The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-09-18
Raleigh, N. c., September l8, 1900.

pastures or even into meadow eondi-
tion, where the crop is taken off by
the mower, or by green manuring.
The methods by which fertilizers
are applied to Southern soils require
consideration and careful analysis.
Where nitrogen, potash, phosphoric
acid and other elements of plantfood
are applied as commercial fertilizers
they are much more emphatically at
the mercy of heavy rains than where
they are applied otherwise Where
the fertilizer is applied in the shape
of barnyard manure or green ma
nure or grazing, it cannot be washed
out by rains as readily as where it. is
applied as superphosphates. I have
observed in many places ridges made,
across the face of hi1lsides to prevent
the soil from flowing away during
heavy rains. The recourse is doubt
less wise, but the seeding-down Of
the hillsides to grasses and legumes
suitable to the latitude would be
much more effectual in arresting the
flow of soil towards your streams.
An old hillside, cultivated again and
again for many years, with its humus
gone, would grow a good crop, no
doubt, if sufficient commercial fer
tilizer were applied. The operation
would be entirely successful if it did
not rain too much but the nitrate is
subject to being washed away into
the sandy and gravelly subsoil and
taken beyond the reach Of the plant.
This will occur much more certainly
in the old cultivated field than in
newly broken up pasture feldg i.'a,
METHODS OF, TILLAGE. -. {
Tt is necessary to continue the cul-
tivation. of crops during a drought
| longer than we are in the habit of
doing. 1t is customary with mostof
us to give the land so much cultivaL
tion- and then lay the crop by. If
the crop has shaded the ground to
protect it from the rays Of the sum-
so that evaporation will not take
! place, followed dby the cracking of
the soil which is the result of eYapot
ration, then thecuhivation might be
! stopped But If the ground is bare,
! then cultivation should continue,
and a dust mulch be maintained until
the crop. does shade the soil. Tres
member planting crops of several
kinds in a dry year at the Iowa cExe
pertinent Stadony after "a two4inch
rain the last of Dune. The crops
were turnips andg cabbage Tor COW
feed, planted for the purpose of as
certaining the effect of the volatile
acids of those roots ON the flavor of
butter. Sweet corn and tomatoes
were planted for thecol1ege Kitchen.
I was entirely aware that without
cultivation the soil would lose all its
moisture inside Iof ten days and the
crops must perish for want of it, 1
set about maintaining dust mulch
of. perhaps two and a half inches4
and,n in order to maintain it, cultil
waited twice a week until rain came,
which was only after seven weeks
drought. l. succeededEin my ObjBct
and good cropstwere the result That
kind; of cultivation is much more
necessary in the South than, tits IN
the North, because you have a
warmer sum- and generally lighter
soils. o1 no. oay.~iI IL .nrl1-2
I'VE, have been importing fine table
grapes from Europe latelyuand sends
ing them dOwnato your State! Our
pomologist visited them lately and
found them suffering; fromfdrOught.
The mulching Jprooess is precisely
what they need2 either by J app1icas
tion of a mulch to thelsoil or by con-
Standardization that willdmRintain
adjust mulch. n->aat- foet 9ea s8uT
uopJ MORE LIVE STOCK NEEDED. o.
The Improvement Of Southern
soils brings into consideration the
money crops that can be grown from
ITEM outside Of cotton. There is a
great demant abroad for frrsst-class
horses; and for Such horses = as are
more common to the South thah to
any part of the United States The
road Horse, the carriag8 horse, the
gated horse, are all in demand. we
sold 64,7Og' horses last year, and re-
ceeived 81, ,B12,o56 for them. The de
hnanldi : viii be continuous, and the
Southern States can well give atten-
| I ia TES1 -CE .80t~ 20 g -