Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-11
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
~ Or. ANDREW NJ. SOULE

yield of cotton. Tobacco needs d
great deal of nitrogen and potash.
Apparently there should be no great
difficulty through intelligent fertl-
ization and the proper utilization
of the amount Of plant food which
is presumed to be aNai!ci.'r n many
of our soils, to supply the needs Of
crops which would approximate the
yields set forth above, and yet OIL
the average these yields will be
found considerably higher than
those obtained on l.. . OF our farms
So there must be an apparent lack
somewhere, and other conditions
governing the successful growth OF
crops than the mere supplying of
plant food.
Predominant Soil Types
To this end let us consider the
analysis % a few of the predomi-
nant soil types of Georgia. In the
lime stone valleys the nitrogen sup.
ply varies from 1852 to SAB
pounds, the phosphoric acid from
1883 TO 5,133 pounds and the
potash from 17,512 to S7.842 pounds.
The amount Of lime required to cor
rect acidity varies from 1,419 up
10 1897 pounds. If a study Were
made of the principal soil types OF
the Piedmont plateau and the coast
al plain region, very much the
same relative variation will be found.
1t is true, of course, that the soils
Of the limestone valleys are prob
ably richer even than those of
the Piedmont plateau, while those
of the Coastal plain area contain
les fertility, relatively speaking,
than those of the Piedmont plateau
The figures cited above show very
clearly that in ore case nitrogen
may be the limiting element; in
another, phosphoric acid; and in an
other possibly potash. An undue de-
gree of acidity in the soil may also
exert peFnicious influence on the
growth, for example, I, of le"uminous
crops. Under the most favorable
circumstances it would appear that
2 per cent of the total nitrogen, I
per cent of the phosphoric acid,
and % per cent of the potash in the
surface soil may become available
during one season to growing
crop, provided good cultural meth
DDS are. followed.
Plant Food Per Acre in Predominant Soils of
Georgia to the Depth of Twenty-one
Inches
Total Pounds Per Acre
Nitro Phos. Pot
Soil Type. gen. Acid. ash.
Limestone Valleys and
'UpiandS.
Conassauga silt loan . 1862 So65 1O1, 49,
Hagerst0Wn silt loan
drown soil) -. LIB 3,S49 63,U9l
Decatur clay loan
tred land) -.....: 1850 2,o30 4i,o22
OlI 16sn 5gros sf grseai-
ly Ioaml ......... ,423 1875 2l,9lS
Huntington silt loan
tDottom andl ,.'o'I4o o'ool oo' 41
1Ap Hshersham "
loan .........,....,1,2 POS 100 45,1IS
Porters sandy loan LIZ 3'6gS 6o' 90;
pinJ " uenf p oiaf NAN
Cecil clay loan :2303 s255 35,13C
Cecil sandy loan. 500 2,25i ~ ~:
tedem loa aa. "a -, ,,d -''- ''0'o 10'''S
Ioam (mottled vel
low subsoil ...... 1913 lilo IS ,16(
durham SANDY foam 40, ,oo a. oee
Congoree @ sir Soam G 80 5651 100 O6E
Coastal Plains.
GfeenYlile clay loan . nc, ono, a ooe
Greenvijie sandy loan
(red subsoil) $3.50. L ,4S1 2,593 1874
orangepurg ne "a, 1oca * onc
Tiffon sendy Ioam
drown pebbly 1and) .2,516 1915 10,S0S
Norfolk SANDY, loan or, %, N acc
c cEe6UW cto Su2 Inoin (iime
sink :......,.....3 ,449 2.246 26,1S2
Kamia sandy loan. ..1,1o6 I,4o6 25'Sod
tanana Sa my, lou, lGtin
RED sf'S subsoiD oily .......1. 961 3,4O0 36,o7s
Application Of Results
Let us apply these results to fig
ures secured in connoo''~'' with a
survey of the soils in Ben Hill
county, where it was found that
the surface soils Of four samples