28 



Food for except on sandy land. While the "no fertilizer" acre 

 ^^^"^^ aave only a small yield, the best results were obtained from 

 the combination of Nitrate, phosphate and potash, but 

 where the land was fairly good, the potash did not seem to 

 be necessary. 



Cotton-seed meal has been an economical source of Nitro- 

 gen, but it tends to make the soil sour, stale and mouldy. Its 

 use should never exclude the use of Nitrate Nitrogen, /. e.. 

 Nitrate of Soda, at the rate of lOO pounds to the acre. 



Make two hales of cotton on the same land with the same 

 labor which now makes one. Nitrate of Soda fed to grow- 

 ing crops at the right time repays its cost many times over. 



Experiments with Fertilizers on Cotton. 



NITRATE. 



NITRATE 



Locality and Character of Soil. 



Barbour Co., Sandy Loam . . . . 



Elmore Co., Gray Sand 



Elowah Co., Red Loam 



Grfiene Co., Sandy 



Clay Co., Soil Red 



Calhoun Co., Mulatto Soil . . . . 

 Lawrence Co., Clay Loam . . . . 

 Cullman Co., Sand and Gravel 



Madison Co., Clay Loam 



Randolph Co., Sandy Loam . . , 



Butler Co., Light Sand 



Marengo Co., Dark Sand 



Yield 



per Acre. 



Lbs. 



624 

 469 

 240 

 104 



347 

 312 



288 



200 

 648 



J3 



Yield, 



per Acre, 



Lbs. 



672 



736 

 616 



480 

 480 

 600 

 928 

 448 



384 

 640 

 816 



CO -S 





:< 5. 



CO o 



0> M 



Yield, 



per Acre, 



Lbs. 



I216 

 1088 

 1000 



960 



800 



640 



864 



1080 



800 



752 



744 

 936 





u<; 



o o 



Yield 



per Acre. 



Lbs. 



768 

 960 

 720 

 1056 

 704 

 624 



688 

 1096 

 544 

 544 

 760 



784 



-g ii 



1- T3 »- ^ 



CO 



Yield 



per Acre 



Lbs. 



1020 

 1088 



952 

 1256 

 848 

 816 

 904 

 I 120 

 800 



544 

 800 

 968 



At least a half of the Nitrogen applied should be in the 

 form of Nitrate of Soda. The reason for this is that all the 

 Nitrogen in the cotton-seed meal is not immediately avail- 

 able. It only becomes so after undergoing the process of 

 soil Nitration. If there is no Nitrate present, the plant 

 must wait until the Nitrogen in the cotton-seed meal becomes 

 nitrated, which, in cool, damp soil takes a considerable time. 

 Thus the plant, in its most critical stage, is held back and 

 checked in its growth, jrom which it never fully recovers. 



