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THE SOIL
Method by Which Parmer
Can Do This Himself.
MR.
McCANDLESS'
LETTER.
Farmer Can Tell Whether His Soil
Needs Lime, Phosphoric Acid,
Potash or Nitrogen as Does ...
the Chemist.
Referring to the statement In my
last letter, that if any one element in
a soil essential to plant growth be
lacking in an available form, then that
soil cannot produce a good crop, no
matter how rich the soil may be in the
other essential elements. You natur
ally exclaim then, why not have a
chemist analyse the soil, and tell the
farmer what element or elements are
lacking in his soil and what are abun
dant, so that he will know how to fer
tilize—whether he ought to apply acid
phosphate, or kainit, or cotton seed
meal, or lime, one or all, to his land,
so as to get the beBt results, and at the
same time ubo the wiset economy in
the purchase and application of fertil
izers. Yes, this is a very natural
idea, and it was at one time, in the
earlier days of agricultural science,
thought that by meanB of a chemical
analysis of the soil, that the key had
been found by means of which we
could unlock the secrets of Nature,
and solco all the problems of practical
agriculture. It was found, however,
on trial, that this Idea, so beautiful
In theory, did not work yvell In prac
tice. It was discovered, for instance,
that a soil which was producing poor
crops contained one-tenth of one per
cent, of phosphoric acid, or, calculating
to a depth of nine Inches, about three
thousand pounds of phosphoric acid
per acre, and yet this soil was In
ned of phosphoric acid, because when
acid phosphate was UBed on It as a
manure it responded with largely in
creased yields. Evidently the pros-
phorlc acid in thiB soil, although abuu-
dant In quantity, 3,000 pounds per acre,
was not in a condition available' to the
plant, so that It could be absorbed by
the roots.
Elements 8oluble in Acids Not Always
Available.
Still when the chemist came to treat
this soil with his strong chemicals,
he could diBsolvo the phosphates In
it readily. Thus, It would happen
that a bhemlst analyzing a soil and
finding In it, say, 3,000 pounds of phos-
phorio acid, 6,000 pounds of potash,
and 4,000 pounds of nitrogen per aero,
and knowing nothing else about the
soil, except the results of his analy
sis, would report that tho soil contain
ed ample plant food for producing
good crops, and was a good soil, not in
need of fertilizers, when, as a matter
of fact, the soil might be so poor as
hardly to “sprout peas.” After many
trials and efforts to imitate tho action
of Nature in the laboratory, the con-
clusidn was reached that it was not
possible to tell by a chemical analysis,
in the case of cultivated soils, wheth
er the soil was a fertile one or not, or
what particular elements should be
added to it for the production of full
crops.
Analysis Shows the Ultimate Resources
of the Soil.
Whilst the chemical analysis is a
failure from this standpoint, still it is
of value from another. For instance,
if I make an analysis fo your soil and
tell you that it contains 3,000 pounds
phosphoric acid, 2,600 pounds pot
ash, and 4,000 pounds of nitrogen, then
you would be encouraged to go ahead
and make this plant food more avail
able oy judicious cultivation and treat
ment, such as liming, the turning un
der of green crops, etc., feeling as
sured that in the end you could bring
that soil up to a point where it would
yield bountifully. But if as the re
sult of my analysis I should tell you
that the soil only contained 160 pounds
of phosphoric acid and 200 pounds of
potash peV acre, why then you would
know that the best thing you could do
With that land would be to abandon it
or give it away, and not waste fur
ther time and labor on it. There is,
however, a practical method by which
you can analyze your soil for yourself
far better than any chemist can do it
for you, and by means of which yon
can tell for yourself whether your soil
neds lime, phosphoric acid, potash or
nitrogen, one or all. That method Is
as follows:
Method by which the Farmer May An
alyze His Own Soil.
First, select a piece of ground as
level as possible, so that rain may not
yeash the fertilizer from one plont In
to an adjoining plot. secondly, for
the purpose of the experiment mark off
ten plots, each one just one-tenth of an
acre In area. If convenient, make the
plots long and narrow, say one hun
dred and thirty-six feet long by thir
ty-two feet wide; these dimensions
would enable you to have eight long
rows, four feet apart, In each plot. Any
other shape of plot will answer, only
be careful to lay off the plots so that
they shall each contain one-tenth oi
an acre, or 4,366 square feet. Sepa
rate the plots from each other by
paths, at least three feet wide, so that
the effect of fertilizer in one plot may
not be felt In an adjoining plot It
would be well to locate these experi
mental plots on some of your poorest
land; or that which stands most badly
in need of fertilizer. When all is
ready carefully number the plots from
one to tan so that you may keep a rec
ord of the nature and amount of fer
tilizer applied on each plot. Let us
suppose that you decide to plant cot
ton on the ten prepared plots for ilia
purpose of finding out what fertilizing
.constituent is most needed by your soil
when growing cotton. Plant the cot
ton in your usual manner, after a can
ful preparation of the soil of the plots,
thoroughly plowing and harrowing the
plots in order. Then apply the fer
tilizers as follows:
No. t—No fertilizer.
