The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-15

Scraps.
Potato blight can always be prevent
ed by spraying with Bordeaux mix
ture, but the work should be done as
early as possible, because spraying
against fungus diseases is always a
preventive. rather than a remedy. The
usual solution is about five pounds of
sulphate of copper (blue stone) and
five pounds of good unslaked lime. If
the potatoes are buggy as we'll as scab
by, add about four ounces of Paris
green, of standard purity. Constant
stirring is necessary while spraying.
Protect the Birds.-Another step
has been taken in the effort to protect
birds. The wholesale millinery dealers,
in recent elaboration at New York,
have been forced to recognize the pres
sure of public sentiment in the mat
ter of ruthless destruction of birds.
They have agreed with influential or
CARNATIONS to discourage the sale, the
importation, etc, of such birds as the
Audubon Society and the Ornitholo-
gists' Union desire to protect. This
agreement, to be in force three years,
took effect the past week. Although
apply largely to importatlons, the ar
rangement should do much to preserve
the song birds of our own country.
This move should be followed by a
wider application of the determination
to conserve the bird life, which is so
important a factor in keeping within
bounds the myriads of insects injurious
to field and orchard.
A Missouri court has decided that
mule is a treacherous animal, and if "a
hired man is injured by one of them,
his"employer cannot plead ignorance OF
the animals disposition as defense. mis-
is one more thing against the mule, ana
a Missouri mule at that. In this state
there are more of them than in any
other state. Should the general public
become aware of this decision many
will put themselves in the way of The
rear part of a mule with the hopes that
he will land on them in such manner
as to allow them to recover damages.
1t will have a tendency to stimulate
the use of horses instead of mules.
A Rich Plant - The Rhode Is
land Experiment Station found todn1
that crop of soy Deans
amounting to nine and one-half tons
of green matter per acre would return
to the soil an amount of nitrogen equal
to that contained in LOO pounds of nj
trate of soda, potash equivalent to 2SO
pounds of muriate of potash and as
much phosphoric acid as would be fur
nished by 300 pouds of acid phosphate
II will be seen that even from the fer
tility standpoint without any consid-
Grafton of the value of vegetable mat
ter there is a large addition made
to the productive elements of the soil
when a crop of this character is ploW-
ed under Where legumes thrive such
crops are much more satisfactory for
this purpose than those that do not
have the power of taking nitrogen from
the soil The root growth in this case
is extensive while the leaf and stem
growth is also large, so that altogether
the soil will be materially improved
by the decay of legume roots, leaves
and stems While it is considered that
only 70 per cent. of the fertility ele-
ments contained in green crop is
as available as that furnished by chem
ical fertilizers, yet it is more lasting
and will benefit crops for several years
instead of giving up the elements re-
quired by the growth at once.
Cow Pea Hay.-In the Southern
cities, where hay seldom sells for less
than $40 per ton, the profit OF such
grass farming would be doubled. But
suppose the Southern farmer, instead
of growing grass for hay, would take
the COW pea and make hay of 1t for
less condition to make two tons of COW
pea per acre. But suppose we take
the above fertilization and leave out
the costly nitrogen and apply 800
pounds per acre to the pea crop. IL
would seem easy to more than match
MIR. Clark's figures with a single crop,
for one of my correspondents in Lower
South Carolina told me that he was
getting $25 ton for his COW pea hay.
Such a price is of course exceptional,
but with three tons per acre at even
$40 per ton we have not only gotten
more than Mr.. Clark, but we have left
the land in condition to grow bigger
crops of whatever follow the peas. In
the North the COW pea can only be re-
garded as a manure crop to improve
the land. while in the South it can be
made to surpasS any grass that can De
grown and the feeding value alone is
fully equal to the price l have named
for il if not put in the market. But
what 1 aimed to show is that the
Northern and Middle state farmer can
profitably make a money crop of hay II
he devotes the same care to the prep
aration of the soil and the applica-
ton of the proper plant food annually
and after years of such treatment he
will have a sod TO return humos to his
land.
Then by making his rotation of crops
lead up through the cultivation of
| clover and other legumes to the grass
| as the money crop, he can more profit
ably use his commercial fertilizers
there than elsewhere If he is situated
near a good hay market.-W. F. Mas
sey.
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BACCALAUREATE SERMON