Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-05-23
FERTILIZER FOR LEGUMES

The kind and amount OF fertilizers 70
use with leguminous crops Is a much
debated question. The legume. as mos,
farmers now realize, belongs TO a fam
~ Of plants which Is theoretically sup
posed TO gather all the nitrogen II needs
rom the air. This Is accomplished by
means OF bacteria which live in the lit
tie white knots which form on the roots
q these plants under favorable condi-
uoaS- Lsguminous plants require q large
amount OF nitrogen, and Il has been TAX
en- for granted that they win secure q
SUFFICIENT amount OF this element from
me air. AS 8 matter OF fact. one quite
1reQuently observes sickly. yellow-looking
nelds Of cowpeas, soy beans. velvet
beans and other summer growing le-
gumes. Such condition nearly always
indicates that the soil does not contain
q large amount OF nitrogen. and that the
crop is not azsimilating what II needs
from the air. An examination OF the
roots VIII show thax the bacteria are ev-
Identity not present IN the son because
the little knots in which thet reside are
absent Their absence may be due 10
oae OF several things: frst OF al. TO soil
acIeity which prevents their development
This condition can and should be cor
Iected BY an application OF lime. The
failure OF the knots 10 develop may also
he due 70 the absence from the soil of
the desirable bacteria This deficiency
may be supplied ~ taking so pounds
Of earth from field where one OF these
crops has grown successfully the pre-
vious year and scattering IL over each
acre OF ground before sowing The
farmer should therefore. examine his
crop with care and determine the cause
Of It's unhealthy appearance and correct
* as indicated
But this may not be all thai Is needed
60 insure q good crop OF legumes for the
well known reason that our land Is so
low in vegetable matter that II may not,
often does not in fact supply the nitro
gen needed to stimulate the early growth
OF the crop. and enable the bacteria TO
multiply and develop in sufficient num-
bers TO asstmilate the large quantity
OF nitrogen needed directly from the air.
on land where crop rotations have been
practiced or where large amounts OF yard
manure have been applied, or where
heavy applications Of commercial fertiliz-
ers high in organic nitrogen have been
used on such early maturing crops as
Irish potatoes. oats and other cereals
the application OF a complete ferulizer
ON legumes viii often be unnecessary. II
viii De noted that the use Of organic
nitrogen has been emphasized. and oy
this Is meant the supplying Of this ele-
ment OF plant food from such matenat 3
cotton seed meal II sulphate or ammonia
or nitrate OF soda have been used as tor
dressings. the chances are that all OF
IRE nitrogen has been used by the crop,
or II not, has probably gotten beyond
the reach Of plants before they couio
hope to utilize IL.
While fertilizers high In Nitrogen are
not need on leguminous crops y can DC
s5s-ise5lx stated that the use OF COM
plefe fertilizer wiz frequently pc touna
good practice, and OF course the more
sand the soil contains. the mere essen
tial the use Of a complete ierall-sr Ss.
Games A. the season of the year wneh
ierurnes are ordinarily planted. fermenia-
rion and life processes are going FORWARD
rrosf actively Therefore, organic sources
~ r.srogen may be used as the basis OF
are Fertilizer with complete satisfaction
IN fact. at the season Of the year men
tIoned. rains are likely 70 be most CO.
nfous. and the chances Of loss BY leacnlng
render the use OF very quickly avaiiaoie
Fertilizers. Ike nitrate OF SOFA, OF ques-
tfonables value On the other hand. cotton
seed meal requiring 10 undergo two Ter
naeutatfons in the soil before the plant
car tlse il is not likely 20 be lost from
ire soil before the plants have developed
sufficiently to readily assimilate IT, To
those xho would question the fact that
A. would not become serviceable 20 plants
in a short enough period OF time, IL IS
only necessary TO say that the transfor-
nations which this material must UNDER
20 In the soil take place very rapidly
q ire season OF the year and under the
conditions indicated
But nitrogen is only one OF the elements
which the cowpea and othe legumes re-
ouire. These crops draw very heavily on
me mineral elements OF the land, and
they must be well supplied therefore, with
phosphorus and potash On the richest
81 our red clay lands good formula 70
use would probably be 3 per cent OF
nhosohorus. ! per cent OF nitrogen and 4
rer cent OF potash: on lands containing
~lav and sand, per cent Of phosphorus,
> r,er cent OF nitrogen and per cent OF
r.afash. on sandy soils, 10 per cent OF
nho=phorus. : per cent Of NITROGEN and s
10 per cent OF potash. These formulas
should be used at the rate Of not less
than so pounds per acre. and the fert-
Iizer may be applied at the time the
crop Is seeded
There are various methods OF planting
iexumes. but the most satisfactory plan
viii always be to drill the crop In. One
may desire TO use q grain drill and put
them IN rows six 20 eight inches apart;
Others q one-horse planter. leaving the
rows - 20 80 inches apart Broadcasttng
che crop and fertilizer VIII never give
tne results which may be anticipated
rom drilling them under. Planting IN
rows and giving intertiIlage b desirable
method OF growing both cowpeas and soy
beans. and Il Il essential. Of course. 20
follow this practice with velvet beans
since q great saving IN seed can be af-
fected. and this crop grows with such
wonderful vigor that Il viii readily cover
All the ground II planted in drills four
feet apart and two feet apart in the
driIl row