Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-17
Soil Fertility probIerr1s

AT TINS season OF the year every
landowner is concerned about the
problem of commercial pan; 1000.
All soils which have been long Cul-
tivated tend to run down in their
content of available plant food
hence as the agriculture of a eoun-
try becomes older we find there is
an increased use of commercial plant
food and a greater effort made 10
conserve the natural resources OF
the soil. In the southeastern states
our concern about commercial plant
food is likely to be increased from
year to year for the added reason
that the boil weevil is now with us
and in order to grow cotton success
fully in it's presence more liberal
fertilization of the land becomes es-
sential.
Undoubtedly the use of more nitro
gen will be desirable. In just which
form this material should be pur-
chased and how it should be applied
constitute one of the more peril
nent questions at the present time
In the past we have been depending
largely on cottonseed meal 1t has
not lost any of it's virtue as a fer
tilizing material but it's price has
become so high as to force the farm
err to give consideration 10 oIner
sources from which he may obtain
an adequate supply of this element.
There is an impression in r1lny
minds that if we abandon the use of
cottonSeed meal our fertiIizing ma
terials will be greatly reduced IN
value and prove much less effective.
There does not seem to be any lust
ground on which to predicate such a
conclusion. A pound of available nj
trogen from one source, If used so
as to enable the plant to benefit bv
1t, is just as valuable to the grow
ing crop as a pound Of nitrogen from
any other source. This is an impor-
tant and fundamental point which
should never be overlooked or for
gotten.
An investigation or the present
available supply of nitrogen would
indicate that while there are con-
siderable supplies of cottonseed
meal available, there are also ap-
parently large supplies Of nitrate OF
soda and sulphate of ammonia which
can be used to advantage. There is
a normal supply of ranGage, blood
and other animal by-products ana
presumably there is more fish scrap
available than in some previous
years. Any or all of these materials
can be used under proper conditions
as carriers of nitrogen with entire
satisfaction.
Preferred Fertilizers
Under truck and short-seasoned
crops, it is probable that nitrate of
soda, sulphate of ammonia and blood
should be given preference. On or
chard and field crops generally anv
OF the above carriers will answer sat
lSfactorlly. Which one to buv will
be determined largely, therefore. by
the type of practice which the farmer
is following and the relative cost
OF available nitrogen per pound. On
mixed farm I would not hesitate
to use fish scrap as compared with
any other carrier Of nitrogen if If
furnished me this element at the low
est cost. Some of these materials
are, no doubt, easier and more pleas.
ant to handle than others, and, of
course, if one wishes to pay a higher
price for considerations of this char
acter, the question then becomes a
problem of individual taste father
than economic Importance
AT the present time nitrate of soda
can probably be bought at around $40
a ton; at least tkese figures would
apply to any considerable quantity.
In that event it will be found that
the nitrogen obtained in a ton of
this material will cost about %
cents a pound. Cotton seed meal
containing SIS per cent of nitrogen
is now priced arO-gnd SIT to $40 a
ton. A pound of available nitrogen