ALL OF OUR SEEDS ARE TESTED FOR VITALITY AND PURITY 
and the field covered with strong, healthy plants that 
are well started, the battle is more than half won 
and while the crop is not made, the grower has the 
assurance that he is not carrying along a crop that is 
already a failure. 
SOIL TREATMENT 
Most vegetable crops are rather exacting as to the 
soil factors, under which they will grow and do best. 
They must have proper moisture conditions during 
the critical periods of growth. They must have the 
proper amount of air in the soil which is obtained by 
good cultivation. Thorough preparation of the land 
before the fertilizer is applied and the fields planted 
is very necessary. The temperature conditions must 
be favorable. There must be a sufficient supply of 
available plant food. 
The plants must have freedom from the various 
agencies that interfere with their growth and devel¬ 
opment, such as weeds and grass in the field, and dis¬ 
eases and pests that attack them; and they require a 
soil of fair depth to allow their root system to develop 
properly. Failure to provide any of these conditions 
may limit the development of the crop. 
The experienced grower watches all of these fac¬ 
tors carefully and controls them to the best of his 
means and ability. However, he usually finds new 
problems developing each year that give him concern. 
Two of the important factors influencing vegetable 
production, but probably least understood by the 
average grower, are proper fertilization and the con¬ 
trol of diseases and pests that attack his plants. 
FERTILIZING 
It has been repeatedly demonstrated that the 
heaviest yields and the most profitable yields are 
obtained by a liberal feeding with complete fertilizer 
mixtures, in which the food elements are properly 
proportioned to suit the needs of the crop. The 
materials that make up the mixture and carry the 
food elements should be those preferred by the crop. 
The proportion of ammonia in the organic form and 
of that in the inorganic or mineral form depends 
upon the crop, its stage of growth, the soil and the 
season. Usually a mixture carrying 40% to 50% of 
its ammonia in the organic form is preferred. 
Phosphoric acid in the form of superphosphate sup¬ 
plies phosphorus as a plant food; supplies lime in 
the form of land plaster (calcium sulphate) that acts 
as a plant food and helps to prevent soil acidity; also 
acts as a “buffer” in the soil by slowing up reactions 
that develop acidity. As a plant food, phosphoric 
acid, coupled with a proper proportion of potash, 
balances the effect of ammonia in growth, giving a 
type growth that is more prolific and more resistant 
to diseases and other unfavorable conditions, and pro¬ 
duces a crop that holds up better in transit to market. 
The preferred sources of potash for most crops are 
sulphate of potash and muriate of potash. 
In addition to the plant foods, ammonia, phosphoric 
acid, potash and calcium, the plants need small 
amounts of other elements such as copper, iron, sul¬ 
phur, zinc, boron, manganese, magnesium, etc. In 
most cases, these are found in the soil or are present 
in the fertilizer materials such as nitrate of soda of 
natural origin, sources of potash, fish meal, castor 
meal, natural guano, and other materials, in sufficient 
quantity to supply the needs of the plants. In some 
cases, the shortage of these elements is so pro¬ 
nounced that it is necessary to add them to the soil, 
as in the case of copper and manganese on the Ever¬ 
glades soils, and of zinc on certain corn soils. Our 
knowledge of these less common elements and their 
function in plant growth is somewhat meager, but is 
being steadily added to by the studies of the Research 
Workers of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Sta¬ 
tion and the United States Department of Agricul¬ 
ture. 
PLACEMENT OF FERTILIZERS 
The usual methods of application of fertilizer to 
vegetables are to mix with the soil ten days to two 
weeks before planting; to place it immediately under 
the plant or seed at planting; to mix it with the soil 
during planting; and to make side dressings after the 
crop is up. Recently a nation-wide study was made 
by Research Growers in the State Experiment Sta¬ 
tions and the United States Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, in cooperation with other agencies, of the place¬ 
ment of fertilizer in relation of growth and yield. The 
work Was carried out with cotton, corn, potatoes, 
beans, sweet potatoes and small grains. In most 
cases, they found the side applications to be the best. 
The best results were obtained with potatoes “when 
the fertilizer is placed in a narrow band on each side 
of the seed piece, separated from it by two inches of 
fertilizer free soil and in a depth zone about two 
inches below the seed to the seed level.” 
“For early fruiting and highest yields of snap 
beans, the fertilizer should be placed in a band on 
each side of the seed, separated from it by two or 
three inches of fertilizer free soil and in a depth zone 
from one to two inches below the seed level. 
When cultural practices do not permit employing 
the placement recommended above, the fertilizer 
should be placed in a band at least three inches below 
the seed.” 
For sweet potatoes, “fertilizers should be applied 
about 10 days after the plants are set, in a band 12 
to 18 inches wide on the surface of the ground over 
the plant row and harrowed into the surface soil. An 
alternate method, giving practically the same place¬ 
ment, is to apply the fertilizer on both sides of the 
row with a cultivator fertilizer attachment at the first 
cultivation.” 
The workers found that the old method of applica¬ 
tion gave fertilizer burns, poor stands and marked 
decreases in yield. It is now apparent that many 
cases of poor yields assumed to be due to the quality 
of fertilizer or seed, were caused entirely by the man¬ 
ner of fertilizer placement. There can be no question 
but that the location of the fertilizer with respect to 
the seed is important if best results are to follow. 
This work is being carried on with other crops, 
including vegetables, and recommendations for place¬ 
ment of fertilizer to these crops will be given when 
completed. Machinery for the proper placement of 
fertilizer to the various crops is being developed, and 
some is already on the market. 
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PAGE 61 
