The Bulletin. 13 



Since nitrogen enters more largely into the production of the crop 

 than any other element of plant food, and that it is most cheaply ob- 

 tained, and a large supply maintained in the soil by a system of rota- 

 tion that admits of the growing of summer and winter legumes, to get 

 this much-needed nitrogen free from the air, and that cover crops can 

 be grown to prevent losses by leaching and surface washing, and to 

 add vegetable matter, and when good tillage methods are practiced 

 it is seen that the maintaining of a standard of from one to two bales 

 per acre is a simple matter. When there is an abundance of organic 

 nitrogen in the soil, it is not necessary to apply a large amount of 

 nitrogen in the fertilizers, just enough to give the plant a quick start 

 and carry it along until the soil warms up and the micro-organisms of 

 the soil begin to convert the organic nitrogen into soluble nitrates, 

 after which an abundant supply is afforded the plant. 



On the other hand, if crop rotation is not practiced, legumes are 

 not grown, the soil is let to lie, to lose plant food by leaching and 

 surface washing and the seed are sold off and their equivalent in 

 nitrogen not returned, it does not require much figuring to see that 

 an ever-increasing supply of nitrogen will have to be purchased to 

 maintain a given yield. 



From "Southern Field Crops'' by J. F. Duggar, published by The 

 MacMillan Co., we get the following facts, concerning fertilizers, of 

 interest to our farmers : 



POTASH. 



"In determining the probable requirement of cotton for potash, 

 note should be made of the proportion of clay or silt compared with 

 the proportion of. sand. Clay and silt are frequently formed from 

 materials rich in potash ; hence the more clay or silt the soil contains, 

 the less, as a rule, is the need for potash. 



"However, some clay soils contain a large amount of potash, but in 

 an unavailable form. In this case the potash can often be made 

 available by improved preparation and cultivation and by the ad- 

 dition of vegetable matter. The sandier the soil and subsoil the 

 greater is the need for potash. 



NITROGEN. 



"The proper proportion of nitrogenous fertilizer to acid phosphate 

 in a fertilizer formula for cotton depends more on the recent crop- 

 ping and manuring of the field than from the character of the rocks 

 from which the soil has been derived. One can usually decide if 

 nitrogen is needed by considering the following facts : 



"(1) Small stalks (if not due to climatic influences, poor cultiva- 

 tion, etc.), are usually an indication that nitrogen is needed. 



"(2) Excessive stalk or 'weed' gi-owth of cotton is an indication 

 that nitrogen can be dispensed with, wholly or partially. 



