Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-24

Inc state OF GeOFSld may 10 PANPNA- -
divided into four primary soil provinces,
consisting of the limestone valleys ana
uplands of northeast Georgia, the Apa-
lachian mountain section, the Piedmont
plateau, and the coastal plains. the
figures presented above represent the
total store Of plant food per square acre
in the predominant soils of the state
to a depth of 81 inches. only the
amount of limestone necessary to correct
acidity have been determined by these
studies, because it was long since es-
tablished by chemical research that II
these elements are present in proper
proportion practically ALA the other
plant food needed by growing crops Will
be obtained from the soil in sufflclent
amounts to meet their needs.
In the case of nitrogen, IL appears
that the largest amount present in any
one of the soils examined to date was
6,279 pounds; the smallest amount 100
pounds. In many so-called good asrl-
cultural areas the amount or nitrogen
will run we'll over $4,000 pounds. The
relatively low per cent of nitrogen IN
southern soils is due to many factors
which need not be enumerated here In
detail. Some Of the more important are
the warm climate which favors rapid
oxidation and loss of nitrogen; the milo
winters, with the heavy rainfall, Wnlch
causes erosion and leaching' and the
failure to follow a systematlzed methoo
of crop rotations and to emphasize an
imal Industries to a desirable degree
Under the most favorable and advan-
tageous management possible, when Is
not followed save on comparatively
few farms, not over per cent or the
nitrogen, / per cent OF the phosphorlc
acid and % per cent of the potash con-
become
available or serviceable to a growing
crop in any given year. Even then the
growing crop will probably not be able
to take up more than two-thirds OF the
plant food available.
To produce a bale of cotton including
the root, stalk. stem and lear VIII take
about "a pounds of nitrogen, "a POUNDS
of phosphoric acid and 4.9 pounds OF
potash. To produce 90 bushels of corn
inclutiing the root, stalk and lear re-
quires IA pounds of nitrogen, "a POUNDS
of phosphoric acid and AZ pounds OF
potash. In the case. for instance, OF the
cecil clay loan described in the table,
only 45.2 pounds of nitrogen could pos
siblv become available. If only two
thirds of this were assimilated by the
crop, then only 80 pounds of the -
pounds required for corn or of the "a
pounds required for cotton could become
available AS a result, without the use
of additional fertilizer there would
probably be raised on an acre or TINS
land of the character mentioned the
equivalent of about 200 pounds OF lint
cotton or 20 bushels of corn. In otner
words, it would be necessary TO supply
from some outside source, roughly
speaking, 40 to so pounds Of additional
nitrogen. Since this costs from 20 to 20
q
it's extensive use becomes prohloitlve
unless it can be provided abundantly
and at a relatively low figure.
The data presented shows clearly why
the average yields per acre or our corn
and cotton are relatively low and now
the farmer is often attempting to grow
crops under conditions which are I'M
profitable, for our farm management IN
vestigations have clearly shown that at
least twenty bushels of corn and one
half bale of cotton must be raised per
acre before the farmer can hope 10 en-
iov any material profit. Even then his
returns would be of the meagerest kind
and his farm practice not so ordered or
constituted as to enable him to make
a reasonable labor income or contribute
ANYTHING of material value TO the
economic life of the nation. 1t shoulo
be remembered that these figures only
illustrate the relation of the nitrogen
supply to crop production in the case
of the cecil clay loan. In many IN
stances the soils are poorer and hence
a larger proportion of nitrogen must be
secured from some other source.
A continuation of this discussion Will
show that phosphoric acid is also essen
tiaI and must be supplied In consldera-
HE amounts Under normal conditions
there are great beds of the rock In
south Carolina, Florida and Tennessee.
Previous to the war in Europe, sulphur1c
acid was cheap and abundant; hence the
calculated rock necessary to supply the
phosphoric acid could be easily obtained
at reasonable cost. Potash was also
cheap previous to 1914, though, as mat
ter of fact ii is a less essential element
than either of the others mentioned
Acid soils are unfavorable to crop pro-
duction, but this defect is easily cor
rected by reason of the abundance OF
lime rock containing as much as SS per
cent of calcium carbonate in all the
states concerned. While, of course,
there is wide variation in the plant
food supply Of the soil areas of differ
ent states, it is important to remember
that the coastal plains area extends
from Maryland around almost to the
gulf; that the Piedmont plateau extends
from Maryland south across Missls-
sippi. while the soils of the Appalachian
and limestone regions of Georgia VIII
also he duplicated in many other states
In other words. the facts and ngures
presented in relation to the necessity OF
the south's having an abundant supply
of cheap nitrogen apply with certain ex-
ceptions to the cotton states as a WhoIe'