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

1t would be especially desirable to use
this formula in the amount suggested
If you have no yard manure available.
We suggest that you increase the
amount of nitrogen to 3.5 or per cent.
1t is sometimes we'll to use nitrate OF
soda as a top dressing after the onions
are out of the ground. The ashes and
guano should of course not be mixed to-
gether.
FERTILIZING WITHOUT POTASH
A. r. H., Smithyille, Ca, writes:
would like some information about ferti-
lizers without potash. Please advise II
guano is Of any value TO land that realy
needs high per cent OF potash. My land
is a loan sandy with a yellow clay subsoil.
For the past few years have used ferti-
lizer Of 4 per cent potash, and made very
good CROPS Do you not think | would do
as well not TO use any fertilizer at all as
to use that which contained no potashr MY
land mostly needs potash, but with present
prices for fertilizers, l did not know tnat
IL was advisable to apply fertilizers With
out potash to my land.
The elements needed In Georgia SOIL
are primarily three or four The one to
whom crops respond most readily of all
IS nitrogen; next would come phos-
phoric acid. and last, potash. Many soils
that are acid need to be LINED, the
calcium contained in this material be-
ing especially beneficial apparently to
legumes. You will thus see that while
potash is an essential element of plant
food, it is not the most essential and
while your crops might be benefited by
the use of potash, we do not think you
would be following a wise and consistent
policy to abandon the use of fertilizers
altogether because you cannot obtain
those which contain potash. In other
words, we think you will find 1t profit
able this year to use formula for corn
and cotton on land such as you de-
scribe containing rs to 3 per cent Of
nitrogen and to 10 per cent of phos-
phoric acid. We would use this formula
at the rate of 200 pounds and upwards
:e- acre. Three hundred pounds would
- a fair application for cotton and 400
to 500 pounds can be used under corn
to advantage. In the event you use
that much under corn put 300 pounds
under the drill row and use 200 pounds
as a side application. We believe this
is the best advice we can give you.
AN ALABAMA FARMERS PROB
LENS.
F. A. S., Doraville. Ca, writes: am
running a six-horse farm with negro ten
ants on shares. They want to buy guano at
S3S me to bear half the expense. | do
not see that II would pay to do this with
out potash. have suggested that they get
woods earth, pine straw, etc, and i would
get a carload Of ground limestone. They in
sist, however, on the guano. / am COM
PEELED to make a crop. Please advise me
in regard to this problem. expect to turn
land with two-horse Syracuse, though 1t
has not been done so far.
We think you can make a very good
crop in your section of the state through
the use of a formula containing only
nitrogen and phosphoric acid. This can
- H. tot, on
seed meal or any other carrier. of nitro
gen which will supply this element and
acid phosphate. A good mixture would
be 500 pounds of meal and 1900 pounds
OF acid. Cotton seed meal, as you know,
carries considerable nitrogen and some
potash as well We believe it will pay
YOU to use n formula of this character
at the rate, say of 300 pounds per acre,
and 200 pounds to be applied under the
drill row and 100 pounds to be used as
a side application in the early part of the
growing season.
Potash would he less essential in your
soils than those in many parts of Geor-
gia, for your land naturally contains a
considerable quantity of this element
Your land should, of course, be thor
oughly prepared and carefully worked. If
YOU decide to use lime at all IL should
be applied previous to the seeding or
legumes. We think you might use to
considerable advantage a ton of the raw
ground rock per acre. Pillow the land
and then broadcast over the land and
harrow under. AT the time of planting
a legume we would use a couple Of
hundred pounds of acid phosphate.
We believe this is the best advice we
can give you under the circumstances
We advise that you use all the litter
you can secure in the form OF yard
manure, decayed leaves or other vegeta-
bic matter.