St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-10-03

six varts cotton-sseA nsal and 6ns pr
muriate Of potash would mot b Bod.
This amount could be gradually in-
Sreased each year until LOO TO 1000
pounds per acrs Il reached. What tho
limit h to tho amotint of fertilizer which
can probably b used ON given held
can b determined only by experiment
depending on the competition OF tho
soil, and tho market value Of the for
tilisers and Of the particular crop In"
tsnded to bc grown.
The profit derived from the heavy
use Of fertilizers II the saving In labor
and In amount Of land Used. There
need b no more expense IN the thor
ough preparation and culture Of M
acre Of corn. for example, when It Is
fertilised to make 10 bushels Of
corn to the aero than when fertilised
to r.ske only ton. BY 20 heavily ma
huring it the labor Of man and beast
expended on the three additional
acres in order to get 10 bushels,
thrse acres Is to be counted - profit
to Be set sgainst the expense Of the in
creased amount of manure II the MSS
Of . small amount Of fertilizer gives .
proAt, then It II evident that al that
the plants can utilise will give . larger
profit. When the amount that . plant
can use 10 supplied, the limit to the
profitable use Of fertilizers has been
reached.
Not . ANAL benefit resulting from
heavy msnuring II tho satisfaction and
oontentment that large crops bring to
both farmer and laborer. Even though
bale of cotton should cost ~ much
per pound to raise when your fields
yield . bale to the acre - when they
yield only one-third of bale. yet there
IL far moro pleasure In doing the
do more and better work when the re-
suit of their labor is . source Of pride
to them. In these days Of social and
industrial unrest and discomfort, that
which brings contentment II Of large
moment.
Certain plants. like corn, send their
roots ont literally. while others, like
cotton. are largely dependent upon .
tap root The character Of the root
system of plant must determine how
the fertilizer Is to be applied to it
whether broadcast or in drill. The rule
to be followed IN to put tho fertilizer
where 1t will be most accessible to the
plant and to so thoroughly mix It with
tho soil that it becomes part Of It.
The basic principle Of farming II that
manure is the plants food and tho
roots are the mouths through which II
feeds.
Fertilizer 10 put in the soil for the
sole benefit Of tho plant. and should
DO used by It and not BY grass or
weeds. All that they consume IS just
20 much lost to the support Of the
plant The killing of weeds and grass
just - they make their appearance
above ground uust before would he
better), and before they have had OPP
portunity TO steal IN appreciable
amount Of tho plant food, II one Of the
objects Of cultivation. Some consider
it the only object, but in this they are
mistaken. If there were mo- such things
n weeds or grass, still. 70 get best 10
suits, the work Of cultivation by pillow
and hoe would have 10 60 on. Guilt
walton must be done. grsss or noRrass,
for the purpose Of regulating and pre-
venting the waste Of moisture in the
reservoir that we took such trouble
to construct by subs0iling. The
ground acts In the Same way - .
lamp wick-conducting BY capillary
action the moisture below 10 the sur
face. whore It II lost to the plant BY
evaporation. When soil b not stirred
for two or three weeks. little passages
are found out Of the spaces between
the grains or particles Of earth through
which the moisture ascends 70 the sur
face and passes OF into vapor. This
leakage must be stopped. TODD 20 we
break these little passages Or water
pipes two or three inches under the
ground by blowing, 70 that the plants
can get the full benefit Of al moisture
the subsoil contains. Flowing lets the
air and sunshine into the part Of the
soil stirred, and they remove the
moisture from that depth Of the soil
which. becoming loose and dry, forms
dust mulch ON the surface Of the
ground. holding the moisture in the
soil below.
Cultivation, after the plant has BE-
come Of any size, should Be shallow
not more than three inches in depth
since deep blowing in cultivation cuts
the roots and thus retards the growth
Of the plant. Moreover, cultivation
should be frequent; every week or ten
days in dry weather would not be too
frequent, ~ the little waste water
pipes must BE- kept broken and
stopped beneath the surface and the
reservoir maintained without leak
age. Fertilizers are Of NO benefit
without moisture, but on the contrary
are positive injury.
Deep and thorough pulverstion Of
the soil in preparation, maintaining .
high degree Of fertility in accordance
with the needs Of the plant to be
grown, frequent and shallow stirring
Of the soil in cultivation are the con
tributions Of science to agriculture. -
w. T. Stone, in Southern Cultivator.
HERE AND THERE.
1T Is usually his own fault il the
son of . successful farmer il not him.
self . success at the business. The
foundations and first story are built
for him already.
Nothing but wide-tired wagons
should be used ON farm. Their I'D
vantages are 90 numerous and self-evi.
dent that NO argument NJ to their
superiority is needed.
Five cords of good stable manure