FERTILIZERS ON TOBACCO. 



i| In 1890 Major E.L. Ragland.of Halifax county, the well-knoVn autho- 

 ifcty on tobacco, conducted for the Virginia Experiment Station, in con- 

 rormlty with the plan furnished him by.Uol. W. B, Preiston, who was then 

 in charge as Director, a series of experiments with fertilizers on tobacco; 

 The report of the results was submitteU In 1891. The teats were accurately ■ 

 and intelligently made; and tjie report gave evidence of such Careful' 

 preparation as to merit high commendation. It is herewith givenvln a 

 condensed form, and with some unimportant changes. The TestiitS 

 reached are interesting and suggestive, and ucoord wltn the experlenoe 

 of others as to the Superiority of organic forms Of nitrogen. BtoreT.for 

 e -ample, remarks: V A- successful grower of tol>acco ha^ informed pie 

 thiLt he gets a better flavored leaf wSen he manures with flsh scrap, fiesU, 

 orblood. than when he uses nitrates or ammonium salts;" '. ■ 



Major Kagland's observations on the effects of dried blood and nitrate 

 of soda as preventives of field Are, and the effects offettlUzers in prevent- 

 ing to a large extent the " stalk rot," are very jraluable, and should com- 

 mand the attention of tobacco growers. ' . 



' ' ~ J. M. McBetdb, Director. 



Virginia ExpeHmehtStcition. 



' ■ ■ , ''-..,' — ^"^ ^^ 



bSp6et. , 



Tlie tests were intended to ascertain -the effects of nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid, and Ddtash on theyieM and' quality of tobacco^ lind the form or 

 forms in wnich nitrogen cau be best applied on this crop. 



Every application contained tb^ same amount! of. potash and phos- 

 phoric«oia, and p^stically the same amount of nitrogen, but in different 

 forms, thus 'giving at the same, time all the fertilizing constituents re- 

 quired and mil effect to the nitrogen employed. . 



Soil. — 1^§ iests^ bteUpled' six plats <of One acre each) contiguous to,pn« 

 another, and. as neanly alike as: posdUe In exposure, situation, physical 

 condition; and fertility. The fi^J4 selected, was typical yellow tobacco 

 land, roilly one year ir&m tlie foi^st, on whic^ totiacco bad been cultivated 

 the preceding y,ear. ,'jL.Satol'epf this soil.'anlilyzeti by Prof- Walker Bow- 

 g|^, forme^Jy, Chemist, to the Si;at»i6)i,gi^V6'.as follows: 



■':'■-• AIB-DRIED SOIL. 



Moisture. '. . . ..-..; 577 



Organic Matter .... 2.982 



: Phosphoric Acid. P, 6j ; 019 



Lime. .' .076 



Ferric Oxide and Alumina 1.550 



Magnesia , , .036 



Potash ,019 



Soda- . . . .■ . V . : 038 



Nitrogen. > - 090 



iTSSBfts^BiMii^TrJSn thfe analysis, Prof. Bowman remarked: " The soil is 

 T'emarkabie for tlie small amount of mineral matters which it gives up to 

 acids. Judging frbm the foregoing figures. It would undoubteoly for or- 

 dinary farm crops, sufth as wheat, corn, o,ats, etc., be called poor. It Ih a 

 matter of interest, however, to determine to what extent Its favorable 

 physical properties and climatic Surroundings, together with the appli- 

 cation of suitable fertilizers, will render It a good soil for the growth ot^ 

 tobacco. 



" It appears to be of easy tilth and drainage, and of fair, but not very 

 great, water-holding capacity." 



The plats were carefully surveyed and staked oft by an assistant of the 

 Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. The land was well prepared 

 by several plowings and harrowings during thewinter and spring. The 

 fertilizers were applied by sowing half the qnantlty allowed each 

 plat broadcast, and by drilling in the remainder. The to1)acco,Long Leaf 

 Gooch, waa planted 8j^ feet by 3 feet on May 28th. 



