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

con county. las bushels; Ellis Eaves, Polk
county. 40 bushels. 1t will be seen that
these boys resided in widely different
sections OF the state. and although tho
land selected for their test plats was in
many instances far above the average in
fertility, yet they were able TO raise
unusually large crops Of corn for the
reasons assigned above. Their success
was due 10 the readiness with which they
embraced the suggestions offered them by
men who have studied the questions fin
volved in crop production from a scien-
tific standpoint. Adult farmers who hope
10 secure yields at all comparable with
those obtained by the boys in 1912 must
emulate their example.
The experience Of these boys is borne
out by the results obtained on the col
lege farm. Where land was broken to a
depth OF 16 to IS inches in 1910 with
what is known as the Spalding deep
tilling. plow and four big mules, the
yield OF corn and sorghum was more
than u tons per acre. This crop was
grown on red clay land which was re-
Gently in a bad physical condition, and
the good cultivation was supplemented
by an application of 500 pounds of a
1854 fertilizer. In 1911, a bale and a
half per acre 900 pounds to the bale)
was raised on land which had previous
" been leased TO tenants for many years
and was badly washed and quilted. The
land was first deeply broken, thorough
" prepared and five tons of yard ma
nure used under the drill row with 800
pounds OF a 1884 formula. This was
supplemented by a side application of
DO pounds of the same formula. Pre-
vious to proper cultivation and fertiliza-
L.. ner4r~ rarrn
a quarter of a bale per acre.
Some interesting data with reference
to corn and cotton production have been
obtained from the demonstration field of
the State College of Agriculture. IL
should be borne in mind that the land
in this field has not been cultivated with
the idea of securing phenomenal yields,
but to demonstrate 10 the farmers that
WORKOUT land may be reclaimed and
built up in a comparatively short time
and on an economic basis provided the
work be gone about in a systematic
manner 1t would no doubt be possible
on this land through increased applica-
tions OF commercial plant food to raise
much larger crops, but the yields OBJ
tanned are so far above the average as
to fully demonstrate the relative ease
with which soils, may be reclaimed
through judicious management and fer
tilization:
In 1910 the following results were OBJ
tanned from certain tests made with
corn On red clay land to which no
fertilizer was applied the yield was 1873
bushels. On the same character of land
when 1000 pounds Of 1922 fertilizer was
applied the yield became is bushels.
When 1000 pounds OF a 1884 fertilizer
were applied the yield became 25.3 BUSH
els. The reader will say that these
heavy applications of commercial plant
food were not profitable. This was true,
but the results were not due to the
fault of the fertilizer, but to the fact
that the land was not properly supplied
with vegetable matter and in condition,
therefore. TO respond properly to heavy
applications of fertilizers. This con-
tention is fully justified by the fact that
100 bushels OF corn per acre were raised
on similar land on whicp cow peas had
been turned under the previous year and
to which was applied in 1910 five tons
Of yard manure and 500 pounds of a
1854 fertilizer. An attempt has been
made to emphasize the necessity of put
ting the soil in condition to utilize fer
tilizers advantageously in the develop
ment OF the crop. These facts fully
demonstrate the reasonableness Of this
position, and farmers who follow these
suggestions before making heavy apph-
cations of fertilizers will generally Sc