Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-11

prove the most acceptable carrier of
phosphoric acid available to the farm
err, and that he must decide on what he
will use to supply nitrogen to combine
with acid phosphate in the hope of Sc
curing the best fertilizer available for
use under existing conditions. Natu-
rally, IL he has exchanged his seed for
meal or If ne still has seed to sell, he
will desire TO use cotton seed meal, and,
or course, a combination of 1000
pounds of standard meal and 1000
pounds OF 16 per cent acid phosphate
will give him a very good formula, con-
tanning 266.S pounds of available plant
food per ton. This is about the only
combination he can hope to make which
will supply his soil with any. potash.
This formula will run 90 per cent OF
phOsphoric acid. 3. per cent of nitrogen
and about l per cent of potash. A
formula OF this character is well sup
piled with nitrogen for most farm
crops and contains a very good amount
of phosphoric acid. and, of course, the
potash is a distinct advantage for use,
particularly under truck crops or on
sandy lands.
II Is noe necessary that this exact
combination be used. however, as the
amount of meal may be reduced to 600
pounds and the acid phosphate left at
1000 pounds. If 400 pounds of fish
scrap be added to this mixture, a formu-
Ia containing a little better than 3 per
cent OF nitrogen and 10 per cent of phos-
phoric acid will have been obtained.
though the potash will have been some
what reduced. Along the coast such a
formula might prove quite desirable; in
other sections, tankage might be used in
the place of fish scrap. By this ar
rangement the nitrogen could be MAIN
tanned on a 3 per cent basis and the
phosphoric acid raised to IL per cent.
In these calculations ii is considered
that the fish scrap contains per cent
or nitrogen and per cent of phoshoric
acid, and the tankage per cent of nitro
gen and IL per cent of phosphoric acid.
As materials of this character vary
considerably in composition. these facts
must De Kept In mind in making calcu-
lations as TO the amount of available
plant food a given formula may con-
tain.
If one were DESTROYS of securing a for
mula running very high in nitrogen de-
rived from different sources, then 1000
pounds OF acid phosphate with 500
pounds OF cotton seed meal, 200 pounds
OF dried blood and 200 pounds of nitrate
OF soda might be used. In case il IS
desirable 10 use sulphate of ammonia
the same amount of cotton seed meal
could be used with 200 pounds of the
sulphate. and the acid phosphate in
creased to 1900 pounds. Farmers who
are operating on a soil which is in
fairly good condition and do not think
II necessary to use formulas carrying
over 2.5 per cent Of nitrogen. but a
fairly good per cent of phosphoric acid,
may find IL advantageous to mix 500
pounds of cotton seed meal with 1000
pounds of acid phosphate. BY this ar
rangement they will secure a formula
containing virtually 2.5 per cent of
available nitrogen, 90 per cent of avail
able phosphoric acid and s. per cent
of potash.
In addition TO using the largest ration
Of cotton seed meal possible as a source
of potash in a mixed fertilizer to in
crease the potash supply, about all the
farmer can do would be to save and re-
turn to the soil in the form of compost
as much roughage in the form of straw,
yard manure and litter as possible. If
this is in a well-rotted condition so
much the better, as under these cir
cumstances the plant food il contains
will become more quickly available and
the material can also be Incorporated
with the soil TO better advantage OF
course, wherever wood is burned the
farmer should save the ashes as these
contain some potash and help to in
crease the supply of this now very
scarce, and yet often desirable element,
particularly for truck crops and for
use on sandy soils. Where wood ashes
are available. however, they should not
be mixed with fertailizer under any Cir
cumstances but should be applied sepa-
rately. They could be scattered in the
row with the compost and mixed with
the subsoil and then a light furrow Of
earth should be turned in and the seed
bed for corn made thereon, one of the
fertilizer formulas suggested above be-
ing drilled in at the time the corn Is
planted. The cotton should, Of course,
be planted on a bed.
The above mentioned formulas can be
used in varying amounts, according to
the soil type with which the farmer is
working. Three hundred pounds is
probably a minimum amount to apply
where the land has been handled with
any degree of skill and success. In
many instances. five hundred pounds can
be applied to advantage. All of the
material may be put under the drill row
or part used as a side application, some
what depending on whether all the
nitrogen is derived from organic sources
or partly from carriers containing this
element in a quickly available form
GROWING ONIONS FROM SEED.
r. 2. NJ. Clyo. Ca. writes: Can onions
be grown from the seed the first year? What
time should I plant the seed TO have sets
for the next year? I notice that you do not
adsise mixing wood ashes With commercial
fertilizer. ! would like 20 use about 200
pounds 81 ashes per acre for cotton and
thought I would mix that with GOO pounds
Of 1912 fertilizer. Can't get anything but
ashes for potash this year. Advise the best
method Of applying ashes and guanc.
Situated as YOU are We would plant
onion seed early. The writer has had
his in the ground for some time and the
young onions should be coming up in a
few days. These onions were planted in
drills fifteen inches apart. A fairly lib