Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-03-23
staunton indicator
FRIDAY MnRNlNG. MAR. %, 1894.
LOCAL.
WHAT Is THE BEST FERTILIZER ?

| LNJCAL.
WHAT Is TIlE BEST FERTILIZER !?
PRACTICAL FARMERS DISCUSS
THE QUESTION.
THE FIsHERsvILLE FARMERS CLUB
WANTS NO POLITICAL LECTURERS
| THE WEATHER SIGNALS OF TIE CLUB
READY-A MOVEMENT FOR A TELE-
PHONE LINE-INTEREsTING TALK ON
FERTILIZERS,
FIsHERsvILLE. March 17th.-The Club
was called to order by MI. Freed, the
Chairman being absent, and the following
members answered to their names: Dr..
I1ildebrand, +. M. Bell, G.. w. c. Karnes,
John E. Leonard, w. F. Gilkeson, Capt.
G. B. Coiner, A. A. Jones. j. d. Miller,
Dr.. Hanger and j. r. Kemper
| WEATHER SIGNALS.
! J. r. Kemper reported that the flags for
the signal station had been purchased, and
would be ready for use the first of the
week.
Mr.. Freed reported that the fertilizer
was bought and the lills received, but the
cars had not arrived.
/ NOT A POLITICAL CLUB.
| Dr.. Hanger stated he had communica-
| ton from a gentleman who wished to lee
ture before the Club, and to inaugurate
| political Clubs, &C.. but had replied, stat
ing that this Club was non-political, and
declined the offer.
A TELEPHONE LINE.
The chairman stated that number
| of the members desired to discuss
the feasibility Of erecting q private
Telephone line down the Long Mead
ows, and after some discussion ON the
subject, Dr.. Hanger, Nj. Freed, Dr.. Hill
debrand, and MI. j. r.. Kemper We're APP
pointed q committee to ascertain the cost.
&c, and report to the next meeting OF the
Club.
THE BEST FERTILIZER.
The fertilizer question was then called
for discussion, and Capt. Conner stated
that in answer to a letter he had written
the Commissioner of Agriculture on the
subject, he had given him list of various
fertilizers, recommending those high in
ammonia and potash for potatoes. For
| oats he would use S. G.. Bone, and potash,
and believed it paid as well to use fertilizer
on his spring crops as it did on wheat. For
potatoes he would use it in the row.
MI. Bell said for potatoes he preferred
stable manure and wood ashes.
DR.. Hildebrand said he would like to see
this question more fully discussed, and he
had noticed in the Southern Planter, some
articles from the Chemist at Blacksburg
College, giving all the necessary elements
required to produce the various crops. He
thought clover was as cheap a fertilizer as
we could use. The amount taken from the
soil each year, in ammonia, to produce
thirty bushels of wheat, was about ffty-two
pounds, tWenty-six pounds of phosphoric
acid, and thirty-six pounds potash. Clio
yer would furnish ffty-two pounds Of am
monia, and that was the cheapest way for
the farmers to get it. Thequestion then was,
how to get tnese necessary elements the
cheapest, and he believed clover was the
best and cheapest means.
Capt. Conner said from the reports of the
Chemist, he inferred that while clover
would supply more of the elements to pro-
duce crop if plowed under, if cut off the
ground it was one of the most exhaustive
crops.
MI. Gilkeson said he had plowed one-half
of field of clover down, and cut the re-
mainder and then plowed it under, but did
not see any material difference in the crop,
but had raised fine crop Of wheat.
DR.. Hanger said he had raised 81 bush
els OF wheat per acre, on a field that had
not been in clover for seven years.
MI. Karnes said he believed in clover
and always cut the seed, and his land i'm
proved under that system, producing % to
30 bushels Of wheat per acre. His expe-
rience had been that if he plowed down a
heavy crop of clover, it did not produce a
good crop, as the wheat would not fill.
Mr.. Jones favored stable manure in the
row for pot2.toes; as to clover, he had fine
field last season, and fully intended plow-
ing it under, but at that time he needed
some hay, an6! cut the crop. He then in
tended to pillow under the second crop, but
as clover seed was scarce, he cut that crop,
and for fear Of yielding to further tempta-
tions, he had covered it over with straw,
so it could not be moved again. and would
certainly plow it under this fall, and ex-
pected good results, and he will not be dis
appointed.
Mr.. Leonard said he could say nothing
against the use of clover, and fully believ-
ed it was a fine fertilizer.
Capt. Conner said he thought Dr.. Hang
er's farm had improved in the last twenty
years.
INCREASING FNRM YIELD.
Mr.. Miller said he remembered when
some farms in this section did not produce
Thousand bushels of wheat year, and
now produced double that amount, but his
experience had been that he could not raise
good crop of timothy, without using
clover.
Capt. Coiner proposed that each member
OF the Club make some experiment this
season and report to the Club.
DIR. Hanger did not think we could af-
ford to supply ammonia with clover, as it
cost too much, for in raising the clover we
were producing a crop that would not sell
on the markets, while if we raised timothy,
it would sell for good prices, and keep up
the fertility of the soil by the use of COM
mercial fertilizers. The whole question
was how could the three necessary ele-