The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-02-27
NOTES OF THE FARM.
BY w. F. MASSEY, OF A. & N Cyllege


either the Gray Virginia, Turf oats or
the Texas Rust proof Will do. But none
Of the Northern slTing oats are worth
sowing here. Pine leaves have a two
fold value in the stable and COW lot. They
serve to take up and hold the liquid por-
tion Of the manure, which Is the most
valuable part, and they add vegetable
matter to the soil to form humus and
% make the lanu more reCentlve OF
moisture. A coat Of pine straw hauled
right from the forest and spread over
q field will act almost like a coat of
manure. and it will be still better if the
pine straw is piled i'll the fall and
mixed with lime to lie during the WIN
ter. On the Eastern shore of Virginia,
where the sweet potato crop is their chief
money crop, you will see the farmers
at this season Of the year hauling pine
straw and covering the whole field with
it as q preparation for the sweet potato
crop and they grow fine potatoes with
only a little acid phosphate and pota ash
in the burrows under the ridges. For
the sweet potato crop / had rather have
q coat of pine straw on the land ploWed
under than TO uS@ an expensive COM
plete fertilizer. | do not know Of any
machine especially made for choIping
out cotton, hut there is no better ma
chine for the purpose than the one
known as the weeder. If the weeder is
run croSSwise the rows it will save q
large part of the chOpping out. and then
il can be run lengthwlse the rows and
clean the cotton far better than any bar
ring eff. Flat and shallow culture IS as
important with cotton as with corn, ana
the time will soon come, l believe, WI u
cotton growers Viii learn never 10 pat
uiow in the cotton field alter it IS plant
"a but to do all the work with the
Mteder and the small tooth cultivator
.As to what moving machine is best can
hardly say. They are all good and you
can harry go anliss in buying any one
of the standard machines. Sut IN THESE
columns | studiously avoid advertising
any ones machines or products. The ad-
yertising columns are the place for them
to tell the merits of their goods. a1I
glad to know that YOU Will have hay
crop. Would that every Gotten farmer III
North Carolina could say that he ex-
pects to cut 80 loads Of hay this year.
When We go to craving hay We Will
feed cattle, and VIXEN we feed cattle We
Will net only make money from the cat
tie but viii get manure TO save the fer
tilizer bills.
\ Weaverville correspondent says ne
reads these. letters with interest, and he
says some encouraging words @as to the
good he believes We are doing in this and
ether States. We hope We are anG that
the labor is not III vain. H., says that
he has a number of acres of poor land
in the village, 4 poor, cold clay Three
or ts,ur acres are filled with fruit trees.
unfortunately m5inly Limbprtwig> and
worthless seedlings planted by his father.
He finds the Improvement Of the land
slow work with limited means. Is mainly
occupied with his, brother IL the store
and is trying to improve these. Is acres.
Has built a Large barn and keeps eat
tie under cover. Thinks the land would
he rich had BE- Gene this ten years ago.
Has manure shed 9X4a at one end Of
the barn. Wishes 10 know more about
making and saving manure. as he Is sure
the future welfare Of the land depends
on this. Raised good crop Of pea Vine
hay two years ago, hut failed last year
on account Of dry weather.
One Of our leading farmers said his
pea hay mouderr, after curing, and
advised him to consult YOU on that line.
His barn may have been too open. 1
packed mine in layers with wheat Straw
and il kept very we'll. | want to make a
"
if yen can send me anything on this line.
and do You know Of a good book on the
subject.
We are always glad to Get letter, OF
this seTt. They are elit< nee Gf the
spirit OF Improvement thst is abroad III
the STAGE You had better gel your peas
III June early, and SOW them quite thick
ly to prevent the stalks growing too stout
and too hard to cure. can send YOU my
bulletin on The Home Garden ind its
Peas which You will find useful, and
which is sent 1rts. to all applicants. The
lest beck on Gardening i probably
..a,eltlenng for Profit" hy Peter Hen
derson. Send S1.5O. to Peter Henderson
& Co, 80 Cortlandt street. New York
ard they will mail YOU copy. ] hope
III TIE near future 10 get out Il book Oh
gardening suited to our needs here II
ever get time to write IT.