Pastures for Florida


areas is shown in Table 2. Fertilization and liming increased the
phosphorus content 69 percent and the calcium content 23 per-
cent above that of untreated grass. Phosphorus is usually the
primary deficient nutrient in the virgin flat pine sand soils.
Application of phosphates increased the phosphorus content of





















 FIG. 12.-FERTILIZING BEFORE SEEDING.
 The land has been well disked, and fertilizing encourages rapid growth
 and increases the nutritive value of the herbage.

carpet grass greatly (Fig. 11). Rock, colloidal and superphos-
phates have been applied over large areas planted to improved
pasture (Fig. 12). These materials have encouraged more rapid
sodding and improved palatability and mineral content of the
vegetation. Soil treatment increased the calcium content 48
percent and the phosphorus 75 percent over that of untreated
pastures. (For more detail, see Florida Station Bulletin 390.)
 Because of the price of materials, the fertilizer giving the
best growth may not be the most practical treatment. More
money can be spent for fertilizers on pastures used for dairy
and poultry enterprises than for commercial beef production be-
cause of the higher per acre returns. A number of fertilizer
treatments for grass pastures on soils of the flat pine and prairie
lands to suit various enterprises are suggested below: