72 The Bulletin. 



seed meal, etc., are used as when nitrate of soda and sulphate of am- 

 monia are employed. The following compost with cotton-seed meal is 

 some richer than the one with seed given above : 



Acid phosphate 325 pounds 



Cotton-seed meal 200 pounds 



Kainit 100 pounds 



Barnyard manure, etc 1.375 pounds 



2,000 pounds 



This mixture will contain: phosphoric acid, 2.8 per cent; potash, 

 1.0 per cent; ammonia, 1.2 per cent. One ton of this is equal in fer- 

 tilizing value to about one-half ton of a mixed fertilizer containing 8 

 per cent available phosphoric acid, 2 per cent ammonia and 2 per cent 

 potash. A good application of it for cotton would be 400 to 800 

 pounds in the drill, and for corn 300 to 600 pounds in the drill. 



Use Lime in the Compost. — Where lime is used at all in the making 

 of compost, it should not be put in contact with either the barnyard 

 manure or acid phosphate, as it has an injurious action on both of 

 these, endangering the loss of ammonia from the manure by setting it 

 free and enabling it to pass off in the air, and changing the phosphoric 

 acid of the acid phosphate into an insoluble form. Where sour muck 

 or black soil is used, the lime mixed with these would correct their 

 acidity or sourness and prove beneficial. 



V. 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 produc- 

 tion 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 com- 

 position 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 interesting in this connection to note the wide varia- 

 tion as well as the average composition of these fertilizers. The 

 highest amount of available phosphoric 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 2.61 per cent. These wide variations in the 

 amounts of the valuable fertilizing constituents indicate that the fer- 

 tilizers themselves must have had very varying effects on the quality 

 and quantity of the tobacco crop. 



