The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-11
Talks With Farmers.

time to cut all these forage crops, and
also as to the filling of the silo.
The work of sowing grass, alfalfa
and clover crops should have imme-
4 diate attention, as this is the last
month in the year when this work can
be done With anything like a certain
/ ty of success. In our last issue we
wrote very fully ON this subject, and
to what we then said we invite atten-
ton. From the large number of en-
| quiries we have had we expect to see
quite considerable area of alfalfa
seeded in the South. We are con-
| Vlnced from the reports we have had
| ffom many who have experimental
| with the crop that there is no reason
| Whatever why Southern farmers
should not succeed as well with this
| crop as Western ones have done. 1t
is of such inestimable value as a feed
making so large a weight of hay to
the acre in one year, and is of such
q permanent character, that it is
worth every effort necessary to make
its growth successful. Talking a day
or two ago With an enterpriSing and
wide-aWake farmer, We We're glad to
ind that he had made a success with
the crop upon land badly infested with
weeds by seeding the same in drills
two feet apart. He prepared the land
finely, made it rich with manure. and
then kept all weeds down the first year
by cultivating it frequently. The Sec
ond year it took full possession of the
land, and since that time he has cut
three, and sometimes four, crops off
each year, and it is still making fine
growth, and in complete possession
of the land.
Keep on seeding crimson clover AMI
marry vetch all through the month as
lana becomes available. Sow with
these seeds some wheat. oats and rye
say from half to three-quarters of a
bushel to the acre, and a good cover
will be provided for the land all win
ter, which will add to its fertility. and
at the same time make good grazing,
an early green forage, and good hay.
good crop of crimson clover will add
from $40 to $50 worth of nitrogen to
the acre, and u crop of hairy vetch
from $50 to $35 worth of the same
absolutely essential fertilizer. All this
! is gathered from the air and costs
nothing but the price of 10 or 10
| pounds of clover seed or a bushel of
hairy vetch. and the labor of seeding
!, these. In addition to this. these crops
add humuS making matter to the soil,
and this humus makes available the
phoSphoric acid and potash in the
SOIL and keeps the soil from running
together and baking. If the land is
poor, give these crops 2 or 800 pounds
of acid phosphate to the acre to in
duce vigorous growth. The more lux
uriant the growth the greater the
quantity of nitrogen which will be
stored in the soil. If no use or profit
IS made of these crops except their
manurial value, this is amply sufficient
to justify the loutlay of money and
labor involved in their growth. No
better preparation of the land for a
corn crop can be made than the seed
ing of these crops.
! The preparation of the land for and
j the seeding of winter oats should have
! immediate attention. Long expert
1 ence in the growing of this crop has
demonstrated that to be q profitable
! and successful crop, Virginia gray
winter oats should be sown early in
/ September AS this variety is the most
profitable oat crop that can be grown
i'm the South; indeed, on an average of
| years is the only profitable oat that
| can be grown in a hot climate like
/ ours, the oat being essentially q cold
| climate crop, every effort should be
made to get it in at the best time for
it to succeed. With the oat crop as
with nearly every other crop good pre-
! ing has more to do with the yield than
! the amount OF fertilizer that may be
4 applied. This preparation should
have begun in August The rains we
have had have put the land into good
] condition for working, and every effort
should be made to get the seed in by
the middle or third week of this
month. The small average yield of
the winter oat crop in the South is
almost wholly due to the fact that the
crop is usually seeded too late on a
poorly prepared bed, and too often
on the poorest land to be cropped
| When seeded after September the crop
does not make sufficient growth to
| protect the roots from being frozen
with even a light frost on the setting
in of winter, and much Of the stand is
winter killed. Another reason for this
winter killing is that the seed is not
| covered sufficiently and proper pre-
| caution taken to drain off surface wa
| ter quickly by the provision OF water
| burrows. There is no reason why with
proper seeding at the right time the
average crop of the South should not
be in excess of 80 bushels to the acre.
We know men who make from so to
60 bushels to the acre regularly. These
men sow in September. prepare the
land well, put the crop on good lana,
and give it 500 or 400 pounds Of acid
phosphate per acre. Another great
treason for light yields is that enough
seed is not sowed. Instead of sowing
only bushel or a bushel and a half
to the acre, twice this quantity of seed
should be soWed. Sowing 4 bushels
of seed to the acre has given the
highest yield in number of expert
ments and in several OF these tests
the covering of the seed with cultiva-
tors was found to give better results
than merely narrowing the seed in.
The application of phosphate in the
form of acid phosphate or Thomas
Stag gave an increase of 100 per cent.
in the crop.
Winter barley is being sown now
in the Valley and Northern sections
of this State, and promises to be an
acquisition to our staple crops. 1t
gives good winter and spring grazing
when sown early enough in the fall.