COTTOy FERTILIZEIlS 329 



of cotton-seed meal and hulls was fed to dairy cows, and 

 every particle of the resulting manure was returned to 

 the soil as fertilizer for cotton. An exactly similar amount 

 of cotton-seed meal and hulls was applied directlj' as 

 fertihzer for cotton. The jield of cotton was much greater 

 where the manure was used. This was probably due in 

 part to the Cjuicker deca\' of the manure than of the meal 

 and hulls. 



301. A rational system of fertilization with nitrogen. — 

 Considering permanent effect, as well as influence on 

 the crop immediately foUo^dng, the coT^iDea and other 

 legmninous plants must be ranked as a cheaper source of 

 nitrogen than is any nitrogenous material which may be 

 bought as commercial fertihzers. The aim of the cotton 

 farmer should be to grow such areas of legumes as ■nill 

 enable him to chspense vrixh the purchase of nitrogenous 

 fertihzers for cotton, using the funds thus saved to pur- 

 chase increased amounts of phosphates or other necessary 

 non-nitrogenous fertilizers. The money that would have 

 been necessary to purchase one pound of nitrogen mil buy 

 about three pounds of phosphoric acid, or of potash, which 

 larger purchases of phosphate and potash vriW enable the 

 farmer to grow hea^der crops of legumes. And hea\'ier 

 crops of legumes trap larger amounts of othermse un- 

 available atmospheric nitrogen and result in further soil 

 enrichment and larger yields of cotton. 



Phosph.itic Fertilizers 



302. Different kinds of phosphate. — TMiile there are 

 a number of forms in which the farmer may obtain phos- 

 phoric acid, the one that is almost universally employed 



