Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-02-06

and the land is clayey in character, II
should be SUBSIDIZED. Nothing smaller
than a two-horse pillow should be used.
If three or four animals be required
10 pull the implement used for breaking
the soil so much the better. This deep
breaking and stirring OF the soil is nee
essary to enable the fertilizer to assist
the crop as Il should. First of all, the
plant takes up its food in liquor form.
The soil must. therefore, contain enough
water to dissolve the plant food and to
supply the crop with moisture in abun-
dance during a dry spell. A soil which
is only broken to a depth of three or
four inches cannot hold anything like as
much water as one which is broken to
depth OF 10 to is inches; hence the plant
will not be so uniformly or completely
fed where shallow blowing is practiced
as compared with deep blowing. Many
forms OF nitrogen applied to the soil
must undergo fermentation before the
plant can use them. 1t is Necessary that
the soil be open and porous so that the
heat Of the sun which aids fermentation
may penetrate to q considerable depth.
II is necessary in the interest of fer
mentation that the soil be porous so II
may absorb and hold the greater part CT
the rainfall. 1t is essential that air
containing oxygen be found in the soil
in abundance, for without its presence
fermentation win not so on; neither can
the various bacterial forms OF life upon
the activity of which fermentation de-
ponds multiply and develop in a soil
not well supplied with moisture, sun
heat and air. The farmer who pur
chases and uses commercial plant food
must remember always that the factors
cited are as important in securing crop
yields as the mere use of the plant food,
and when he is inclined to lay the blame
Of a crop failure on the fertilizer, the
cause may be due to other factors. A
plant lives and grows by the ability Of
its roots to develop in the soil and
gather plant food therefrom to be used
in the manufacture of its tissues and
the reproduction Of seed. If the soil is
open and porous the roots can spread
through IL much more rapidly and gath
er the needed food supply. The water
holding capacity Of the soil is determin-
ed largely by the supply of humus or
vegetable matter contained therein.
Very surprising results are often OBJ
tanned from applications Of yard manure,
Where cowpeas or other leguminous
crops are plowed under there is a re-
Spouse in crop yield out Of proportion to
the benefits which might be anticipated
from theoretical deducations. These
facts indicate the hunger OF the soil for
vegetable matter which favors the de-
velopment Of the bacteria concerned in
crop production, aids fermentation, and
the transformation OF plant food which
IL may contain though not in an avail
able form. It hastens the utilization of
the food elements contained in the artih-
cial fertilizers supplied, and as II is one
OF the main defects in our Georgia soils,
every farmer should make the utmost ef-
fort to supply his land with some Of
this much-needed material
The farmer who bears the forging
data in mind, then selects his seed with
care and properly diversifies his crops
win have little difficulty in securing fine
yields even under adverse circumstances.
He viii unquestionably find much larger
applications OF commercial fertilizer
profitable than have hitherto been used.
II is a mistake TO increase the amount
OF commercial plant food without put
ting the soil IN a better condition for
reasons already assigned. There was
time when 200 pounds OF commercial fer
tilizer was considered a profitable appli-
cation. Farmers now often regard GOO
to loo pounds as a modest application,
and find that they secure profitable re-
turns from its use. When we learn to
put the soil in proper relation to the
plant, the amount of plant food which
may be applied TO the soil viii increase
in the same proportion which has been
Witnessed in the past few years. In
fact truckers now often use from 1000
TO 1900 pounds of fertilizers per acre.
These same men doubted the wisdom Of
using 200 pounds at one time. Scientific
information and a very dearly-bought
experience has enabled them to justify
the use Of the large amounts indicated.
There IS little which has been said in
this bulletin of more essential and