OATS 15 



17. Fertilizers. — Too frequently oats are sown on poor 

 land 'without being fertilized. Experiments in several 

 Southern States have shown that it pays to fertilize oats 

 gro^\'ing on medium or poor lands. On many of these 

 lands, acid phosphate should be used. This may be ap- 

 plied at the rate of 100 to 200 pounds per acre at the time 

 of sowing. It may be run through the fertilizer attach- 

 ment of the grain drill, and its contact with the seed will 

 not injure germination. However, it would not be safe 

 thus to sow through the grain drill and with the seed any 

 considerable amount of cotton-seed meal, or other nitrog- 

 enous fertilizer or of potash salts. 



While some sandy soils may recjuire for the maximum 

 gro\\'th of oats a small amount of potash, it is not usually 

 necessarj' to apply this fertilizer constituent to the oat 

 crop. 



The most universal need of oats on the average soils of the 

 cotton-belt is for nitrogen. Since the oat makes its growth 

 in the cooler part of the year when vegetable matter does 

 not rapidly nitrifj^ or become available as plant-food, the 

 best form of nitrogenous fertilizer is nitrate of soda. This 

 fertilizer does not require further change, but is immedi- 

 ately available. 



Experiments have shown that it is usually profitable to apply 

 any amount of nitrate of soda between 40 and 160 pounds per 

 acre. About 80 pounds per acre is usuallj- adi-isable. The 

 lumps should be carefully crushed and the fertilizer sown broad- 

 cast as a top-dressing at least two months before the average date 

 of harvest. As a rule, the first half of jNIareh is a suitable time 

 for appljang nitrate of soda to fall-sown oats, and the latter 

 half of the month for spring-sown oats. 



No covering of soil is necessary in using nitrate of soda, but the 



