Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-07-07
VITAL NEEDS Of
CONHNGWHEGTCROP
Leaving Undone Any One of Four
Necessary Steps Means
Partial Failure.


sary steps In growing q 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 q 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.
Helping Baby Plants.
You cannot. grow strong, sturdy
wheat plants from a sluggish start.
The tiny plants need assistance from
termination to maturity. The roots
take UP lin solution ammonia, phos-
phorio- 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
feed that helps baby plants by giving
them a dark green color and produe-
ing. stalk growth. Plenty of available
ammonia In the fertilizer gives the
young plants q running start.
Harris in Cornell University Bulle-
tin 352 states:
'"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 con-
cerned with forming and filing the
kernels. Late In june or early In
July, the tiny wheat flowers open and
become fertile and the new wheat ber-
ries begin to develop. The time be-
tween the flowers becoming fertile
and the complete filing Of the kernels
y very short-not, over ten days or
two weeks In most cases. AS the
kernel contains .75 per cent Of the
phospheric acid of the plant, this
plant food ingredient plays very inn
portant part in filing 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
and yield Fof the crop. The ground
Emay have been In good physical con-
dition, the seed OF excellent quality,
the season favorable, but If there is
scarcity Of available phosphoric acid
when filling and ripening, the wheat
Is not only poorly filed, but its quail
lty is inferior, for phosphoric acid
makes quality wheat that grades high
sn-the market. =
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 shriveled or
0A3esAAp tAS RbAzW WOoSA e%A0 AASAAAA~A
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 fer
tilizers. 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 viii
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 zoe
to 400 pounds Of fertilizer on loan or
clay soils ana1yzfng to per cent
ammonia, to Il per cent phosphoric
acid and 2 to 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, a much smaller percentage Of
potash is advisable until these abnor-
NAL conditions adjust themselves.
Fertilizers give crops g. quick start,
strengthen straw, hasten maturity,
better the quality and increase yields
and profits.