The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1921-10-27
THE NEED OF PHospHArEs
Mr.. Sackstedder Again Gives Our
Readers Good Advice.

Readers Good Advice.
1t is impossible to give ADEQUATE
treatment in news paper articles to
either lime or phosphate in their bear
ing upon agriculture, the most we can
hope to do without boring the reader
is to roughly sketch each Of these sub
iects in the hope that those interested
IN farming for profit may find in
spiration to study and demonstrate to
their own satisfaction, if only in a
limited way, by trying few acres un-
der the suggested treatment. In this
connection we may add that it will be
YOUR poorest land that will give you
the best proof, since it responds quick
ly to kind treatment.
Every plant that grows, struggles
against the adversities of nature with
Just ono purpose, and that is to ripen
seed in order to continue the life Of
the species.
In order to do this it requires a
very small portion Of PHOSPHORUS
compared with the other elements
that go to build up plant, but that
little bit of phosphorous, if not there
when the plant requires it, will delay
the maturing process, and sometimes
prevent it altogether
Our phosphated lands give such
strong seed that we no longer find it
necessary to test it before planting.
Our sole object in seed selection is to
get size symetry and uniformity.
Corn on phosphated lands will ma
ture in II to Is days earlier than on
nutreated land, it will be heavier and
harder -harder-just think what that
will mean to the corn weevil when he
comes along.
Phosphorus in the finishing ele-
ment that completes the germ Of the
seed, makes it ready for the new a.
Weakening of spring Without it there
would be no continuity of life for
plants that make seed, just as there
lould be no nerves, or brain, or hair,
in animal life. Take these away and
you won't have or be luch animal.
Our soils with the exception Of sew
eral small localities, Lexington, KY,
Maury county, Tenn, several counties
in the Carolinas and Florida--aside
from these, most of the soils in the
rainfall districts Of the United States,
eastof the Mississippi river and just
west Of this river, show rather low
PHOSPHORUS content as compared with
potassium and nitrogen.
It is in fact the limiting factor, the
weakest link in the chain, fact con-
firmed by every fertilizer formula in
the market, fexcept fertilizers inended
for abnormal soils) they all show the
PHOSPHORUS element about two to
four times larger than nitrogen or
potash, because it is universally rec
ognzed as the greatest need.
So clearly was this recognized in
Illinois by the big men who manage
the railroads that they granted zone
tariff on ground raw phosphate, SO as
to simplify price quotations.
They calculated that for every ton
Of phosphate put upon the farms in
that state they would later handle AZ
tons Of grain that would not be thre
without the phosphorous.
A ton Of 1914 % phosphate (raw
ground) will build 1890 bushels more
corn. if the stalks are put back in the
soil soil. than could be built upon the
same land withaout it. It takes less
than s1.00 worth Of PHOSPHORUS 70
make 100 bushels Of corn, while i
takes about s18 to $50 worth Of MI
trogen for the same number OF bu.
"A thousand pvAitNr VI phvHfANN-
per acre will last Z to s yearS and will
cost less than S100 per acre per year,
vet if coupled with limestone it viii
make possible the growth Of large
crops Of red clover, alfalfa, mellelotuc
and improve the growth Of the other
shallow roofing legumes.
The writer knows personally Of yields
Of alfalfa in the western part Of III
ionis (where three cuttings is the rule
and four cuttings the exception) rang
ing from six tons per acre on 80 acre
fields. to as high as ten tons per acre
on a small field on the Gidden farm
in De Kabe county; Natoma Farm at
Hinsdale, H., had yield Of 250 BUSH
els. less than tons, on quite a large
field som eeight or ten years ago.
In Mississippi, it is possible to get
five cuttings, and, as in the above
mentioned yields, it was necessary in
every case to lime and phosphate be-
fore they could grow alfalfa at all.
So In Claiborne county 1t will be not