The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., September 10, 1910, YOUNG FOLKS' SPECIAL., Page 623, Image 3

About The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920

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$500 More a Tear farming: How to Get It
BY BETTER FERTILIZATION OF WHEAT AND OATS.
Whore the Various Plant Foods Are Needed and Where to
Apply Them—Some Figures to Preserve for Reference.
By Tilt Butler.
WITH THE greater attention
that is being given to the
growing of oats and wheat,
better and more intelligent fertiliza
tion must follow. It will also bo ob
served that better land is being given
to the growing of oats, although the
disposition to Bave the best lands for
cotton and corn will no doubt con
tinue as the general rule.
The commercial fertilizers which
should be used will depend on the
needs of the soil, or in other words,
its type, or character, and condition.
The .Need of Nitrogen.
Practically all soils throughout the
South yield better in response to tho
application of nitrogen in organic
form. Even the black Delta soils of
Mississippi and Louisiana and the
black prairie Boils of Mississippi and
Alabama, which do not respond to
applications of phosphoric acid or
.»iviu iuuv.il murv auuuviuimy
as a result of an application of stable
manure or from the plowing under
of a crop of rowpeas or other legume.
Kven soils which contain lurge quan
tities of nitrogen frequently respond
to applications of humus-forming
materials. But ns a general propo
sition, practically all Southern soils
are deficient in humus and the great
majority of them are also deficient
in nitrogeu. In fact, the productive
ness of most Southern soils is in di
rect proportion to the amount of
humus they contain.
Where Potash is .Needed.
In wostcra Alabama. Mississippi,
and Louisiana there seems to be little
use (or potash on any soils. In the
eastern States—Virginia, the Caro
linas, Georgia and eastern Alabama,
there sems to be abundant potash in
most of the clay and clay-loam soils,
but for some reason, probably be
cause it is not In soluble form so the
plants can get It, moderate applica
tions of potash to these soils give
profitable returns. On the sandy
soils of all our territory, except those
west of central Alabama, potash Is
needed and should he freely used in
rt >vn in I'frl n 1 f»rt lllym-fi
IMiosplioric Arid (•ciicrally Needed.
The areas throughout the South
which do not need phosphoric acid
In the fertilizer are comparatively
small. The black Delta soils of Louis
iana ami Alabama and the black,
lime, prairie soils of Mississippi and
Alabama are practically the only soils
In our territory that do not respond
to the application of phosphoric acid.
These soils in the States named and
similar soils elsewhere, givo practi
cally no response to either phosphor
ic acid or potash. The sandy soils,
the red clay soils, the gray soils and
ftiiz it Inu •itu till u rn ilollolitnl ( n
phosphoric acid.
No specific instructions can be
given for fertilizing oats and wheat,
that will apply everywhere, but the
general facts we have given should
bo kept in mind. In brief, they are:
That practically all boIIs east of west
ern Alabama need nitrogen, phos
phoric acid and potash; but that more
potash is needed on the sandy Boils.
Possibly on the day and loam soils
little potash will bo needed if we
ever get sufficient decaying organic
matter in them. West of western
Alabama practically no soils need
potash, but all need phosphoric acid
except the black Delta and prairie
soils; and practically all soils respond
to applications of humus-forming
nitrogenous fertilizers, like stable
manure and legumes, and all except
the Delta and prairie soils to nitrogen
in any available form.
When to Apply the Nitrogen.
On land that has grown a crop of
cowpeas or other legume recently, or
that has had an application of stable
manure and contains a fair amount of
humus, it is doubtful if any nitrogen
should be put in with the crop in the
fall at the time of seeding. Where
these conditions do not exist then
some nitrogen should be put in at
time of seeding. In other words,
land which produces a good large
stalk of cotton or corn does not nfced
nitrogen in the oat and wheat fertil
izer at the time of planting. On all
other lands it will generally pay to
use some nitrogen-containing fertil
izer in the fall at seeding time. For
tills ran application or nitrogen we
would prefer cottonseed meal, tank
age, or dried blood in preference to
nitrate of Boda or sulphate of am
monia; but if above 50 or 75 pounds
of cottonseed meal is used per acre
on wheat, it should be put in broad
cast before sowing the seed. That
is. larger quantities should not be
put in the drill with the seed because
of the Injurious effects on the ger
mination of the wheat. -
A fair formula where nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash are de
Hired Is, 950 pounds 16 per cent
acid phosphate; 800 pounds cotton
seed meal; 250 pounds kainit.
Of this about 400 pounds should
be applied per acre. When no nitro
gen is desired, a mixture of 200
pounds of acid phosphate and 50
pounds of kainit per acre may be
used, and if neither nitrogen or pot
ash is used about 200 pounds of 16
per cent acid phosphate will be about
right.
If it is thought that uo nitrogen is
needed, but next March the wheat or
oats, when it begins to grow, shows
from lack of vigorous growth or the
absence of a dark green color that
portions of the field need nitrogen,
from 75 pounds to 150 pounds of (
nil rale of soda nor acre mav he an
plied to those portions. The phos
phoric acid and. if needed, the pot
ash. may he most economically put
down at the time of seeding in the
fall, for they do not leach out of the
soil as does the soluble nitrogen.
A Comparison of Fertilizing Mate
rials.
The following comparisons will aid
in determining the quantity of fertil
izer materials to be used in case it
may he found necessary to use other
materials than those mentioned.
