Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-28
The Food and Eertllizer Value OF


tience.
The Food and Fertllizer Value of
Velvet Beans
NJ. H., Hiram, Ga, writes: l would
like to have the analJ sis OF velvet bean
meal, and how it compares in plant food
value with cottonseed meal.
Velvet beans from which the l4ulls
have been excluded when ground into
meal contain about 2l.S per cent
proCein, So per cent Of fat, D. PEI
cent fiber, BILL per cent carpohy-
| crates, L per cent phoSphorlc ACID,
| and 1T per cent potash. The pro-
tein they contain is equivalent to
about 81 per cent nitrogen. You
will see, therefore, that the velvet
beans without the hullS contain be-
tween two and three times as much
total protein as corn, about one-nalt
as much as cottonseed meal and
tWo-tnlrdS as much as peanut meal.
A ton of velvet beans without the
hulls contains approximately ~
pounds nitrogen ~ o, pounds eeto pr PnoS s.
the hulls be included you will lind
that the protein will be reduced
by about per cent, the phosphorlc
about per cent, the fiber increased
acid decrea&Nl by pounds per ton,
and the potash incl eased slightly. A
| ton of beans. including the hulls
will contain only about 81 pounds
nitrogen. You will See, of course,
that cottonseed meal contains con-
siderably more nitrogen than velvet
beans. A ton of meal of the pres
ent grade would run 115 pounds
nitrogen. Cottonseed meal is also
a good deal higher in phosphoFlc
acid containing about 2.5 per cent
| of this element. The potash con-
| tent of cottonseed meal and velvet
bean meal is about the same.
Plant Foods Suited to Corn and
Cotton
| J. c. NJ, Cleveland, Ca, writes:
| Owing to the uncertainty of potash in
fertilizer this season, am thinking of
using 16 per cent acid and cottonseed
meal under my cotton and corn. Is the
kind of cottonseed meal sold for feeding
the kind to use for fertilizer? Would
also like to know the best methods of
using nitrate of soda. 1 have my land
well turned. Is it best TO lay off the
rows and put in the fertilizer and list
it, lay off the rows and plant
flat, drilling in fertilizer with the seed?
| phosphate and cottonseed meal
should make you q fairly satisfac-
| tory fertilizer for cotton and corn.
There is only one grade of cotton
seed meal on the market at the pres
ent time in any purchase BILE guam
titles. This contains SO per cent
protein or 5.76 per cent of nitrogen.
You will see, therefore, that when
you mix 1000 pounds of it with an
equal amount OF acid phosphate you
will obtain formula containing APP
proXlmately per cent of nitrogen.
A mixture of this Character when
used at the rate of 500 pounds per
acre would prove fairly satisfactory
for the crops mentioned.
Ii you are not obtaining enough
weed of cotton you might use a lit
tie nitrate of soda as a side-dppIl-
cation after the crop has been chop
ped to a stand. Fifty to one hun
dred pounds would be about the
ter it alongside the drill row after
| the crop has been cultivated. 1t
is not necessary to cover it into
the soil as it will be quickly dis
solved by the moisture rising up
through the ground. You will see
course Of a few days in the height
| and color of the plants and the more
vigorous growth they will evidence.
Nitrate of soda can, of course, be
500 20 500 pounds cottonseed meal
with 100 to 200 pounds nitrate of
soda and LOO to 1900, pounds of
| acid phosphate. In other words,
you will see that you might COM
bine these three elements in varying
proportions and still obtain a good
fertilizer. There is no objection to
using nitrate of soda with the fer
tilizer used. 1t might be incorpora-
ted with the soil when planting the
crop with safety and advantage.
Some people prefer to use nitrate
of soda as a side application, some
| prefer to put all their fertilizer
under the cotton crop at the time
of planting, and some prefer to use
part of it as a side application.
There are good arguments for each
side of this question. When the
land is in good condition and contains
a good supply of vegetable matter
we would put all of the fertilizer
under the crop at the time of plant
reversed then it might be all right
to put two-thirds under the crop
when planting and use one-third as
a side application. These sugges-
tons apply equally to corn and cot
ton. Our experience indicates that
when we can get our cotton land
in good shape and bed it satisfac>
torily it is an advantage to put the
fertilizer under the drill row before
planting. We then break the crust
on top of the ridges and plant. BY
this arrangement we give the ground
a chance to firm. The fertilizer is
also in its proper relation to the
roots of the young plants and it is
in position to be taken up readily.
There is no danger of its being lost
by teaching when covered to the
io6