Smyrna times., 1932-03-16
FERTILIZERS FOR DELAWARE
FARMERS IS RECOMMENDED
GET THE RIGHT FERTILIZER
FOR THE CROP AND SOIL
Farmers Must Give Serious Con-
sideration to Purchase and Use
Of Fertilizers to Realize Profit

- n
The farmer must give serious
consideration to the purchase and
use of fertilizers if he expects to
realize a profit from the use of
them under the existing economic
conditions. 1t is case of the sur
Vival of the fittest and the farmer
that makes a profit is the one that
buys his fertilizers wisely and gets
the right fertilizer for his crop and
soil. The fertilizer must ID i'm
prove a given crop and (2) pro-
duce value by way of crop i'm
provement above the cost of the
fertilizer. In order to realize the
full value from the use of fertiliz-
ers other possible limiting factors
as to crop production must be car
ed for. The soil may need lime,
or it may be lined too much for
certain crops, or the soil may
need organic matter such as barn
yard manure or green manure. or
it may need drainage, or a change
in the cropping system may be
necessary or there may De other
limiting factors at work that will
prevent fertilizers from working
efficiently. After the other posi-
BILE limiting factors have been TAX
en- care of the next problem is to
select a fertilizer that is best suit
ed to the needs of the crop and
soil. The following recommends
tions are given as a guide and the
proper selection of fertilizers. The
first figure in the analysis is the
percentage of nitrogen present, the
second figure is the percentage of
phosphoric acid present, and the
third figure is the percentage of
potash present. An 0-12-5 analys-
! is fertilizer is recommended for
soybeans, cowpeas, wheat, Glow
ers, alfalfa, small grains, corn and
grass land in New Castle County
and for alfalfa, clovers, soybeans,
cowpeas, hay and pasture land in
Kent and Sussex Counties where
liberal applications of manure are
made. It is also recommended for
/ top dressing hay and pasture land
containing clovers in New Castle
j County where manure is not avail
able. A 2-8-5 fertilizer is recon-
mended for corn, wheat, small
grains and cannery corn in New
/ Castle County and likewise corn,
cannery corn and small grains on
the heavier soils of Kent and Sus-
sex Counties, and strawberries at
plant setting time and legumes.
A 6-6-5 fertilizer is recommended
for early potatoes, asparagus, and
other early truck and the spring
top dressing of grass throughout
the state and for top dressing OF
wheat on sandy soils in Kent and
Sussex Counties where no fertiliz-
er is used in the fall. A 4-S-5 fer
tilizer is a fertilizer recommended
for early truck crops such as sugar
corn, asparagus, cannery peas,
string beans, lima beans, cucum-
bers, cantaloupes, watermelons,
cabbage, spinach, lettuce, celery,
and for small grain on the lighter
soils where the 2-8-5 is not strong
enough, and for a top dressing Of
Strawberries, raspberries, and
blackberries. A 2-8-10 fertilizer is
recommended for sweet potatoes,
and root crops such as beets, car
rots and parsnips with manure and
for grapes. A 3-8-10 fertilizer IS
recommended for the same crops
as the 2-8-10 where manure is not
available and for corn on light
sandy soils and for tomatoes. The
potash for sweet potatoes should
be derived from either muriate or
suIphate of potash. A chart OF
these fertilizer recommendations
NAV be obtained free by request
ing Information Card No. IL from
The Agricultural Extension Ser
vice, University of Delaware, New
ark.