The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-04-30
gether 80 1898, certainly a paying
Investment for their use.

gether TO 1898, certainly a paying
Investment for their use.
To keep up the fertility of our soil,
then, where two tons pea vine hay
are removed, we should apply from
400 to 600 pounds to the acre of
fertilizer analyzing 10 per cent. phos-
phoric aci@. and 10 per cent. potash.
This fertilizer can be made by thor
oughly mixing together 1900 acid
phosphate, and 400 pounds muriate
of potash to make ton.
1t will pay to prepare the land
thoroughly for this crop. The shift
less method of pIowing in the peas
with a scooter will not answer, if
you wish a large yield. The land
should be broken deeply and sub
sOiled if it is clay and has a clay sub
soil. 1t should be prepared, and the
fertilizer applied broadcast, and har-
rowed in several weeks before you
are ready to plant, if possible. If
the peas are to follow small grain,
this of course could not be done, for
they should be planted by the mid
die of June. In this case, apply the
fertilizers after the peas are planted,
and harrow it in on the surface.
am inclined to the opinion that
as rule people do not SOW their
peas thick enough for best results
for hay. The effect of thin seeding
is to produce a very large vine, which
is difficult to cure. shall SOW, this
year, not less than bushel and Il
half to the acre, working them in
with cutaway harrow.
The question of curing the vines
after they are grown has been the
cause of endless trouble and disap-
/ pOintment to many. l will there
/ fore give you the benefit of the new
/ discovery l made along this line,
so that others besides myself may
profit by it. The method is not
mine, but that of friend, who has
kindly allowed me to give it to the
public.
This gentleman, in the first place,
prOcures several hundred pine poles,
six or seven feet long, two inches in
diameter, and sharpened at both
ends. After the hay is cut and raked
into windrOws, he takes a fork and
divides it into small piles about the
size for feed for horse. He then
puts up his pole by setting it in a
hole made in the ground for this
purpose by driving down an iron
with a maui. He has pointed steel
cap made from an old saw, which he
puts on the upper end OF the pole to
stick through the hay. Alter this,
he puts one fOrkful of hay after an
other on top of the pole, and pushes
them down on pOf each other until
the pole is full. He then takes off
the steel cap, removing it to the next
pole, and caps the stack with d little
crab grass or straw. Here the hay
stands until it is cured, which is in
about ten days. 1t is then hauled In,
pole and all, placed in the loft, and
the poles pulled out, ready for an
other lot. 1t is unnecessary to add
that the poles must be smooth and
free from knots.
This is the best method have yet
seen for saving pea vine hay. Il
cures out nicely on the poles, with
the added advantage of keeping the
leaves ON the vines, as they are moi
shattered off by tearing the hay Il
pieces when hauling it in. l have
already had the poles cut to save my
hay on this year, and trust many
Progressive Farmer readers will also
try this plan. 1t has lready proved
a success.
f. j. MERRIAM
Fulton Co, Ga.
zDOyr pOWAN FARMER