The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-08
WEED FERTILIZER
SUGGESTIONS MADE
Growers Warned Not To Sac
rifice Quality For GUAM
tity In Tobacco

maximum amount of high
oua1itv obacc on a minimum of
acreage is a sound policy Of agri-
cultural economics at all times, but
this year, with acreage allotments
under the AAA program consider
ably curtailed, growers are more
interested than ever in producing
high yields of good grade leaf.
They are warned by tobacco spe-
cialists, however, not to sacrifice
quality for quantity.
Prof. c. B. Williams, head of the
agronomy department of State
college, says that the use of the
correct kinds and amounts of fer
~tilizers will do much towards rails
ing the yield and quality of North
Carolina tobacco. "The buyers are
always eager to obtain better quail
ity leaf by grades, and in most
cases it costs no more to produce
good tobacco than poor tobacco"
he declared.
A committee of agronomists from
the United States department of
agriculture and the states of North
Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina,
Georgia and Florida have formu-
lated a set of tobacco fertilizer
recommendations. Prof. williams is
chairman of the group-the tobac-
co research committee.
The recommendations for North
Carolina are: 800 to 1000 pounds
of a 1856 mixture per lei for
we'll drained sandy loans and we'll
drained sands in the Coastal Plain.
sandy loans with yellow or red
dish-yellow subsoils in the Pied
mont, and sandy loans in the
mountains.
Use 3-10-6 Mixture
From 700 to 800 pounds per acre
of a 3-1o-6 mixture for fairly well
drained sandy loans to silt loans
in the Coastal Plain, and for sandy
loans with red clay subsoils, and
loans and silt loans with yellow
and reddish-yellow subsoils in the
Piedmont.
From 800 to 1000 pounds per
acre of a 3-10-6 mixture for hurley
tobacco on upland sandy soils, and
upland loans to clay loans in the
mountains.
One thousand pounds of a 3-10-6
mixture for hurley IN low valley
loans and sandy loans with SUBJ
soils in the mountains.
One thousand pounds of a 3-12-6
mixture for hurley on low valley
clays and clay loans with red
subsoils, and low valley sandy lcams
with yellow to reddish-yellow sub
soils in the mountains.
Professor Williams added, how
ever, that where a leguminous crop
has been turned under, 800 pounds
Of a 2-10-6 mixture should be used
instead of the 1856 formula. Like
wise, where less nitrogen is need
ed, from 700 to 800 pounds of a
2-1O-6 mixture can be substituted
for the 3-10-6 formula. Where
potash deficiency has previously de.
veloped on sandy loans in the
Piedmont, the potash in the mix
ture should be increased to eight
jer cent, or 3-10-8 mixture applied.
Two pounds per square yard of
a 1873 mixture is recommended
for tobacco plant beds in all Sec
lions. In this connection, the State
college agronomist said: Injury
due to excess of chlorine has been
widely observed in tobacco plant
beds. Since fertilizers are applied
to plant beds in relatively large
quantities, even a small percentage
of chlorine in the fertilizers may
cause plant bed injury.
Avoid ChlOrides in Mixture
1T is, therefore, recommended
that only such materials as are
practically free of chlorides be
used for making plant bed fertiliz-
ers. The addition of one per cent
available magnesia will be benefi-
cial in certain cases and it's in
~clusion is to be generally recon-
mended.
Explaining that the method of
applying fertilizer is highly impor.
tant, Prof. Williams declared, "Ex-
periments indicate that fertilizers
applied so as to come in direct
contact with the plant roots cause
loss of plants and retard early
growth. 1t is, therefore, suggested
that fertilizers be placed in bands
3 to 4 inches to the sides of the
row at the approximate level of
the root crows and the plants be
set between these bands, or that
the fertilizer be thoroughly mixed
with the soil in the furrow before
bedding"
Complete information on tobacco
fertilizer recommendations may be
obtained by addressing a request
to the Agriculture Editor, State
College, Raleigh, for Agronomy In
formation Circular No. 119 and
Agronomy Information Circular No.
116.