No. 2'—143 pounds of cotton seed
meal.
No. 3.—200 pounds of 14 per cent
acid phosphate.
No. 4—80 pounds of kainit.
No. 6—No fertilizer.
No. 6—200 pounds of acid phosphate
and 143 pounds of cotton seed meal.
No. 7—143 pounds of cotton sed meal
and 80 pounds of kainit.
No. 8—200 pounds of acid phosphate
and 80 pounds of kainit.
No. 9—200 pounds of N acid phosphate
80 pounds of kainit and 143 pounds of
cotton seed meal.
No. 10—600 pounds air-slaked lime.
In many of our Georgia soils lime Is
sadly lacking, and it may be just the
thing needed by the soil, In conjunc
tion with certain other fertilizers; to
discover if this be the case, after hav
ing fertilized Plot No. 2, mark off a
strip 2 fa feet in width diagonally
across the plot, that is running from
one corner to the opposite corner. Ap
ply to this strip 60 pounds of air-
slaked lime, and work it in well with
the soil and other fertilizer with a
rake. Do the same with each of tha
other plots, -Omitting No. 10. Then
when the crop begins to grow, if lime
was specially needed by the soil in any
of the plots, you ought to notice a
marked superiority in the 2% foot
strip which runs diagonally across all
the rows in all nine plots.
In the above fertilizers it is pre
sumed that the acid phosphate is the
kind most usually sold, containing 14
per cent of available phosphoric acid
to the plot.
Tho cotton seed meal is presumed
to contain 7 per cent, of nitrogen, so
that 143 pounds of it supplies 10
pounds of nitrogen to the plot, and the
kainit to contain 12% per cent of pot
ash, so that 80 pounds yield 10 pounds
of potash to the plots the kainit is
applied to.
In applying the fertilizers observe
the following precautions Sow each
fertilizer on the plot to which it is ti
be applied broadcast, using your best
care and judgment to distribute the
fertilizer evenly over the entire plot.
In order to get an even distribution it
is best to sow In such quantity that
you will have to go over each plot
at least twice to get all the fertilizer
distributed. Take care not to sow
while the wind is blowing, as it may
blow some of the fertilizer on to tha
adjoining plots. After sowing har
row the ground, and then it will be
ready for you to plant.
Plant thick enough to insure a per
feet stand, and at the proper time
thin out to a unifeirm stand. Treat
all the plots exactly alike, except as
to the fertilizers applied. Prepare
the ground in each plot the same,
plant the cotton all at the same time,
and always cultivate the same and at
the same time each day. Take pains
to have the same number of plants in
each row. It will be well to keep a
note-book, with a page for each plot
in which to record your observations.
In this book record: 1st. The kinds
of fertilizer applied to each plot and
the amount applied, on the pages set
apart for the respective plots from
to 10. 2d. Note down the date the
cotton was planted. 3d. Note the
date cotton, came up in each plot. 4th,
When the cotton is about two inches
high on the plot containing no fertil
izer, note the height and appearance
'of the other plots. 6th. After you
have thinned out to a uniform stand
record the number of missing plants,
if any, in each plot. Of course use
every endeavor to have the same num.
her of plants in each plot, but In case
of accident to some, be sure to put
down thq number missing in any plot
so as to make allowances. 6th. Record
any other observations of interest dur
ing the growth of the crop on th_e dif
ferent plots, such as tha Comparative
dates of blooming, number bolls to the !
stalk, date of opening of the bolls, 1
height of the Stalks after maturity of ,
the plant. 7th. Keep the seed cotton .
from each plot to itself, weigh it by !
itself, and record the weight of the |
seed cottoh from p,lot» number one on
page number one, and so on with th^
others. When you have picked and
weighed the last pound of cotton, then
you will, I think, be easily able to de
cide for yourself what fertilizer or
combination of fertilizers your land re
quires. Of course, if you have a bad
season, very dry or very wet, you will
not be able to decide so well, and in
that case repeat the experiment an
other year. In this, way you can ana
lyze your own soil, and do it better
than the best chemist, in the world can
do it for you, because sou have ap
pealed to the soil itself, you have spok.
en to it In the language of Nature, and
it has replied in the .Same mute, but
eloquent tongue, demonstrating the
truth of her answers before your very
eyes. Yours Truly, i
Jno. M.'McPANDLESS,
State Chemist.
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