The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-02-15
Use Commercial Fertilizers
Literally But Wisely

| The answer to the question as to
whether we should use commercial
fertilizers wholly depend upon the
| answer to another question: Do
| they pay? That they do pay and pay
we'll when rightly used is abundant
" proved by experiment station evil
dence. On the other hand, there is
also much evidence that Southern
! farmers every year waste millions OF
dollars through the unwise use of
commercial fertilizers.
In using fertilizers, the great prob
! lem is to fit them to our soil and
crop needs. Soils vary greatly in
their composition and hence in their
fertilizer requirements, and different
| crops likewise require plant foods in
varying proportions. Here let us
lay down some basic principles that
will help guide us in buying and US
ing fertilizers.
1. Where Nitrogen is Needed
Roughly, the nearer we are to the
| Gulf of Atlantic coasts, the greater
the need for nitrogen. In fact, over
practically all the sandy and sandy
Coastal plains, nitrogen is the great
plant food need. On such lands, ap
plications of nitrogen Tor such crops
as cotton, corn and oats will usually
! pay well. Fifteen pounds of nitro
| gen. per acre, or the equivalent of
that found in $50 pounds of 1922
| fertilizer, $50 pounds of cottonseed
meal, or 100 pounds of nitrate of
soda, will usually give excellent re-
suits on any Of the average thin
lands of this section, and there is
applications of nitrogen may be prof
itab1y made. Farther inlanu, on the
Piedmont, mountain or other clay or
loan soils, the need for nitrogen is
not as rule so acute, though there
are many areas where the use of
commercial nitrogen is highly profit
able. This is particularly true. of
thin lands and those that have long
been in cultivation.
2. Where Phosphorus is Needed.
Next to nitrogen, phosphorus or
phosphoric acid is the element most
needed by Southern soils. In fact it
is needed practically everywhere
from Virginia to Texas, except on
the lime soils of the Mississippi Del
ia regions and the Black Belt areas
of Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.
1t is particularly valuable on lands
that tend to make too much stalk or
leaf growth and too little fruit. For
ty to SO pounds per acre, or the
equivalent of $50 to 500 pounds of
16 per cent. acid phosphate. is usual
ly the most profitable amount to use.
3. Where Potash is Needed. We
believe that Southern farmers have
wasted more money on potash than
on any other plant food element.
Draw line, roughly, from about Mo-
bile, Ala, northeastward through
Macon, Ca, Columbia, S. c., and
Raleigh, N. c., and the soils to the
east and south of this line, as rule,
need potash, especially when planted
to cotton or tobacco. West and
north of this line, we do not recon-
mend the use of potash, except pos
sibly on some fruits and on deep,
sandy lands where cotton tends to
rust. If you do not live in. the terri
tory needing potash, it will pay you
to leave it out entirely in buying
fertilizers.
For the men who studies his soil
and crop needs and then knows what
he is buying, fertilizers will pay well
this year. In fact, under such con-
ditions we advise that they be used
liberally-Progressi Farmer.
..Molin sulkey plows have salts