The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-02-01
INQUIRIES ANS,,L.....l
BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT.
OF AGRICULTURE.
Relating to the Farm, Garden, Dairy,
Stock Raising, Etc.
TEOSINTE,
Can you give me any information in
regard to Teosinte as forage plant?

j. l.. H., Conyers, Ga.
Ieoslnte Is tropical plant closely re-
sembllng corn. 1t suckers or tillers to a
remarkable degree, and is a rapidly
growing plant, with so suckers some
tlmes sprlnglng from single plant, and
IN warm climates attaining height of
from III to 10 feet. In this country, ex-
cept IN the extreme southern portion,
the seasons are not long or hot enough
10 permit 1t to seed. While not seeding
IN Georgia, it will do well as forage
plant. 1t stands drouth well, much bet
Ter than corn, and the yield is
enormous in this state about 10 tons to
the acre; stock like it, and there is little
waste as the stalks are very tender.
1t will require one pound of seed to
plant an acre and it should be planted
IN rows three feet apart and thin seed
until the plants are about foot apart.
1t is said to have been introduced in
this country from South America where
it is perennial, but in this country, while
permitting more than one cutting it
must be treated as an annual.
MANURE.
How much does manure lose by being
exposed? H. I'll.
GAINESVILLE.
We have endeavored a number of
times to call the attention of our farm
ers to the great loss they suffer from not
taking proper care of their barnyard
manure. Your question brings this loss
pointed to mind. Experiments ON a
large scale demonstrated that under or
binary conditions of piling and exposure
during the course of the summer ma
nure loses of its fertilizing constituents
about 90 per cent of its original value.
A comparative test of the value of
leached and unleached manure conduct
ed at the Ohio experiment on corn and
wheat, and mixtures of clover and timo-
thy, showed very wide difference, and
indicated that the margin of profit on
open yard manure is extremely small.
In experiments at the New York station
1t was demonstrated that COW manure
exposed to the weather lost Is per cent
of its weight. There was a loss in per-
centages of each fertilizing constituent,
except phosphoric acid, amounting in
the aggregate to $50 per cord.
A large number of other experiments
might be mentioned showing the great
loss incurred by improper exposure.
1t has been well said that "the true
foundation of all successful agriculture
is undoubtedly the manure pile, and
when assisted by clover and commercial
fertilizers, roses can be made to bloom
in the place of thorns; hay can be made
to grow instead of briars and thistles:
grain instead of weeds, and wealth in
stead of poverty"
Let us resolve at the beginning of the
year more to husband our resources, and
by the use of cowpens, manure and
proper appreciation of commercial fer
tihzers bring our lands to higher state
of cultivation.
. RAW BONE AND STEAMED BONE.
We have previously been called upon
to give the difference in the value to the
farmer of pure raw bone and steamed
bone. #ts
The Southern Planter thus answers a
similar question:
This inquiry from subscriber is a
very pertinent one at this season of the
year when farmers are ordering their
fertilizers for the wheat crop which US
ually largely consist of bone or acid
phosphate. If our subscribers will refer
to the January, 1898, number of The
Planter they will there find an article
from DR.. DeChalmot, the assistant chem
list of the department of agriculture.
fully explaining the different kinds of
bone meal fertilizers and their common
ent parts, which will supply complete
answer to this inquiry. For the benefit
of those of our present readers who NAV
not have the January number, I'VE would
say that there is practically difference
in the percentage of phosphoric acid in
raw and steamed bone meal
The steamed bones, however, nave
lost the larger proportion of their nitro
gen. This loss, however, is attended
with a gain in the availability of the
phosphoric acid, and as the phosphoric
acid is the principal object for which
bones are applied, the steamed ones are
more valuable for this purpose than the
raw ones. The loss of the small percen-
tage of nitrogen is more than counter
balanced by the gain in availability of
the phosphoric acid; at least, we think
this to be so when used for a fall dress
ing for wheat.
FERTILIZERS REMOVED BY CROPS.
note in your reports where you give
the amount of the elements of plant food
removed by several crops. In order to
practically apply your answer l would
be glad if you would give in dollars and
oo,,+s tho o,,,o11Ot ratnnJTa1 Inv y,ba ~,