The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-08-14
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
TRUE FARMING ECONOMY.

TRUE FARMING ECONOMY.
It Pays to Use Fertilixing Material
Judiciously Applied.
II there is any one special thing that
the average farmer tries to economic
In, it is generally in fertilizers. 1t is
not a question with him how much he
should buy to use on his crops, but with
how little he can get along and still
make an average crop. Now, while
economy in its own place is just and
proper and highly to be commended
when properly directed, yet there is an
economy that tends to waste, and in
nothing is this fact more positive than
In the fertilizing question. tits fact
we can not gainsay, that the farmer
generally grudges the paying of his
fertilizer bill more than all his other
bills put together. Now why should
this be so? If 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 is the money that
brings him the largest returns Of all
his various items of expenditure. 1t is
a well-known fact that everything else
being properly conducted, the larger
the expenditure along this line the
more profit is made. OF course, l am
referring here to the judicious use of
the proper fertilizers for the different
varieties of crops grown on the farm.
To the observing individual who
oil III 20 o he
for object lessons along these lines,
there are absolute proofs to be had
everywhere, that we, as farming
class, could use good deal more fer
tilizers than we do to decided advan-
tage. Take q corn crop, for instance.
The average southern farmer thinks he
is doing we'll If he uses from 200 to 800
pounds per acre of any ordinary brand
of corn fertilizer. Now practical ex-
perience, as well as q good deal of
general observation, convince me
that at least three times that amount
will give much larger returns in pro-
portion, and it is the same all through
the range of crops grown. The objec-
ton will be made that the average
farmer can not afford this extra ex-
penditure, but if he finds this to be SO,
he had better cultivate fewer acres and
let the balance of his land take q 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 at Southern Pines in that
state. The object lessons in fertiliz-
ing in the different combinations of
the three essential elements, as well as
in the various quantities with their ap-
parent results, were worth going long
way to see. l may mention in passing,
that this experimental farm was pro-
NOTED through the enterprise of the
North Carolina State Horticultural
society, and is under the direct man.
agement of the state experiment sta
ton at Raleigh. This in itself insures
the careful conducting of all expert
ments carried on at the farm, and when
/ say that the men in charge are ex-
perts in their various callings and in
love with their work, we can readily
understand the incalculable benefits
this experimental farm will be to the
farmers and fruit-growers of that state
This is without doubt a model farm,
and one of the most perfect of its kind
in the world, and wish every farmer
and fruit-grower in this broad land o.
ours could pay it visit; they would
find enough object lessons there Il
keep them thinking for many a day t.
come. This entire farm is laid of in
plots on one-teuth Of an acre each, ant
the various plots are all treated differ
emily. One certain quantity of tn,
three essentials nitrogen, phosphori'
acid and potash). Other plots ar
treated to double quantities, and
some to treble quantities, while
still others are treated with green ma
nuring. The beauty of the whole
thing is, that one doesn't require guild,
to tell him all these things, for every
thing is put on placards, SO that h
that runs may read, and the results arr
apparent to the most casual observer
But the certain benefits derived from
using plenty of fertilizers are apparen
wherever it is tried; this with the graf
flying results obtained from the liber
al use of phosphoric acid and potash
proves beyond doubt that these TIVE
elements, particularly potash, are wha
bring the farmer and fruit-grower tn
largest returns for his money. AND
when we consider the great agricul
tural depression that affects us all, W.
can happily turn to these experiment.
and find out certain way to help a
least part of this depression by usint
potash and phosphoric acid with a NOR
liberal hand. Space forbids me to en-
large on this subject just now, but