The Bulletin. 75 



Y. Fertilizers for Tobacco. 



There are few products whose quality and quantity are more affected 

 by the kind of soil and fertilizer used than is tobacco. For bright 

 tobacco, the main kind grown in this State, the fine and deep, sandy 

 loam with yellow-colored sandy clay subsoil is the type of land most 

 largely used, and the one which grows the best grade of this character 

 of tobacco. Generally, the kind of soil that is suited to the production 

 of tobacco is better understood than the fertilizer that should be used 

 on it. Evidence of this is seen in the great variation in the composition 

 of fertilizers sold in the State, especially for use on the tobacco crop. 

 In 1901 there were registered with the Department of Agriculture one 

 hundred and eight (108) special fertilizers for tobacco. It is interest- 

 ing in this connection to note the wide variation as well as the average 

 composition of these fertilizers. The highest amount of available phos- 

 phoric acid guaranteed in any of them was 9.25 per cent, the lowest 

 5 per cent, and the average 8.12 per cent. The highest amount of 

 ammonia guaranteed was 10 per cent, the lowest 2 per cent, and the 

 average 2.73 per cent. The highest amount of potash guaranteed was 

 5 per cent, the lowest 1 per cent, and the average 2.64 per cent. These 

 wide variations in the amounts of the valuable fertilizing constituents 

 indicate that the fertilizers themselves must have had very varying 

 effects on the quality and quantity of the tobacco crop. 



A study of the experiments in tobacco growing, and a consideration 

 of the experiences of good tobacco growers, show that the amounts of 

 ammonia and potash in the average tobacco fertilizers, as stated above, 

 are not as large as are needed to give the best results. It would appear 

 that the largest amount of ammonia (10 per cent) in any of these 

 "specials" is greater than is required for bright tobacco, while the maxi- 

 mum quantity of potash (5 per cent) in any of the 108 brands is less 

 than is used by numbers of our best bright tobacco growers, especially 

 in the eastern part of the State. A considerable number of these grow- 

 ers either mix their own tobacco fertilizers or else have them put up 

 according to formulas of their suggestion. Below are given eight for- 

 mulas for mixing fertilizers for tobacco. The grade of those fertilizers 

 will be higher and they will, of course, cost more than the goods that 

 are generally used in the State on tobacco, but we feel confident that 

 the increased yield will more than justify the additional expense. In 

 The Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture, and in our corre- 

 spondence with farmers, we have been recommending formulas of about 

 the composition of these for a number of years, and evidence is accumu- 

 lating which shows that the character of tobacco fertilizers is under- 

 going quite a considerable change. 



