The Bulletin 27 



Generally speaking, the soils of the county contain uiiough potash in 

 them for the growth of maximum crops for a number of years to come, 

 but it is usually present largely in a quite insoluble form. It is therefore, 

 generally, with the soils of this county, more of a problem of making the 

 supply available than of increasing its content by the addition of mate- 

 rials supi)lying this constituent. iSTot only do the chemical analyses show 

 a fairly liberal supply of this constituent in the soils, but experiments 

 show in all eases that it is far less essential to be applied than is nitrogen 

 and phosphoric acid, except Avith the latter in the case of the high phos- 

 phoric acid soils. When the price of potash is as high as it is now, its 

 use will not usually pay with the ordinary crops of this section, such as 

 cotton, corn, and small grains. 



Lime. — When the main crops of the county, like corn, cotton, and 

 the small grains, are grown continuously on the land without the turning 

 in of leguminous crops, lime will not usually be found of primary neces- 

 sity. HoAvever, Avhen cover crops are used, as they should be on all the 

 soils, especially on soils low in organic matter, lime usually will be found 

 essential. Even Avitli those soils high in lime, like the Iredell clay loam 

 tj^pe, it will no doubt be beneficial to make applications of this constitu- 

 ent, as the lime in these soils is in the form of silicates, which do not act 

 in the same beneficial way as does calcium carbonate in the form of 

 limestone, shells or marl in" neutralizing acidity and in making the soil 

 sweet and favorable for the growing of leguminous crops. 



FERTILIZER MIXTURES TO USE FOR DIFFERENT CROPS 



For the average soils occurring in the county, it is recommended 

 that for cotton 400 to 600 pounds of a mixture containing 10 to 12 

 per cent available phosphoric acid and 21/2 to 4 per cent of ammonia 

 be used. When the price of actual potash is not greater than 5 to 6 cents 

 per pound, it has been found profitable to use at least 2 per cent in the 

 mixture. However, when the price of potash is as high as at present it 

 will not generally be found to pay. A mixture that will give approxi- 

 mately this proportion is the following : 



Add Phosphate, 16 per cent 400 Lbs. 



Cotton-seed Meal, 71/2 per cent 200 Lbs. 



Total 600 Lbs. 



Other mixtures may be used in which dried blood, fish-scrap, sulphate 

 of ammonia, or nitrate of soda may be substituted for the cotton-seed 

 meal. In making the substitution, it may be done by using 47 pounds 

 of blood, 75 pounds of fish-scrap, 30 pounds of sulphate of ammonia, or 

 42 pounds of nitrate of soda for each 100 pounds of cotton-seed meal in 

 the mixture. If desired, especially on the sandier soils of the county, 

 one-third to one-half of the nitrogen may be put in at the time the cotton 



