The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-07-05

crop this year will bring the painters
more money; indeed. the price Is ai:chuS
hardening
The good price for which tobacco has
sold during the winter, has stimulated
nl,uters to increase the area piant'd,
and couplcd with the fact that plants
were. plentiful and the seasons Tor plant
ing good. we expect TO So" a mach ld'-ci
crop raised than for many years past.
This we are glad 10 notice, as tue mar
kets are bare OF stock. and the proho
Utilities are that prices will b. good for
all good tobacco. Should this forecast
he verified. our tobacco growers are
likely to find themselves in possession 81
much money. and they are today much
better off than they have been for many
years.
The hay and clover crops. especially
the hay crop, nave been good and are
now saved in fine order. and should very
materially reduce the demand FIR West
ern hay III our markets. We - Lot,
however. anticipate a high price fol thus
product. aS the crop throughout the
whole country is Il large one.
The fruit crop promises to be cer"r2it"
much better than anticipate IL the
spring. and. though we do not expect
anything like SO large a crop as last year.
it will certainly be far from the failure
predicted.
The truck crops. and especially tie
Irish potato crop. are bringing mucii bet
ter prices than last year. and the yield
especially of Irish potatoes, promise; 10
be good.
Reviewing the situation generally. W.
think Southern farmers may ljok hop
fully forward. as Il result of this years
work. to d; still further Improvement
in their financial condition. which
is no doubt. already very mucn
better than for many years past. The
much greater diversification of crops. the
attention given to live stock. and the
better prices realized from the much
better stock now kept. is telling. bcne-
ticially. on Southern agricultural inter
eStS. With Il persistence III these lines
Of progress. Il bright future is i'll store
for the farmers of this naturally highly
favored section Of the country.
Millet and cow-peas may yet be seeded
tII'i 1th III me-. 'i'f' - '''Ai
millet is the best variety of millet to SOM
as it makes a heavier Weld of better
quality hay than the others. The land
should be plowed and narrowed down
to Il fine Sped-bed. and the seed be then
s0Wn IT the rate of one buShel- to the
acre. In this issue Will he found Il re-
port of the result Of seeding millet and
German clover together. which was most
satisfactory. two excellent crops being
secured from the land. Millct Should
not be seeded III poor land. To max"
Il good crop. the land should be in good
heart. If the crop is cut when III
bloom. which Is the time at which it
makes tho best hay. it is not exhaustive
Of fertility. Where land is poor. COW
peas or cow-peas and German clover
should be sown. and should be helped
with o pounds Of acid phosphate and
200 pounds of kainit. or 30 pounds of
muriate of potash to the acre. This will
ensure Il crop which will add materially
to the fertility Of the land. and if Ger
man clover is Sown with the cow-peas.
will secure q covering crop for the ground
during winter. and one to turn under
as Il preparation for corn.
The second crop of Irish potatoes
should be planted this month. In our
last issue an article will be found on
this subject TO which we invite attention:
as also to some remarks by Professor
Massey on the same question i'll this
issue under the head of "Practical
Notes."
The land for the rutabaGa and turniI
crops should be got ready this month
Rutabagas in order to make Il heavy
yield. require land to be in Il high state
of fertility and finely worked. Twenty
or more loads Of good farm yard manure
to the acre should he spread broadcast
on the land after it has been plowed.
and be we'll worked in. and this may with
advantage he supplemented with sc
pounds to the acre Of acid phosphate also
SOwn broadcast and worked in. The
heaviest crops will be made by sowing
the seed in drills n inches apart. and
then thinning out the plants so rs tc
stand nine inches apart i'll the drill. i
will take from two to four pounds Of scco
to the acre. Let the crop be cultivated
frequently and all wcpGS be hoed out
of the rows. and Il crop of from - t.
50 tons to the acre can be easily grOwr.
If the turnlp fly is troublesome when the
plants 1rSt appear. take some air
stacked lime and mix with it 4 little kcr
OSenSe. not sufficient to make it sticky
but only to scent it well. and SOW TIL,
over the young plants. This will prevent
injury and get rid Of the fly. Because
we are able to grow heavy crops Of en-
| Sllage corn. COW peas and Sofa beans. i
: no reason why we should not also grow
heavy crops of rutahagaS and turnips
: Their value as food for stock of al
kinds. and especially for sheep. is s.
great that it is well worth the while
! to supplement- these silage crops with tn
: roots: besides. every farmer has no
5 Il silo. and in its absence he can in n,
other way than by growing root crop:
provide succulent food for his stock dur
ing winter. RitahagaS should be sowl
/. towards the end Of this month. turnip
| Il month later.