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NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM 



When much fertilizer is applied, fertilizer distributors are used. 

 All good makes of grain drills have fertilizer attachments for 

 distributing fertilizer broadcast at the time of sowing. 



When fertilizers are intended to promote rapid growth or to 

 give the young plants a quick start, they are applied in the hill or 

 drill. This is usually done through the use of fertilizer attach- 

 ments on the planters (Fig. 143). Usually 100 to 200 pounds are 

 applied to the acre in this manner. In case of cotton, 400 and 500 



FIG. 143. A fertilizer attachment on the corn planter. Note the fertilizer spreader (S). 



pounds are common applications. In Maine as much as 2000 

 pounds per acre is sometimes applied in the row at the time of 

 planting potatoes. 



When fertilizers are applied in the hill or drill, special care 

 should be taken that the fertilizer is not dropped on the seed. 

 All good fertilizer attachments can be regulated so that soil will 

 fall in between the fertilizer and the seed, or the fertilizer distrib- 

 uted along the sides of the row and not on the seed (Fig. 

 143). When fertilizer is applied in the bottom of a furrow it 

 should be mixed thoroughly with the soil before the seeds 

 are planted. 



The higher the grade of fertilizer the greater must be the pre- 

 caution in applying it in the hill, drill or furrow. 



