Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-02-16
ULTIVATING CORN ON
UPLAND NEW GROUND

J. d. L., Temple. Ga. writes: Please
give culture for corn on upland new
ground with a thin gray soil. What
variety to use and how to fertilize it?
ANY land intended for corn should be
broken up with large pillow as early
in the season as possible. Breaking up
the land allows the air and water to
enter the SOIL These are important mat
tiers in securing a good crop the next
season. Moreover. the stirring of the
soil to a considerable depth loosens it
so the roots of the plant can make their
way through it more readily. Gray land
is ordinarily not well supplied with plant
food. OF course, some gray soils owe
their color, entirely to the fact that the
iron has been leached out of them. They
may therefore be nearly as strong as the
red lands. Where the gray quality is
due to the predominance of sand, how
ever, the soil is less fertile in character
than where clays predominant. A 9-S-4
fertilizer will answer very we'll for corn
on clay land; on sandy land 1855 will
probably be better. Use at least 500
pounds of fertilizer under the drill row
and ~ pounds as a side application, and
if you have any vegetable matter to in
corporate with the soil, you will prob
ably find top dressings good practice.
Any of the prolific varieties of corn,
such as Whatley's, Marlboro and Hast
ings, will be found suitable to plant on
land such as you describe. Plant in
four to five-foot rows, depending on the
richness of your soil, and leave the
plants about Is inches to two feet apart
in the drill. Give shallow surface Gull
tivation throughout the season.
PLANTING COTTON AFTER BURR
CLOVER.
NJ. b. j., Milledgeville, Ga, writes:
/ would like to know the best formula
for cotton on sticky, red clay soil which
has been sodded to burr clover for %
years. Heretofore we have planted some
crop on this land in June after the clover
is off, but since Bermuda grass is TAX
ing the field, 1 am going this year to
pillow up the clover earlier and plant it
in cotton. AS the soil produces a pretty
rank growth 1 judge we will not need
any nitrogen, though owing to it's sticky
consistency it is a hard matter to get
a stand of any crop. Would lime correct
this?
A very good formula to use on land
of the character described in your let
ter would be an 8-2-4 Ordinarily, we
would be disposed to recommend higher
percentage of nitrogen, but under the
circumstances the formula suggested will
probably answer very well, for accord
ing to your description this soil should
contain a higher percentage of this es-
sential element than most land of the
character described in your letter. If
this land had not been in sod and burr
clover. and therefore had an opportunity
to accumulate nitrogen as we'll as secure
some from the air through the growth
of the legume referred to, per cent
nitrogen would be more desirable.
This soil should be broken up as deep
ly as ii is possible to break it with
three or four mules. A Spalding deep
tilling pillow would be an ideal imple-
ment to use on it. Then lime it at the
rate of one ton of caustic lime per acre.
Put the lime on from 80 days to six
weeks before planting the cotton. Use
the lime as a top dressing. 1t is true
the caustic lime may destroy some of the
nitrogen, but you will use II for the
purpose of improving the mechanical
condition of the land. After the lime has
been applied as indicated, open wide,
deep burrows and put I'm the fertilizer.
Mix well with the soil by means of
bull tongue Use at least 500 pounds
per acre; then plant the cotton on low
beds and keep the surface broken by
means of a weeder or any other imple-
ment which will prevent the soil from
erusting. While relatively light seeding
of cotton is preferable, ii would be bet
ter under the circumstances to put in a
good deal or better still to plant this
land in hills, putting several seed in
each place so that the joint effort of
the plants may enable them to break
through the soil We have small piece
of land of this character on the college
farm, and it has been treated as sug-
gested. We still find it very difficult
to secure a stand of cotton, but believe
it's physical condition has been improv
ed. We have also found that if we
can secure a stand on this land. it is
likely to make us a good yield because
the soil is comparatively strong. 1t will
take a series OF years in which to bring
this land into ideal condition for crop
production. but it will be we'll worth the
effort on account of it's natural strength.
In blowing under the Bermuda sod you
should be careful to turn it under very
deeply.
THE EFFICIENCY OF VARIOUS
FORMS OF POTASH.
T. II. o., Montezuma, Ga, writes: Is
muriate of potash as good form of
potash as kainit to use on sandy loan
soil with red clay subsoil? I also wish
to know if nitrate in cotton seed meal
is as good as any other form for cotton
and grain on these soils? also want
To know if 100 pounds of is per cent
acid. 5000 pounds of 6.1S per cent cotton
seed meal and 200 pounds of muriate of
potash will make a fertilizer that will
analyze 1925.
Muriate of potash is a concentrated
form of potash carrying about As to 81
per cent of potash. Kainit is a low
grade material, and contains some inn
purities, especially chloride of sodium
and other chlorides as well. which act
probably somewhat as disinfectants in
the soil and prevent the ready decay of
organic matter. On this account the
high-grade potash may be considered in
some instances as rather more suitable
for use on rich lands than kainit. Kai-
nit can not, however, be classed as an.