One pound of cottonseed meal (C.6
per cent nitrogen) contains about the
same amount of nitrogen as: .43
pound of nitrate of soda (15.5 per
cent nitrogen); .33 pound sulphate
oT ammonia (20 per cent nitrogen);
2 pounds of cotton seed; .5 pound of
dried blood (13 per cent nitrogen);
,f. pound of tankage (11 per cent
nitrogen).
One pound of muriate of potash
contains about the same amount of
potash as: 1 pound high grade sul
phate of potash; 4 pounds of kainit.
"Eventually” all your neighbors
will have to take The Progressive
Farmer and Gazette. Why not now?
the great need of the sal
ary system.
Messrs. Editors: 1 anxiously await
every week the coming of The Pro
gressive Farmer and Gazette and
then read it through and often re
read it in preference to several other
papers I get. You certainly are doing
a great work in waking up our
Southern people to their own inter
ests in progressive and intensive
farming.
Especially do I wish you to keep
before our people, especially our
farmers, as they must demand it and
have it carried into effect, the salary
system for public officials, as referred
to “J. A. M.” in issue of July 23. By
oil m no 11 P nllnii' wnnnnnnLln nn 1 n m,' /\n i
- **•■*'-- *« * VWWWUM UlllUl 1 VkJ vw
efficient, capable men in office, but
nothing more—let all fees be paid
into the county fund every three
months, or oftener, under sworn
statement and then the County
Auditor issue his warrant on the
Treasurer for such salary as each of
ficer is entitled to receive under the
law. This county (Bolivar) pays to
the Sheriff and Tax Collector from
$12,000 to $15,000 a year, and to
the Chancery Clerk from $6,000 to
$8,000 a year and other minor offices
in proportion, as 1 am informed. The
result is every few years we have
from three to five and sometimes
more candidates who will take
chances and spend $1,000 to $5,000
each to get one of these offices.
The best public officers we can get
are those willing to do the work with
their own hands, and not through a
deputy, at a fair salary of $1,500 to
$2,500, and every sensible man knows
there are hundreds of such good men
in the State of Mississippi that
would be only too glad to fill such
positions.
Such big, fat salaries as referred
to above have more to do towards
keeping up a class of rotten politics,
such as most of our States have to
contend with, than anything I can
think of at present.
We can never expect the politi
cians, county officers and others in
terested in big salaries to give the
needed reform — it must come
through the farmers and they can
afford to speak out with much posi
tivenoss, and demand that it be done,
because it is right.
Why pay $1.50 for recording the
shortest chattel mortgage and $2.00
for recording a land deed when the
latter needs only to be filed at a
2 5c. fee, and 75c. to $1 would be big
wages for ten minutes service in
is; bzs
’ecording our usual short land deeds?
Why pay a circuit court clerk $3,
ivhich goes into his own pocket, for
i marriage license, for usually less
han three minutes of his time, since
he county furnishes him with all
tecessary blanks, books, stationery,
ncludiug stamps, and even free tele
ihones to talk over? Keep the mat
er hot until we can right it.
WM. H. MEADOW.
Shaw, Miss.
A CRIMSON CLOVER EXPERI
ENCE.
Alessrs. Editors: When Professor
Vlassey and Dr. Butler first wTrote
ibout crimson clover, I became in
.erested, and each year planted a few
pounds here and there among my
growing crops at last working, also
>n the garden with good results. For
Lhe past ten years have planted more
than usual, always turning the green
irop under in time to plant corn. This
spring I had a patch of clover (about
in acre and a half) that looked so
promising that I thought I would al
low it to ripen and save some of the
seed. This clover was cut when the
blooms were nearly brown. The
mower was set high so as to leave
as much of the plant on the ground
as possible. The tops were raked up
and housed, and I now have at least
sufficient seed in the hull to plant 8
or 10 acres to clover next month. The
stubble was turned under with a 2
horse plow and corn planted flat on
the 8th of June. It has been worked
four times w'ith a cultivator (never
with a 1-horse, side-shovel plow).
The first working was with 41/^-inch
teeth in the cultivator and going
about 4 inches deep, the next with the
same teeth but only going about 3
inches, and the last two workings
were with 2%-inch teeth and just
scratching the ground. To-day (Au
gust 8th) that corn is In “silk and
tassel,” about 7% feet tall and the
UO.O a pci ictt OlU.UU UL uiuver
on it, three and four leaves.
This patch of corn promises a yield
of 50 bushels to the acre. There was
no fertilizer of any kind used, com
mercial or stable, and the bright
prospect is due entirely to the clover
sod turned under. There are enough
clover seed shattered out in cutting
to re-seed the ground. The corn
planted was Snowflake.
UNCLE JO.
A rich farmer may afford to be
without The Progressive Farmer and
Gazette, but no farmer can unless he
ia rich.
Open Furrow Oat Sower
Saves 2-3 of the Labor
Specially made for sowing Oats or Wheat in Cotton Fields. No damage to
the cotton. The Cole Grain Drill Is the Key to Crop Rotation and the
Knrichnient of the Soil.
No matter how big or how little your farm may lie this machine will
save labor and make more money for you than any of the expensive two
horse or three horse drills.
Free Booklet gives full information.
| THE COLE MFG. CO., Box 400, Charlotte, N. C.
____ —*