The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-11-20
!; NOTES OF THE FARM.
by w. r. MASSEY Of A. & M. College.

| the plants were set on the level in
rows three feet apart and twelve
inches IN the row. The land had been
covered with barn yard litter the wear
neiore, ana heavy crop Of wheat
crown on It with the aid Of fertilizers.
we ma TINS method of growing 20
'a'oeS much superior to the old way.
ana Will make no more ridges We
have one very rich bottom. Bv means
or dyke and dam across the creek
we overflow about half OF it during the
winter and spring floods DO YOU
tnink we could grow rice on part OF
'ilis land: Have never tried rice so
near the mountains and know nothing
about its culture" We fear. that Won
would be wasting time and effort to
| Try to grow rice up near the foot Of the
Blue Ridge. Your nights are too cocI
IN late summer, and the crop would
/ hardly ripen at all. But YOU could
grow magnificent crops Of celery on
that land, and that would pay better
than rice pays in any part Of the State.
Last year a grower in Buncombe
wrote to me that he had raised a fine
crop OF celery, but the Asheville mar
! ket seemed stocked. and wanted to
know If he could sell it in Raleigh [
gave him the address of a dealer here.
| who easily sold his crop at a good
! price, for the celery was really finer
! than that which shipped
mere III large quantities from
Michigan. Now if the people
near the mountains would use
their land for such crops rs tney are
especially adapted to. they will do bet
ter than by trying the crops only suit
ed to the Warmest parts Of he State.
! The upper country can grow better
| celery than the Michigan product. and
! II the Michigan people can make lHOn-
ey in shipping celery all over the
South. why cannot eur own people do
better. when their soil will produce a
! better product? On suitable land in
your section. where YOU have the facil-
tiles for irrigating the crop, there is
no crop that can be more profitable
if we'll grown and properly handled in
winter than celery At the prices at
which il retaiIs here in Raleigh the re-
turns from an acre OF good celery
would be so great that | would heSi-
tate to name figures. But it is crop
that takes a great deal OF labor, and is
not suited to lazy people at all. No
matter how rich the land, it viii pay
to manure it tor celery, and if dry
enough in the early part OF the season
an early crop can be grown before Ii
is necessary to set the celery, for Au-
gust will be early enough for that, and
the manuring should be done for the
early crop So as to have the manure
well mixed in the soil for the celery.
\ crop Of early potatoes for instance
could be gotten Off in plenty Of time
for the celery.
4 MecklenDurg correspondent sends
sample Of muriate Of potash he
bought in Charlotte and wants to
know If il is pure. No one can tell
this without a chemical analysis. We
have handled the sample to the State
Chemist at the Agricultural Depart
ment. Whether he will be warranted
in making an analysis Of $15 or $50
we cannot say. But farmers should
understand that no chemist can tell
him the quality Of an article by simply
looking. at it, and a chemical analy
costs a GOOD deal Of money, far more
than most people think.
From Rockingham county: wv hat
GRASS is this?' Enclosed was a sample
Of Johnson grass, Andropogon Hala-
nense. If this grass is still rare with
YOU the best thing YOU can 90 IS 70
wage war on it at once, for 1t VIII
4,ISo vour whole farm in q little while
: if YOU allow punches to seed on 'he
land Grub out every shoot you see
and keep orubbing it out as long as It
| shows a head That is what we have
: TO do here 1t is Il great pity that the
Grass is so aggressive. for It IS really
: good hay grass and heavy crop
; per. but il gets to be such q nuisance
; in cultivated lands that every means
should be taken 10 cNterminate 1t Oh
its first appearance.
!, From BIaden county: Il send poaS
: of ,,l,t is called mole bean by the
f nagrcps. Please tell me what it IS:
!, tn plant is Cas>ia Occidentalis. t Is
: ore Of the great family Of le@'lmIno
, eae Whether it has any value or no.
: m, unable 20 say. 1t IS not proper
II speaking a bean al al. as all true
: Iaans Eelono 10 different genera