88 The Bulletin. 



mixture and apply it as a side-dressiug about the middle of June. 

 Good results come from the use of it in this way on heavy types of 

 land. Where land does not produce a good stalk of cotton and fer- 

 tilizers are used which contain only a moderate amount of nitrogen or 

 ammonia, good results are obtained from a side-dressing of 50 to 100 

 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre. The nitrate should be distributed 

 along one side of the row, or where there is a ridge in the middle it 

 may be put on this, and when the ridge is thrown out the nitrate will 

 be thrown on two sides of the row. 



Application of Fertilizer to Cotton. — The fertilizer should be ap- 

 plied in the drill at or just before planting. The quantity used for 

 cotton varies from 200 to 1,000 pounds per acre ; 400 to 600 pounds 

 are the more common quantities used of the grade of Formula No. 1. 

 Some of the mixtures in this Bulletin are much more concentrated 

 than ISTo. 1, and when they are used the quantity may be reduced pro- 

 portionately. 



IV. Composts and Composting. 



Compost for General Use. — Frequent requests are made for com- 

 post formulas, and the following one, with barn-yard manure, rich 

 dirt, or woods-mould, or all, and acid phosphate and kainit, is well 

 suited for general use : 



Barn-yard manure, rich dirt or woods-mould 1,750 pounds 



Acid phosphate 200 pounds 



Kainit 50 pounds 



2,000 pounds 



With average barn-yard manure the above compost would contain : 

 phosphoric acid, 1.7 per cent; potash, .7 per cent; and ammonia, .6 

 per cent. One ton of this compost is worth between 500 and 600 

 pounds of the average fertilizer containing 8 per cent of available 

 phosphoric acid, 2 per cent of potash, and 2 per cent of ammonia. 

 It should be applied at the rate of 600 to 1,600 pounds per acre in 

 the drill, 1,400 pounds of the compost being about equal to an appli- 

 cation of 400 pounds of the 8-2-2 fertilizer. 



The compost may be made under shelter or out of doors. In either 

 case select a place where the soil is compact and arrange it so that 

 the water that may run through the heap will not drain from it. Put 

 do^vn the materials in alternate layers: first, a layer 3 to 6 inches 

 thick, according to the size of the compost to be made, of the manure, 

 woods-mould or rich dirt, then sprinkle upon this layers of acid phos- 

 phate and kainit, and continue in this way to put down alternate 

 layers of the materials till the compost is complete. If dry, the 

 manure, mould, etc., should be moistened by sprinkling with water, 

 and the heap should be brought to a conical or wedge shape, covered 

 with dirt, preferably rich dirt, and thoroughly compacted to prevent 

 undue entrance of air, which brings about heating and injurious fer- 



