Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-25
Nitrate of Soda as Source of
Nitrogen

Nitrate of Soda as Source of
Nitrogen
c, Rome, Ga, writes: I am
going to mix my own fertilizer
and wish to know if nitrate of
soda used as the source of nitro
gen is all right and if it will hold
its strength until the plant
comes up What about Ia
nure salts? IS it as good as
muriate of potash or KANT?
There is no reason why you should
not use nitrate of soda as the only
source of ammonia in a mixed fer
tlllzer if you prefer to do so. Nj
trate of soda is =. very fine carrier
OF nitrogen. 1t contains this ele-
ment in an Immediately available
form to plants, hence it stimulates
a "a id growth and development,
which of course is desirable. 1t or
dinarily contains 1873 per cent of
nitrogen. You probably refer to the
ammonia content when you speak
OF Is per cent.
Manure salts represent a very
good grade of potash. Ordinarily
20 per cent of potash is available in
this material. There is no reason
WI this should not be used as a
substitute for muriate of potash Or
kainit with entire satisfaction on
any crop save possibly tobacco and
potatoes. 1t is thought by many
that sulphate of pot n is more de-
sirable carrier of this element to
use with the two crops mentioned.
We have been able to grow pota-
toes very successfully, however,
with the use of muriate of potash
a--d would not hesitate to use it for
this particular crop in any given
year.
There is no objection to your mix
Ing some cottonseed meal along with
your nitrate Of soda, or you may
use some tanking or blood or sui
phate of ammonia, just as you de-
sire. The nitrogen in the other ele-
ments mentioned does not become
quite so quickly available to plants
as that contained in nitrate of soda,
aid in the case of long-seasoned
crops it may be of some advantage
to use two or more carriers Of nitro
gen so as to supply this element OF
the plants during longer growing
season.
Cultivating Sunfiowers in Georgia
T. NJ. c., Greensboro, Ga.
writes: wish information on
raising sunf1ower seed for chick
ems. Which is the best variety
and how should they be cult
waited? What about kaffir corn
and what will both crops yield
per acre on land that will make
about Is bushels of corn per
acre?
Sunf1owers may be grown with
satisfaction in Georgia. They pro-
duce an excellent type Of grain and
a relatively large yield of it per acre.
The Mammoth Russian variety is
probably the best strain to grow
Sow in f1ve-foot rows and leave the
plants about eighteen inches to two
feet apart in the drill. When the
seed heads are mature, cut them off
and store in thin layers where they
can be dried out satisfactorily. The
grain will then shell out easily. In
fact, you may feed it to the chickens
In the head and they will pick the
grain out for themselves. Sunf1ower
seed are very rich in protein and
fat.
We have never grown sunfiowers
to any appreciate extent in the
United States, presumably because
we have so many other grain crops
so well adapted to our soil and eli
matte conditions. Sunflewers can
be ensoiled to good advantage, but
are not so satisfactory for this pur-
pose in Georgia as field corn and
kaffir corn. We grow white kaffir
corn here at the college. We COM
bine this with sorghum and make
the two crops into silage. We get
a better tonnage in this way and q
silage that is sweeter and of bet
ter flavor than where the sorghum
is used by itself. Kaffir corn is p.
drought resistant crop, and yields
of from twenty to forty bushels and
more per acre have been secured.
Sunflowers yield from forty to sixty
bushels per acre.
Treating a Bunch of Sick Hogs
H. J. M, Mount Airy, Ga,
writes: There is something the
matter with my hogs. Their
hind legs are swollen and they
get down in the hind parts.
They eat well and there is APP
parently nothing wrong with the
fore feet. 1 will appreciate it if
you can give me a remedy for
the LrOuple.
If the hogs to which you refer are
healthy in all respects except that
they appear to be broken down in
the hind quarters the trouble is like
ly due to the dietary now being
provided. We presume these hogs
are confined in pens, or at least in
small yards where they do not Sc
cure an adequate amount of exer'
else. They are doubtless not pro.
vided with a desirable amount and
variety of mineral elements such as
they should have. Probably the ra-
ton is composed exclusively of corn.
If you will cut out the corn alto
gether and feed wheat shorts for
some time reduced to a fairly thin
slop with skim milk we think the
trouble will disappear if it is of the
nature we have in mind. We also
suggest that you make the follow.
ing mixture of mineral elements and
place in boxes where it will be
readily accessible to the hogs: -Four
pounds sulphur, four pounds rock
phosphate or air-slaked lime, eight
pounds of salt, one bushel wood
ashes, one bushel charcoal, and two
pounds ccpperas. The copperas
should be dissolved in water ano