The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-02-14

"a 80 snread on sod land
- n1an+ed in corn. This IS the
hest place to apply all coarse 49,
| during the winter, as the corn .he
can best utilize it. DO not "a
ioss of nlant food by applying manu-
aitba ron sod or on the top OF pio"eu
land The soil Will absorb it ana con
serve il until the crop calls Tor IT, We
prefer ourselves to apply manure "
land after it is ploWed, rathel ~
/ nlow II down. Our experience ha9 a.
Ways been that we got better eSuS
from working it int otne idho u 49,
the preparation than when We ploNSa
- 49,, ;nto he bottom of the furroW.
Have the location of the diIlereht
crops to be grown settled at once. anu
i'm deciding this bear in mind the I'M
uortance of establishing a good Iota-
/ ton. so that the same crop Shali no
follow Immediately on the same laiiu'
but that "a crop Of a recupeIdthS
character or Of 2 different nature SIall
intervene. Rotation Of this character
has been proved to be largely an
equivalent for fertilization.
restoring land to productivity anu
making the use Of fertilizer much
more effective. Each crop makes spe-
cial calls upon the and for its sue
cessful growth, and the conSldnl iepc
titiOn of these soon exhaust 'io W
Of the special element called TOT.
change the crop and the call is more
largely for some other element. ana III
this way the balance Of the fertlllty
is maintained and each crop is more
~adeuuately fed and f~artility is more
easily and cheaply maintained. \
good system of rotation ought 10 pc
established and maintained on every
farm. and one great factor IN TINS
ought TO be in this climate the pro
duction on all land of one crop TOR
the barn and one crop Tor the SOIL
every year. We can successfully 90
this in the South. and thus much
more rapidly improve and MAINTAIN
the fertility Of our lands than can be
don in the North and West. Not to
follow this rule is to throw away one
of the great advantages which our ell
mate gives us. Let crimson
and other cloNerS and the Netch al
ways follow the grain crops. and let
the land have the benefit of these
catch crops and we can MAINTAIN fer
tility without having to rely on the
fertilizer dealer. We can get our nj
trogen much more cheaply in this
way than in any other. and we can
supply what our land most needs-an
abundance Of humus.
Do not neglect to make out your
order for the fertilizer you will need
for the crops as soon as possible, and
let it so to your merchant. Better
have this on hand q week or two than
lost the best time for planting the
crop by waiting for the fertilizer. All
the mineral fertilizers. like acid phos-
phat, Thomas phosphate and potash,
can be safely applied weeks before
the crop is planted. and are better ap-
piled in this way, as they have time
then to become available for the
plant. TheFe is only one fertilizer
that can be applied which is immedi-
ately available, and that is nitrate Of
soda. This IS in the condition which
the crops uses it when applied. Ali
the other fertilizers have to pass
through chemical changes in the soil
before the plant can use them. IN
buying Your fertilizer. buy the un-
mixed goods and do your own mixing,
and in this way know What YOU are
getting, and get only what You want.
The great need of all our soils is phos-
p1oric acid. This can be supplied by
applying bone meal. acid phosphate.
Thomas phosphate tbasic slag) or raw
phosphate rock. If any of these are
used literally, and the legume crops
are grown. YOU can produce crops
f much more protitably than by useing
: 2-S-2 or $50 mixtures. Where the
legume crops have not been grown, it
IidS ut icttSSdTS 10 supplement these
: minerals With some heterogeneous ferti!-
izer. This heterogeneous matter can be
, got ii the form of nitrate of soda.
dried blood, fish scrap, tankage or
f cotton-seed meal. Nitrate Of soda IS
l the understanding Of these. h 9th
2 ers named are slower, as they require
s TO undergo d change in the soil before
e the nitrogen is available. Except for
: the production of tobacco and Irish
> potatoes. there is little need for pot
: ASH IN our soils. For these crops.
potash IN some form must be used.
.oha'c" calls for sulphate Of potash.
2 irish potatoes and the other yegeta-
| Die crops are just as Well satisfied with
/ niuriate OF potash. which is cheaper
. me potash required by all the either
: staple crops is already in the soil and
a IN DC nlade available by using lime.
e "hlch IS much cheaper than tho
potash salts and also serves other use-
S lui purposes IN crop production. We