Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-05


extension division of the Georgia
State College of Agriculture. 1t is
resulting in the Introduction into va
rious centers of our important and
new comforts. 1t is brinGing to 80
attention of the home-malers new
! opportunities and privileges, new
Isocial activities and new privileges
Of service. 1t is protecting the health
and welfare of the homes generally.
1t is adding in the long run mil
lions of dollars 20 the wealth Of
the state.
And now we come to the end of
the story and to the place where
the summing up OF the situation
becomes appropriate. 1t appears
from the facts set forth that the
waste which characterizes our agri-
culture has assumed alarming pro-
| portions. Evidently we are neglect
ing many opportunities to make our
state more prosperous and success
full and to keep within her borders
vast sums of money which we now
send to other sections for the pur-
chase of foodstuffs and manufactured
goods which we can and should pro-
duce with economy and profit at
home. 1t appears that cur annual
imports, conservatively stated,
amount to $157,000,000. The losses to
our crops and live stock, aggregate
dana ged US to the extent of $4,000
600 in 1919. Forest waste totaled at
least $25,000,000 2 year This does
not take into consideration the
frightful losses we are suffering
| Through the depredations of insect
! and plant diseases. 1t gives no con-
Sideration to the appalling situation
revealed by the fact that 33 1-3 per
! cent of our manhood and womanhood
lis apparently defective because we
: have not deemed it worth while to
Z Ia
sideration and attention we have been
inclined to direct to these same ques-
tions as related to the welfare of our
animals. 1t is easy to see that we
are losing $3O0,OO0,0OO worth of
wealth ecch year that actually eX-
! listed, and that we had in our hands.
! 1t is easy to understand how we
may save one-half or two-thirds of
this loss by directing the energies of
our people in more constructive
which science has revealed and MAX
ing them the common property of
our people at large. 1t is evident
that we cannot sustain losses of this
character Indefinitely. After awhile
the great monetary pressure involved
will weigh US down and crush out
our line initiative. We cannot any
longer afford to play the role of the
modern Atlas. The elimination of
; waste must be the slogan of the fu-
, conservation
/ guiding principle.
The ills from which we suffer will
be most quickly and completely over
come through the organization and
endowment of our educational insti-
tutions on broad and liberal basis.
dure the load of economic pressure
we have been carrying and spend a
raltry $10,O00,00O for education.
Just as surely as we double or treble
our expenditures for intellectual de-
velopment will We cut down and re-
duce the load of waste we are now
supporting. If we should 1.-THE for
education, we would still be spend
ing less than one-seventh of the ag-
greg2te of our agricultural and live
stock wealth, and less than one third
OF what we are now losing each year.
Our educational standards and prac-
tees as they pertain to agriculture
ana home management are far be-
hind the standards which science has
revealed as essential and which we
Making Potash From Feldspar
c. W., Russell, S. c., writes:
In running mica mine we
have plenty of feldspar which
we think contains potash. By
exposing it to the air it turns
into flour. Is this flour al
ready solueble potash or will
acid to make a fertilizer out of
1t? We are 25 miles from the
railroad and transportation is
high, and we thought that potash
floats finely ground and clover
plowed under would make an
ideal fertilizer. Your advice
will be appreciated.
Various efforts have been made to
demonstrate that potash bearing
rocks could be utilized as source
of this element to the advantage of
our agriculture. Among the rocks
favored for use In the manner indi-
gated Is that known as feIdspar.
This rock contains considerable
amounts of potash and when very
nnely ground and applied to the soil,
it has been held by some to have
not been regarded with favor. The
results are so contradictory that at
the present time one could not con-
slstently recommend it's use on our
farms as a source of potash. At
tempts have been made recently to
make the potash in feldspar avail
able. Various processes have been
developed and patented. Favorable
results are promised in the use of
the electric furnace. Also by other
to a high temperature and suddenly
cooling it in water. The methods
advised are apparently too costly as
yet to assure us any considerable
supply of potash from the source
| Indicated. Probably method of
manufacture will later be devised
which will enable the Spotash derived
from feldsp2r to compete in cost
with that supplied from various
other sources.
Basic Stag Versus Acla Phosphate
A. B: p, Blackshead Ga,
writes: If you have any results
obtained from using basic Stag
as compared with acid phosphate
I would be glad if you would
furnish them to me as am I'M
decided which to buy.
We have used finely ground rock
phosphate and basic Stag at various
| times in our fertilizer tests. Some
| of these tests were made in Georgia
and some in other states. They
cover twenty-five years of experience
and observation in dealing with these
materials. Our experience how
ever, has not been so extensive
probably as that of many other peo-
pie, and SO we do not pretend to
pass a final judgment on the merits
| of these materials by any means
We have found, however, that basic
| Stag did not appear to yield up the
| first year after it was applied to