Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-15

Great interest has been evidenced
among Georgia farmers concerning the
use Of nitrate of soda a. top dressing
sor oats. IL has been advised for this
purpose for many years by reason of
the guickness with which the plant food
IL contains becomes available. Ii can,
therefore be used TO promote growth
at the season of the year when II Is
most important II also furnishes an
essential element in which our Georgia
soils are markedly deficient and the
application Of which as rule has slim
uIated the growth of the oat crop very
materially. and therefore, increased the
yiel0 to a marked degree.
The best time of applying nitrate OF
soda has long been mooted question,
and hence an attempt has been made to
secure some data along this line for the
information and advice OF our farmers
ana for the use of the extension service
H. its eudeavOr TO disseminate essential
information through the maintenance Of
a corps of county agents and travelling
experts i'm Georgia as result OF the
passage and acceptance on the part OF
the state of the funds available under
the Smith-Lever extension act. Test"
were made a. To the time and rate in
which nitrate of soda should be applied
.I9I5. The average OF three years work
is. therefore. available at the present
time Five plats were used in each
series of tests. Thus, the test is not
al; isolated one. but one which might be
regarded rs fairly representative of eN-
isting soil and climatic conditions.
In the first test 100 pounds of nitrate
Of soda was applied on February 10; in
the second series 50 pounds of nitrate
of soda was applied on February 10,
and 80 pounds on March Is; in the third
series 100 pounds of nitrate of soda was
applied on March 10. The fourth series
was a duplicate of the second series; in
other words so pounds was applied on
February IS and so pounds on March
rs. The results are very interesting.
When 100 pounds of nitrate of soda
were used on February Is the yield in
1913 was 3437 bushels; in 1914. 1906
bushels. and I'm 1915, 1921 bushels. or an
average for the three-year period of
$3.50 bushels. When so pounds were
used in each of two applications, namely,
February Is and March Is. the yield in
1913 was 34.99 bushels; i'm 1914, 1876
bushels; and i'm 1916, 24.3I, or an aver
age for the three-year period of 1857
bushels. When 100 pounds of nitrate
OF soda was applied on March Is, the
Weld in 1913 was 36.12 bushels: i'm 1917,
46 % bushels. and in 1915, 25.7S bushels,
or an average for the three years of
36.2s bushels. When so pounds of mr.
trate Of SOFA was applied in two appli-
cations, namely February 10 and March
Is. the yield in 1913 was 1883 bushels;
in 1914. 1857 bushels, and in 1915, 1923
bushels. or an average for the three
years of 1888 bushels.
1t will thus be seen that the highest
#~h a pf q rhTpp-Xa1F
was obtained from applying 100 pounds
o. nitrate of soda in two applications,
namely. 80 pounds on February 10 and
80 pounds on March 10. Virtually the
same result was obtained from applying
100 pounds of nitrate of soda in one
application. namely, on March 10, and
there was very little difference in the
three tests between the use OF the nj
trate in two applications and pne APP
plication.s When 100 pounds Of nitrate
of soda was put on February Ia the
yield was about 3.5 bushels per acre
less than when the nitrate was pus on
in two applications thirty days aparc.
These figures seem to indicate tnat in
the southern part of the state nitrate Of
soda had best be applied about February
Is TO March /, and that il will not
make any material difference whether
IL IS put on I'm one or two applications.
In the middle part OF the state, nitrate
of soda could be put on from Msrcn
TO March Is to good effect, and in
the northern part of the state about
March 10.
From these results we would not be
justified in using nitrate of soda in two
applications. though if one has a. abUm-
dance of labor and there is little TO
do on the farm, and the ground is too
wet to work, there is probably some
justification in putting the nitrate on
IN two applications. We think these
results should be carefully considered
by our farmers. however, because we
are disposed to think that much nitrate
of soda is applied to the oat crop at
later period than is likely to enable it
to serve the interests of the growing