27O VEGETABLE GARDENING 



POUNDS OF FERTILIZER FOUND IN CABBAGE FROM ONE ACRE 



To furnish all of the plant food for this yield of 8,000 

 heads, or 14 tons an acre, would require the equivalent 

 of 165 pounds of phosphate rock of 14 per cent grade, 228 

 pounds of muriate of potash of 50 per cent purity and 447 

 pounds of nitrate of soda of 15 per cent purity. The total 

 cost of these materials an acre would not exceed the 

 amount frequently applied, but the proportions 3 per 

 cent phosphoric acid, 14 per cent potash and 8 per cent 

 nitrogen would be unusual. The analysis shows, how- 

 ever, that potash is very important in the production of 

 this crop, and that nitrogen should be supplied in larger 

 amounts than is usual. It is not necessary to use potash 

 so freely in clay soils, but it is highly probable that 10 

 per cent of this element is not too much for most other 

 soils. Although the phosphoric acid requirements are 

 relatively small, the grower should not lose sight of the 

 fact that most soils are very deficient in this element, 

 and there are doubtless localities where it should be used 

 more freely than potash. The most successful growers 

 seldom use less than 4 per cent of nitrogen, and the 

 analyses indicate that this is the minimum amount that 

 should be used, unless there has been a large applica- 

 tion of manure. The basic fertilizer, 4-8-10, should 

 meet the requirements of most soils, especially if nitrate 

 of soda is used later as a top dressing. 



Fifteen hundred to 2,000 pounds of fertilizer are gen- 

 erally used for the early crop, and many growers of late 

 cabbage do not apply less than these amounts. It is 



