Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-04-27
YALuABLE HINTS
To the Farmers Of West Virginia from
the Experiment statlOn-IDsects and

Fertilizers.
Special Correspondence OF tas Rsgisisr.
MoRGANrowN, w. VA, April 25.-
The following has been issued oy the
/ Experimental Station:
The season OF the year has arrived
When the thoughtful and progressive
I farmer should give attention TO some OF
/ the details necessary for the protection
Of his crops and stock from the raw
! ages Of insect pests. The time mas
arrived when the Cooling moth VIII en-
I ter upon its period OF activity, ana de-
post the eggs which will make the
wormy apples and largely reduce the
yield if il be not vigorously comoated.
| The curculiOs, also, will begin TO deposit
their eggs in the young fruit almost as
soon as il begins to assume shape.
BY spending q little time and atten-
ton ia spraying the orchards and iruit
trees at this season of the year, with an
occasional treatment later, much OF the
damage done by these pests can De
ayerted. IL is evident that insect pests
in the State are upon the increase, and
every man engaged in frnit culture, or
interested in 10, should take vigorous
steps TO reduce their number, ana 10
check their damages before II becomes
too late. The best time TO fight this
enemy is this season of the year, and we
commend TO the farmers the judlcOns
use Of the various solutions applied oy
sOraying. as described in Bulletin 21 OF
the West Virginia Agricultural Expert
ment Station.
Many of the farmers In pruning their
orchards are in the habit Of leaving the
branches either lying in piles or scat
tered around in the orchard where they
become the breeding places OF insects
which are liable later TO attack the
sound trees in the orchard, and prove
destructive. Whenever a fruit tree, or
its branches, are dead or dying, u
should be removed, or the branches cut
of, and these, together with all OF the
limbs removed by pruning, should De
burned as soon as possible. a few hours
work spent In clearing up the orchard
OF this kind Of trash every spring may
preserve 10 from serious and irrepara0le
damage later.
The commercial fertilizer represents
one of the highest applications or
science TO practical farming. The eX-
pert skill Of the chemist is employed to
concentrate as much plant food into as
small bulk as possible, so that the
commercial fertilizer represents as
strongly concentrated plant food as the
progress Of modern science will permit
This being the case, the farmer should
remember that 10 is dangerous TO apply
these strong fertilizers with the seed,
or too close TO the young plant a
moments thought will convince the
farmer that the average corn
or potato plant spreads its roots
over quite large area, and
he can safely estimate the roots
will extend over a larger area than the
top OF the plant, so that fertilizer ap-
piled anywhere in the immediate VEIN
ity of plant is like 10 be utilized by II.
The farmer, also, should acquaint him
self with the habits, il we may use
the expression, of plant so that the
fertilizer will always be placed in the
soil above rather than below the roots
of the plant Take, for example, the
corn plant. The roots Of this plant do
not run down, but spread themselves
out horizontally over large surface at
a depth rarely exceeding six inches, so
th at the fertilizer TO become available
10 the plant should not be placed be-
low two inches from the surface, and in
many soils, it would be much better up
on the surface than placed at a depth
of six inches.
Our fertilizer manufacturers
have led the farmers to be-
lieye that great things are to be
hoped for from particular brands OF
fertilizers, aud the farmers are induced
TO buy the. 'Seed Maker" the Root
Grower" the Grass Producer" etc, un-
der the idea that there is extraordinary
potency In a particular brand for par
ticular purpose. This may, and may
not, be true. What the farmer should
do is TO pay no attention to the name or
brand OF a fertilizer but give his atten-
ton 10 the kind and quantity OF plant
food contained in the fertilizer. For
example, II is very largely wastage OF
money 20 apply a heterogeneous fertilizer
70 potatoes and corn, as the nitrogen Is
not utalZed by these plants In such
manner that they will ordinarily prove
remunerative for an expenditure OF this
element OF plant food. The same Is
true i'm very large measure Of fruit
trees and berry vines, tomatoes,
cabbage and number OF
other plants. On the other hand, nitro
gen applied 10 wheat, oats, rye or grass,
or generally TO forage crops, excepting
clover, will almost always prove remun-
erative. III a few OF the dollars, spent
In buying fertilizers that are applied
without any knowledge Of the princi-
pies of fertilization, aud therefore fire.
0uently very largely wasted were in
vested by the farmer in books like
Storer's Agriculture, and Nille'S
Artificial Manures," and diligently
studied, or expended in the subScrlp-
tions TO good, live agricultural papers,
IL would prove OF great advantage to
our agricultural interests. Frequently,
the application Of single fertilizer like
potash 70 potatoes or cabbage will prove
more remunerative than three times the
amount expended in applying compli-
Gated fertilizers with high-Sounding
titles. We advise all farmers to use
fertilizers iudiciously, and in buying
fertilizers, buy plant food rather than
particular brands Of fertilizers.