The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-02-18
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{ FERTILIZER TEST OF SWEET y
!, POTATOES.
:
& Y X wMxXxwXxxxKx*x
By John M. Scott.

From Jne figures VI cHS 40AAo
State Department of Agriculture we
find that the sweet potato crop OF
Florida is almost equal in value to the
INLAND cotton crop, and equals near
" half the value of the corn crop. OF
the State. There is also little dlf-
ference between the value of the
sweet potato crop and that Of the
Irish potato crop.
Conditions of the Test.
The results given below are for on
ly one years work. Under ordinary
conditions one years results are not
sufficient for definite conclusions to
be drawn from fertilizer experiments.
But the land on which this expert
ment was conducted had grown Japa-
nese cane for seven years. The
eight plots of Japanese cane for SIX
years had had the same amounts and
kinds of fertilizer applied to each plot
each year as were applied to the plots
of sweet potatoes in this experiment
After the plots had grown Japenese
cane for six years, with no heavier
application of fertilizer than was Civ
en- to the sweet potatoes, it is likely
that the soil of these plots in which
any one fertilizer element was omit
ted. was more or less exhausted for
that particular element. Therefore,
these results should be considered of
some Importance as a source OF addi-
tional information in regard to fer
| tilizing sweet potatoes.
The land on which this experiment
was conducted was what would be
called fair grade of high pine land.
Fertilizers Used.
The same number of pounds of fer
tilizer was not applied to every plot,
but each plot received the same num-
Der of pounds of plant food of each
element. The following amounts of
fertilizer We're applied per acre. Plot
i: dried blood. 112 pounds, and mu-
rate of potash, "a pounds. Plot II;
acid phosphate, 224 pounds, and muri-
ate of potash. "a pounds. Plot III;
dried blood, 112. and acid phosphate
224 pounds. Plot w; sulphate Of
ammonia, 72, acid phosphate, 224 and
muriate of potash. "a pounds. Plot
v: dried blood. liz, acid phosphate
pa, and muriate of potash, "a
pounds. Plot vi; sulphate of ammo.
mia, 72, acid phosphate, 224. and sui.
phate of potash, "a pounds. Plot
VII; dried blood, 112, acid phosphate
224, and sulphate of potash Sd pounds
Plot VIII: dried blood, 112, acid hos
plate, PA, sulphate of potash, "a, ani
ground limestone, 1000 pounds.
The first three plots received in
complete fertilizers, the next fou,
plots were given a complete fertilize
and the eighth plot had a complies
fertilizer together with ground lime
stone. The fertilizer was divide,
and given in two equal applications
The first application was made O,
May a, and the second on August 10
Triumph sweet potato draws wer,
planted on May 10, in rows six fee
apart, and were set sixteen inches il
the row.
Results.
The yields per acre were obtain
ed by weighing the sweet potatoe!
from each plot and figuring them a
go pounds per acre. The yield
are given in bushels per acre.
Plot l, 245.6; plot II, 221.6; plo
III, 1915; plot w, 259.6; plot V, $500
lplot vi, 216.0; plot VII, 222; ant
plot VIII, 1895 bushels.
1t will be seen from these Figures
that the best yield was obtained
from plot VIII which was fertilizet
with dried blood, acid phosphate, ant
sulphate of potash, and in addition
ground limestone. However, thu
yield from plot w which was fe
lied with sulphate of ammonia, acic
phosphate, and muriate of potash, wa;
nearly equal to that of plot VIII.
The yields obtained from plot |
emitting phosphate, and plot II, omit
ting ammonia, are rather surprising
being about equal to those obtained
from any of the four complete fertili-
zers. Plot III gave less than one
half the yield produced by any Of
the other plots in the experiment.
This indicates strongly the need of
potash in the fertilizer to produce a
satisfactory yield of sweet potatoes.
Even plot II that received no ammo
MIA gave more than twice the yield
of plot III.