The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-08-28

correspondent VINO is literally |
...,.r,,ino a fine place, writes that he
I.. - wen drained piece Of swamp,
,.,ulled with gum and pines. He does
,.,t want to clear it, but wants to
5'.,,.,,- what Kind of grass to SOW in the
.lr.,a 20 make it look well. 1t de
-ul. ON the density of the shade |
p,Larher any grass will grow there.
,rI.. chances are that in a soil like
hat if the trees are far enough apart, |
[,,. GRASS to grow among them, the |
l weeds will choke the grass. The |
''nI,- mixture | could suggest is Red |
T.n Tall Meadow Fescue and Foul |
Itaadov Grass mixed about pounds |
- each per acre or even heavier. Then |
.,. attention to an occasional NOW
mo to keep down the weeds.
Wilkes county friend wants to
1,,o,r more about winter gardening
,,itb pIass sashes and frames. | have
.,t him about the last copy of my
a,IlI.tin ON Gardening Under Glass, of
,,birh 10000 were distributed. He
,..L4. TO know he size of the frames,
and whether the glass is put in with
ratty or slid in a grove, or simply
Lila ON the frame. He also asks where
l.. can oct fertilizers for cabbages.
The frame for Il cpld frame can be
l..tt. OF amy ttSlItt tIi hey
are about six feet wide to accommo-
date sash 3X6 feet. These SaSheS
Side ON across rafters ON the frame.
,rl. frame is Is inches. high at back
,nI - inches in front or towards the
,tuth. so rs to slope to the sun. The
.q.bes are made with bars running
l5uUfhVse. and one cross piece ON the
middle to prevent spreading. The
class may be slipped into grooves IN
the bars and simply butted, or they
may he Tapped like shingles and put
Tied i'm The SaSheS should be made
cn. and a half inches thick, and at
present prices of glass will cost about
$50 each The frames are made OF
rough lumber. You can get fertlllzer
from ANY dealer in Winston. \ friend
from Mcdowell county. says that he
would rather have my opinion on an
agricultural topic than that OF any
cher man. and hence he wants me
l 10 give my opinion OF Il formula for a
compost which has been commended
10 lin by a Nirginian. The formula
! Is. Take enc ton Of good fresh
stable manure. Pile on ground under
rour. aud wet thoroughly with hot
water. Cover closely with two tons OF
rich dry earth, until fermentation
ceases. Then uncover. and mix with
the manure two barrels OF air-slaked
ldap and 225 pounds of salt. Mix
thoroughly and then add the earth
again and mix again. and let lie for
Ten days Then sift and it IS ready
for use" Our friend adds: What |
want to know is: 1st. will the earth
collect and hold the escaping am
mGaia or not. and 2nd, ii the lime
will take up the chloride from the salt
and IeaNt the soda free and available.
and &rd. If the formula is good. would
il not be better to add half ton OF
acid phosphate. and substitute ton
q plaster for one ton Of dirt. Inc
man who gave me the receipt says
that it j. as good as any fertilizer on
The market costing S25 Per ton. II
Tou think it would answer Tor Whea'
plrasc give me Your opinion or sug-
Grst any Improvement. One OF 'ht
NEST amazing things to me is the
TeadiHess with which farmers take up
with any sort of compost mINtuHf
that somebody tells them is as good
aS a chemical fertilizer. They Will go
10 an immense amount of trouble ana
labor to make up q pile Of stun tha'
rs hardly worth the labor when II IS
done. 50 far as the compost is CON
cerncd. nothing but a chemical analy-
SIS would tell what it would be worth.
Iht addition of lime to the manure
would certainly votatilize the amman
liz, and the earth used would no more
keep it. in than the organic matter or
1he manure would. There might be
some chloride of lime formed, and
There might be some soda set Tree
'W hardly understand what YOU
mean by the soda being left free ano
aNaliabie.'' Available for what.
Soda is not plant food, though there
are few cranks who are interest
td ln salt works who are trying t6
persuade the farmers that soda Wi
make cheap substitute for potash
hut the most careful and accurate
Experiments have uniformly shown
hial plants cannot grow without pot
assn, even if soda is furnished, ant
.,al with plenty Of potash they cal
.hiINe without amy soda at all. 80
y. evident that soda is Of no use IN
''I'l'i/er. Salt in a compost may nave
'',"t effect in rendering matter:
"'4hlr that would not otherwise b'
p'Lh'pS, but salt is not plant food
"' plant poison. Every compost ped
3''f who goes through the countr.
""Hbugging the farmers uses lim
." salt as component parts OF III
go IRE 'It'N use, II worth anything
" 'l, Will be worth more wlthou
i" TACT for the ordinary farm crops
r'@'in2 is a pure waste OF TIM
'' I"bor. Stable manure piled an'
''"I0sted and turned will lose value
"I'l1er how carefully it is done
E"roenIng on an intensive plan un
glass it is necessary to form
N'lullF cCfnDOun1pd COMPOST fO
'r pots. In this ease we can afford t
"Pme Of the value of the manure
t ' plddiing' over n compost pile, a
Fh II was something to bow dow
ana admire. and to be ladled OF
'"r spoonful when there is nc
"' I""d enough in a shovel full