Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-31
NO HARD TIMES IN H1s,N.


You have analyized my peat lands in the
past, and therefore know what they con-
tain. My land under such working as
give it, makes fifty bushels of corn to the
acre without fertilizers, but 1 use lots of
elbow grease. l rhave been in the field
SiXty-one years, and therefore begin to feel
that L know something about how to make
| corn. But wish to do something better
than usual this year, wish to get at least
100 bushels of corn to the acre. Heretofore
my crop has given me but one ear to the
Stalk-I want more. My rows have been
four feet apart with two stalks in the hill
| three feet apart in the row. Last wear 1
tried one field with two stalks in the hill
and the hills only two feet apart IN the
row. 1t was still only one ear TO the stalk.
Please suggest some fertilizer for my
land that would Increase the frutage. Do
you thing liberal application of acid phos-
phate would be advantageous Or, if this
would not be best, mention the fertilizer
that you think would be best, tell me how
much Of it to apply, and l will at once wade
in. am for big crop, as already stated.
Do you think two stalks to the foot too
close under heavy fertilizing2 The land
does not need water, and it contains an
abundance of vegetable matter.
1 have been reading your valuable agri-
cultural writings, Professor STEELE, since
you first came to the lower South twenty
three years ago, and will continue to do So
as long as | can raise dollar to pay for the
paper. You are an agricultural editor after
my own heart. And | reckon the reading
has not hurt me any, for have corn Of the
crop of 1890 enough'to last me one week
longer, after which shall begin feeding on
last years crop. Hard times'' is the cry
of all my neighbors here, but-well, no
matter about me. Fhave bought but one
barrel OF meat land n saG of no other kind)
since 1873 In fact, have bought nothing
that could be raised on Southern farm.
If you print this letter please correct
mistakes and excuse bad writing, as l am
nothing but poor old farmer. VIII re-
port on my corn crop in August and at
gathering time. S. B. WHATLEY
Whatley, Clark County, Ala, March 81,
1892
For pushing lands good enough to pro-
duce fifty bushels OF corn 10 the acre land
most of our Texas lands are good enough
for that under a liberal application of
''elbow greaser) we would recommend
something about like the weIl-kuown Fur
man formula fertilizer, say 100 pounds
cotton seed meal, 100 pounds of acid
phosphate and fifty pounds kainit. Mix
well together and apply at the rate
of 500 pounds to the acre. In the case of
hill or planting furrow, as is absolutely
necessary in the case of extremely poor
lands, but would make our first application
at the first blowing. Bar OF, scatter $50
pounds Of the fertilizer to the acre in the
burrows on either side of the row, covering
it up by return of the soil At the time
IF ''laying by" we would strew the other
$50 pounds on either side of the rows and
cover by slight killing from the middles.
We say slight hilling'' for the reason that
we are not in favor of much killing at the
laying by'' OF, corn-bring up Just dirt
enough to cover the fertilizer nicely.
We think this course will boom your
crops ahead to splendid results, and it viii
be the best application that could be made
TO lands of the character that we know
yours to be. Two stalks in the hill, three
feet apart, would probably be near enough,
or one stalk in the hill eighteen inches
apart.
Would that the South had many more
such ''poor farmers" (as he puts it,, like
Mr.. Whatley.