The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-04
AMOUNT Of PLANT FOOD
REMOVED BY VARIOUS CROPS
Lakeland, Fa., June ). 1872.
Editor Lakeland News, Lakeland:

btdI OIL SUNNY ~ ~ " NNAA
figures showing the approximate
amount OF plant food removed by GER
tain crops from the soil. consider
these figures very important because
ii we can get fixed in ones head the
number of pounds of nitrogen, phOs-
l'horus and potash removed from the
soil by certain crops. then We shall!
know exactly how much fertilizer 10
put back on the soil in order to re-
tain its fertility or in order TO add
thereto. for. if We would have cur
fields become more productive than
they now are. We must give more
than We take away of the three es-
sential elements OF plant food. Now.
then to the figures. We find thar
a crop of 80 bushels OF corn including
the fodder. cobs. and shucks. removes
from the soil Il pounds of nitro
gen, - IA pounds of phosphorus,
"a ga pounds OF potash, the com
In making calculations To get at the
value of fertilizer material we value
the nitrogen AT oUc per pound pOtasi.
and phosphorus each II sc pr pound
Now, suppose -, should remove
from an acre OF land ooo-bushcl
crop of Irish potatoes. then We will
have removed from. that acre -
pounds of nitrogen, = - pounds of
phosphorus and 81 pounds of potash.
valued at s.. TO take from an acre
,f land 200 bushels OF sweet potatoes
j.; to remove - l-2 pounds OF nitro
gen. 10 IA pounds of phosphorus,
a6 - pounds OF potash, valued at
So. Now one can easily see from
the above figures that in producing
crop Of sweet potatoes the mixture
should contain very high per cent
Of potash, 60 per cent more than is
needed for Irish potatoes. wish to
emphasize these figures right here
because we have always been taught
that the Irish potato required more
potash than any other of the field
crops.
desire to call your attention to
the fact shown by the figures above
| that a fertilizer for corn should con
{: in in round numbers twice as much
nitrogen as should be in an Irish pO-
I; to fertilizer, also about three times
| the amount of phosphorus. 1t will
| be observed farther that the 40
| lushr corn crop removed "a 81
pounds potash from the soil. the 200
hushel Irish potato crop only 3,
pounds and the oO0-h ushcl sweet pO-
tatoes 80 pounds.
/ In order to retain the fertility Of
the acre from which the 50-bushei
crop of corn has been taken, we must
mix 1000 pounds cotton seed meal
alalyzing - pet ammOnia. $50
pounds 16 per cent acid. 800 pounds
kainit. In order to retain tn. fer,il-
! ity of an acre from which 900 bush
els of Irish potatoes have been re-
moved. take $50 pounds cotton seed
veal, 20 pounds acid and 900 pounds
CT kainit The acre for sweet pUta-
toes should have 423 pounds cotton
seed meal. 90 pounds arid and 40
pounds kainlt
II We purpose 10 maintain ltT fer
,ility of our soils by the use of stable
manure tahd advise this by all
means wh.ra il is possible, hen We
will put on the ,o-bushcl corn acre
$ tons, on he 2oo-blshel sweet no
tato acre :, tons, and tons on The
Irish potato acre ! wish, hUWrtrr.
in this connection 10 warn everyone
against the use of fresh stable ma
nure in tn. production Of "A crop OF
Irish potatoes as | know from actual
experience ~ will cause an ugly,
scabby potato TO grow. ] wlst to
acknowledge my indebtedness Ia Mr..
| II. +. Saveiy for most OF the figures
! ! have used, and TO thank yol % so
for the publication of this.
Yours truly,
W. Y. CARTER
Demonstration Agent for Polk ID