The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-05-23
OF INTEREST TO FARMERS
Methods Used at the Experimen-
tai Farm at Southern Pines,
N. G..

| AANthouS oSCo IL TIC ExpeI1Heu
tai Farm at Southern Pines
N. c.
Having had an occasion to make 6
business trip to North Carolina, EN-.
braced the opportunity to visit South
ern Fines and made thorough exam
ination of the work being done at the
Experimental Fam of the North Caro-
lima State Horticultural Society. The
farm is situated near the city Of South
crn Pines, in Moore county, North
Carolina, some sixty-slX miles south
west from Raleigh, on the Scaboard
Air Line. This location was selected
principally on account of the fine
climate and soil, both most favorable
for experiments. The soil has proved
10 be well adapted to the growth of
grapes, peaches and other fruits, and
within few years the region around
Southern Pines has become quite an
important fruit growing district. The
land is level and uniform, and thus
well suited for the extensive scheme of
society. The area Of the farm is sixty
five acres, with the addition of The
vegetable department, consisting of
fifteen acres. All the work from the
clearing of the land, down to the pre-
sent time, has been very exact and
thorough. The principal object is to
determine by series Of actual expert
ments on the farm, the best quantities
and relative proportions for using the
various fcrtllizing substances in order
to produce the largest crops at the least
expense.
No commercial brand Of fertilizer is
used, but fcrtilizing ingredients arc
employed IN various combinations.
The work that has been done and
under contemplation is SO vast, that it
can be we'll said, and is said, to be the
most extensive and scientific expert
mental farm IN the world. Two series
of Investigations arc now being con-
ductcd, one devoted to vegetables and
field crops, and the other to fruits.
The series devoted to pears Kcifer)
were set out i'll 1896, eighteen trees to
the plot Of onc-tcnth acre. AS an
illustration TO show the vigorous growth
of the different plots, as the results of
the different combinations of fertilizer
ingredients, imagine yCu arc standing
at the top of a flight of stairs, looking
down at the bottom step, the top step
represents the plot fcrtilized with a
complete fertilizer, nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid and potash, with a liberal
quantity, the bottom step denotes the
plat unfertilized, nothing but the natu-
raj # rtility of the soil, the intervening
steps, those plots that have received
fertilizers Of various combinations and
amounts. This illustration well an
swers for the appearance of the series
with peaches, apples and plums. The
series of plots devoted to grapes we're
set out in 1896, onc-twcntieth of an
acre to each plot. Here some extra
fine work has been done, not only
showing the effect of different fo1ms of
plant food and in different quantities,
but the different ways Of pruning and
form Of tlaining the vine.
The vines arc now cut back to the
ground in order to try new method
OF training. One feature Of The work
done at the farm is that clippings Of
vines and other wood growth Of trees
with specimens of fruit and vegetables
are sent to the laboratory for analysis.
Series Of experiments have been made
with Strawberries and red raspberries,
but the soil does not seem to be well
adapted TO these fruits, therefore, they
have been abandoned, but will be re-
sumcd again with irrigation. Series
of experiments arc being made with
Austin's Improved and Lucrctia dew
berries and full series of blackberrics.
TIE VEGETABLE DEPARTMENT.
In this department, experiments
were not fully under way at the time
of my visit. Series of experiments
will be made this season with aspara
gus, corn, Spanish peanuts, artichokcs
and sweet potatoes. or sweet potatoe:
there was grown on one measured acre
$50 bushels Of marketable potatoes a
the farm last season. The society is
now contemplating putting in an irri
CATION plant and bring the water il
iron pipes from distance of over
mile, storing it in reservoir, holding
over one hundred thousand gallons
when the plant is finished they viii
experiment with different ways O.
irrigation. The object Of these expert
ment that have been made and thos,
that are beng made, is to show th,
comparative fertilizing power of diff
fcrcnt forms of plant food, also tn,
comparative effect Of lime and greer
manuring, Or in other words, the plow
ing under of leguminous crops t,
furnish nitrogen and humus to th,
soil.
Special attention is being paid to tn,
study of different methods of resisting
and treating the attacks of fungus dis
eases and of insect pests. All th
fruit trees on the farm have becl
treated with hydrocyanic acid gas TO
scale insects, which method has prov
ed effective, but expensive. The frui
and vegetable growers throughout th
United States ought to profit largcl,
from the results of these experiment
land work at the Experimental Farm
The results of these scientific ex
!, periments should show TO the farme
the most proper and economical wa
/ for chemical fertilizers to be used, an,