Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-01-18

them. If narrowing is done, therefore.
it is best to defer it until danger of
freezing is past
Ground bone ordinarily contains from
% to 25 per cent of phosphoric acid and
pa to As per cent of nitrogen; steamed
bone, - to % per cent of phosphoric
acid and LIS to 2.5 per cent of nitrogen.
In other words, the Steaming, as you
see removes a part of the nitrogen. We
presume that when the difference in
composition is taken i'm consideration,
there is very little to choose at the
prices offered you between these two
materials. In our opinion, acid phos-
phate is a much cheaper source of potash
at the price quoted in your letter than
steamed or raw bone. Raw bone, as you
understand, is valuable for dressing
grass land A considerable quantity
should be put on, and it should be re-
membered that it will take the phos
phoric acid in this material longer to
BECOME available than in acid phosphate.
Therefore one should use this material
on soils and crops where one can afford
to wait some time for theresults Steam
ed bone will become more quickly avail
able than the raw bone.
Situated as you are, we would be dis
posed to use nitrate Of soda or some
other quickly available form of nitrogen
as a top dressing on grain crops. II
may be applied in two applications, the
first to be made about the 18th OF
February and. the second about the
18th of March. Fifty pounds will
be enough to use in each application
Broadcast on the ground when the crop
is dry. If you desire to use any addl-
tional material, we would combine aclo
phosphate with nitrate of soda, using
200 pounds of acid phosphate and on
pounds of nitrate of soda, and putting
the combined material on broadcast
about the middle of February. We would
not use this material unless we were
I'm position to harrow the land.
QUESTIONS ABOUT SOIL ANALYSES
5. Z. D. Fort Valley, Ca, writes:
have some land that l would like to know
what it needs in the way of fertilizer
also what crops will be best suited for the
soil. Can | send. some soil to the agri-
cultural college TO he analysed? The land
has yellow nebbly top soil with a clay
subsoil near the surface.
The college of agriculture has nc
! funds at it's command for the making oi
miscellaneous analyses of soils sent in
! by farmers We are precluded from
doing work of this character on account
Of the fact that we are required to ex-
anime areas of soil the county being
used as a basis. We would, of course
be glad to examine your soil if we were
in position to do so, and had the author
ity from the state to that end, and also
the funds and laboratory equipment
needed l think you can get an analysis
of soil such as you desire made by one
of the commercial firms doing work OF
this kind in Atlanta. A complete analy-
sis will probably cost you from $40 &c
SIS. An analysis is to determine the
total amount of nitrogen, phosphoric
acid and potash and lime will probably
not cost so much. Land such as you de-
scribe is generally quite deficient IL
phosphoric acid, and often in potash as
well. We are quite sure this land needs
TO be built up in humus, and this can
be accomplished by turning under green
crops, and the use of as much yard ma
nure as possible. A we'll established ro-
tation will help to build up the soil.
OF commercial fertilizers we would
use acid phosphate rather freely for the
purpose of supplying phosphoric acid
and under normal conditions fair ra-
ton of potash, which of course, you will
have to omit for the present. We would
use nitrogen derived partly from organic
and partly from inorganic sources. a
formula carrying d " I PCT NSAAN ~ -
trogen and to 10 per cent of phosphor-
ic acid should do very well under the
circumstances for the average farm
crop. If your soil is acid which yod
can tell by the use of litmus paper, We
would advise the use Of ground raw
rock. Use one ton per acre and apply
before legumes are planted.
\ MISLEADING NAME.
J. n E. Midtown, Ga, writes: What do
Won think If pilng pine straw and oak
leaves together and dssolying potash balls
I'm water and sprnkling it over the leaves
to make a fertilizer ! have a half acre OF
new ground that ! want to plant in truck,
hut can not get stable manure. Would
be glad for your advice in the matter
Pine needles contain about IS pounds
Of nitrogen, pounds Of phOsphoric acid
and &c pounds of potash per ton. Oak
leaves contain about 20 pounds of nitro
gen, pounds of phosphoric acid and
pounds of potash per ton. Wheat straw
contains IL pounds of nitrogen,
pounds of phosphOric acid and p pounds
OF potash per ton. Dat straw contains
more potash than wheat straw, while