St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1915-04-03
FACTS ABOUT FERTILIZERS.

The following facts regarding Ter
tilizerS should be kept in mind by the
farmer:
1. Never allow the waste of barn
yard manure.
2. All waste and by-products
from the farm should be returned to
the land.
3. Rotation Of crops is essential
for permanent soil building. Lesu-
mes and green crops should be grown
literally and turned under the fur
nish humus, and keep the soil in
good mechanical condition.
4. The gratest benefit to be de-
rived from commercial fertilizers is
in combination with farh manures
and green crops turned under. A
much more liberal application can
be made profitable under these con-
ditions.
5. A general and rather liberal
use Of commercial fertilizer can be
recommended II intelligence and
good judgment is displayed.
g.. Excessive and reckless use OF
commercial fertilizer should be avoid
ed. Beyond a certain limit profits
are much more uncertain. ~
Z. One application on clay soils
has been found as satisfactory as
more where less than 500 pounds per
acre were used. Quickly available
substances, such as nitrate, should be
applied to growing crops. When
large amounts Of fertilizer are used,
and on special soils, two applications
are sometimes more profitable.
8. Where all the benefits from
fertilizers are desired the first sea-
son, only readily available materials
should enter into its composition.
For permanent improvement OF the
soil more slowly available materials
may be used and these are usually
cheaper.
9. The effct of fertilizers on crops
after the first year depends On sea-
son, soil condition and materials
used.
10. Fertilizers give BEST results
when not applied more than two or
three inches deep, except when used
on dry land then they should be
deeper.
II. Organic nitrogen such as
cottonseed meal, dried blood, tank
age aad fish scrap have been found
preferable in mixed fertilizers where
only one early application is made.
r. Potash is not needed on
much Of the cotton soils as fertiliz-
sr, bat kainit has been found greatly
beneficial on soils subject to cotton
rust.
Is. Home mixing is profitable.
A better grade of materials can be
had and the mixing can be done to
suit special soils or crops.
IA. A judicious use Of fertilizers
will increase yields on any soil. It
hastens maturity so that cotton may
be grown further north, and also
makes it possible to Offset insect dam
age.
Is. Rotation. of crops is very
beneficial on the cotton farm, es-
pecially if all the crops are fortified.
In this way the benefits from the
fertilizers will be cumulative.
16. If nitrogen-gathering crops
are grown and manures and maste
matter about the farm plowed under
and incorporated with the soil, the
mechanical condition will be greatly
improved and little nitrogen (the
expensive element in fertilizers) will
have to be purchased.
II. Where colt n has been grown
exclusively on lands for long period
a complete fertilizer is necessary, but
where rotation has been practiced
only two Of the elements and some
times but one will have to be pur-
chased. The actual field expert
ments Of the individual farmer will
be necessary to determine what ele-
ments are required. A close study
OF these problems by the farmer will
save money now uselessly squander-
ed on commercial manures.