The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-03-21

and Corn on One Acre of Land-Pay
as You Goa Few Hints on Home Mix
ing of Fertilizers, Etc.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, March /, 1895.
As I glance toward the outside world,
as far as the eye can reach, see moth
Ing but bare brown trees, with here and
there green pine. and snow every
DEMONSTRATING like a thick white
mantle over the fields. piled up in high
drifts against the buildings and fences,
completely hiding the face of Mother
Earth, and inflicting much suffering on
man and beast. AS turn from the
contemplation Of, this most unusual
southern scene, I realize that before
this>zheavy layer of snow can melt and
the land be ready for the pillow, another
week must pass, which will leave only
few more days in February in which
TO complete the preparations for the
usual March paintings. AS on many
farms tha first furrow has yet to be run
tor the crops of 1896, these paintings
must, necessarily, be much delayed.
This Is Is not altogether due to the un-
favorable weather, for since Christmas,
there have been several days when
blowing could have been done with
both dispatch and profit. But the ma
aerity Of farmers have fallen into the
habit of allowing the first part Of jan
nary to slip by before any decided start
Is made on the years .work-one reason
perhaps being that throughout the
south farm labor is more or less demon
allied after the Christmas holidays.
Since the rains set in, about the mid
die Of January, we have had an uuin-
corrupted succession of shows, rains,
sleets and freezes, finally eliminating
In the almost Unprecedented cold during
the first of February.
Where the land was properly plowed
dnring the fall or early in January, the
extreme cold, preceding the heavy fall
OF snow. will put it in splendid condi-
ton. disintegrating and breaking up
| tho particles of soil and thus increasing
their power both Of absorbing and re-.
tanning moisture. Old farmers predict
q phenomenal crop year. Amid the
| general gloom this is cheering; indeed.
there is some comfort to be extracted
| even from present hard conditions. In
addition to the benefit to the land, the
freeze was the death blow to many
! troublesome and destructive insects.
Fruit trees were not sufficiently ad-
vanced to be injured, and the check
just now will prevent too rapid rise
Of sap their budding will be retarded,
and we stand better chance for an
abundant fruit crop. The intense cold
1 fVa& 41n % Ill
running below zero, and further south
almost unprecedentedly near that point,
has destroyed myriads of insect eggs,
and also arrested the injury from blight.
both so destructive to the interests of
fruit growers. While only this latter
class can lay claim to all these advan.
tages, the average farmer can appro.
pirate his share, and though harrassed
by low priced cotton, delayed work and
general uncertainty and indecision,
need not despair. Let him grid him.
self for the coming contest; let him
look ahead. and with clear brain and
unerring judgment, lay his plans for
assured success.
In recent report of the state COM
mittee on analytical and applied chem
istry in Virginia, occurs the following,
which comedies so exactly with the
views we have always promulgated,
and it is SO forcibly expressed, that we
would like to quote at length, but have
only room for some of the leading feat
| ures:
"When we consider the fact that the
| market value Of our lands and all the
| products of agriculture have materially
declined during the past few years
that the average decline in the prices
of our staple crops, to which fertilizers
are applied, amounts to fully 30 per
! cent. and that 1t is questionable wheth-
I or any crop can be grown at profit
under existing conditions, is it remark
able that our farmers are at their wits
end to know how to proceed, and what
to plant, II by chance they may make
both ends meet?
In support of this position, permit
me to quote from the statistician Of the
agricultural department, Washington,
D. c., March, 1898. At that date wheat
was selling at 81 cents and corn at SO
cents in Chicago. To ascertain what
the farmers were doing, he sent out
circulars broadcast. Replies were re.
ceived from 20, 900 practical farmers, in
case Of wheat, and %, 900 in case of
corn. These were revised and correct.
ed by 1000 replies from experts-i. e.,
graduates at colleges, Etc., engaged in
farming, with the following
RESULT:
Cost of raising an acre of wheat. .$11. SO
Cost OF raising an acre Of corn. q -. IL. II
The atatistician's report for Deem.
ber, 1893, showing the average value
Of wheat and corn per acre on Che farm
was: For wheat, &C. l6; for corn, S.. 81:
which shows virtual loss of 81. 05 on
every acre cultivated in wheat, and
%. 20 per acre Of corn, In 1898. leaving
out the straw, chat and stalks.
Shall we draw what consolation we
can from this improbable condition of
agriculture in the country at large, and
"throw up the sponge| Or shall we
address ourselves gravely to the situa.
ton and see what can be done to anne.
Iorate this condition of things?
To meet this discouraging situation.
the committee recommends that: