Milford chronicle., 1939-02-24
THE 5-s.ls MARCHES ON

Z AAybAb mas buLAA q
nal increase in tonnage, in such {
short time, as the 5-8-12 mixture
Since its advent on the market bu
few years ago, its use has sprea'
to many farming and truck grow
ing sections and applied on variet
crops
This analysis is the result of man!
tests on farms on the Del-Mar-V;
Peninsula, and elsewhere, with vinI
crops especially, such as canta
loupes, cucumbers and watermelons
When results in yields, quality, anC
economy were assembled, the figure!
indicated very clearly that a $751;:
was the best combination Of nitro
gen, phosphorus, and potash fol
many crops and soil conditions.
G. H. Richardson, Salisbury, Md.
compared the then popular 5-8-s
with a 5-S-12 on cantaloupes with
the following result: The 5-S-12 al
the rate of 1000 pounds per acre
produced 112 crates (carriers) while
the 5-S-12 applied at the same rate
gave yield of 308 crates or an in
crease of 1856 crates per acre. Simi-
lar results were secured by many
other growers, although the in
creases varied. as might be expect
ed when considering hundreds of
tests.
John A. Moore, Bridgeville. and
Joseph Hill of Seaford, compared
the 5-8-12 with a 5-8-5 mixture on
cucumbers. On each farm the 5-S-12
gave substantial increases ranging
from to AZ bushels per acre in
spite of long continued dry weather.
Increased yields with higher quail
ity were also obtained with the
5-S-12. as compared with 5-S-5 on
the watermelon crop. For example.
A. L. Reddish. Salisbury, Md, re-
ported a total yield of 96S melons
with the 5-S-12 and but 500 with the
5-S-5 mixture. These totals included
4SS melons, weighing 20 pounds or
more on the 5-8-5 plots, as compar-
ed with 652 melons of similar weight
on the 5-S-12 plot. The yield of
small melons, those weighing less
than 20 pounds. was 2OS and 316 re-
spectively.
The 5-8-12 mixture has given fine
results on lima beans and in some
sections of Sussex county (where
about half the lima beans grown for
canning in the United States are
prOduced) this is the only analysis
used on this crop. The Smith Bro
theirs had IL acres in limas in one
field in 1887 all fertilized with a s.
S-12 commercial fertilizer. An almost
perfect stand, vigorous plants we'll
set with pods, and yield of slightly
over ? tons per acre were the re-
suits of using this analysis.
On light soils with little humus or
where no green manure crop has
been turned under, a 5-S-12 may
we'll be applied to tomatoes. With
land we'll supplied with humus,
large amounts of manure or heavy
clover sod, the nitrogen content
might be decreased and a 1872 an
alysis applied. which, by the way, is
the analysis used by a large num-
ber of growers in Accomac and
Northampton Counties. Virginia.l
Some varieties of tomatoes, such as
pritcahrd and Scarlet Topper, are
not apt to make an over vegetative !
growth and can, therefore, stand
rather high amounts of nitrogen /
while other varieties, represented by
The Rutgers, are the reverse and the !
of the crop is delayed as
much as two weeks, if varieties
such as these received heavy nitro
gen applications.
The 5-8-12 mixture appears to be
lust as effective on small fruits,
such as Strawberries, bIackberries,
ind raspberries, as it does on vege-
able crops. Albert Rogers, a we'll
lnown strawberry and blackberry
grower, applies 5-8-12 to strawber-
les as he finds that this makes the
berries tirmer, of better color, and
,lants are more vigorous. He has
Ilso applied this analysis to black
Ferries and reports that the plants
emain green and vigorous a longer
ime with resultant increased yields.
Perhaps the value of the 5-S-12 to
.rowers may be summed up in two =
tatements: first, that 1t has been
adopted and recommended
y the agrOnomists and horticultur-
SITS of several states. not only for
he crops listed above. but also for
sparagus. squash, and pumpkins:
econd. one of the most progressive .
men on the DeI-Mar-Va
eninsula states that "if the 5-S-12
Ontinues to show up the way 1t has
lus far. we won't need but the one =
nalysis for the Peninsula" Rather
strong statement, perhaps. but IL
Oes indicate the place the 5-S-12 is
liking with growers and fertilizer :
2