F piants Fertilization is 50 per cent of the producing factors 



necessary to increase the yield of cotton up to the 



7 8 average Egyptian productiveness. Egypt's cotton av- 

 erage is about 400 pounds to the acre, and in 1912 it 

 was 426 pounds against our own average of about 180. 

 The other elements include seed selection, the applica- 

 tion of natural manures, plowing under green manures 

 and thorough tillage and drainage. 



But fertilizing depends very largely on the ingre- 

 dient which is selected to do the fertilizing. Of the 

 three chief fertilizing elements potash, phosphoric 

 acid and nitrogen the nitrates are by all means the 

 most important because they supply the energizing 

 element in plant life. The rational use of nitrates, of 

 about 100 pounds an acre, is therefore, the most im- 

 portant fertilizing principle in the increase in the pro- 

 duction of cotton, because it is the factor which enables 

 the plant to make the most out of its environment. 

 The great difference between the American fertilizing 

 methods and those of Europe and Egypt is in the pro- 

 portion of nitrogen used in increasing the size of the 

 crops. The average composition of fertilizers sold in 

 the United States is inferior in this main element of 

 available nitrogen. The cotton belt, which now ranks 

 first in fertilizer consumption, includes in the average 

 composition of fertilizers about eight parts of phos- 

 phoric acid, four of potash and two of nitrogen, of which 

 the whole is never available, that is, free to act in its 

 fertilizing function. In Europe and Egypt the com- 

 position is eight of phosphoric acid, four of potash and 

 four and one-half of nitrogen, practically all of which 

 is available. 



The American farmers' progress, especially in the 

 cotton country, is being hindered by the use of inferior 

 fertilizers. A pure fertilizer law is needed as much as 

 a pure food law. Farmers do not know enough about 

 the availability of the higher grade fertilizer ingredients 

 which are necessary to more intensive cultivation. 

 Germany imports more nitrates than we do, for her 

 territory of about the size of Texas. Last year that 

 country took 700,000 tons, compared with 550,000 tons 

 imported by the United States. Europe ships her 



