Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-01-26

the soil and this is particularly true
on lands low in vegetable matter. such
as predominant in the south. We think
soft rock phosphate at $14.50 a ton is
unreasonably high and would sooner
have floats at $3.50, provided it has
been produced from a high grade rock.
Personally, our experience leads us to
feel that rock phosphate cannot be used
to advantage on the majority of our
southern farms under existing condi-
tions. The farmer will find it more to
his interest to use the treated rock,
even at present prices, for pushing for
ward his corn and cotton and for de-
veloping his legumes more satisfactor-
lily.
BREAKING DOWN A COMPOST
HEAP.
w. J., Blackshear, Ga, writes: How
long will it take for Red Devil I've to cut
up leaves for compost? / want have it
rotted enough to put on in April.
We do not advise farmers to use Red
Devil I've for the purpose of breaking
down compost heaps You understand,
of course, that Red Devil I've does not
contain any potash. Substances of
this character are simply known to the
chemists as sodium hydroxide or soda
I've and they are put on the market for
purposes. In other words. Red Devil
I've is a caustic alkali, hence this ma
terial cannot be substituted for pot
ash salt. In other words, it is not
possible to fool the plant. AS a matter
of fact, the use of the I've is also OBJ
jectionable as it burns up or destroys
the humus, an element in which our
soils are very deficient, and which we
should make every effort to supply by
saving all the leaves and trash and 9TH
er materials that accumulate around
the farm and composing same. 1t is
not difficult to break down material of
this kind without the use of a caustic
alkali, provided the compost heap is
properly made, kept thoroughly wet and
compact and forked over several times
at short intervals. We do not advocate
ones attempting to make a compost
firm enough to run through a fertilizer
drill. The semi-broken down material
should be placed in the bottom of the
furrow, mixed with the subsoil and the
bed for cotton made by drawing two
burrows together.
THIS LAND NEEDS ACID PHOS-
PLATE.
V. G. NJ, Summerville, Ca, writes: l
have six acres of land that has been sOwn
in peas AMI the vines taken off. Cotton
grows very tank on it but does not open
well / would like. What kind of fer
tilizer would he best to use to help ii open!
The best thing you can use to make
your cotton open rapidly is acid phoe-
phate. On a soil where the tendency is
for the crop not to develop with suffl
cient rapidity, we would use consider
able amount of this element, say not
less than 500 pounds per acre, and in
extreme cases as much as soc pounds
can even be used to advantage. We
have had quite remarkable results in
using acid phosphate on our test plats
here at Athens and in other parts Of the
safe so far as Fastening maturity was
concerned For instance, where we USED
no fertilizer in 1916 we obtained los
pounds from the first picking and 1872
from the second picking, where acir
phosphate was used, 204 pounds from
the first picking and PIG pounds from
the second picking. The acid phos-
phate should be put under the drill row
at the time of planting or a few days be-
before you are ready to plant. 1t should
be we'll mixed with the subsoil by
means of a bull tongue. You can then
bed thereon and plant the cotton seed
by the usual methods. 1t is a mistake
to use acid phosphate in a side applica
ton as the crop. takes up most of this
element relatively early in the season,
and it is for this reason that we advo-
cate putting it under the drill row at
the time and in the manner indicated.