Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-21

For winter cover crops of course there
is nothing superior to crimson clover
and the vetches.
FIVE BALES ON FIVE ACRES.
]. H. B., Skirurh, Ala, writes: I
have five acres planted to cotton on
which I wish to make FIVE bales The
land was in cotton last year and made,
about three-quarters of bale. The land
was we'll prepared, and I used 200
pounds of acid phosphate, 40 pounds of
nitrate of soda and 40 pounds of muri-
ate of potash per acre in the drill.
What will this mixture analyze, and
what else should 1 apply? 1 olso have
two acres planted in upland cotton on
which / wish to make two bales. The
land was in corn last year, and made
20 bushels per acre without fertilizer.
have applied light application of
stable manure and 800 pounds of 1924.
The soil is all light sandy with yellow
clay subsoil. Would appreciate any
information in regard to this matter.
The application made to your cotton
would contain per acre about 80 pounds
of phosphoric acid, GA pounds of nitro
gen and 20 pounds of potash This
would analyze on a percentage basis
about Ills per cent of phosphoric acid,
% per cent of nitrogen and IL per
cent of potash. This would constitute
the best balanced formula for cotton
on land which is somewhat sandy in
character. as it would be lower in nitro
gen than is advisable We are disposed
to think that the amount applied will
not carry Sufficient plant food to pro-
duce a bale per acre unless weather
conditions are exceptionally fine during
the fruiting season. We believe you
should apply at an early date not less
than 800 pounds of side application
containing about 10 per cent of phos-
phorus, per cent of nitrogen and to
per cent of potash. Scatter this
ahead of the cultivator and cover into
the soil to a depth of 2 or 3 inches.
We presume, of course, that this land
was broken with a turning pillow and is
therefore in good condition. 1t may be
that later in the season you will find
an application of nitrate of soda at
the rate of rs to 100 pounds per acre
advisable. This will depend altogether
on conditions which can not be foretold
at this writing.
On land on which you grow long
staple upland cotton. liberal fertiliza-
ton is also advisable, and we would
suggest the use of side application
on this crop as we'll of 800 pounds of
the formula mentioned above. You may
consider this rather high in nitrogen,
but in our experience most crops in
the south suffer as a result of a de-
ficiency in this element in the soil. You
should remember that the cultivation
of this crop is a very important mat
ter Keep it free of weeds and trash
and endeavor to keep II developing uni
formly.
FERTILIZING GROWING CORN.
c. T., Morganton, Ca. writes: have a
piece of dark gray soil with red clay sub
soil that l am planting in corn. I
want to know how to fertilize it after it
comes up. 1 put II two-horse loads of
barnyard manure on three-quarters of an
acre. 1 also put 400 pounds of 1922 in
the rows. The ground has beenwell pre-
pared by being blown up. i'm the fall and
plowed several times very, deeply. Can L
use potash as a side application, and how
much per acre?
You prepared your ground we'll for
corn and have fortified it literally. Elev-
en- tons of yard manure should supply a
large amount of vegetable matter and a
very considerable amount of nitrogen.
You did not use as much phosphoric acid
and potash, however, as we think you
would find advisable, for yard manure is
not a we'll balanced food, in that it is de-
fcient in phosphorus. We would sug-
gest that you use as side applications on
this corn at an early date, not less than
300 pounds of a mixture containing u
per cent of phosphoric acid, per cent of
nitrogen and per cent of potash. 1t is
possible that a second application might
be advisable, but we hardly think So
certainly not of a complete formula such
as has been indicated above. If the sea-
son is at all favorable for the growth of
corn, we do rot think you will find the
use of nitrate of soda desirable, because
you have already supplied the corn with
considerable nitrogen if it is transformed
with sufficient rapidity to meet the needs
of the crop. We would suggest in the
side application that you use nitrate of
soda or some other quickly available
source of nitrogen so as to hasten the
growth Of the crop In the early part of
the season. The organic nitrogen con-
tanned in the yard manure will not be-
come so quickly available as that in nj
trate of soda.
METHODS TO FOLLOW IN CORN
CULTIVATION.
W. L. B., jamestown, Ga, writes:
the second cultivation with harrows
should not be sufficient for corn without
extremely high fertilization? / refer to
q system that calls for flat planting
work with a weeder until corn reaches
some height, then a cultivator, e,imi-
mating scooter stocks except to get rid
of cockleburrs and such. If 1 should
try this plan I could give the patches
only 800 or 400 pounds of commercial
fertilizer and perhaps few cotton seeds
and some manure. What do you think
of this plan, and how would a similar
one work with cotton?
Their els no reason why land should
not be prepared for corn in your sec
ton of the state by first breaking it
with large plows. These may be either
of the disk or ordinary turning type. No
doubt you would find the Spalding pillow
a good investment for much of the land
which you are operating. This breaks
the land up much deeper than the ordi-
nary disk but 1t mikes the top and sub
soil so thoroughly that its use has been
found very satisfactory. Naturally the
first cost of breaking the land is much
greater than with the ordinary turning
pillow and its draft is much heavier. but
the first and most important essential in
good farm proctice is to thoroughly pre-
pare the land and so deepen it that it will
have capacity to hold an abundance OF