The Springdale news., 1888-09-21
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
To Double the Yield.

:. have four acres Of land (saudy loam with red clay subsoiI) which yielded % bushels of red oats per acre this year. Please state how 1 should treat 1t to double the yield another year. I sowed broadcastlast fall. the middle of Novem- Der, and applied 200 pounds of ammoniat- ed guano per acre at time of sowing. After oats were harvested planted whip poorwill peas in drills three feet apart and have now very good coat of vines on the land.
 ?. Which would be safest for big yield, red oats sown ia the fall or Butt oats sown in the spring? l thought would try Burt oats, but will abIde by your decision, as 1 have no experience with them. Please give me full par ticulars as to preparation of soil, time of sowing. kind and amount of seed and fertilizer per acre, etc.
 S. I have twelve acres of same kind ot land as above des cribed that will produce this year half bale of cotton per acre. Please inform me how I shall treat it so as to make one bale per acre next year. I mean it will make half bale to the acre with the application of 1j0 pounds am- III oniated guano per acre.
 We are not among those who believe that specified given amount of extra crop can be assured 5y the application of a certain prescribed amount and quality of fertilizers. One who is ia miliar, by long experience or observa- tion, with the qualities of a given soil, it's usual yield without fertilizers. and the average rate of increased yield from given amounts of fertilizers ap- piled, ought to be able to estimate, with some approach to accuracy. the am cunt of fertilizer that will be neces- sary to increase the yield by given amount. In q general way We might proceed Us follows: \ certain field is known to be capable of producing, without fertilizers, ten bushels of oats per acre, on the average, or one year with another. If We have observed that an application Of two hundred pounds Of a given fertil- izerpe acre, on the same or similar soil. will increase the yield by ten bushels per acre, then We may safely assume that double the amount of fer tilizer will produce double the yield. This is not exactly true, either accord ing to theory or observation. beeaasethe ratio of increase yield does not eorre- spond with the ratio of increase in the amount Of fertilizers applied.
 l. Let your hogs and other light stock pasture on the peas when ripe. and untilthe vines are well trodden down. Then turn over the surface % as to get the remaining vines out of the way of the harrow. Or if practice ble break the land with ordinary scoot- CTS. As soon as possible in October sow the oats with about two hundred pounds per acre of the same fertilizer you used before, or some highly ammoniated fertilizers. Cetton-seed meal is all excellent fertilizer for oats. The Texas ru5t-proof oats is very pop ulal in Georgia and Alabama. Sow about three bushels of seed per acre. 4 good way to SOW is to wet the seed oats by letting them stand in water q few minutes. Then drain off the water and stir in the fertilizer according to the amount to be applied. to the acre. If necessary. d little more water may be applied to the mass, adjusting the seed, fertilizer and amount of water so that the mixture will SOW easily and evenly Sow on freshly-plowed land October l and harrow in. Apply one hundred pounds of same fertilizer, or same amount of eottOn-seed meal, as d top-dressing about middle of February.
 2 Would prefer the red oats in fall If winter-killed then sow the Burt oat in the spring. We think, when con- ditions are most favorable for both, the fall sown oats will give at least fifty per cent. greater yield than the spring sown.
 3. The application of five hundred pounds of the same fertilizer would be likely to bring up the yield to one bale. Ridge up the ground in March. About the first of April open out the water furrows. apply one-third of the fertilizer in the opening furrow, bed up with half turn-shovels or regular turning blow Crows three and half to four feet wide), and apply the remaining two-thirds of the fertilizer in the list ing-furrows. Follow in each turning furrow with a long. bull-tongue. Plant about April 10 to 15 in some prolific variety of cotton. using fifty pounds Of fertilizer in furrow with the planting seed. -.Southern CultiUator.