The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-11-12


SUI per cent annually. During the ten
years. the fertilized orchard received $50
pounds Of nitrogen, $50 pounds of phos.
phoric acid. and 75O pounds of potash.
In your case, supply the nitrogen by
sowing peas, and you will only have to
buy the potash and acid phosphate.
State Agricultural Department.
Hints on Breaking Land.
QUEsTIoN.-My crops are all gath
cred; l have sowed my oats and
wheat, now would it not be good idea
Tor me to break my land for next years
crop?
ANSWER. Your crops being all gath.
cred, by all means start at once to break
your land for another year. Many of
our farmers. when their crops are
housed. make the serious mistake of
waiting until spring before starting
their plows, This mistake frequently
results in serious loss, for should the
spring be dry, the ground, packed by
the heavy winter rains, becomes so hard
that it is impossible to break it properly
and the result is that they are forced to
plant or poorly prepared ground
The old adage that "a crop well
planted is half made is perfectly true,
therefore stake time by the forelock,"
and go @G work at once preparing your
land for another crop In doing this
work DOM follow the too common plan
of simply scratching the surface as it
We're, Sut get your plows deep into the
ground, bringing to the surface, if pos
slble, not less than an inch of the sub
soil, upon which the sun has never
shope. At tie same time turn under
everything that is ON the surface, such as
grass, cornstalks. cottOnstalks peavines,
etc. Burn nothing. except in excep-
tioHal cases, where on very rich land
the cottonstalks have grown so large
that burning is necessary to get rid of
them.
Our farmers, as a rule, do not appre-
ciste the importance of this deep fall
blowing. The advantages of it are nu-
merous and important. Among others,
regard the deepening of the soil as
most important. SHOULD you turn to
the surface in the spring an inch of the
red clay ,subsoil, it would probably be
baked into clods by the heat of the sun.
interfering with the growth and proper
cultivation of the crops through the en-
tire season. Turned up, however, in
the fall this subsoil becomes disinte-
grated by the frequent freezings and
thawing, and when you plow your land
in the spring it becomes thoroughly in
corporated with the top soil, adding to
its depth and fertility and thus insuring
you better crops. You see at once
that If tais process is repeated annually
you will nm few years have a deep,
mellow soil, capable of withstanding
drouths. and in a condition to hold the
rain that falls upon it. There are other
advantages in fall blowing which make
it desirable.
The grass, eornstalks, ETC., which are
turned under now, add to the fertility
of the land, whereas, by spring their fer.
tilizing properties have been largely ex-
hausted by evaporation and by teaching
rains. Then again land that is deeply
plowed at this seasoa will not wash SO
badly as that that is left untouched.
Another very important gain is, that
your fields will be in fine filth for your
spring preparation for planting, and
while your neighbor perhaps will find
his ground at that time, SO hard that he
cannot pillow it, yours SO treated will be
as mellow and friable as an ash bank.
These advantages of course apply chiefly
to stiff lands. for where the soil is deem
sand, 10 or IL inches perhaps to the sub,
soil, 1 can see no advantage In fall plow-
ing, except the single one Of getting the
grass. etc, turned under while yet they
have some fertilizing properties.
TRUST that the farmers of this state will
generally try fall blowing at once, this
year being peculiarly favorable for it,
the crops having been gathered SO un-
usually early. I am fully satisfied that
it needs but fair trial. to become the
rule. instead of the exception, as at pres
ent.-State Agricultural Department
Inspection of Guano.
QUEsTIoN.-Is guano inspected at the
factories in bulk, or where do the in
spectors get their samples? Under the
present inspection system, is there much
room for fraudulent guano to be sold in
Georgia?
ANswER.---Some years since it was
the practice for the insnectnrs To tal.o