The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-11-11
AS TO

AS TO FERTILIZERS.
There are a few facts relative to
the use of fertilizers that should be
in possession of every farmer.
The general and more or less err
roneous idea prevails, that specially
prepared guanos tend to build up the
soil while the use of nitrate of soda
as ammonia tends to rob the soil.
The fact is that neither of these
contribute materially to the soil, ex-
cept in returning humus, and neither
robs the soil. If anything, the nj
trate of soda possesses One advantage
over other ingredients, in that it
tends to release natural potash in the
soil to a greater degree than any of
the ammoniates, which of itself is of
value, owing to the scarcity of pot
ash. A large stalk full of foliage
raised from nitrate of soda, returns
as much humus to the soil as a stalk
from guanos with any other base of
ammonia.
Nitrate of soda sold this last year
for $500 per ton. Germany in the
past has used more of this fertilizer
than any other country and now her
ports are closed to flowing to the war.
Practically the entire supply of nj
trate of soda comes from Chill and
other South American countries of
the Pacific coast. These are brought
thousands of miles nearer to our
market by virtue of the Panama
Canal. 1t is fair to- assume, then,
that with a greatly decreased demand
for soda by foreign countries, and
with water rates on a very much
shortened route for shipping, soda
will sell in this market next spring
for about $500 per ton, or little
more than half its price last spring.
Acid phosphate, an essential of all
plant life, will likewise be cheaper,
as it is produced almost entirely in
this country and will not find a mar
ket in Europe.
Potash is one of the necessary three
ingredients of plant life for which
this country will go begging, and
there is a fact about it that is more
important than any mentioned. Red
lands do not need potash. The ordi-
nary red lands plowed to a depth of
eight inches, contain and will yield
natural4potash sufficient for crops on
ten times the area. This is not true
of sandy or buck shot lands, which if
the scarcity of potash is to continue
for long, will have to be treated by
turning under leguminous crops
grown. This not only furnishes
large quantities of potash and some
ammonia, but prepares the soil for
better results from the other two in
gradients of fertilizer applied.
A reasonable conclusion from these
conditions then, would seem to be to
use phosphoric acid literally in SOW
ing grain, and next spring in prepar-
ing for summer crops. Then later
buy nitrate of soda as the base of
ammonia.
&, Soda runs about II per cent. an
monia, and a ton is equivalent to
more than four tons of high grade
guane, as to this ingredient. On red
lands only the soda and phosphoric
acid, comparatively a cheap ingredi-
ent, are necessary to make a COM
plete gRano, and will give as good
results assthe most expensive guanos.
We should not leave our readers to
conclude that these remarks are
based on individual experience or
experimentation, for in that case
they would perhaps carry little
weight. The fact is, our information
was obtained in a conversation with
the director Of agriculture of Clemson
College, and every statement made
here as to the results of certain fer
tilizers on certain soils, is the result
of careful experimentation by the
department.