The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-29
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON s. WHITE.

l have always obtained the best re-
suits from broadcasting the fertilizer
| rather than sowing In drills under the
potatoes. But not only is this true Tor
potatoes, but l prefer broadcasting the
| fertilizer for nearly all crops. Then
again, growers are not agreed as to
whether it is best to put the fertilizer
| under the potatoes or to use 1t on the
top as a part OF the covering. l prefer
If using at all IN the drill to use on the
top, after the potatoes are planted; that
is. to use 1t in the drill as a part COW
ering for the seed rather than putting 1t
under the potatoes. However, the work
can be done more quickly and cheaply
by putting in before the seed are dropped
as the work can be done by the use OF
a good fertilizer drill. OF course, l am
supposing that all the work Is to be
| done by hand, as there Is no potato
planters used as yet in this section, so
! far as / know. If our late improved po-
tato planters were used they would do
all the work of planting the seed and
distributing the fertilizer at one trip
as well as covering the seed, but the
soil must be in fine condition for using
potato planters.
| The amount of this combined or mix
ed fertilizer of bone dust or guano mixed
with the compost can be reduced one
| half OF more by the use of .de following
| fertilizer: Three hundred pounds of cot
| ton seed meal; $50 pounds acid phosphate
and seventy-five pounds muriate of pot
ash; mix well on a floor and apply at
| the rate of 800 to 400 pounds per acre.
Where the soil Is in a high state of cul-
tivation and already contains a good
/ amount of humus, God crops OF pota-
toes may be secured from this last for
mula of fertilizer If used alone. AS no
general rule will answer for all condi-
lions as to how best apply this last
named formula will depend largely on
! circumstances. I think under most con-
ditions, especially where the soil has
been cultivated as mentioned above, that
I would prefer using the fertilizer broad
cast after the crop was planteu and har-
row IT in. 1 am speaking now of the
cotton seed meal acid phosphate and
muriate of potash only.
Now in connection with this all i'm
portant matter of fertilizers. l wal state
that some form of fertile ,rs will be in
dispensible, for we cannot rob the soil
of all its fertility in producing early
crops and then expect 1t to produce a
good crop of fall potatoes. We must. in
order to succeed In producing this late
crop of potatoes restore 10 the soil Its
fertility as well as the moisture neces-
sary las far as possible) to produce this
crop. Moisture being one of the fore
most essentials in the production of a
potato crop and as this fall crop is
planted at the time of year when we may
expect dry weather, 1t becomes the more
necessary that we assist the soil in re-
tanning moisture.
l am frequently asked the question,
why we can not grow a fall crop of po-
tatoes in Alabama as well as they do in
Tennessee? When one visits the potato
growing section of Tennessee he can see
at once the reason. Their conditions are
altogether different from ours. The soil
is better, as rule, to commence with
then they keep the lands up to high
state of cultivation. 4ne Tennessee
farmer can sow his land intended for
potatoes in winter wheat sowing clover
with the wheat; the wheat can generally
be harvested off by June 10, when the
stubbie and clover is turned under thus
furnishing nearly all plant food neces-
sary for producing a crop of fall pota-
| toes. One grower stated to me LAT his
| two crops, wheat first and followed
with fall crop of potatoes, last season
brought him $3.50 per acre, besides enough
| cut potatoes that were unmarketable
to reseed the land.
Now this seems large at first thought,
but this man gave me the figures on the
crops which were not unreasonable when
we consider the high prices for all farm
products the past season. Now If our
farmers in Alabama would also SOW win
| ter wheat and rye, an SOW these to
clover, and manage their lands to get
the most put OF them possible they, too,
coul- get paying crops OF late potatoes.
But so far as have seen there has been
no effort upon the part of our farmers
generally to grow this crop, most of the
efforts having been made by our truck
for or ordo y11A Il
to work their lands for all they can get
out of them and they have not the time
to prepare their lanes properly for t.
crop.
The failure. or nearly so, of our early
crop of potatoes has caused an unusual
interest to be taken in this matter of a
fall crop, and for this reason 1 wish to
treat the subject fully so as to enable
our readers to make a success II posi-
BILE.
After the land and fertilizers have all
been prepared, as mentioned, when the
time arrives for planting, mark out the
rows perfectly straight and Of even
width all the way through from end to
| end-three feet wide. n goou marker
shou,. be provided for this work. This
plan is for planting by hand. After the
rows or lines for the rows are marked
out the next thing Is to furrow out the
burrows and this can be done with a
what we term the trench system will be
by far the best The trench system
| is this, to follow in the burrows with .
smaller pillow and loosen up the bottom OF
the burrows, and sometimes 1t is neces-
sary to run twice to the row in order to
get the bottoms of the burrows plowed
up loose and fine. Where the soil will
| permit furrow out about four inches
| deep and then use the smaller pillow for
loosening up the bottom of the furrow.
A smaller shovel. say one about half the
size of the first one used will be about
right. The land is now ready for the
seed which should be prepared ahead,
for the work should all be done fast, the
seed dropped In the fresh opened fur
rows and lowered before the burrows
have time to dry out. The dropper
firmly down In to tie fresh loose dirt
A good nine inch pillow or a good culti-
vator should follow the dropper and COW
er the seed as fast as dropped. Where
the fertilizer is to be used in the drill
under the potatoes. this can be run In
ahead of the dropping. CT the fertil-
izer is to be put in the drill on the top
of the seed 1t can be distributed ahead
of the covering and right after the drop
per. In either case 1t is very important
to get the burrows closed up at once
and before they can dry out.
AS to The distance apart for dropping
the seed will depend largely on the
variety planted. The Red Bliss, COM
monty called Tennessee Triumph, which
by the way is about the only variety
safe to risk for fall crop, will not need
| to be planted over ten to fifteen inches