The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-08-04
PROF. MASSEY ANSWERS SOME
QUESTIONS OF INTEREST
TO ALL.

questions.
1~t. What grass viii grow best in
this section? The land is light, sandy.
Also when is the best time to plant?
| want to seed some land this fall for
winter pasture.
2d. Wheat is the value Of crimson
clover for this section (the Southern
part of Columbus Coo
Sd. VIII red clover grow on sandy
land? Very respectfully,
COUNCIL MEARES.
ANswER-To u correspondents
first inquiry I would answer that IN
his particular soil and location | would
not attempt any Of the rue grasses be-
You'd the Indigenous crab grass. I do
| not think it necessary, because with the
winter pasturage he can make IN his
mild climate, he can make all the hay
he needs from crabgraas and pea vines.
1t is the fashion nowadays for agri-
| cultural writers to continually urge
| Southern farmers, without regard to
their location. to grow more grass. and
| many nte have been induced to spend
time and money in the effort to grow
the grasses cultivated North. on land
| and in a climate totally UnSuited to
them. What is needed in the sandy
| lands Of our coast section IS a renewal
of the wasted vegetable matter in the
soil. BY the growth of COW peas and
clover. this can be accomplished, and
hay made at the same time.
In reply to u correspondents sec
ond question, would say that crimson
clover II winter vetche, or mixture of
the two, will grow him a fine winter
| pasture on his land. But he must not
| expect something out Of nothing. If
his land is thin and poor lie need not
| expect a heavy growth without some
help to it. Mari or shell lime viii be a
good application, and a dressing Of
phosphate Will give it a good send off.
Then in spring turn under the crimson
clover and sow the land in peas, to be
cut for hay when in pod. With plenty
Of pea vine hay, the Southern coast
farmer need not trouble himself about
the cultivated grasses until he gets his
land rich, and then he will find that
some of the annual grasses, such as
inlet, Will answer his purpose. He
should always have a field in Bermuda
grass for summer pasturage.
To the third inquiry I would say
| that I hardly think it would be advIs-
able to spend any money in an effort
to grow the ordinary red clover on
sandy land in the Southern part of
Columbus county, unless there IS a
| good clay subs0il close under it. In
this case clover will do we'll, particu-
larly if dressed with lime or ashes. 1t
viii always pay to fertilize we'll to get
a growth of peas and clover. There
are men all over our State who have
gotten poor in buying fertilizers for
their sale crop, who could have made
money with the same fertilizers had
they been used to get a growth of
clover or peas to turn under and bring
up the land into greater productive
ness. But the anxiety to get some
thing out of nothing has made them
merely spectators, or rather gamblers
in fertilizers, taking the chance of 50
much fertilizer paying a profit in cot
ton. The South needs peas and clover
worse than she does grass.
l would advise Mr. Mears to SOW
crimson clover seed among his stand
ing cotton or cor in September for
winter ~pasturage. Every acre Of cot
ton could in this way be made to feed
stock in winter and be gaining instead
of losing, for the clover will yield fer
tility to the land. Sow fifteen pounds
Of seed per acre. No cover will be
necessary, as it will terminate readily
on the hard surface. Now if in the
spring, instead of putting the land in
cotton again, he will SOW peas, he can
cut a crop of hay, and sow the land in
clover again in the fall, and the next
season grow a bigger crop on it than if
he had spent all the expense of the
previous year in buying for it, and his
land will have taken on a new fertility,
which can be made to increase from
year to year if the clover and peas are
put IN between crops of cotton. Along
tins line lies independence of the fer
tlllzer mixture and money in the
iaIlneF pocket. w. +. MASSEY.
\. Z, Experiment Station.