The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1916-09-15
VITAL WHEAT NEEDS
WILL BRMGSUCCESS
Leaving Undons Any One Of Foul
Necessary Steps Means
Partial Failure.

n there are four essential and nsoes
lsary steps in growing . crop. and VI
follow three and neglect ons, Offer
we might Just a. well have onittst
the three since . poor crop Is certain
70 follow. Whoever uses good seed
prepares . hne. Arm seed bed. used
lime. but neglects to supply wheat
with available plant food In sufhcisni
quantities will not harvest the largest
number Of bushels OF best qualify
wheat
You cannot srow strong. sturdy
wheat plants from Q sluggish start.
The tiny plants need assistance from
termination 10 maturity. The roots
take up in solution ammonia. phos.
phorie acid and potash. These plant.
food elements are found in the soil.
being gradually available to the crop;
the deficiency Of plant food 10 sup
piled through fertilisers. They are
carried to the growing leaves, and un-
der the action Of sunlight, are manu-.
featured into plant cell material that
makes plant growth. Ammonia Ia the
food that helps baby plants by giving
them q dark green color and produc-
ing stalk growth. Plenty Of available
ammonia In the fsrtiliser gives the
young plants running start
Harris In Cornell University Bulie-
tin $50 states:
The number Of kernels Of wheat
Per pot Increased with the fertiiiser. I"
Filling the Kernels.
Wheat ID grown primarily for the
grain. Phosphorie acid % the plant
food that Ia most intimately concerned
with forming and filling the kernels.
Late In June or early In July. the tiny
wheat flowers open and become fsrtiie
and the new wheat berries begin to do.
yelop. The time between the lowers
becoming fertile and the complete
hlling OF the kernels ID very short
mot over ten days or two weeks in
most cases. Al the kernel contains
rs per cent. OF the phosphorie acid OF
the plant. this plant food Ingredient
plays q very important part In fillins
the kernel and making the crop.
Thatcher holds that the relative
protein content Of grain 10 determined
chiefly, II not wholly, by the rapidly
Of ripening Of the kernel. Thus II 10
easily seen that the amount Of phos.
phoric acid available for plant food
at this time may determine the quality
and yield Of the crop.
Strengthening Straw.
The third essential plant food, pot.
ash. gives strength to the straw, as.
sists In the transportation and laying
down OF the starch in the kernel and
along with phosphoric acid plumps the
grain. II the kernels are shrivsled or
small, the straw weak and inciiusd
to lodge. more potash should be ap.
piled in the fertilizer. Available am.
monia. phosphorie acid and potash are
the three plant foods applied In ferti.
lissrs. They cause plant or stalk
growth. form heavy. plump kernels.
hasten maturity and make strong
straw, insure good clover catches and
quality wheat Fertilizers should DO
selected Of such an analysis a. will
make up for the deficiencies Of the
available plant food In the soil and
supply the special needs Of the wheat
under various farm conditions. Best
results will be secured by using 200
to 400 pounds Of fertilizer on loan or
clay soils analysing 0 to 4 per cent.
ammonia, 9 to IL per cent. phosphoric
acid and to 4 per cent. potash. On
sandy or poor soils more ammonia
should be used. Owing to the war con.
ditions making potash scarce and high
priced. q much smaller percentage of
potash Ia advisable until these abnor.
NAL conditions adjust themselves.
Fertilizers give crops q quick start,
strengthen straw, hasten maturity,
better the quality and increase yields
and profits.