Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-26

advantage in that it supplies sulphur
in relative abundance. Many of our
garden crops also use sulphur.
Among those which are likely to be
benefited by applications of gypsum
are mustard, cabbage, turnips, rad
ishes and rape. The odor and flavor
of onions, chives and other truck
crops is due in large measure to the
sulphur compounds they contain. To-
tatoes. for instance, use more sui
phur than phosphorus. This is also
true of tobacco. Such fruits as
are benefited by applications OF
gypsum.
Gypsum may often be used to ad-
vantage as a preservative. 1t is the
best substance to use In connection
with yard manures for the purpose
of preservinb the value OF sucn ma
terials from the standpoint OF car
riers of plant food. This material
ia regarded as of value when applied
to the soil for rendering available
part Of the potash which clay lands
as a rule contain but which may not
be in condition to serve the needs OF
the crops growing thereon. CheGncai
Investigations of SOILS reveal t!4e Laoe
that many of the principal sou types
found in the southeastern states con-
tain abundant supplies of potash. YET
most Of these lands are benehted by
tba apnlication of commercial potash
in the form Of fertilizer. The result
is an apparent contradiction or the
facts, Most of the potash, however
Contained in our nrincipal soil types
cannot be used by plants because
of the chemical combinations IN
which it is held Hence it gypsum
will prove helpful in setting some or
this potash free it becomes VAL
liable asset to the farmer.
The amount of gypsum to use va
ries with crops and soils. The. ap-
nIications usually suggested are from
500 to 1000 pounds per acre. me me
material may be broadcasted over the
land and narrowed in, or it can be ap-
piled with grain drill or even q
lime distributor Rather lrequenee
qualifications of moderate amounts OF
f ri material probably constitutes the
best practice. Certainly we shoulo
supply some lime and probably some
sulphur to many of our legumlnous
CROPS. If we did this more general
ly in the case of peanuts the cila4ces
are that we would hear much less
complaint about the large NUMBER VI
pops which develop.
Land plaster is of value for use
in and about stables. A small amount
Of it should be scattered on the staple
floor each day because 1t acts as an
absorbent of the ammonia productS.
These constitute the most talea ~
and the most easily lost part OF the
nlant food contained in stable drop
pings and barnyard manure. Three
or four pounds of gypsum useu IL,
the stable each day for each ANNA ~
kept therein must be regarded Is
fhe volatile ammonia which mlght
otherwise escape is absorbed ana helo
in the form of ammonium sulphate,
condition in which it becomes cas-
.ilv available as plant food. AT the
same time it is not readily lost from
the manure heap by rain, nor does II
yolati1iZe into the air. 1t IS mus
desirable that land plaster be used
on manure heaps and on trash or COIL
most piles as well. Scattering 1T over
the surface of accumulated ma
terials of this character certainly
will save a part of the nitrogen IN
the form of ammonia which Woulo
otherwise escape into the air anu pe
lost. In order that gypsum may pe
of most benefit when used on manure
heaps or compost piles it is 1mpor-
tant to remember that these ma
terials should be kept well com
|pacted so as to exclude the air tnere-
from as completely as possible: me
more effectively this is accomplished
the less will be the loss OF nitrogen
in the form of ammonia.
There. is another advantage from
the use of gypsum on trash piles ana
in stables The absorption or the
ammonia takes out of the air the
otherwise pungent and objectlonaole
odor occurring in many stables. 1t
is an advantage to do this because II
purifies the air of the stable and I'M
proves sanitary conditions generally;
Some may question the use OF lana
plaster in the stables on account OF
its cost. While no definite figures
can be adduced to show the exact
monetary advantage derived from It's
application to stable manure 1t is
generally believed that the dement's
Il confers represent a gain OF from
one to three times the cost OF the
gypsum, when the ammonia saved
and the current price of this PROD
Iuct are taken into consideration.
While we have no black alkal IN
the southeastern states land plaster
| is one of the most efficient materials
for correcting its nal mfLl effects
This is due to the fact that 1t
changes the sodium carbonate of the
black alkali into the harmless cal
cium carbonate and into the less in
furious sodium sulphate, There is
a tendency at this time to use
ground rock phosphate as substl-
| tute for acid phosphate. 1t is prob
ably true that this movement is
! more marked in other sections OF
| the country than it is in the south