Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-19
SEPARING AND FERTIL1ZING
LAND INTENDED FOB TOBACCO

There is no crop which is more
2nsitive to soil conditions than to-
acco. This applies, of course,
With especial force to the tiue-cured
+ bright leaf varieties. One can Gull
ivate early tobacco on almost any
ype of soil with impunity, but where
he choice, bright leaf sorts are to
e cultivated with success and profit
he selection of the soil becomes a
most important and essential matter,
.'robably more failures have been
ecorded in the cultivation of this
eype of tobacco without regard to
the type of soil to which it is adapted
than to any other cause. There is
no crop which is more readily at
fected by fertilizers than f1ue-cured
or bright tobacco. If the plants are
set on land too rich in nitrogen the
crop will be a failure and many OF
the leaves will be mahogany in color
and of practically no value when
cured This defect may arise from
the use of too much nitrogen in the
fertilizer, or from applications of
large amounts of yard manure to the
soil in which the crop is to be
grown. While bright tobacco re-
spends to the use of vegetable mat
ter. and while considerable amount
of this material is essential in the
soils on which the best yields are
secured, 1t must be supplied to the
crop previously grown on the land. II
this fact is kept in mind many OF
the failures recorded with bright leaI
tobacco will be obviated
These matters are of so much I'M
Dortance and concern to our farmers
at the present time that an attempt
to summarize concisely some OF tne
main facts and information availaple
with reference to the selectlon OF
soils and the use and appllcatlon OIL
commercial fertilizers has been mage.
The data presented represents the
best information obtainable on TINS
subject. Those concerned in the Gull
tivation of tobacco should give care
full heed and consideration TO the
suggestions which follow.
Great care should be given 10 the
nreparation of soil for growing TO.
hacco To make the best quality OF
tobacco the crop should have rapid
and uninterrupted growth. Land on
which tobacco is to be planted should
be thorouchly prepared by ploWlng
end borrowing, after being broken IN
the fall to a medium depth.
Soils on which bright tobacco IS
grown are sandy and in many cases
rather infertpe. However, they are
light and friabIe and respond readlly
to commercial fertilizers. FertlllZerS
increase the. chance of profit in two
WAYS. They greatly increase the
yield and if properly balanced; Will IN
most cases improve the quality.
Tobacho contains a larger portion
of potash than any other OF our com,
mon crops. The amount of plant 1000
removed from the soil by good crop
of tobacco is given by Hopkins as
follows. H.,
Tobacco leaves. $50 pounds dry
matter. 34.s pound nitrogen, 3 pounds
nhosphorus. 354 hounds potassium
and 37.5 pounds calcium.
Tobacco stems. $50 pounds drH
matter, 24.6 pounds nitrogen. AZ
pounds phosphorus, PA pounds po-
tassium and So mounds calcium
A complete fertilizer Zone contain
ing ammonia, phosphoric acid ana
potash) is usually needed and the
greatest WELD cannot he obtained I'M
less each is supplied in sufficient
quantity. No general rule as TO the
nroper proportion or balance between
these materials can he given. the
hest prorortion of the three ele,
ments is likely to vary a great deal
on different fields according to the
soil and its state IF Improvement.
Each element affects the qua1ty OF
the leaf in a different way. TOO
much ammonia will make the To-
bacco coarse, dark and late In ma
turing. Excess of ammonia also
causes tobacco to be more subject to