Sharp County record., 1916-03-24
4. FERTILIZERS AND FIELpcRoPs

| David Dickson, after a life of use
full service to his fellow-man and
life of success as farmer, had the
following to say about the use of
guano: II say that farmers can make
every acre Of their lands rich II they
will. Providence intended the earth
should increase in fertility as rapidly
as 1t does in population. Every man
that assists in removing this dormant
guano, lying idle and useless on the
Chincha Islands, and puts it in cir
culation, creating Herewith food and
clothing, is benefactor to his kind.
The country suffers for want of
share of the surplus fertilizing mate
rial. Remove the deposit and apply
to crops, and it will enrich the land"
II commenced to use guano in 1846,
and gradually increased the use of it
until the present time, never having
omitted to use it on my crops ex-
cepting the last year Of the war, when
could not obtain it. With the proper
system Of rotation Of crops, and re.
turning all the crops to the land, ex-
cept the lint of the cotton, land may
be improved with Peruvian guano
alone, but not so fast as when you
combine with the soil all the ele-
ments Of the plants to be grown. Am
monia being necessary for all plants,
know of no crop that it would not
benefit. 1t will pay the best upon
those crops that bring the most mon
ey-cotton being that crop in this sec
tion, and tobacco in other sections"
II will be seen from the above that
Mr., Dickson proflted greatly by the
use Of guano. He knew we'll the value
Of ammonia to growing crops, but you
will observe that he knew quite as
we'll the value of other plant foods to
the crop. He got better yields when
he applied all the elements Of plant
food than when he applied ammonia
alone. Also observe that he consid-
cred 1t good business to apply fertil.
izer. He was business man as we'll
as a farmer, and knew all the keen
points in the business world.
The Hon. James M. Smith, another
millionaire farmer Of Georgia, who
died only few days ago, has the fol.
lowing to say with reference to the
use Of fertilizers on farm crops:
THE use of fertilizers has become
one Of the most important factors in
Southern agriculture. It is power
full agency in producing an increased
yield-a thing we should desire and
work for. We certainly believe in the
use of commercial fertilizers, but we
also believe in the turning under OF
vegetable matter the sowing OF
legumes and the saving OF all barn.
yard manure. The up,to-date farmer
Will not consider one Of these, but all
four Of them, in trying TO increase
his farm crops
Each of these two farmers, who
have done much to stimulate farm i'm.
provement. learned the value Of fertil-
izers, but learned equally we'll the
value Of diversified farming. They
would not decrease the use Of fertil.
izer but diversity more. They would
have us use more fertilizers 80 that
we could grow more plants and vege.
table matter, In turn plow this under,
and in this way increase the fertility
Of our lands, The most effective
farming OF today involves these two
great principles, Use fertilizers and
diversity the crops Rotate and feed
the plants, and you will increase your
yields, be more secure from plant dis.
eases, and bring your farm into a high
state OF cultivation
II growing crops take plant food out
OF the soil and we do not plow under
an amount equal to this, or get II from
some other source and apply II, our
land is sure TO decrease In fertility
and In value, This Ia a fact beyond
dispute with most OF our crops we
take from the fields a large amount
OF nitrogen, phoephorie acid and pot
ash, which never goes back to the
place on the farm from whence IL
came, We should see to II, then, that
some kind Of plant food takes it's
place. In the case Of cotton, we sell
the seed, and with them large
amounts Of nitrogen and other ele.
ments Of plant food, Very often we
burn the stalks and In this way take
from the neld much moro valuable
plant food, II Ia suicidal policy for
us TO do this under any circum.
stances, but especially so when we full
TO put back on the soil what we take
Off,
on sandy farm In one OF the
Southern states, which had been aban.
doned by lts original owner and sold
for ATTY cents per acre, little barn,
yard manure and heavy applications
Of fertilizer made another farmer
rich, The last farmer used SIS worth
of fertilizer per acre and raised i,40o
| aunaa az aaad aaitau nan aaua Tpliz