86 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



Available Forms Best for Roots. — Root and tuber crops are generally 

 regarded as a class that, because of their habits of growth, are unable to 

 make extensive use of the insoluble minerals; hence, their profitable growth 

 requires plenty of the readily available forms of fertilizing constituents. 

 Nitrogen and potash are especially valuable for mangels and beets, while 

 phosphates and potash together with small amounts of nitrogen are 

 generally used for both white and sweet potatoes. 



Slow-Acting Fertilizers Suited to Orchards and Small Fruits.— 

 Orchard trees are as a rule slow growing and do not demand quick-acting 

 fertilizers. In old orchards that are large and are top dressed it may, 

 however, be good practice to use the readily soluble forms of plant food in 

 order that it may be carried into the soil by rainfall and brought in contaot 

 with the zones of root activity. Where orchards are manured from the 

 beginning, and especially where they are inter-tilled, barnyard manure and 

 the more difficultly soluble forms of fertilizers may be economically used. 



The fertilizer requirements of small fruits are similar to those of 

 orchard fruits. As a rule smaller fruits make a more rapid growth ; con- 

 sequently, heavier applications of soluble fertilizing constituents may 

 be used. 



Nitrogen Needed for Vegetables. — The market garden crops, and 

 especially those grown for their vegetative parts, demand rather liberal 

 applications of available nitrogen. The higher the value of the crop 

 per unit of weight, the larger are the applications of nitrogen that may 

 be used economically. In such crops as early cabbage, beets, peas, etc., 

 earliness and quality are of prime importance. To be highly remunerative 

 such crops must be harvested early; in other words, they must be forced. 

 At this period of the year decomposition processes in the soil are not 

 especially active. For this reason an abundance of available nitrogen is 

 demanded. 



Fertilizers for Cotton. — Perhaps no crop has been subjected to more 

 experiments with fertilizers than cotton. Cotton is a plant that responds 

 promptly and profitably to judicious fertilization. Such fertilization 

 should hasten the maturity of the crop. This tends to increase the 

 climatic area in which cotton may be grown. In recent years it has be- 

 come of great importance in connection with the cotton boll weevil. 

 This insect multiplies rapidly throughout the season, its numbers becoming 

 very great in the latter part of the season. It feeds on the cotton bolls. 

 When the bolls are matured early, the insects being less numerous at that 

 season, a larger proportion of the bolls escapes infestation than when they 

 mature late. The most judicious proportions of nitrogen, soluble phos- 

 phoric acid and potash in a complete fertilizer for cotton has not been 

 determined with entire accuracy. Those for Georgia are nitrogen 1, 

 potash 1, phosphoric acid 3i; for South Carolina, nitrogen 1, potash f, 

 phosphoric acid 2\; and for general use nitrogen 1, potash 1, phosphoric 

 acid 2f or 3 will perhaps approximate reasonable accuracy. 



