The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-11-13
NOTES OF THE FARM. !;
By w. F. MASSEY, Of A. & N Co,yeoa


From Moore County: Il have been
.maf~- and ann protited by your let
r. and want to ask Il few questions:
umr N0u discovered a remedy for
H.. disease which is working on the
..race Il begins at the root or
5arl The leaves turn yellow on the
.rarrrd side and the plant dies. If
..s know of a remedy, please let US
.r. # through the paper. .. Why
I'm watnvmelOns not grow and do as
WIFI on the same piece Of land the
...aa1 year as they will the first?
What properties of the soil are eN-
a1eteJ and what Will supply the loss?
have been raising melons quite eN-
.sn.iveIy for market, and have to
h3ngr my field every year. [ soon
RIM over nay entire farm if | cam
na raise hem on the same ground but
.are." | ann sorry to say that we
7nav of no preventive or cure for the
disease known as yellow side. which
K doing 80 much damage to the cab
. hare i'm the eastern part Of the
State. The department at Washington
helping us study the matter, and
~ur IL man here the past summer.
. Ne have found that the disease is.
! caused on fungus, one of the Flu
. ~r,Hms similar to the Fusariumwhich
.u-eS the cotton wilt in some places
and the watermelon wilt too. The
. ~r thing we can suggest is Il rOta-
. -en Ot r~OisS and not to grow cab
ages twice in succession on the same
. and. aud TO use lime Oh the land be
ara planting. Your second question
. shows haW the Old planting idea still
heres to our people. Why should
roa want 10 grow Watermelons or any
ohe~ crop twice in succession on the
SINE Iaud? You should SOW peas
mmu guur melons and thus get the
land iU shape for some other crops
while helping the melons. Melons do
refuse to GROW on the land because
an exhaustion OF food. but because
-le soil GETS infested with the germs
Il the fungus disease we have Just
been writing about. You need q. rota-
pm q. crops and improving crops be
#eeH -HIe crops IL trucking Just as
vel. @~ Won need them in general
rmu-. ard the fact that melons do
aa- succeed twice in succession on the
sale ground does not mean that they
raf succeed there again if the
ground is worked i'm rotation of crops
9o the melons come back on ii when
#- ~.. is clear Of disease and ready
a grow them again. But the old
aa'r Of having q piece Of land we call
.. I"Hd o" cabbage land or cotton
Ha still sticks with many Of our
ltrS. or rather with many men
are working the soil and imagine
are farmers. You say | have
ea you by these letters. Then let
~
' rotation in cropping IS one OF the
il. principles in agricultural adj
..-ta-8r. and the man who keeps q
r.r ol Tend for 4 certain crop year
a.r year is simply planting, but not
tr"n Wake county: How late can
..-.h "ICNtr Gc SOWn. when the
o.H"rt is to improve the soil ?
4." IT. HaN 10 SOW this clover now
".'r |I"ttcr dated October 1SthJ
sandy and rather poor upland that
"."I turneI out for two or three
vars after long cultivation? How
'. aad what kind of fertilizers
""" be used? When could the
'er L." moved. in time for d crop
sweet potatoes? I have just come
a"~~"~sion of about three acres
'-E'.3- to- do what | can to i'm
"t once" The present fal
".eh ii bad one for the sowing
...~0n clover. As a rule. we dc
.4Ia6 10 does well soNn after the
~'ptemb"r But the contln
""< weather. has prevented any
f., "0 h" right time. If the win
.t,- .a' "r a normally mild one i
a IL
r.. w." nature Of experiment.
a;#r '"' best thing YOU can do nov
h. '1@oW Rye and Hairy Netch OF
,... he Netch is inclined t
14 @'"It and the rye will hei,
rnI "H. 1t Will come off in ful
ea ''# setting sweet potatoes an'
rr, +.."' rood preparation for tn
,' .'' the potatoes need not h
nn.. .. May, and the hay shOul'
Hag lo April ! have a piece o
,..., <.Nn i'm this way which / expec
4r.. .n sweet potatoes in th
.4a1 Ihc1gh the legumes do no
a,.. .''. '"-rn particularly. il will b
nH .'' he rye at least to use
l.r "'"h-~ecd meal IN the ferti
au 81 mixture Of go pounds o
a.I ''1' 'I"tc, 100 pounds of cotton
@ .l..'.' and 80 pounds Of muriat
food r+. per acre viii give you
w The crop and Il fine prcparatiol
F.l potatoes.
c~, frHacr county: Are fist
.m good fertilizer for strawber
,.. had better mi.
a'al.." ~otton-seod meal ant
es,.. Fish scrap is q 600,
nru,4 nitrogen, but YOU nee
r u = -,