain amount of vegetable matter to
be fertile, because in the absence of this
material soil bacteria are not as active
as they should be and there Is not a
sufficient amount of nitrogen available
to stimulate a rapid and vigorous
growth Six hundred pounds of a 1888
fertilizer would only supply is pounds
of potash per acre. AS your soil may not
contain more than 400 to 800 pounds of
total potash per acre foot, ii will be
necessary for you TO increase the amount
of the material to secure the best re-
suits we would suggest. therefore, that
you try a 4-12-3 fertilizer for your cot
ton next year at the same rate or you
may use a 3-10-3 fertilizer at the rate of
400 pounds, and apply to each acre in
addition 100 pounds of high-grade acid
phosphate and so pounds of muriate of
potash. II you find more nitrogen is
needed you may supply it by top dress
ing with nitrate of soda or sulphate
Of ammonia during the growing season.
A good formula for sweet potatoes is
per cent of nitrogen s to 10 per cent
potash. For sandy land we would be dis
posed to recommend the larger amounts
of the two mineral elements: We be-
lieve you viii find the fertilizer suggest
eu likely to give you more satisfactory
results than the one used last year. A
good formula for sweet potatoes may be
prepared by mixing together 1000 pounds
of acid phosphate, 600 pounds of cotton
seed meal, 24O pounds of nitrate of soda
and 800 pounds of muriate of potash.
Sugar cane is another crop requiring
heavy fertilization on sandy soils For
this crop sulphate of potash should be
used in place of the muriate A fertilizer
containing not less than per cent of
nitrogen, 10 per cent of phosphoric acid
and 10 per cent of potash will be found
most useful on sugar cane. 1t should
be applied at the rate of 600 to 1000
pounds per acre. We would suggest that
the fertilizer be used mostly under the
drill row on the various crops mention
ed, though some of it may be used as a
side application. We prefer for the side
applications to use some heterogeneous
fertilizers since the mineral elements be-
come rather slowly available in the soil
and are not so likely to be leached away,
and can often be applied with ease and
advantage whGn the crop is seeded.