The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1892-12-15
Matters of General Interest to the Farmer.

Ala CIOpS, CulIlNdI6u
on the same plan.
Matters of General Interest to the Farmer.
The following extracts from the
exchanges of the Department of agri-
culture, do we believe contain sound
advice and information of value to
farmers.
CLOVER AS FERTILIZER, SUITED BEST
TO MIDDLE AND NORTH GEORGIA
The clover plant yields the incest ma
nures, and that is the stuff that most
farmers most need. Clover gives good
wheat, corn, meat, milk and the cheapest
and best of all fertilizers. Wheat and
clover should take the place of weeds
and sassafras bushes.
look back over fifty years, and make
a note of the fact that the farms of this
locality on which clover has been grown
with the greatest regularity, are today
tho farthest from exhaustion. Clover is
such help in solving the problem of
available piGntfood. that believe it to
be work of benevolence to help in the
management of it.
There is one blunder, almost universal.
which l believe largely reduces the value
of clover, both for feed, seed and fertility,
and this is the universal habit of pastur-
ing young clover as soon as the wheat is
out of the field. l do not think it is
/ even wise policy to pasture for
month or six weeks after harvest, and
believe it better to lay down a rule never
to pasture the first fall under any circum-
stances This rule have followed for
twenty years. and believe that l have
been the gamer by it. 81.
AS recepitulation of this article, or
rather to enforce it, l say sow clover
with all small grain, no matter what
crop is to follow it. Use plenty of seed:
it is the cheapest way of fertilizing and
keeping yourland clean your command.
to pasture the young clover before it
has made growth enough to cover
the land, for by so doing you will in
the lond run have much less
feed and less benefit to the land Re
member that a soil densely shaded is
always improved. and that no other crop
you can grow will furnish as good shade
as clover.
HOW AND WHEN TO SOW CLOVER.
! September is the best month in which
to sow clover; October is probably the
next best; if not sown before the last of
! October it is better to wait until Feb
| ruary. 1t is not considered the best
practice, by the most experienced clover
! growers in the southern border of the
clover growing section, to sow the seeds
+ with small grain. Success is more
| certain when clover is sown by itself or
| with some other grass, like orchard,
blue grass, etc. If you SOW in February
we would advise not to sow with oats or
other grain. There is no advantage to
be gained in breaking the land earlier
/ than a week or two before sowing unless
| it may be necessary to break earlier in
! order to get it into good condition, The
soil should be we'll pulverized and har-
rowed smooth. Sow about twelve
pounds of clover seed per acre, if sown
| BY itself; if with orchard grass, use
! eight or ten pounds of clover and one
and one-half bushels of orchard grass
seed. While the surface is mellow and
fresh from recent narrowing, mix the
clover seed with ashes or sifted soil, o.
with good fertilizer, and sow half on
way and half the other, so as to get :.
uniform distributions, then SOW the
orchard grass, or other grass seed, in the
same way. No covering, by pillow, brush
or harrow, is necessary, the next rain
will cover sufficiently. If the soil is not
rich enough to bring a half bale Of
cotton, or twenty-five bushels of corn
per acre, it would be well to fertilize it.,
using not less than two hundred pounds
of good ammoniated phosphate.
FARMING A SCIENCE.
Farming is real science, and not
mere blowing and dropping seed in the
ground; any negro can do that, but to
sow and pillow with judgement, to under
stand the law of nature, and to take
advantage of these laws means success.
When farmer says-"it is too much
trouble, l have not the time" | know
! how to gage his judgement. Whatever
will give or / lvance prosperity in any
business, there is always a time to do
that thing.
ADOPT BUSINESS METHODS.
Of many remedies one worth trying is
business. That old saw, business is
business, contains world of meaning;
it is fully of sound common sense.
Every farmer ought to be a first-rate
business man. In this age he must be
or he will fail as sure as fate. Show me
a farmer who has no head for business
and 700 will point to man who is ON
the road to ruin.
But what do we mean by first-rate
business man? Is the farmer who pro-
duces abundant crops, of the best quality,
at the least cost, good business man?
Not necessarily; suchamanis undoubte-
dly good farmer; but he might be at
the same time poor business man.
There are large number of farmers
in the country who year after year pro-
duces abundant crops, of the stqualitv
and at the least cost, and yet grow