The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-10-02

To grow turnlrS profltablN The prep
aration of the soil should oc com
menced a year or more III advance.
Green crops. say clover or COW peas.
properly fertilizcd when seeded and
turned under ii maturity. will an
s,ver an excellent purpose. y fcrtiii-
ger composed of the following ingred-
tents may be used per acre: Acid
phosphate 800 pounds, kainit TOO
pounds broadcast and plow in shall
low. preferably few weeks before
seeding 100 pounds Of muriate Of pot
ash MAY be used in lieu Of the kainit
The ranker the green crop the
greater the benefits TO be derived. con
scquentlN it will pay well to apply
double the above quantity of fertilizer.
Crimson clover fertiiiIed as above
and turned under 1T maturity for
turnip crop nest season would answer
an excellent purpose. The clover tand
the same Of peaS) should be turned
under sufficiently early TO AT least
partially decomposc before the turnips
are seeded.
When a fertilizer is applied TO a
green crop. as above and turned un-
der, no further fertilizer for the tnr-
nips will be required. The clover or
peas as the case may be. will return
to the soil the phosphoric acid and
potash previously drawn from the
acid phosphate and kainit that were
applied direct.
The vegetable matter. while rotting
Will add humus and other valuable
properties to the soil, thus largely
increasing the general fertility and
productivcnesS of same.
In addition to this a heavy crop of
clover or cow peas will draw from
the atmosphere from 100 to 200 pounds
OF nitrogen per acre. he quantity
Will of course vary with conditions,
but in order to be safe we Will take
the smaller quantity, 100 pounds.
The nitrogen in commercial ferti-
| lizcrs usually costs the consumers
| from 20 to % cents pound. Count
| ing it at 20 cents there will be a clear
! gain Of at least $40 per acre. to say
| nothing Of the other important advan-
| tages. from growing and turning
either one of said lcgume crops.
! When the crop of clover or peas. as
| the cause may be, is turned under,
| the nitrogen. gathered as aforesaid.
Will also he returned to the soil where
| ii will be available for the turnipS, or
any other crop that may follow.
! Our farmers all know what salt
| pctre is. They can readily ascertain
its active properties as a fertilizer b:
applying the scrapings from beneath
! old houses 20 the soil and noting the
result. These scraping are strongly
| imprcgnated with saltpctrc. Touch
| turnip to the tongue and note the
| pungent taste.
| Practically. saltpa tire. nitrogen and
| nitrate Of soda may be regarded Dy
the farmer as meaning the same thing
but there are different degrees OF
| strength in the several substances
One hundred pounds of nitrate Of soda
| is equivalent to about l6H pounds OF
nitrogen. Consequently. if YOU car
| virtually grow 100 pounds of nitrogen
per acre. as above described, it is
| equivalent to about GOO pounds of nj
trate of soda. This fertilizer. nitrate
Of soda, is regarded as the mos con
venient form of supplying nitrogen
direct to the soil. IT is mined il
Chill. South America. being dug out
Of the ground and is known as Chill
Saltpetre. Owing to the great dis
tance. and to other causes not ncces
sary to state. nitrogen produced from
nitrate of soda. costs nearly three
times as much per pound as phos
| EnOfl' Htlb cl' potash. i ltSt tIlitt III
| gradients (nitrogen. phcsphoric aco
and pOtaSh) constitute Il perfect fer
tilizer
The above plan of employing a le
oume crop will produce a heavy croI
of turnips and the fertility Of the sol
will at the same time rapidly improve
Hereunder, but as n portion Of a
least two seasons will be necessary
| tn ,,reparp ha soil the plan iS imDrar
teal for present purposes. therefore
in lieu of the foregoing construct low
ridges from 2h 10 , feet apart ant
deposit d liberal amount of stable ma
nure therein
\ fertilizer composed of the follow
ing ingredients may also be applied
in the drills with tn" stable manure
at the rate of 300 pounds per acre
Nitrogen, 3 per cent: phosphoric acid
6 per cent: potash. s per cent. Run
plow in the drills and mix the ma
nure and fertilizer thoroughly Will
the soil. Then complete the ridges
and seed the turniDs.
The plants in the drills should ID
properly thinned and thoroughly cul
tivated with a light narrow plOw o
suitable construction. Two boys car
easily do the work. one holding. th'
other one pulling the piow. BY hay
| ing the drills a little wider apart
horse can be used in cultivation.
Owing to the convenience Of cult
vation. sowing in drills viii I've founf
far more practical than broadcastin z
BRYAN TYSON.
Carthage, y. c.
VpN