The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-03

enough for one acre. if seed in the chat is used sow
from two 10 two and one half bushels
Heyery southern farmer had twenty-five acres of
TINS grass for hay and twenty five acres in bermuda
grass for pasture, this fifty acres W uld be of more
Na!ue 10 nm than one hundred acres in cotton.
belh-'liG must be planted from the roots II does
mo- mature its seed in this country and all of the
imported seed fails to germnate. Both of these
grasses VIII pay best on rich land, and the product
Will De very satisfactory to the owner.
Truly yours, HERBERT Posi-.
Our correspondent does not specify the GER
rors' to which he alludes, and we are not in
condition to appreciate or comment on the
corrections he makes. If in error, we are al
ways glad to be corrected. Our object, and
our only object is 10 give the reader the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
we nave not the slightest interest in the sale
OF any seeds, fertilizers, or implements of any
description, and II we err, it is from ignorance,
pure and simple. We have had many years
familiarity and experience with both johnson
grass and Bermuda, and we cannot agree with
our correspondent that either of them can be
easily eradicated. They can be eradicated,
put 1t is not an easy matter, and we therefore
put our readers on notice. Under the most
favorable conditions, it is trouble
some job to exterminate Bermuda,
and johnson grass presents greater
difficulties than Bermuda. because it is liable
to be scattered and disseminated by seed. We
have encountered this in our own expert
ence, number of patches of johnson grass
having become established on our farm from a
patch cultivated by neighbor, and under cir
cumstances where there was no possibility of
Its not being transplanted. We are pleased to
learn that the termination of the seed may be
improved by soaking in water, but the trouble
Il ,D% l. 80
seed, which is quite similar to that of other
sorghum seeds. Many of the seed have no
kernel-in other words, are defective. This is
certainly true of the plant in this locality
Athens, Georgia-alsoin the vicinity of At
lanta, Georgia. We cannot allow the state
mentof "all' imported seed of Bermuda fails
to terminate, to pass unchallenged. Wehave
plants of it grown from seed by the commits
sioner of agriculture of Georgia. Some certain
ly grow; the percentage of effectiveness we do
not know. At present there is none imported
so far as we know.
Another point made by our correspondent
we cannot concur with, to-wit, that johnson
grass does not exhaust land" Bermuda will
enrich poor land, which has been run down
and deprived of humus, by stopping denuda-
ton and restoring the humus, provided tho
grass is not removed as hay, or is grazed by
animals whose droppngs return to the soil
that which they took away. But no crop
which is removed from the land can fail
eventually to impoverish it. Nitrogen and
carbon may be gotten from the atmosphere
and transferred to the soil through the agency
of plants; but whence are phosphoric acid,
potash, lime etc, to be gotten? Certainly not
from the air. Whatever of these is taken off
in crops is Just so much lost to the land and it
is to that extent so much poorer. Surface
rooted plants rob chiefly the surface soil
deep-rooied plants the subsoil, but in both
cases there is robbery.
The table OF nutritive values presented
was compiled, we suppose, by DR., Phares
not original analys is by him. We do
not think the doctor laye claim to be-
ing an analytical chemist. In his book on
grasses no analyses of his own are given but
many from other sources The table as given
is not satisfactory. The kind of "nutritive
matter is very important, so is the relative
digcstibility Of different articles. If we knew
for what purpose DR.. Phares prepared said
table, and from what sources the figures were
taken, We should be better prepared to appre-
ciate its value. If Japan clover hay contains
seventy-two per cent of nutritive matter in
proper combination, against fifty-seven per
cent in clover hay, and forty eight to ffty-two
per cent in other hay producing plants, ii
ought to take the lead of all other plants in
our hay fields, for nothing is harder or more
easily raised.
T. J. D., Townsville, s c.. I want some infor
nation GbCu. sinking canal, l have q canal ten
feet wide the water is three or four inches deem AT
low water. It's about one foot from off the ground
surface to water. net deep enough to empty drains
into, or drain the land sufficiently to make corn
Some say that my canal is too wide; that six or
seven feet is wide enough that narrow canal viii
clean itself Of sand; while others say il ought to be
sixteen or eighteen feet wide that in time of high
water it will then wash out tie sand. There is not
much fall abou, sixteen Or eighteen feet to the
miles
Iwoud Ike to hear from you NJ. Editor, and any
others that have experience in canaling.
\ narrow ditch, if kept clear Of RATS will
wash out and clear itself better than a wide
ditch, both having the same fab. But neither
will scour out well without sufficient fail.
This your canal has not. Sixteen to eighteen
feet IN q mile, is about one foot in three hun
bred and one foot in three hundred feet is
hardly enough for good securing. You should
secure greater fail if it can be possibly had If
you can get permission remove RATS in the
stream below for several miles. Sometimes a
ledge of rocks across stream viii prevent its
cutting deep channel for miles above. Some
times loose rock embedded in a close CLAW soil
will stop securing eitectually as a solid rock.
Examine the bed of stream below you. 1t is
there YOU must seek relief, not in the width Of
canal
J. R. a, Wilson, y. c.: lad all my cotton seed
hauled out and put in pile in my field last fail.
One day this week l commenced to haul them
down to put in compost found them all entirely
dead Please Jet lng know if they are as good for
manure as they would have been If
nd put them in the house
where they would not have been exposed 70
the weather. would also Like 10 know which is the
best way 20 use them mix them IN compost, or sow
them in the dill just So
Cotton seed bulked and wetted by rains or
Otherwise, are almost sure to lose ammonia.
It would have been better to keep them under
shelter until ready TO make compost. They
arc not as good now rs they would have been
green, bat are still good, and worthy Of a
place Isl the compost. Better to put in com
post now than to put directly in drill. When
the seed are pat in compost before they are
d adj, there need be no loss OF ammonia. So
also if put in drill whilst green and phosphate
scattered on top Of them, and land bedded.