Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-08

The amount 81 fertiHzing constituents
contained in the crops removed from an
acre OF land viii indicate why heavy fer
ulization becomes essential in many in
stances. Thirty bushels OF corn with the
slower. for instance. removes from the
soil approximately IS pounds OF nitro
gen. Is pounds OF phoshoric acid and IS
pounds OF potash. Seventy bushels OF
corn with the slower viii remove from
the son Sc pounds OF nitrogen. IS pounds
OF phosphoric acid and IS pounds Of pot
ash. Three hundred pounds OF lint cot
ton with the seed viii remove q pounds
OF nitrogen. 7 pounds OF phosphoric acid
and 10 pounds OF potash A bale OF cot
ton with the seed viii remove about 3
mounds OF nitrogen. 9 pounds OF phos-
phoroic acid and Is pounds OF potash Two
hundred bushels OF Irish potatoes viii
remove from the land about IS pounds
OF nitrogen. q pounds Of phosphoric acid
and "a pounds OF potash. Tobacco and
truck crops draw very heavily on soil
fertility. Hay also is an exhaustive crop
which accounts for the popular impress
sion. probably. that sorghum is hard on
the land.
From these figures it appears that
crops remove rom the land very consid-
cradle amounts OF plant food. Compare
the total amount OF plant food removed
nv one OF these crops with the formulas
which are used By many farmers ana
IL is not surprising that the yield should
remain stationary or decrease on many
farms where deep blowing, thorough
preparation. crop rotation. the blowing
under OF green crops and the use OF
yard manure have been studiously avoid
ed for from - TO 100 years II is quite
evident that a change in practice be-
comes essential on these lands: also that
n much higher grade OF plant food must
Re used in larger amounts in order 10
Mace in the SOL a sufficient amount OF
available plant food TO meet the require
ments Of a rapidIy-gTowing crop. In the
Iirht ~ these figures applications OF 500
TO 100 opunds OF plant food per acre
wiz hardly be regarded as extreme sug-
gestious 10 make
SOME EXPERIMENTS WITH FERTIL-
IZERS AND WHAT THEY SHOW
The value OF commercial fertilizers as
supplementary to the food supply Of the
son and the profit which may be antic-
ipated from their use has been shown
very clearly BY the results OF the Boys
Corn club W0rE IN georgia. II. ISL. Al
examination OF the reports serir in indi-
Gates that these boys applied from 500
20 as much as 1.s0o pounds OF commercial
plant food per acre The formulas varied
considerably. but in most instances high
percentage formulas were used. The COM
merCiaI fertlilzer was supplemented by
deep and thorough preparation, and ap-
pIicatfons OF yard manure, compost and
other materials calculated 70 increase
the water-holding capacity OF the soil and
supply nitrogen through fits decay In
other words, the boys followed the advice
and suggestions sent them by the College
OF Agriculture with regard TO the mat
ter OF son preparation. fertilization and
cultivation OF the crop, The results OBJ
tanned BY them testify most elOquently
10 the possibilities OF increasing the yield
OF corn where scientific methods OF prac-
tee are employed. and enough supple
mental food applied TO the SOIL TO furnish
the crop with the proper proportion OF
plant food in a quickly available form
More than 50 boys in Georgia made over
100 bushels OF corn per acre in 1911.
Among the highest yields obtained were
the following: Ben Leath. Walker county.
Is bushels: Arthur Hill. Early county.
80 bushels: Nance Allison. Walker coun-
u. 173.5 bushels: Ralph Newton. Thomas
county. 10 bushels; Paul Bentley. Cor
don county. 153 bushels; Monroe Hill, Ma