Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-12
FERTILIZERS to use in 1913

Fertilizers to Use in 1918
Commercial fertilizers have been
used very literally in the southeastern
states for some years past The amount
OF fertilizer used had steadily increas-
ed for some years up to 1914. Since
that date there has been a decline in
the amount applied for several reasons
First of all the inability to obtain pot
ash from foreign sources has PRACTICAL
~ eliminated this element of plant
food from use in our agriculture. OF
course, some potash is produced in
America, but the demand in the arts
and industries related to war work has
required that il be saved and kept for
these purposes. Hence, at best we have
been endeavoring to produce crops with
only two of the so-called essential ele-
ments of plant food available in any
considerable degree.
The reduction in shipping facilities
has lessened the import of commercial
nitrogen materially. both from Great
Britain and other foreign countries in
the form of sulphate of ammonia, and
from Chilli in the form of nitrate OF
soda. Add to this the fact that our
own country has found it necessary to
reserve all the sulphate of ammonia
produced within its borders for war
operations. and it is easy to see that
the amount of available nitrogen has
also been reduced quite materially un-
less new sources OF supply can be
found As a result of this relative
scarcity of nitrogen, there is a ten
dency at present to use velvet bean
meal and even peanut meal as a sup
Elemental source of nitrogen. They
are, of course, fairly well adapted for
this purpose, though not so rich in nj
trogen as cottonseed meal. 1t is nat
uraIly to be regretted that such valua-
bic forms of animal food should be APP
piled directly to the soil without first
being fed. but in view of the existing
emergency it will probably be impossi-
ole TO have this done, though our farm
arS should work steadily and definite
ly towards this end.
or rock phosphate from which we
produce our acid phosphate of COM
merce. there is an ever abundant sup
ply. To make this plant food available.
however il has been deemed essential to
mix it with sulphuric acid in equal pro-
portions. Our great copper smelters
made il easy to accomplish this end
and at a comparatively low cost as
we'll. With the outbreak of war. how
ever. the demand for sulphuric acid
greatly increased and ii is now so ex>
tensively used for war purposes that
it has lessened the supply available for
the reduction of acid phosphate, and
hence has reduced the amount of this
material available for use as plant
food.
Our supplies of blood, tankage, fish
scrap and other materials are available
in normal amounts, and we have the
usual supply of cottonseed meal and
some increase in nitrogen carriers
through such utilization as may be
made of velvet bean meal and cotton
seed meal 1t appears, however, that all
forms of fertilizing material are rela-
lively scarce this year, and that the
tonnage for use in producing crops will
be less than usual. and the price by
reason of the scarcity, increased cost
o. manufacture. freight rates, consid-
e-ably enhanced.
In view of these facts. many farmers
seem 10 have concluded that they would
not make a special effort to obtain or
utilize fertilizer in 1918. They seem TO
overlook the fact that their crops have
brought prices sufficiently in advance
e those previously obtained to fully
Jr-set the increased cost of fertilizers.
la this connection. they must not for
get that taking the average compost
ton OF the soils OF the southeastern
states into consideration, they cannot
expect large crops without the use of
some supplemental FERTILIZERS or the
enrichment of the land TO considerable
degree through the use of yard manure,
compost and green crops plowed under.
This statement is both safe and sane
and is based on the we'll known fact
that only definite amounts of plant food
become available in a given area OF
soil in the course of twelve months.
The composition of our soils shows that
sufficient nitrogen, phosphoric acid and
potash are not likely to become avail
able i'm the great majority of them 20
enable the farmer to produce what
might be termed reasonable crops. BY
reasonable crops. of course, is meant
those which will yield a profit, and.
therefore. pay the farmer for his ef-
forts. 1t is undoubtedly true that
much land is cultivated which does not
WELD the landowner a definite profit,
and this is due very often to care
less cultivation and management, and
the failure to make available a suf-,
ficient amount of plant food to grow
a profitable crop. II seems incredible
that farmers should cultivate land year
after year without making profit
therefrom. Just as soon as we can
raise the average of production and put
every acre of land which is titled on
a weld basis which will make it profit
able. we will have advanced our agri-
culture very materially, produced the
surplus Of food which is essential ana
added materially to the prosperity ana
success of our farmers.
Under existing conditions we advise
the farmer to utilize all the supplies of
yard manure he can possibly obtain. One
ton per acre is infinitely better than
nothing. Two. three and even five tons
on thin land will be found desirable
to make. Where yard ma
nure is lacking. use compost prepared
from the decaying vegetation, weeds
and trush accommodating around every
farm. and the leaf mold found in the
depressions in the woodland. supple
ment this with such forms OF fertilizer
az can be obtained most economically.
study the cost of various heterogeneous
carriers and buy that which will pro-
vide plant life i'm the cheapest form.
ANY carrier of nitrogen on the market
in the south will become available soon
enough 70 supply its quota of plant food
20 the ordinary field crop. Some, OF
course. will stimulate growth more
RAPIDLY than others. but all can be
used with, the expectation Of proving
beneficial.
Under existing conditions the south
ern farmer can well afford to use cot
tonseed meal as the basis of his ferti-
lszer mixture In order to obtain the
percent of nitrogen he desires, it will
DC good practice to add some nitrate
4aukaCa or fish ScraU n