The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-09-23

A clovered soil may grow so poor
that nothing will grow upon it, even
clover. While the clover is supply
ing nitrogen, remember that it is
eXhausting the soil of potash and
phosphOric acid. Through clover
the earth is fed nitrogen, and nitro
gen only.
If the farm does not pay make it
pay; do not give up in despair.
Usually the fault is in the man more
than in the farm. That it does not
pay is no sign that it will not. Deny
yourself, if need be, the proceeds
from a poor field for year or two
and begin a systematic course of
renovation. Such a field can be
brought to high state of cultiva-
ton and fertility in due time by per-
sistent work, and then in one year
will bring you more in dollars and
cents than would have the scanty
crops had you sown and reaped con-
tinuously.
If sorrel has overrun field, pillow
it and sow about so bushels of lime
to the acre, and then harrow thor
oughly. If the field is then devoted
for season to some cereal or to a
hoed crop, or if it is given to buck
wheat early in the summer, the sor-
rel will be pretty thoroughly eradi-
Gated.
The heterogeneous elements of the
manure are in the liquid portions,
always, and money invested in good
absorbents is well invested; use
plenty of them. Then over the ma
nure pile throw dry loan, mulch,
sifted coal, ashes or plaster, for
! these will prevent escape through
evaporation and will fix the ele-
ments there.
Insect enemies do less damage
where frequent rotation is practised,
| because, often, where they will
thrive ON one crop they will starve
on another, and if we can starve
them out it will be better than to
use Insecticides.
Phosphate is much more effective
used Oil fall grain, or on the crops
planted early in the spring, for its
tendency it to revert to insoluble
forms when brought in contact with
dry earth; it is necessary to use ii
only in places and at times when
plenty of rains will supply the moist
ure to put it in condition for use. II
a long spell of dry weather follows
its use the phosphate will revert so
that water only will not dissolve it.
1t would seem that these broad
acres of Uncle Sans dominion
should be equal to the demand our
millions make for things to eat, but
there is every year imported nc
small portion of our supply of pota-
toes, beans, eggs, cheese, seeds, etc
Is this not our own fault?
When you set out your cucumbers
cabbage and tomatoes last spring, il
you had first placed on each spot
about quart of hen manure and
barnyard scrapings they would have
had the plant food just when they
needed it-at the start.
If your land needs draining, drain
it. The farmer who works drained
land is less at the mercy of the ele.
ments, and will be much more like
ly to have good crops in bad years
and that is just when it pays to have
them.
Medicinal plants might be grown
more extensively and become an in,
dustry of great value to the country
Along With other wild roots ginseng
is becoming scarcer every Year, NanC
is now worth SO pound. twill re.
quire three years for crop to ma
ture, but 1000 poAnds can be grown
to the acre. \ 1t requires some car,
and expense CONCERNING all which
directions can be had from seeds
men,