Thorough cultivation was given throughout the sa 

 necessary to add that all the plats received exactly ' 

 except in the matter, of fertilization. An almost ] 

 cured. The first tobacco wis cut Septeinbfer 5. the 

 At eacli cutting 100 selected sticks were taken frrtb"" 

 plats and placed in one room pf a bain contain!* 

 keep the product of each plat separate, in order to 

 ment in the barningand curing. , 



The tobacco on the nnfertillzed plat, No. 6, ripened from ten days to two 

 weeks later than that grown on manured plats, showing that fertilizers 

 hasten the maturity of tobaqco to that extcQt. 



The year 1890 was favorable to tobacco. Somewhat too much rain fell 

 during the growing season, but the rains ceased in a measure after July, 

 »"d the weather during August and September proved exceptionallyfavo- 

 rable to the birnin'g and curing of, tlve crop. A full srop, over the average 



There was also more sJtailbirJit (called by some planters " hollow stalk") 

 on the unmanui;ed plal: than'oh all the fertilized platsput together. This 

 Is suggestive. If yerlledjby future: tests, It will pbintt-planters to the 

 remedy. ! . ■ 



The results of the tegts,. to sum up, appear to indicate that nitrogen was 

 most efCeetlve in the form of dtled blood, and that the nitrogen oi nitrate 

 of soda was more'available than that Of sulphate of ammonia. 



Also, thit fertilizers can be made to pay, and pay well, if :compounded 

 of materlitls suited ta the tobacco crop, and adapted to the thin gilicions 

 soils of Middle Virginia. , ' 



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It is scarcely 

 same treatmeii t, 



St September 20th. K, 



Table No. II gives in detail the financial results of the several tests. 



Table II. Financial Results of Tests. 



. vMi in Tables I and II. Table No. 



, ^ , fertilizers applied on each plat, and the 



weight and value of the various grades of tobacco from It. 



It was observed on July 14th that the manured plats were lieglnhing to 

 grain, and that the color of No. 3 was decidely the yellowest— adiflerence 

 which was maintained throughout. The product of this plat als6 showed 

 up brighter when cured. 



.In comparison with Nos. 1,2, S, 1 and 6, It appears that the unmanured 

 plat gave the poorest returns. 



Of the nitrogenous fertilizers used, the drl^d blood gave the lareeet 

 yield, and also the-largeSt financial returns. 



;The yield and value of the crops of plats Nos 1 and 2 were nearly alike. 

 :Md while the yield of No. 4 was less than that of either of the others Us 

 &°? ■'"'8 slightly greater than that of No. 2, and but little under that of 



'i; J* ^e'e'i' and vaWe, the crop of No, 5 wa» the lowest of any of the fer- 

 ftllized plats. The tobacco on thin plat suffered more from fleldflre thah 

 any of the others. This Injured the yield and reduced Its value. There 

 was gome field-fire on plat No, 1. on which, less sulphate of ammonia 

 -y^asused. - 



Dried Mood gave good resuliis on the three plats on which It was used, 

 i aind where combined with nitrate of soda. In plat No. 2. the results were 

 ; a'"" .good. This plot, unlike Nos. 6 and 2.,ahowed no field-fire. 

 , Where dried blood and nitrate of soda were used, In colnbinatlon or 

 separately/, there was scarcely any field-flre— much less than where no 

 ^«rtlllzers were applied. 



Fektilizsbb Uskd. 



.#.1^ 



Cost of 

 Fertilizers 

 Per Acre 



(Sulphate of Ammonia 

 Dried Blood. . ■ 

 Sulphate of Potash 

 Acid Phosphate. . 



Nitrate of Soda ., . . 



Dried Blood 



Sulphate of Potash 

 Acid Phosphate. . . 



Dried Blood. . . ; . 

 Sulphate o( Poiash 

 Acid Phosphate. . . 



Nitrate of Soda . . . 

 Sulphate Of Potash . 

 Acid Phosphate. , , 



Sulphate ;of Ammonia 

 Sulphate Of Potash . . 

 Acid Phosphate .... 



H] 





No Fertilizer , 



18 25 



825 



825 



8 25 



Profit 

 Per Acre. 



tS6 97 



62 87 



86 91 



.Ur.40 



