The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-04-28
MUCH DEPENDS ON SOIL
Systematic Rotation of Crops
Especially Urged = Corn
Grown On Glover Sod On
Good Rotation More Advis-
able Than Depending On
Commercial Fertilizers
U'rOf. w. J.. Massey in the Richmond
Times

Times isIatch.)
Il have a field which ! prepared to
SOW to wheat last fall. but failed to
get it ready till late in November, and
feared TO SOW so late, and tn. lSht OF
sowing oats and grass on the field,
but have now decided to plant it in
corn. j applied a ton of lime an acre
on the land last fall. What ferti-
lizer would you use for the corn, and
how much an acre? | wish to seed
the field to grass in the fall. What
fertilizer also would you USE, and
how much on a field that was in corn
last year,"
Now it is impossible for me 20 say
what the plant food needs Of your
soil may be, n it is a very uncertain
matter to advise any one in regard to
al fertilizer. Then, too, as | have
often said, / do not believe il depend
ing on commercial fertilizers to make
corn that is, on a complete fertilizer
carrying ammonia. 1t makes the corn
cost too hruch as compared With corn
grown On q clover sod in :; gOOd ro-
tation. You do not seem to be run
ming a systematic rotation of crops,
but jumping from one crop to anoth-
er. That is not the way to build up
and improve the n Now, while l
Go not know what the whole needs of
your soil may be, one thing is certain,
and his is that it, like all other of
cur old cultivated soils, needs phos-
phoric acid. and you will not go
wrong on either field in applying 400
pounds of acid phosphate an acre
broadcast. If your soil is sandy it
may be advisable to mix twenty-five
pounds of muriate Of potash with the
phosphate. But sc far as nitrogen is
concerned, it is far better n cheaper
to get it through the growing and
use of peas and clover than buying il
T. - ID-f n~~ ~ oIAx-n,
on the land, you will need some nitro
gen, especially on the field that was ir
corn last year, and which should
have been in small grain last winter
Hence l would suggest a mixture Of
400 pounds acid phosphate.
200 pounds of tankage, and
20 pounds of muriate of potash
an acre. AS corn rootS run all owe
the ground, ] would use this broad
cast before planting and harrow it in
Then get your farm into a regular TO
tation of crops, and stick to it, an
always nave clover to turn under 70
corn in the spring, and save the pur
chase of he costly nitrogen.
Another Corn Field.
II wish you would advise me t..
proper fertilizer to use broadcast o.
"A piece Of land for corn. 1t is sand
loan, and made a good crop of pea
last year. ! think that it will max
twenty-five bushels of corn an acr
without fertilizer, but | would like t
double this yield. L would prefer t
apply the fertilizer with a drill befor
planting. L am in the bright c
bacco section of the country
Here again | have to say, as I hav
just said above, it is too much lk
quackery to advise a c-re-all in tn
way Of fertilizer for land needs {
which i cannot know. The way t
hiring nm pnty-fiyp-hIgh land
fifty bushels is not by the expensi1
way of putting fertilizer there to d
il, but by building up the land
humus through a rotation of croI
and the growing of legumes, an
using them. l would not guarantt
that any fertilizer application / migl
mention would bring at once lar
that makes only twenty-five bushe
an acre up to fifty ushel In fac
l do not think that it can be profits
bly, done simply by adding ~fertilize
You can make a fertilizer that W
increase the corn crop by mixing 1,C,
pounds Of acid phosphate, 500 pou1l
of cotton seed meal. 200 pounds
muriate Of potash to make a to
and of this use 500 pounds an &C
broadcast. This will increase L
crop, and in all probability the j
crease VIII cost nearly as much as
is worth. Constant
complete fertilizer mixtures to gro
corn is not profitable, nor is it go
farming. In your section a farm
who farms in a good rotation wit
out tobacco, and grows and uses De
and flower. either as dire
or by feeding them to stock a
making and return the manure. "
never need to buy any fertilizer /
plain acid phosphate. Your soil l
an inexhaustible store Of potash II
can be brought into use by getti