The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1904-11-17
THOUGHTS FOR
'A'''A ~ : I THE FARM
What Farmers Should Know.
10 MAKE THE BEST WHEAT.

Progressive Farm
The Fidelity Loan and Trust Com
pany of Spartauourg has offered you
for the largest yield of wheat from one
acre of land. This will stimulate
score or more Of farmers to enter the
contest. One OF them has asked the
writer how to make fifty bushels to the
acre. He seems to think that one who
takes the prize will have to make that
suue,, or more. The answer given him
will suit all wheat growers who read
The Progressive Farmer.
Select soil with Lumus enough IN 1t
to keep surface from packing and bak-
fns after rains. There should be SAND
or slick enough to make the straw still.
The land should be broken eight to
twelve inches deep and narrowed until
the soil is we'll pulverized. An acre OF
land would require about one hundred
pounds of ammonia, forty-four pounds
of potash and th!rty-four pounds OF
phosphoric acid to make fifty bushels
of wheat, including straw and chat.
Most OF land used for these prize crops
have nearly nitrogen enough Tor
wheat crop. If too much is applied
there will be failure. We knew
farmer who applied eighty bushels OF
cottonseed to an acre of land that was
fairly good. He made nothing but
straw, and that would not stand up.
We suggest that on good pea stubble,
or land with plenty Of humus, no
ammonia be applied when wheat is
sown. Let the farmer apply seventy
five pounds of nitrate of potash and
500 ponds of IA per cent. acid phos-
phate. II ammonia is needed to start
a rapid growth, mix fifty to seventy
five pounds of nitrate of soda, or 2OO
pounds of cottoneeed meal. 1t will be
better to apply this mixture broadcast
and run a smoothing harrow over it
before sowing wheat. In March ii the
wheat is not green and vigorous, apply
about 100 pounds of nitrate of soda and
follow with weeder or smoothing har-
row.
RAT PROOF CRIB.
Farmers generally are very wasteful.
They rebel against taking care OF small
things. They will eat black, mean
corn meal made from poor Western
corn and let the rats destroy enough
home-raised corn to bread them. The
general experience is that rats destroy
5 to 10 per cent. of corn crop unless
1t Is in a rat-proof crib. A farmer
came to the writer few days ago and
said III had about corn enough to do
me. 1 stored it in an apartment Of my
barn. 1 saw that the rats we're getting
q full share 80 built an outside crib
in April and moved my corn. Hound
80 bushels completely ruined. 1t
made poor hog iced. Then there was
about as much more badly damaged.
I lost fully so bushels" Another
farmer made the following report-and
the writer is assured that both these
statements are true: "Last year my
corn crop, owing to a long drought.
was short. l made no hay, as it was
entirely too dry. l knew l had
barely corn enough to do me. had
a rat-proof crib made. The Size was
10 by 20 feet. Six post-oak posts about
8 inches in diameter, were prepared
They we're 4 feet long and set SO as to
show "a inches above ground. OF
course the tops we're on a level. On
top OF these plank caps, 20 inches
square, were placed. There was one
post at each corner, and one in the
middle of side stills. I made my Grill
OF logs, because it was cheaper for me
The last corn taken from that crib, {
few days ago, was clean and sweet. I
rat ever got in 1t there was no sign
sUBsOILING WITH ONE HORSE.
A farmer came to us a few days agt
saying that you are always telling III
to break the hard pan and subsoil ou
land. You are no doubt correct, bu
what is poor man with only ont
horse to do? This is our advice t,
him and all such farmers: Take pc.
stubble that is intended for cotton mex
year. The leaves and remnants O
vines are now on the ground. The,
should be saved. Use a six-inch shove
and lay off the rows cotton width a
early as possible. When that is done
take tongue or diamond point plo,
and run in the same furrow. Tha
will break the hard pan. Then do tn
same thing tor The middle, leaving th
freezes to pulverize the soil. If Ian
is intended for corn, make the row
proper width and run the burrows Il
the middle. That requires littl
time, but it will pay any farmer cult
waiting lands. Another plan for on
horse farmers Is to swap labor. Blu
two-horse plows and harrows in con
mon and take it time abou
using them. They will soon be abb