The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-27
POTASH AFFECTS
WEED
And Kind Of Fertil-
izer Plays Big Part In
Tobacco Yield

eIS VI NOIln OdFOllnd from LlOyu
T. Weeks, extension tobacco special
list Of N. C. State college,: 1.-THE
amount and kind of potash you ap-
ply, and the time you apply it, will
vitality affect the yield and quality
of your crop. With reduced plant
ings this year, it is highly important
that maximum yields and highest
quality be attained"
Most farmers have planted their
tobacco crop, or at least have ap.
piled the fertilizer preparatory to
setting the plants from the bed. But
it's not too late for any farmer to
correct the potash deficiency Weeks
says.
The specialist recommends that
fertilizer be drilled in the row about
two weeks prior to transplanting.
Approved formulas of mixed fertil.
izers should contain six per cent pot
ash, and Weeks says two per cent
of this potash should come from
each of the following sources: Mu'
rate, sulphate of potash magnesia,
and sulphate Of potash.
However, from 10 to u per cent
potash may be used safely and pro-
fitably to give tobacco additional
quality and more uniform ripening
conditions" the state college man
declared. mo more than 6 per cent
should be applied in the mixture be-
fore planting, and the supplementary
potash application should be made
about 20 days after the plants are
set in the field.
SuIphate For Side Dress
"Whereas the original application
of potash should come from three
sources for best results, the side
dressing should be of sulphate of pot
ash. This should be from 100 to
200 pounds of sulphate of potash per
acre. If tobacco by-products are used
as a source of potash, these must
be sterilized to kill disease organisms
which will be present"
AS further advice to tobacco grow.
ers Weeks recommends that plants
of uniform size be transplanted not
less than Is inches between hills
in rows 4 feet wide. The 18-inch
spacing is only for the most fertile
soils, and "a inches is the best spac.
ing for the poorer soils.
Tobacco should be kept in a bed
or ridge at all times during the
growing period. This prevents plants
from getting wet feet" In order
to do this, it is necessary to put
it on a good ridge when planting.
The process that has proven most
satisfactory in preparing and keep
ing tobacco on a good ridge is to
lay off the row with a Stonewall,
or similar type, pillow, using large
fronts on it, then applying the fer
tilizer in the furrow. After this,
the same pillow is used to open the
row, throwing the fertilizer we'll up
on the shoulders of the furrow. Next
a turning pillow with a medium or
large wing, depending on the type
of pillow, is used to make a good
ridge.
About a week to ten days after
transplanting, the tobacco should
have cultivation with a small cult.
vator. A hoe cultivation is usually
necessary at this time. Following
this first cultivation, tobacco should
be cultivated every week or ten days
until about a week prior to topping.
One.TIorse Turning Plow Best
At each cultivation, the soil should
be thoroughly broken and the middle
scattered, care being taken not to
disturb the root system when sid
ing.
One of the best plows for cult
waiting tobacco is a one-horse turn
ing plow with a sweep attached to
the bolt that holds the moldboard
or wing. When the tobacco is small,
the soil can be thoroughly broken
and the attached sweep will push
the dirt around the plant. When
it gets a little larger, a small mold
board can be used, and a longer
sweep attached. The third time a
little larger moldboard or wing with
a still longer sweep is used, and for
the last cultivation, the largest mold.
board or wing that is used on a
one-horse pillow, with a sweep about
Is inches long and 2 to 2 IL inches
wide, is recommended
Weeks says that, with normal
weather conditions, four civilizations
is all necessary. However, he
says that in the case of a hard,
packing rain, the tobacco will need
to be plowed Just as soon as the soil
is dry enough to cultivate, even if
it had been plowed one hour prior to
the rain.
ct is sufficient to scatter the
middles with a sweep Immediately
following each siding. One furrow
to the row is sufficient except for
the second cultivation, which should
have four burrows to the row in Or
der to give the soil a thorough break.
ing" the extension specialist con.
cluded.