The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-04-14
Yield Of dried COn'ts Of chloride
Tobacco Leaves in the ashes
No. Fert'Iizr used

/ u10 AA41s POG II 49, '4OO1O"s''s
No 10 acid phOs.
& sui of polish 800. 98,8-.... $500. 0,46
Muir. polish, sui.
of ammonia. e.. .1S0,9...... $500. O,4
No II acid phOs.
sui. pOtash,s sui.
of ammonia. ....113,3..... ...... O,55
These experiments teach that plaster
has no effect upon the yield, which in
this case was even less than where no
manure was applied. Any simple fer
tilizer increased the yield but little;
potash with phosphoric acid increased
the yield already materially, while the
complete fertilizer, containing althree:
phOsphoric acid, potash, nitrogen,
brought the highest yield. Stable ma
nure increased the yield, but also pro
duced ahigh contents of the harmful
chlorine. The injurious effect of muir
ate is also strikingly illustrated.
This statement Of facts should ina
press upon the tobacco grower the i'm
portance of selecting his fertilizers
with greater care, viz, the proportion
in which he is to apply to one acre to
tobacco potash, phosphoric acid, nitrO-
gen. It is, of course, impossible to
give a receipt applicable to all cases,
because the quantities must be varied
to suit the conditions Of the particular
soil. It may be useful, however, to
state a general formula, which may be
altered as the various conditions may
require. Apply to the acre following
amounts:
7O-11O lbs. potash equal to 14O-2O5 lbs.
sulphate Of potash (52 per cent? or
27O-4OO lbs. double manure salt (26 per
cent?
1886 lbs. phosphoric acid aqual to
10000 lbs. acid phosphate az per
cent?
27-45 lbs. nitrogen equal to 14O-225
lbs. sulphate of ammonia 60 per cent?
Apply the fertilizer broadcast, and
at least several weeks before planting.
If rotation of crops is practiced-and
this is by far the best system-then ap-
ply the fertilizer heavily to the crop
preceding tobacco. B. Won HERFF.
GROWING FLAX IN SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS.
My friend and neighbor, James B.
Smith page 97O, by an oversight, mis-
takes what should be very clear deduc-
ton from my purpose to test the suit
ability of this soil and climate for the
culture of flax. No doubt, as far as
money value-atpresent-i is concerned,
corn would pay me better than flax
would, but n cannot grow only corn;
a diversity of products is indispensable
for the profitable pursuit of agricul-
ture. Ensilage for the feeding of COWS
for butter product would certainly be
the most profitable crop to be grown
here, but there must be a fine butter
maker in front of the silo, and there
are few fine butter-makers in this local
ity, while there is a superabundance of
cheap labor, and not work enough to
keep the boys and girls out of the mis-
chief which Satan finds for idle hands.
The climate and soil here are all that
can be desired; we have hundreds of
water-powers for factories to work up
the fax into fabrics; all that are wanted
r the men with enterprise and capital
to start the industry.
This crop is not exhaustive to the
soil, as no seed is produced, and the
quantity of mineral matter taken from
the soil is next to nothing, being only
seven pounds in a thousand of the
stalks. Theinexhaustible air furnishes
the 993 pounds of carbonaceous matter
contained, and thus a rich soil is not
required. But it is a mistake to sup
pose u soils in this region are thin
and light. Just here, at the very brink
of the precipitous Blue Ridge, where
the fall of 800 feet to the land below
IS In many places almost perpendicular,
the soil contains a small proportion of
alluvial matter, but it is rich in the
mineral elements of plant food, and a
few miles from here the soil is quite
equal to the average of New York and
Pennsylvania, being a dark clay loan
of sufficient depth for any crops, and
amply rich enough to produce fax
straw 4 feet tall. Our isolated situa-
ton thirty miles from a railroad
tends greatly to restrict the growth of
ordinary field crops, but we have IN
limited scope for manufacturing. and
if we will produce the flax, this region
might become one of the wealthiest in
the Union. Congress has wisely or
unwisely as it may appear to different
persons, thought it advisable to offer a
large bonus to f~ax4growers and manu-
facturers, and / am confident that this
locality possesses all the conditions re-
quired, not only for the growth of the
fibre but for its cheap preparation and
its manufacture Ste1CGTt, Macon
Co., ". c., an Country Gentleman.