The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-15

:. h,xn ha+n done years ago TOR every
section in the State by the Department
| If A-riculture. and has now COMMUNE
| ,.,tnd the results and gwen 10 every
( Eastern Virginia farmer the ~h1o"leutS
'..hieb Will enaule him to set about scien-
t;fcally the improvement OF MS lald anu
,hn production of profitable crops. we
rorpand these articles to the careful at
tertion Of our readers before they com
n,enee to plant their crops. Attention
:, fbese articles and the truths they
5 li.crc-r means the saving OF 10Th tune
ana money and the production Of better
crops.
In the cotton sections the ploWing and
brea king Of the land should be pushed
on at every favorable opportunity. Inc
rem,rks we have made as 10 the import
ance Of deep breaking of the soil as 4
preventative of damage by droutn are
| equally applicable to the Ian ~dlnteAded
10 he planted in cotton. We SclrceIN
think it necessary for rs 10 say 4 Word
as to net increasing the area q 'le
cotton crop. The price fOr which the
! present crop has sold. and i selling. will
! SETTLE that question. The operation OF
The law of supply and demand X mi
| nitcIv more powerful 10 effect this end
than any combination Of painters or
any advice which we may give. IL We
said ANYTHING. it would be. "':i!rtAil the
cotton crop and increase the corn ana
fodder crops. especially Dea;. rs soon
aS the land is in good working order.
work fine and bed up and np"n ont !
furrow and put in the fertilizer. unless
the application intended t. 70 made
! should lie a heavy dressing Of farm yard
manure or commercial fertilizer III excess
r 4 DAAA- al - -, 1.TN lHH1h N mo
app!icltion should BE made broadcast
and be well worked into the land pre-
vious to bedding. Let the fertilizer. if
| applied in the furrOw, be well mixed
With the soil previous to covering, and
then cover and leave until planting time,
when, a coulter furrOw should be run
over tin fertilizer and the seed be lanted
in the ntWly-Stirred land. The question
| of the best fertilizer to use is one upon
which there is much diversity Of Opin-
ion. and. of course, much depends on
the fertility Of the land as to the guam
tity TO be applied. Very heavy appll-
cations are not to be advised. as the
Point is quickly reached beyond which
the rain is not sufficient to meet the
additional cost. lie maximum quantity
fertilizer that can in general be used
with advantage. is concluded to he an
amount that will furnish % pounds
of phosoplloric acid. Is pounds Of potash
ANA 20 pounds of nitrogen to the acre.
Assuming there to be but little OF these
constituents Of plant food in the soil.
then i fertilizer compounded Of loo
pounds OF acid phosphate ~ per cent?.
600 pounds of cotton seed meal. and zoo
pounds Of kainit. VIII supply this need
If applied at 1le rate of $50 pounds
to the acre. If the land has been I'M
r,,Cl Nv rr1n.i,, ,4, ~ -r;.l, na;1
phosphate and kainit nave been applied.
4 less application will meet the needs of
the crop. We would. however. urge
that only 50 much be planted as can be
literally fcrtiliZcd. as 4 vigorous growth
on Il smaller area we'll fortified Will
make 4 better yield and pay better than
Il stunteI, dwarfy growth on Il larger
area. Youf cannot have bolls without
limbs. and YOU cannot have limbs with
cut something upon which to feed them
Tobacco land may be plowcd and re-
| Flowed as the weather and condition
Of the land allows, SO that it may be got
into fine condition by May. which is
phrly enough to plant the crop. | II
orr next issue we will deal with the
question of the fertilizer to use.
Bear in mine the reservation Of ut
least half an acre of fairly average
land upon Which to test our ability to
raise sugar bcets. Let this be we'll and
deeply plCwed and SubSpiled. or nave the
licttCm of the burrows broken with a
single tooth cultivatcr or sword coulter.
The heCtS must be able 10 GET down into
the ground or they will grow above it
and he Of no value for sugar making.
Harrow ana work fine and f~crt.lizc lib
orally. az advised in our january and
February issues. Sow as soon as there
is no further danger from frCst.
DO not neglect to set apart Il pl3t .f
land large enough upon which to con-
duct experiments with two or three
different crops grown With different
systems Of fertilization. so that You
may learn what it is Your particular
land needs to make it productive.