Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-03
using Nitrate OF Soda under COTTON

Using Nitrate of Soda Under Cotton
A. c. P, Brentwood, Ga, writes:
Should 9-3-3 home-miXed guano, the
ammonia in which is derived solely
from nitrate of soda. be used under cot
ton when planting? Would this not
cause too rapid plant growth, thereby
retarding the full fruiting of the cot
ton plant? Would it be better to use
meal or tankage, even though the sub
stitution increased the cost from Sc to
SIS per ton?
There is no reason why You
should not use nitrate of soda as a
source of nitrogen under cotton.
There is no objection to using
enough of this material to provide
from three to four per cent of avail
able nitrogen. Nitrate of soda be-
comes almost Immediately available
tc the growing plant. When incor-
porated with the soil, there is, of
course, a chance that some of it
will be lost through erosion Of The
land or teaching. On the other hand,
If this material is well in-corporat-
ed under the drill row before or at
the time the cotton is planted, / am
strongly of The opinion that the
growing crop will secure the same
from any other source of nitrogen.
Experiments we have made in han
ding nitrate of soda in the manner
Indicated sustained this point of
view. We do not think you will be
able to push the growth of cotton
along too rapidly early in the sea-
son. Under boil weevil conditions,
you must endeavor to develop the
plant early, have t. fruit rapidly and
then hasten it's maturity through lib
eral applications of acid phosphate
or other carriers of phosphoric acid.
There is no objection to using meal
or tankage in association with
nitrate of soda. The cost is the
factor which should govern in this
matter. If I could buy nitrogen
cheaper in meal or tankage than in
nitrate of soda, 1 would not hesitate
to use it. In any event, I would no.
pay any such additional cost per ton
as you have indicated.
Early and wilt Resisting varie-
ties of Cotton
G. W. G., Groveland, Ca, writes The
boil weeYil ruined in this part of the
state this year. We will plant little
next year, and we wish to get all the
information we can concerning early
varieties or cotton ana also tnOSe0 thaC
are wilt resistant. We will also plant
some peanuts for market. Kindly adj
wise us concerning the planting, fertiliz-
ing and cultivation of Spanish peanuts.
In your section of Georgia we
would suggest the planting of one Of
the best known strains of Cleve-
lands Big Boil cotton. The stand
ardized strains are Wanamaker,
Piedmont and Steinheimer. We have
found this variety to give about as
good an account of iteself as any
strain generally cultivated in Geor-
gia. 1t is not resistant to the wilt
disease, however, and if this trouble
is met with to any considerable ex-
tent in your section of the state
Covington Toole will probably be
better strain to plant. We regard
College No. 1 as even more desir-
able strain for planting in north
Georgia than Cleveland Big Boil.
There is only very little supply of
seed of this variety on the market
however, and we doubt your ability
to secure any at this time. This is
a strain developed at the college
solely for the purpose of having an
early maturing variety ready fol