Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-14

voted to cotton were doubled, II is quite
certain that the economic condition OF
the southern farmer would be trans
formed I'm the course or a short ume
through the increased yields he would
obtain. OF course, as already pointed
out. this nitrogen should be combined
with other elements. but after all 1t re-
mains the most puzzling and dliflcult
part of the problem TO solve by reason
of its relative scarcity, the ease with
which II is dissipated or lost from the
soil. and its high cost.
No doubt many will feel that this con-
dition could be materially remedied were
a large proportion of southern farm
lands devoted to some other crop thsn
cotton. They lose sight of the fact that
about 81. zoo, 900 acres are now devoted
to the raising of cereals, potatoes, to-
bacco and rice as against S2,OOO,O0O in
cotton. The diversified crops OF the
south are no doubt now equal In value
to the cotton crop, even at the high price
IL has brought during the last year.
The tendency to diversity is being en-
phasized as completely possible and
progress is being made In the right dl-
rection, though too large proportion
of the farmers income is still derived
from the sale of crops rather than from
the sale OF live stock and live stock
products. Others will argue that II ami
NAL industries are adequately developed
the nitrogen problem could be easily
solved through the saving and returning
to the soil of yard manure. This Will
be a great help, and of course should De
encouraged in every possible way, but
the numbers OF live stock now availa-
BILE, though they have increased very
materially in the last few years, will not
begin to supply anything like the amount
of nitrogen required. Others no doubt
believe that the use Of leguminous crops
will supply the soil with all OF the nj
trogen needed from the air. This is also
a desirable practice to institute and en-
courage and an ever-increasing area or
land is being devoted to leguminous
crops. Ii is, of course, a debatable ques-
tion whether these crops should be cut
of and fed TO live stock and the re-
sulting manure returned to the land, or
plowed down as green manures.
Even If every resource in the direc-
ton indicated be utilized as completely
as possible it is doubtful If the nitrogen
supply will be increased TO anything like
the degree which Is desirable, for IT ap-
pears from a careful study and review
or the situation as if the addition of at
least thirty pounds of nitrogen as a
minimum to the average acre of land
ueNONeu 10 lACAu NlOpS VI NONNoA III N'AN
south would be a distinct advantage.
Certainly this is true of the southeast
ern states of that vast section including
the Piedmont plateau and the coastal
plains region. Roughly speaking, about
80 600 900 acres of land are cultivated
in the southern states as whole. TE9
application OF 80 pounds of nitrogen per
acre would call for the use of 2,70o.O0O,-
600 pounds of this element. equivalent
,tc 1850. 600 tons. AT $4,000 a ton. the
price prevailing previous TO 1914, the
purchase OF this material would repre-
resent an outlay of s67.50O,O00 This is
a prohibitive tax to place on southern
agriculture yet 1t has been clearly dem
Onstrated that nitrogen is essential, and
while a portion of IL can be derived |
from several different sources which
the farmer can more or less control. he
will be dependent for many years on
obtaining part of what he needs from
commercial sources, and this too in spite
of his making the very best use he can
Iof green crops for gathering part of the
nitrogen needed out Of the air. and ami
NAL dropplngs for increasing the humus
and nitrogen supply Of his soil as well.
II thirty pounds of nitrogen in
a desirable form and at a reason
able cost could be added to every
productive acre OF land in the south,
the yields would be greatly increased.
our agriculture placed on a much more
profitable and stable basis, and our
farmers afforded a sufficient surplus
with which to improve their lands and
their homes, and to provide better
schools, churches. roads and other IA
cilities necessary for the upbuilding of
the open country.
II IT IS possible, therefore, on the
part of the government or of individuals
to utilize our water resources as a
means for providing nitrogen which will
cost the southern farmer not over ten
TO fifteen cents a pound, we would I'M
doubtedly witness a renaissance in
southern farming such as even an ideal
ist would hardly conceive to be posi-
BILE. AS to the beneficent influences
which this would exert on the welfare
Of the country and the nation as a
whole and on our arts and industries,
IL is not the purpose of this paper to
roint out at the present time.
DpOnTYCTNr(z AFTT L