The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-01-24
FOR THE
LANDS SAKE
PROFITABLE USE OF COMMERCIAL
FERTILIZER.
By E. L. McINNIS.

"AsA ohSC, Uut thc ouCCcSS at
tanned by practical farmers and the en-
dorsement given by our experiment sta
lions show conclusively that commercial
plant food plays an important part in
crop production in this section. The
larger portion OF our lands are not nat
urally rich in plant food; however, they
improve rapidly under proper teatment
and respond admirably to the use of COM
mercial fertilizers. This being true the
farmer should constantly study soil i'm
provement and learn the conditions under
which the use of commercial fertilizers
will be profitable.
From the farmers standpoint there
are four important plant food elements
to be considered, namely; nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid, potash and calcium. OF
these nitrogen is the most important, be-
cause its chief function is to produce a
vigorous, healthy plant. 1t is the first
element to become exhausted, because it
undergoes transformation quickly and is
easily lost, either by escaping into the
air or by teaching. Nitrogen is also the
most expensive plant food we have to
buy, costing at least four times as much
per pound as any of the other elements.
Phosphoric acid is next in Importance.
1t has to do with the formation of the
seed and grain, or fruit, and hastens
maturity. The plant could not possibly
put on any fruit without the aid of
phosphoric acid; so you see the neces-
sity of having a liberal supply available
when needed.
Potash is the third important ele-
ment. 1t aids in building and develop
ing the stalk structure, in distributing
the starch to all parts of The plant and
in the formation of the feshy parts of
fruits. Its aid is essential and there
must be an available supply present in
the soil or plant life will cease to exist.
Calcium, which is a constituent OF
lime, is used for improving the mechan-
ical condition of the soil, correcting acid
lty, stimulating bacterial life and set.
ting free unavailable forms of plant
food. Nearly all of u lands are de-
fcient in lime and doubtless many OF
them are acid. A good application of
lime would not only help the mechanical
condition of the soil, but would prove IA
big factor in increasing the crop yield.
The farmer should study the relation
these elements bear to plant life and
maintain, as nearly as possible, equilib.
between the plant and the soil. A
observation of the growing crops,
with practical experimental test
conducted on the farm, should give one a
good idea of the needs of the soil and
the benefits derived by supplying the
deficient element.
The amount of plant food contained
in a crop removed from an acre of land
will show the necessity of rotation and
heavy fertilization. According to DR..
Soule, thirty bushels of corn and stover
remove from the soil about As pounds
Of nitrogen, IS pounds of p%hosphoric acid
and 46 pounds of potash. Seventy bush
Us of corn with the slower remove from
the soil SO pounds of nitrogen, 4s pounds
phosphoric acid and IS pounds of potash.
bale of cotton with the seed will re-
% pounds of nitrogen, 9 pounds of
phoric acid and 10 pounds of potash.
Thirty bushels of oats with the straw
will remove about 2s pounds of nitro
gen, 10 pounds of p~hosphoric acid and
"a pounds of potash.
From these figures it is seen that
crops remove from the soil considerable
amounts of plant food. Compare the
total amount of plant food removed by
one of these crops with the amount sup
piled by an application of $50 or $50
of the average fertilizer used by
he Mississippi farmer to a soil where
deep blowing, good cultivation, crop ro-
turning under of green crops and
the use of yard manure has been e
lected for years and you will readily
understand why the yield has decreased
year by year. 1t is very evident that a
in methods of farming must
zone. Too many farmers have believed
that the application of a few pounds
Of fertilizer was all that was necessary
10 produce a crop. Fertilizers alone
never produced a crop for anyone, nor
never will; though, under proper condi-
lions, they may be used with remark
lble success.
To get the proper returns from an ap-
of commercial fertilizer, GER
tain requirements must be met. The
and must be deeply broken, if clayey in
character it should be SUBSIDIZED. This
leep blowing is necessary, for the soil
'hould absorb and hold the rainfall, and
Z must contain enough water at all
to dissolve the plant food and
the crop through the dry spells.
Where land is broken only three or four
inches deep it cannot hold the required
moisture. The soil must contain plenty
,f vegetable matter, must be open and
so the air AID heat of the sun
IAN penetrate a considerable depth. This
essential, as many forms of nitrogen
the soil must undergo fermentation
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