The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-08-24

ours ii Florida rom the use OF un-
suitable kinds of fertilizer ana from
improper methods OF application.
All OF orr farmers. truckers Az
nuit-grCWers do not give this par
of their work the attention it de-
serves. They do not realize that the
success of crop production depcnd,
largely upon the fertilizer ques loE
as something that can be left TO the
soil and season TO work ont to bcs.
advantage. While no doubt the soil
and season cut an important figure
yet the most important figure OF all
i. the suitability of fertilizer to the
crop and the methods Of IT'S applica-
lion to the soil, whether applied
broadcast, in the furrow, or in the
hills. TO get the best results we want
10 remember that in fcrtilizing we
are feeding the crop, and to see to it
that we are feeding the proper pro-
portion OF the necessary foods.
The good livestock feeder is care
full to feed the proper proportion OF
protein, carbohydrates and fat, to
the dairy cows to get maximum
yields of milk and butter; to the fat
teming steers to get beef at least
cost; and to the hogs to get pork as
early and cheaply as possible. The
crop grower to get the best results
must conduct his fertilizing opera
tons in the same way. He must
feed his crop to ii that nitrogen.
phOsphoric acid, and potash are COM
pounded in the proper proportions
of fertilizer wasted every year. ON
ing to he lack of knowledge along
This line Too often The farmer
wants his fertilizer at as low cost as
possible per ton, and the fertilizer
manufacturers have been romnclicd
to cater TO this demand. with Tie
suit thai there is IN abundance u,
ow-priccd brands OF fertilizer on the
market, consisting IN parl Of iii
cr.'
The majority ihus, loW -prl,tG
brands do not contain Il we'll ha'-
anccd plant ration for any cro;,
growing on any farm IN amy kind oi
soil. TO illustrate this. take the very
common brand of So fertilizer.
which is SO popular among the cot
ton aud corn growers OF the South,
and which thing has helped to keep
more farmers in the clutches OF pow
erty than any other one cause. II
used on corn crop. ii is deficient in
from one to two per cent Of nitrogen.
two per cent of potash. and has three
per cent in excess of phOsphOric acid
The result of its use will be lack of
vigorous growth from insufficient nj
trogen, premature ripening owing to
excessive phosphOric acid, with a
crop of poor feeding quality. If this
fertilizer is used on a cotton crop on
sandy land, il is deficient in two per
cent of nitrogen. five per cent of pot
ash. and has two per cent excess of
phOsphOric acid, and hence the poor
stand of cotton so much in evidence
in our fields. A three-hundred-p pound
crop of lint cotton will remove from
the soil thirty-eight pounds of nitro
gen: fourteen pounds of phosphoric
acid. and thirty pounds of potash
There is no harmony between these
amounts and the 49, goods.
The crop producer should also see
that the raw materials that enter in
to the composition of his fcrtlz,r
are of the kind that will suit the crop
and this particularly important Tor
truckers and fruit growers. with
crops that have 10 he shipped To di--
tant markets The sources nf nitro
gen and potash should he Su,ha> Will
insure Il solid hich-grade quality
That will bear long distance trans
portation. The raw materials should
hc of either quick ar SLOW alailahil-
lily 10 suit either the long or shnr:
period crop. to which they are ap-
piled. Thus the same sourc, OF nj
trogen should nor hr used on ,rop
of beans maturing in forty to lift,
days. that would be used on corn
sweet potatoes or sugar cane taking
from 100 to eco days to mature.
Any reputable fertilizer manu-
facturer will mix the raw materials
desired. to any formula. for any
farmer or number of farmers. pro-
viding the order is for five tons or
upwards. But no quickly available
material. such as nitrate of soda,
should be used in any fertilizer al