20 



Food for The value ot tobacco depends largelv 



Plants lobaCCO. • ,• j 1 r j " j" 



^ ** ^ upon Its qualitv, and as the quahtv depends 



greatly upon the amount of available plant tood in the soil, 

 the use of fertilizers often results in verv large profits. 



At the Kentucky Experiment Station, in 1889, experi- 

 ments were made with fertilizers on Burley tobacco. The 

 land was " deficient in natural drainage," so that the ferti- 

 lizers could hardlv be expected to have their full effect. 

 Yet, as will be seen by the following table, the profits from 

 the use of the fertilizers were enormous : 



Experiments on Tobacco at the Kentucky 

 Experiment Station, in i88g. 



Fertilizer per acre n • u. 



^ B ight. 



1 . No manure 



2. 160 lbs. Nitrate of Soda 230 



3. 160 lbs. sulp. of potash; 

 160 lbs. Nitrate of Soda 190 



4. 320 lbs. superphos- 

 phate; 160 lbs. sulp. of 

 potash; 1 60 lbs. Nitrate 

 of Soda 310 810 420 10 360 2000 201.20 



The tobacco was assorted by an expert and the prices 

 given as follows : Bright and red, fifteen cents per pound ; 

 lugs, six cents per pound; tips, eight cents per pound; 

 trash, two cents per pound. 



One hundred and sixty pounds Nitrate of Soda, costing 

 about S3. 75, increased the value of the crop Syi.ao per 

 acre. The addition of 160 pounds sulphate of potash gave 

 $52.95 more, and 320 pounds superphosphate, $11.25, 

 making altogether $134.50 per acre more than where ferti- 

 lizers were not used. 



A larger application of Nitrate in connection with the 

 phosphate and potash would probably have still further 

 increased the value of the crop. 



Mr. Robert P. McAnally,' of Saxon, N. C, wrote us 

 September 29th, 1892, as follows: 



"Your essav on the use of Nitrate of Soda for manure induced me to 

 trv it on tobacco last season and it did so well that I have used five times the 

 amount this season that I did last, and my crop at this writing is the wonder 

 and admiration of every one that sees it ; so much so that the agriculturist 

 at our Agricultural Experiment Station has written me he will call on me 

 next week to see my tobacco crop." 



