The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-02-14
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES BY TO-
BACC0 GROWERS.

Prof. w. F. Massey Gives Some Pointers
as to Proper Methods Of Fertilizing
Land, Etc
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
noticed in The Progressive Farmer
a few numbers back, that Prof. Massey
advised the use of peas and clover as a
means of improving our tobacco lands.
I started on that plan four or 6ve years
ago. I first planted q very poor plat
Of land in tobac 20, manuring we'll with
stable manure in connection with 400
pounds fertilizer per acre. / made
about 900 pounds tobacco per acre. In
September the land wassown in clover.
Poor stand; light crop. Glover was
followed by Unknown cowpeas; heavy
crop. This rotation has been repeated
two or three times with all the crops
increasing in weight. The past season
/ grew a very heavy crop Of the On
known pea. Pat about 200 pounds fer.
tilizers 90 per cent acid, 2 per cent.
potash:no ammonia), per acre.
started with the intention Of max.
ing my land rich, but have encountered
dific atty. These lots grew tobacco
very rapidly with plenty Of weight.
But the diff Guilty is the best or lower
part oil leaf doesn't seem to ripen. When
it is cured it has green iteless sp-
pearance that Injuries it's sale very
mucl am told that peas as TO-
baccof 2tiliz 9r have been abandoned in
GreepviiIe county, on account OF green
butts in tobaccos This question inter
ests a number OF farmers. Can Prof.
Massey or some one tell us what to do,
or how to g.ow fine tobacco in connec-
tion with peas and clover9
A. T. OLIVE, Apex, M. 9.
The trouble with the tobacco is not
the fact that it has followed peas, but
that you have gotten the nitrogen out
of proportion to the other elements Of
plant food. The effect of nitrogen is to
increase the vigor of the plant. But
it must be accompanied by the proper
proportions of phoephoric acid and
potash to give a we'll grown plant and
one properly ripened. You say that you
used ID per cent. phosphoFic acid and 2
per cent potash. You would have done
better to have reversed the proportion
for tobacco and made it 3 per cent phos-
phoric acid and 10 per cent. potash. But
it would be better still to make the fer
tilizar 10 per cent acid and 10 per cent.
potash. That is to mix 800 pounds acid
phosphate to 200 pounds high grade
sulphate of potash. Never use on to.
bacco any muriate OF potash or any
kainit, for the chlorides will have the
effect you complain Of, and it is quite
likely that you did use the muriate Of
potash. We would prefer TO add q liz
sIe nitrate OF soda for the early send
off, and then trust to the organic am
monia to keep up the growth. We
have found that the effect Of very
heavy applications of fertilizers is to
keep the tobacco growing too late and
to retsrd the ripenening. Where the
phosphoric acid is in excess Of the pot
ash there is danger Of making the leaf
'bony" or thick stemmed. The nitro.
gen you get from the decaying pea
vine roots is all right, but is rather
slow to start and only becomes efec-
tive as the weather gets hot and the
nitrifcation is more active. Therefore
a little readily available nitrogen in
, the form Of nitrate Of soda will have a
good efftc5 Plants, like animals, need
q well balanced ration.
w. r. MASSEY.
DEAR SIR:-Will you be so kind as to
answer, or give me the information
upon the following subjsct:
/ have been planting tobacco for
eight or ten years. Also cotton and
some peanuts, clover, various grasses
for hay and pasture. Also field peas.
I have grown red clover as good as
any I ever saw; also timothy, and
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