St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-12-19
FARMER AND PLANTER.
HINTS TO FARMERS.
Che Best Mothod of Increasing tho PRO

IT high pressure stimulation ii
brought to bear upon a flock of hens
the yield OF eggs would be abnormallJ
increased for one or more seasons, but
the vitality of the hen would be sappee
and the life force of her progeny would
be run down. Itis possible to apply
chemicals to soil that viii result only
IN stimulation to effort instead of in.
creasing the productiveness. Such q
system of fertilization would truly be
hot-house farming instead of being
intensive in the true sense Of the
word. We are told that what is
worth doing is worth doing well.
but this does not include OVERRIDING.
When we demand a crop OF the ssmoth
er OF us all we are in honor bound te
provide her with the proper chemical
elements with which, in her most
wonderful laboratory, she may com.
/ pound the required fruitage, and we
are equally bound to provide such prep
| aration and cultivation as will enable
her to apply the elements just as she
| pleases. We must wait on her with
| the most assiduous tending" when
she begins to build cereals and roots
for our use. Moreover, the gathering
of the crop must be done SO faithfully
and accurately that we may be able,
as good stewards, to make her full re-
turn of every thing she needs in order
to answer our call to duty t?) when we
shall ask of her a crop during the fol-
lowing year.
I. PREPARATION.
Determine how deep the laws of
plant life require that the roots of the
vegeta BILE or grain you propose to cul-
tivate should go into the earth during
the growing season. Having ascer-
tanned this, proceed to loosen the soil
in such thorough fashion that all the
needed elements in it may be readily
reached and normally absorbed by ma
ture for the purpose you wish her to
serve. Be very sure that if you dwarf
or dlstort the feeding roots, with all
their marvellous mechanism, by leav-
ing them to encounter hard clods,
they will invariably contribute their
moiety toward starving you. If you
see any responsibility here, you will
please apply plow, harrow, subsoilep
or spade until the proper tilth is OBJ
tanned. Make this matter of con-
science, even if you make railroad
trip up the River Seine and take a
look at the farming along the rail-
way into Paris before you can COM
prehend the absolute need of perfect
tilth.
If you can find that some particular
fertilizer will help in this preparation,
use it, unless agitation" of the dirt is
to you the cheaper process. In all
this the wisdom resulting from your
own experience, thoughtfut expert
ence, rather than my dictation, must
be your guide.
II. CULTIVATION.
II you have properly prepared your
ground, as already suggested, and
have given it all the fertilization that
may be mutually needed by it and the
crop You are to plant, as will be
treated under the next head, your field
is already hall titled. In regard to the
depth to which you shall cultivate the
soil while the crop is growing, you
must be governed by the length of the
lateral roots on the particular day
and also their depth in the earth.
This you must learn by actual inves-
tigation. Take no mans opinion on
that subject. Do not injure them be-
yond their power to grow quickly
into a more serviceable condition
than they were in before you took
them in hand. Investigate and ex-
pertinent until the question of late
plowing has been scientifically settled
by and for yourself.
= Touching the frequency of your cul-
tiyation, be guided by the condition
the soil crust at the time, and the ten
dency Of weeds to grow from the soil
which you have set apart for your
crop. Do not allow vegetable vaga-
bonds to eat up the food which you
have prepared for the plant children.
Moreover. you must not shut the chill
dren out from it by any failure to
loosen the soil fully up to the row and
between the hills. You must not be
afraid to bend your back in hoeing or
to get down on your knees for finger
work II necessary.
III. FERTILIZATION.
The hints already given along this
line, have been largely thrown out for
the sake of getting your attention to
the entire subject, and as they had
bearing upon the subject Of tilth.
Provide yourself with literature that
will correctly inform you in regard to
the chemical composition of the par
ticular crop which you may wish to
produce, and learn, from the same |
source. what fertilizer is richest in /
the element or elements that have the
chief place in that plant. Let this be |
your guide in all dealings with agents
for commercial fertilizers. You may
safely trust the bulletins of your ex-
pertinent station. They can be had |
for the asking, and they are inva1u-
D BILE
Before using any commercial fer
tilizer you are morally bound to pro-
vide one or more cemented cellars, or I
pits, that will receive and save every /
drop of liquid manure about your
premises. Of course you are already, /
by composing. taking care of all the
solid manure. II you will read up
On the habits of the people in the
tensely populated portions of Asia
and Europe, you will see that every
outhouse has its cemented pit, and
svery barnyard its series of fre-
compost heaps. In
switzerland and Denmark the high
ways are carefully divided up into
and each family is allotted
is small district, from which the
children, after school hours, gather