258 TRUCK-FARMING AT THE SOUTH. 



of superphosphate and kainit with stable manure and 

 cotton seed furnishes, beyond question, the most econom- 

 ical manure the Southern farmer or planter can apply to 

 his crop from year to year. 



Besides supplying plant food in the best and most 

 available forms, the compost exerts a mechanical influence 

 upon the soil not produced by the plain commercial fer- 

 tilizers. Either the composts or the pea vines will supply 

 all the ammonia needed in our soils; the composts for 

 special manuring of crops, while the pea vines will furnish 

 ammonia and humus to the whole soil. It must not, 

 however, be understood that ammonia is the only im- 

 portant element of plant food supplied by these cheap 

 sources of fertility. On the contrary, they supply all of 

 the elements of plant food. Some of these, however, exist 

 in such small percentages that very large quantities of the 

 substances must be applied to supply these elements in 

 sufficient quantities for the production of maximum 

 crops. The principal deficiency is in the percentage of 

 phosphoric acid contained in pea vines and stable manure. 

 This is supplied by the addition of superphosphate in the 

 compost at the time of putting it up. The pea vines may 

 be manured with superphosphates, and thus at the same 

 time supply this essential element of fertility to the soil, 

 and increase the growth of vines to be returned to the 

 soil. 



A comparison of the analyses of the Southern field pea 

 with that of clover, which has been used as a soil-improver 

 so long, shows very slight difference so far as either their 

 feeding or manurial value is concerned. It is not neces- 

 sary to speak of the value of stable manure and cotton 

 seed as manure. Their value is known to all who till 

 Southern soil. 



