The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-03-13

ssaa .orraenondent at Lenoir, n. c., asks
- r.i,,ior, in regard to the Disc cultiva-
Z2 IN whether we consider it a good
-, ornant for the cultivation of corn.
7S7E oIu,ays make it a rule never to give
..Srnositfyp opinion in regard to anything
x,ft,, which we have not had any practi
al experience. We have never used the
Me cuItiyator and hence speak only
frxro an opinion formed from seeing the
s,r,rl Of the indictment. In the hands OF
a,ndicious man and on land cOmpara-
tiuelv level we believe it will be good
4<.., IN use. But in the hands of the or
ainarv farm hand we would fear that 1T
yrn,Id he run too deep. and on steep land
rvf11 h.. hard to control we'll Riding cul-
stivn tors which are intended TO work two
49, of row at once are better suited
~ broad fields and level lands and will
Ihardly be found adapted to the purposes
of:l mountain country where the land is
de- and the rows short. In Caldwell
aunt generally l would prefer to use the
ortlinary one horse cultiyator.
Another correspondent says he wants
NJ grow a large crop of corn and wants
ID know what variety of corn is the best
IN him TO buy. Also what is the most
nrolific variety of Irish potatoes to come
of in July. We have heretofore stated
fhat the best corn for any locality is the
corn that has been bred up in that par
ticular neighborhood. Corn brought from
8 distance Will usually have to get accli-
mated before il will do it's best. For in
Stance, up in the elevated valleys Of Wa
tauga county they have a prolific and
early ripening corn, suited TO their con-
ditions. This corn brought down TO your
cCunty OF Randolph would hardly be as
Productive as the corn now grown there,
and its only advantage would be earli-
hess which you do not need. The same
Reject would be found to exist in corn
Brought from the North. Hence | al
ways advise farmers to select the best
corn of their neighborhood and then to
go TO work 10 breed it up intelligently
and make it the best possible corn for
1heir land Corn that has been bred up
in the same neighborhood on rich bottom
land would not be the best corn to select
Afor planting on dry upland. Never make
Zoo violent a change in conditions. Fol
upland get a corn that has been bred or
upland and for bottom lands bottor
H.
would be rather hard l suppose to get g
potato that would ripen in July to dc
we'll We usually have our hottest
weather about the last of June and al
early potato that is not then ripe vii
have hard time. Perhaps in your ele-
waited section the case may be different
from here The Rural New Yorker No
, would come nearer to filling the bill
than any we know, for while inclined t
grow late, it makes tubers early, and i
cut short by heat and drought may still
make fair crop. But we believe th
best for you will be to send to Newberl
and get second crop seed potatoes of tn
Early rose and plant them in March a
early as possible.
A Forsythe county correspondent says
: For many months l have been silen
admirer of your interesting and nStruc
tive letters in the Christian Advocate
have been on the farm Al years, an
must confess that the great sea of knowl
edge of farming lies unexplored befOr
bles on the beach. l thank you for you
proposition to answer question, an
hereby avail myself of the opportunity
wish TO improve 1t has been out Of cul
riyation 50 or 10 years. but the pine
We're cut down every ten or twelve year
and the land paStured | cut them dow
year ago and let them fall brOadcas
all over the field. The stumps will aver
age inches in diameter. The land
moderately fertile red clay upland. NJ
purpose IS TO burn and clear Off 1hi
spring, break in summer or fall and SO,
10 wheat and sapling clover. Or woul
II be better plan to clear and plOW an
plant in corn this spring and follow wit
wheat and clover in .the fall Or cOul
you suggest better plan?" We than
our friend for the kind words he use:
ana feel encouraged by the many sue
we receive to keep on in the effort to hel
our farmers. There is vast deal tina
none of us yet know in regard to the al
Of farming, much that the oldest of L
have yet TO learn. and | never talk wit
or get letter from thoughtful farme
from which l cannot derive some hei
myself. But in the matter of Settin
oid pine land into cultivation. you wi
pardon my using the expressive slang
The day and say, Il have been there.
! ne old held was wasted by the careles
culture OF former days. but the pine
with their deep tap roots have gone dow
INTO the uneXhausted Subsol and haI
been for years bringing up and scatterir
over the surface the mineral matters ar
the organic decay in their leaves. The
nave thus formed a new soil on the o.
worn out field, and it is now in a COnd
ton approaching its pristine state whe
the original forest was cleared. 1t h:
accumulated a good deal of humus fro
the decay OF the leaves and debris of ii
pines The dead trees are now scatter,
over the land. The first thing to do
10 get them out of the way Of cOur
under the clrcumS tances the best thil
mat can be done is to burn them. B
n this burning, | would endeavor to bul
AS little as possible of the humus tn
mas collected on the soil Hence won
haul the pines into large heaps al
burn as much as | could in one pIa6
10 prevent burning much of {
surface mould as would be the case