The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-16

\ Richmond county correspondent says
that he reads these letters with Great
deal of interest, and hopes to be benefit
cd by them. lie therefore takes advan-
tace of my offer to answer questions. He
has a hog pasture Of six acres Of alluylal
clay bottom land covered with swamp
grass that grows three or four feet high.
Had it cleared last winter. It would
make about 500 pounds seed cotton witt
cut fertilizer. Il have thought Of put
ting it into Bermuda grass and Texas
Plue grass. | want a permanent pas
ture Part Of the land IS somewhat
sandy. with clay Subs0il. l have elGht
or nine acres of land that was III cotton
this year, and grow about two feet high
1t is a sandy clay for two or three inches
and then good clay suhsoll. 1 get
about two bushels of hen manure "very
month j want to use geo pounds OF GU
ano 100 pounds of acid phosphate, 100
pounds of kainit at rate OF .jDU pounds
per acre ! think fertilizers will be very
high and | want to mix the hen manure
with them. How must | do: Any ad-
vice on this matter will he appreciated
In regard to the pasture It viii he q
very simple matter en- land Of that char
acter. to get Il stand Of Bermuda snd
Texas blue grass The best WAY Will be
to prepare the land in the spring, and
mark out shallow burrows two feet apart.
Then rum the grass through 4 feed cut
ter and scatter the cut stems III the fur
rows, cover and roll II you have no
Bermuda, YOU can get 1t here at the Sta
tion farm by paying the expenses OF tax
ing up the stems and packing and ship
1ing them | believe Mr.. j. G. Breeze.
at Fayetteville. has the Texas Blue grass
which can be planted the same way.
The mixture is valuable because the lex
as Blue grass is Il winter grass, while the
Bermuda grass ceases to graW after frost.
The pasture should have several mGn,ls
start before anything is turned Cn Ii. i}ilt
after the Bermuda grass starts it will
stand any amount Of grazing.
" to the mixing Of compost for the
cctton so as to use the hen manure. /
NyGtlId nix the men manure in the gener
al manure pile. aud would apply it broad
east to the land. and use only the fertili-
Z,r III the fUrroW. Aou-say that you
want to use 200 pounds OF ''euano That
Is an indefinite term. There is really no
guanC on the market now since the old
Peruvian gave out, except, the phosphate
guano from NaYasSa and other islands
Of the Caribbean sea, which is all used
by the fertilizer makers to get phCSphor
ic acid from. What our farmers call
Guaro usually is 4 mixed fertilizer con
tanning certar proportions of nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash. If you use
geo pounds OF such Il mixture YOU may
lie throwing away your money TO add
phosphate and potash to it if it is already
in the proper proportions for the cotton
crop. \ good fertilizer for cotton en- your
soil should contain about 3 per cent ann
mcEia. 8 per cent. phcsphoric acid and
4 per cent. potash. on can get this ap-
rlcXimately by mixing j .2OO pounds acid
phosphate. CSC pounds of cotton Seel
meal and 2C0 pounds Of muriate Of potash
to make q ton. This, used at the rate Of
800 pounds Per acre would make q fine
dressing fCr the cottcn Hen manure.
where it is very rich ir ammonia and
phCsFhateS r2r:dly loses anT. 0nia unless
large quantities OF absCrbents are used.
4 used fresh, it Is Of such Il caustic m
turG "a to iniure anything it comes in
contact with. Hence it is far better TO
mix it with the ha1nyaTd manure aHl
use 1t broadcast on the cottC"i or cora.
if mixed with cotton seed and scattered
down a furroW i'll tie middle il wculI
do the crop more good than applied in the
tulrCW under the cotton. as there it might
inquire the stand. VI hen our farmers once
get to farming, the practice CT putting
llttIe fertilizer In the furrCW 10 make Il
crop Of cotton will be abandoned. Crops
like cotton and corn. the roots of which
spread in all directions between the rows
are better off with Il broadcast fertiliza-
tion or general enrichment Of the soil
through rGtatNe cropping and the use
Of legunles. Ii YOU will examinc the roots
OF ccttcn at the fruiting stage. YOU Will
81 hot a
ways at the extremity Of the roots are
Tar away from the little fertilizer a1p-
pied III the furrow and are feeding in
poorer soil. In fact the chances are that
they are getting more from the fertilizer
applied TO the adjoining rows than 10
theIr far reaching roots. When once our
farmers get to feeding stock and making
manure enough to 90 over their corn tend,
and to carry the corn and the small grain
following. and use their simple acid uhoS-
Ihate and potash Oh the peas that follow
the small grain. the cotton crop will need
little help and finally 10 help from arti-
fetal fertilizers applied direct to the crop
We have already mentioned the case OF
enc farmer in this State who fed this
year on a sandy farm where the former
owner came near StaI-vir@ on cotton. 500
beef cattle. and made over a bale 1}ol acre
besides other crops the past season
Every land owner should feel hat the
Almighty has placed III his hands one poI'-
ton of this Eden To dress and keen it.
and that ne is responsible for the way Ill
WiHcn he does it, The earth is t.
Lord : aId the fullnesS thereof. and yCn
'le merely the life tenant Will YOU rem
Ger UP the estate with interest accUm,l-
Eltd through good mama agement or will
You return 4 wasted Inheritance to the
Great Giyer:
CT course it takes artificial appica-
items Of fertilizers IN most cases to start
the Improvement Of our worn lands. bat
the only notion that occurs to most OF
planters when they cone TO consider Il
crop. * "hoW much and what fertilizer