The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-04-28

The spring of 1902 was some three
weeks late. This year, as if to compen-
safe, it has opened almost as much earlier
than usual, and consequently there has
been a rush of work.
In the country round wheat has winter
ed we'll and should make good yield
but nothing like what it might make if
clover or COW peas in the rotation were
the rule instead Of the exception. The
clay of these red hillsides is q natural
clover soil, but the crop IS seldom ever
found, excepting in certain settlements
where the naturally good soil has been
held by a better class of farmers. 1t is
q great pity that the farmers institutes
are confined to the middle and eastern
sections of the State, where the political
pun comes from. A clover and COW peas
campaign, continued year after year un-
til the inertia is overcome would be
bound t1 have its effect.
The small farmer and tenant is not yet
able to do much grass sowing and practice
any regular rotation, but he could man
age to harrow into his corn some clover
at the cost of one dollar an acre. In this
warn, open Southern winter the loss of
nitrates must be serious, and | am more
than ever convinced that this is one of the
first points to be considered in the
! scheme for soil Improvement. Some
/ Southern experiment station should take
! this up and this trial should cover a
term of say ten years. No private farm
is equipped for such work. The plan of
plowng clay lands in the fall and leaV-
| ng to mellow with frost and thaw through
the winter has been a convenient and fav-
orite one here: but I believe the loss OF
nitrates amounts to more than the adVan-
tages and this plan is now being changed
(even at the cost of more spring worlO
and the clovers or rye used to collect
plant food through the winter.
Wheat and other small grain crops
have been reduced to very small area
at Biltmore, because corn with the shred
dcd fodder and the hay crops has gVeI
larger and more certain returns The Gus
tom is now to seed with grass or Glove
at the last working of the corn. Afte
the clean cultivation practically the ben
efits OF summer fallow are secured witt
q clean stand of grass or clover, all tn
| weeds within terminating distance of tn
: surface have been killed, while whencve
! we have had to plow before seeding
+ fresh stock Of hitherto dormant one
have been brought to life However. "
may have to introduce small grain aga:
2 into the rotation to furnish bcddings 70
our increasing number of dairy herds
since straw has been from sS to SO to
all the winter, and shavngs or sawdus
cannot be bought
Alfalfa-well l have nothing new to re
! port upon this-in common with enslag
is, ncxt to good COWS, the greatest hcl
to profitable dairyng we have ever found
The area in alfalfa the dairy farm
{ now being increased by thirty acres fC
soilnC ard hay.
Speaking Of dairying, we proba bly, h0l
: the long distance record for shipment
ny yearly contracts to Southern towns q
! far rs Charleston, Columbia and Spartan
), burg, s. G.. Savannah Ga. and as f
= south IS Palm Beach, Fla, and the quar-
= tity is bcing increased as fast rs we "a
r increase tho herds. It is wholesale Gus
t low Con the basis of 25c a gallon Of mil
d {. 0. b. BiltmOre( but there IS enc aC
v vantage to a breeding herd in tho sale
l. cream over that of milk viz. plenty
n skim milk can be fed to the calves tt
il future" of the herd AS we always hay
st over fifty on hand this is no small tier
: Live stock sales from the different d.
,e partmentS have so far been all that cOu
} be wished Berkshires have been amO
| too good, as many orders could not