84 



FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



other elements to form organic material. It does not 

 become available to the plant until the cotton-seed meal 

 has imdergone decomposition, which results in the trans- 

 formation of the organic nitrogen into nitrate nitrogen. 

 For this reason cotton-seed meal acts less quickly than 

 sodium nitrate. It is not So easily lost in the drainage 

 water owing to the fact that it is readily absorbed by soils. 



For the reasons just stated, sodium nitrate should not 

 be apphed in large quantities to cotton soils before or 

 even at the time of planting. It should be apphed in mod- 

 erate quantity (50-100 pounds to the acre) while the crop 

 is growing upon the soil. Cotton-seed meal is best applied 

 a short while before or at the time of planting. 



93. Cotton seed versus cotton-seed meal. — As to 

 whether the farmer should use cotton seed or cotton-seed 

 meal as a source of nitrogen will depend primarily upon 

 the market prices of these products. With prices that have 

 prevailed in past years the farmer can ill afford to use his 

 seed for fertilizing purposes owing to the fact that the 

 market value of the seed greatly exceeds its fertiHzing 

 value. 



The following table will give at once a clear idea as to the 

 relative value of meal and seed for fertilizer: 



Table 6. Showing Febtiuzing Constituents in Cotton Seed 

 AND Cotton-seed Meal 



