Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-10-08

yember, as October is ordinarily dry
and one of the best seasoning months
for this crop on that account.
EXPERIMENTS WITH PHOSPHATE
ROCK.
J.. NJ. H, Finleyson, Ca, writes: I
understand that you have been exper-
imenting with rock phosphate as a
source of phosphorus for corn, and
would like to know what the results
show this year. / used thirty-five tons
of it this year though We have had
such bad general conditions that I am
unable to- arrive at a satisfactory con-
clusion. / am thinking of using the
rock and ground limestone for oats on
some pea stubble. What do you think
of this? I can get the rock delivered
for s677 per ton and the ground lime
stone for S4.22 per ton in car lots.
The experiments to which you refer
were continued this year, but it is i'm
possible to tell anything about the re-
suits as yet, for the crops, while har-
vested, have not all been threshed or
the results tabulated. 1t is doubtful
If we win have anything very definite
along this line before the middle OF
December. We hope to issue a small
pamphlet II the results seem to justify
our doing so at that time. OF course the
work has not ben in progress suffi-
GENTLY long to Justify any definite con-
illusions The only places on the test
plats throughout the state where there
appears to be a benefit from the use Of
ro-k phosphate are on those areas
where green crops and vegetable mat
ter have been applied rather literally.
IT would appear in some instances
that rock phosphate had given very
good results. OF course. one can not
Judge by the eye, the amount of
threshed grain being the only reliable
means of determining the results.
Possibly farmers who have an
abundance Of vegetable matter will find
the use OF phosphate rock fairly salts
factory, but where the soil is at all de-
void of humus we are still OF the opin-
ion that the acid phosphate will prove
most satisfactory. Some of our farm
ers are likely to conclude that they
have a sufficient amount Of vegetable
matter to Justify the use Of raw rock.
The chances are they will underesti-
mate the amount of this material
neeued to insure they getting the best
results. Where one uses the raw rock
IL should be borne in mind that 1t con-
tains a considerable amount of lime,
and that this, no doubt, has a very
salutary effect on the soil, and the
judgment of many farmers is likely to
be led astray on this account as most
Of our Georgia soils are low in lime.
On oats we would be disposed to use
acid phosphate. If you use the rock
USE from 500 to 1000 pounds per acre.
Where an abundance of rock is used
say one ton per acre, we would not be
disposed to use lime thils year. If, you
use the acid phosphate at the rate Of
200 to 500 pounds per acre on oats, we
would be disposed to apply a ton OF
lime. A ton of caustic lime has about
twice the sweetening power as a ton of
the ground limestone, ana we presume
you can secure about two tons Of the
rock for the price of one ton of caustic
lime. The prices mentioned in your
letter are probably about right.
WHEN TO TURN UNDER GREEN
CROPS.
J. G. T., Danburg, Ca, writes: I have
a piece of land that have been taking
special care OF for three years. by SOW
ing in oats and following with peas and
turning under the stubble each time. The
dlhe is now in pasture and am grazing
with horses and cows, and want to put IL
I'm cotton next year My idea is to start
a one-horses turner and a two-horse sub
soil pillow right behind so as to break the
land deep without turning up the clay.
The land is coarse gravelly with clay
subsoil. Is it best TO let the stubble
die or turn IL under green; broadcast
the manure this fall or compost and apply
in drill next spring. Do you advise