Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-30


mercially mixed goods. Farmers should
remember that it is important to know
the source from which the plant food
is obtained, as some materials are much
more quickly available than others, and
also more expensive. If the farmer
desires to home-miX, ne should under
stand enough about commercial feFti-
liZers to know which elements to buy
so as to secure the most for his money
and obtain the ones which are likely
to prove beneficial on his soil. 1t is
necessary that he prepare what is called
a balanced plant food in order TO get
the best results. He must also see
that his ingredients are mixed very
thoroughly. If he finds it cheaper to
follow the practice of homemixing, he
should study the whole fertilizer ques-
ton with care in order that he may
proceed along intelligent lines in the
preparation of his plant food rations.
1t is not difficult to calculate the
amount OF fertilizing constituents nee
essary in the preparation of a given
formula. For instance, If he desires
to make a ton of material from acid
phosphate, kainit and dried blood he
would proceed as follows: He knows,
first of all, that he desires a formula
which contains 8 per cent of available
phosphoric acid, per cent of nitrogen
and 2 per cent of potash. Therefore,
one ton of these materials will contain
eight times twenty, or $50 pounds OF
phosphoric acid, 2x2O, or 40 pounds of
nitrogen, and two times twenty, or 40
pounds of potash. If $50 be multiplied
by 100, therefore, and divided by Is, it
is apparent that 1000 pounds of 10 per
cent acid phosphate would be required
to supply 100 pounds of this element
sI-,-T .lrfo
blood be used, containing IA per cent of
available nitrogen, it is evident that 40
times 100 and divided by IA will give
the amount of dried blood required,
which in this instance would be 285
pounds If kainit be used as the source
of potash and containing 1915 per cent
of available potash, 40 times 100 and
divided by 1875 would give the required
amount of kainit which would be 300
pounds. Adding the gross amount of
the three carriers of plant food together
we find that we have 1906 pounds OF
material 1t WILL therefore, be neces-
sary to add something to this formula
to bring it up to the standard weight
of 1000 pounds. Three hundred and
ninety-fve pounds of almost anything
may be used for this purpose, and rich
woods earth will answer very well. OF
course, it is not necessary to add any
thing additional to secure a uniform
distribution of plant food through the
soil For instance, If he desires to APP
ply as much as 500 pounds of an S-2-2
plant food per acre, he may divide his
/. 600 pounds by 4. He would then be
distributing 400 pounds of material over
the land containing higher per cent
of plant food than would be true If
he adds the filler and raises the total
D
| 500 pounds per acre.
CONTROLLING NUT GRASS IN CUL-
TIVATED LAND.
C. W. r.. Mauk. Ga, writes: have
a Iiece Of made land but it is Just about
ruined with rut grass. ! would ike &c
know how to get rid OF it.
Nut grass is rather common pest in
many parts of the state and 1T is eX-
tremely difficult to control and eradi-
cate We have tried clean cultivation
but in spite of our best efforts this has
not proven satisfactory. We have found
it much better practice to devote the
land to smother crops. Our plan is to
grow coWpeas or velvet beans during
the summer and oats or oats and vetch
or crimson clover during the winter,
thereby keeping the land occupied prac-
IlCallY all the year anu ShoNAho
it so effectively as to prevent germiri-
alton and development of a large part of
the nut grass. We have found this
method quite effective I'm reducing
trouble from this pest to "a minimum.
We had some areas of land badly infest-
ed a few years ago which we are now
successfully cultivating in clean crops
after subjeeting the nut grass to the
treatment indicated above
THE BEST TYPE OF SILO TO BUILD.
W. f. r., writes: I planning TO
build a slO. Which would you advise me
to build-a wooden or concrete? How much
siage will a silo - feet In diameter aud
so feet high hold?
One should be governed in selecting
the type of silo to construct by local
conditions. In some sections lumber
is much cheaper than others and where
you can secure good type of long leaf,
yellow pine or cypress you can build a
stave silo which will last for long