Middletown transcript., 1916-08-26
VITAL WHEAT NEEDS
W|LLBRINGSUCCESS
Leaving UndOneAny One of Four
Necessary Steps Means
Partial Failure.

If there are four essential and neces-
sary steps in growing crop, and we
follow three and neglect one, often
we might just as well have omitted
the three since a poor crop is certain
to follow. Whoever uses good seed,
prepares a fine, firm seed bed, uses
lime, but neglects to supply wheat
with available plant food in sufficient
quantities will not harvest the largest
number Of bushels of best quality
wheat.
You cannot grow strong, sturdy
wheat plants from a sluggish start.
The tiny plants need assistance from
termination to maturity. The roots
take up in solution ammonia, phos
phoric acid and potash. These plant
food elements are found in the soil
being gradually available to the crop;
the deficiency of plant food is sup
piled through fertilizers. They are
carried to the growing leaves, and un
der the action of sunlight, are manu-
factured into plant cell material that
makes plant growth. Ammonia is the
food that helps baby plants by giving
them dark green color and produc
ing stalk growth. Plenty of available
ammonia in the fertilizer gives the
young plants running start.
Harris in Cornell University Bulle-
tin 352 states:
1.-THE number of kernels of wheat
per pot increased with the fertilizer"
Filling the Kernels.
Wheat is grown primarily for the
grain. Phosphoric acid is the plant
food that is most intimately concerned
with forming and filling the kernels.
Late in June or early in July, the tiny
wheat flowers open and become fertile
and the new wheat berries begin to de-
velop. The time between the flowers
becoming fertile and the complete
filling of the kernels is very short
not over ten days or two weeks in
most cases. AS the kernel contains
Is per cent. of the phosphoric acid Of
the plant, this plant food ingredient
plays very important part in filling
the kernel and making the crop.
Thatcher holds that the relative
protein content of grain Is determined
chiefly, if not wholly, by the rapidity
of ripening of the kernel Thus it is
easily seen that the amount of phos-
phoric acid available for plant food
at this time may determine the quality
oud uioId of fhM arOn
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. If the kernels are shriveIed or
small, the straw weak and inclined
to lodge, more potash should be ap-
piled in the fertilizer. Available am.
monia, phosphoric acid and potash are
the three plant foods applied in ferti.
liZers. 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 be
selected of such an analysis as 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 OF
clay soils analyzing 2 to per cent
ammonia, to IL per cent. phosphoriC
acid and to per cent potash. Or
sandy or poor soils more ammonia
should be used. Owing to the war con
ditions making potash scarce and high
priced, a much smaller percentage ol
potash is advisable until these abnor
NAL conditions adjust themselves.
Fertilizers give crops a quick start
strengthen straw, hasten maturity
better the quality and increase yield!
and profits.