St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-08-14

FARMER AND PLANTER.

FARMER ANDPLANTER.
TRUE FARMING ECONOMY.
C Tays - Use Feeslllslsg Material
JadIeSo1sly Applied.
II there il any one special thing tilat
the average farmer tries to economic
in. it Il generally in fertilizers 1t il
not . question with him how much he
should buy to use on his crops butwith
how little he can get along and still
make IN average crop. Now, while
economy in it, own place Il just and
proper and highly to be commended
when properly directed, yet there u IN
economy that tends to waste. and In
nothing IL this fact more positive than
in the fertilizing question. It's . fact
We can not gainsay. that the farmer
generally Rrudges the paying Of his
fertilizer bill more than al his other
bills put together. Now why should
this be 20? II he would only reason
out the matter. and take notes Of
past results from judicious fer
tilizing. he would find the money
spent in that way 10 the money that
brings him the largest returns OF Ill
his various items of expenditure. It Il
. well-known fact that everything else
being properly conducted. the larger
the expenditure along this line the
more profit il made. OF course. I am
referring here TO the judici0us use Of
the proper fertilizers for fhe different
varieties Of crops grown ON the farm.
To the observing individual who
for object Lessons along these lines.
there are absolute proofs 70 be had
everywhere. that we, - farming
class. could use . good deal more fer
tilizers than We do to decided advan-
tage. Take . corn crop. for instance.
The average southern farmer thinks he
II dong well IL he uses from 800 70 500
pounds per acre Of any ordinary brand
Of corn fertilizer. Now practical ex-
perience, - we'll a. . good deal Of
general observation, convince me
that 1t least three times that amount
will give much larger returns in pro-
portion. and Il Il the same Ill through
the range Of crops grown. The objec-
ton will be made that the average
farmer can mot afford this extra ex-
penditure, but II he finds this to Be %.
he had better cultivate fewer acres and
let the balance of his land take rest
for . season BY doing this he would
be economizing labor, and the return Of
harvesting would be . good deal more
Satisfactory. This object lesson was
very forcibly impressed upon my mind
during . visit had the pleasure Of
paying short time ago to the expert
ment farm Of the state Of North Caro-
lima, located Ut Southern Pines In that
state. The object lessons in fertiliz-
ing in the different combinations Of
the three essential elements. - well -
In the various quantities with their sp-
parent results were worth going long
way 20 zee. may mention in passing.
that this experimental farm was pro
mosed through the enterprise Of the
North Carolina State Horticultural
society, and il under the direct man
agement of the state experiment sta
tion 1t Raleigh. This in itself iasurea
the careful conducting Of al expef
ments carried on at the farm, and wheh
say that the men in charge are ex-
perts in their various callings and In
love with their work. we can readily
understand the incalculahle benefits
this experimental farm will be TO the
farmers and fruit-growers Of that state.
This il without doubt . model farm,
and one of the most perfect Of its kind
in the world, and I wish every farmer
and fruit-grower in this broad land Of
ours could pay It . visit; they would
find enough object lessons there "a
keep them thinking for many . day "a
come. This entire farm II laid on in
plots ON cne-tenth cf IN acre each, and
the various plots are Ill treated differ
emily. One certain quantitv Of the
three essentials nitrogen. phosphorus
acid and potashl Other plots ars
treated 10 double quantities.. and
some to treble quantities. while
still others are treated with green ma
nuring. The beauty Of the whole
thing il. that one doesn't require guide
to tell him al these things, for every
thing II put on plscards. % that he
that runs may read, and the results are
apparent to the most casual observer.
But the certain benefits derived from
usinG plsaty Of 1ertilisers are apparent
wherever II II tried: this with the graf
flying results obtained from the hber
n use Of phosphoric acid and potash
proves beyond . doubt that these two
elements. particularly potash. are what
bring the farmer and fruit-grower the
largest returns for his money. And
when We consider the great agricul-
tursl depression that Affects N al. ws
can happily turn 70 these experiments
and find out certain way to help at
least part of this depression BY uaing
potash and phosphoric aeid with ,nors
liberal hand. Space forbids me 70 en-
large on this subject just now. but
ohall return to Il soon.-C. X. AcQua1'
rio, In Texas Farm and Ranch.
GOOD FARMING.
TAs Oaly ssrs Way - Ssssre 60