The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-04-08

Fefnaps there is nothing lpat Woulu III
terest our readers more at this time than
review. with comment on some of the
many good things brought out in our late
farmers institute meetings held along the
line from Birmingham to Memphis.
We will take first the meeting at Holly
Springs. Here the meeting was not only
attended by country farmers. but profess
sional men of the town-merehants. bank
ers. lawyers. doctors all Of whom own
farms in the country and who were anx-
ious to gain information along many new
farm topics. The interest became SO great
that we were unable to answer all the
questions showered In upon us, and the
people were not willing for us to leave
until we had promised to give them two
days farmers institute in July, al which
time the good citizens of Holly Springs
will give us a basket picnic, and the la
dies of the town will take an active part
in making the meetings a great success.
This is a movement in the right diree-
ton for we can never make farmers in
stitutes what they should be, or reach
that point of success until the ladies' take
| the matter up and give it their support.
! So we hope that not only will the ladies
of Holly Springs. but the ladies all along
! the line between these points will become
| interested and lend us their support by
| their presence during the series of meet
ings to be held along the line in July.
Points Brought Out.
| Now for a few points brought out at
| these late meetings. At Holly Springs
! one man wanted information on aspara-
| gus growing. He stated that he had just
| one-tenth of an acre in asparagus, which
| had afforded him an ample supply for his
| family use and in addition to this he had
sold $50 worth to his neighbors in the
town. Well. this was good record. He
! then said that he had grown aspara gus
stalks to weigh one-quarter pound each
and that he wanted Information that
would enable him to make them weigh
| one-half pound even one pound. He
said that he was using all the well rotted
staple manure that the plants would take
up, also that he was using a large amount
/ of salt as top dressing. | advised him
| to stop the use of salt, for 1t has been
| found by the best of growers that there
is nothing to be gained in the use of salt
| for asparagus. Instead of salt | advised
| the use of pure air slahed rock lime.
Lime Not Fertilizer.
Now lime is not in the proper sense a
| fertilizer but it has a fine mechanical
effect upon the soil and makes the fertil-
izer more soluble, creates quicker ac-
! ton. In this case, 1t was plainly shown
| that the plants and soil had taken UP all
| the plant food that they could under the
conditions and so lime was needed to set
! this extra amount of stable manure to
work to make it soluble so that the plants
could take up the food more quickly and
In greater quantity. / mention this be-
| cause of its great Importance, for these
/ are matters that all farmers should fully
understand. Soils will take just so much
| fertilizer and more than this is useless
/ waste.
| Then, too, to know how to get quick
| action is another very important matter.
| have known the great value of air
saxed lime for many of our southern
soils and have frequently made mention
| of it.
| Concerning Strawberries.
Two other men said that they wanted
| information that would enable them to
produce fine Strawberries They said that
| they had planted several times and had
grown fine plants but got no fruit. Upon
! inquiring we found that they had greatly
| overfed their plants or soil. which had in
duced a great growth of soft vines, and
there being too much nitrogen in the soil
! this had destroyed the pollen of the
blooms. so no fruit was produced And
then too, these soft, overfed plants died
out as soon as the hot summer sun got
at them.
1
from the north said that he had no trou-
BILE in growing fine strawberries and that
| his crop last year netted him over 5000
/ per acre. This man had been educated in
strawberry growing.
/ mention this because of the great
value II has and from the fact that |
often have people say to me, What is
| the matter that | do not get fruit on my
| strawberry or tomato plants?" One of
| the most common reasons is that just
mentioned The plants are overfed. too
much nitrogen is In the fertilizer and so
| the pollen in the bloom is destroyed or
| the plant makes wood and foliage at the
| expense of the fruit. This is equally true
with tomato as well as in the case of the
| strawberry. Nand so also of many other
plants. Plant food for plants is like food
/ for man, enough is plenty. No one
would think of wanting a Christmas or a
Thanksgiving dinner every day in the
| year.
so we informed them just how much
good plant food to use various soils to
produce strawberries and many other
| fruits and vegetables.
Write For information.
| Now here comes in a matter that every
| reader of the Age-He should remem-
ber If YOU do not fully understand the
| conditions of your soil, IL you have any
doubt as to how to prepare your soil for
|
| full outline of your soil, what kind 1t
! is both top and bottom. and we may be
abel to help you and give you much valu-
able information. Life is too short and
| time too precious for farmers to spend
! time planting crops on lands that are ut
| terly unfit for such crops and where the
/ results are bound to prove a failure. A
| farmer cannot afford to plant trees on
| land where the subsol Is full of acid
water and have to wait and cultivate
those trees for five or six years. and then
| see them die for want of having the soil
properly drained before planting. l meet
with just such conditions everywhere
| / go.
| Another man at the Holly Springs meet
| ing wanted much valuable information on
| dairying and we had man present who
| has become rich in the dairy business
near this place, and from him we got
much valuable information on dairying
and on forage crops and grasses. for this
| man had shown how various grasses and
forage crops could be grown in the south.
| Our next meeting was at Tupelo. where
we held three sessions, and found the
same great interest as at Holly Springs,
| and also had men present who were fur
| nishing object lessons of what the coun-
| trv was capahIe of producing Here the