The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-22

Notes from . Trip to the Canebralke. On a recent trip to the Canebrake Experiment Station the writer mad the opportunity of spending an interval If several hours between trains ct Marion Junction, locality noted as one of the principal shipping points for hay in the State of Alabama. Accepting stand ing invitation from friends. the time was spent in a ride over several plaa- tations that produce not only cotton and corn, but also Johnson grass hay for market, as well as consideraole live stock. Although familiar / from boyhood with the prairie country of Alabama I have seldom seen it in con- dition more attractive to the stocKman than on that morning early in May.
 The second years growth of melilo- tus was just ready for the mower, though on account of showery weath- CT, but little of it had been cut. It stood two to three feet high and thick as one could wish. I felt safe in esti- mating the yield on the best fields at fully a ton and a half of well cured hay per acre at the first cutting. l was assured that although the Johnson grass was scarcely visible on the date mentioned, that it would nevertheless far outgrow the second growth of melilotus and afford two cuttings this season of nearly pure and readily sal able Johnson grass.
 Much of the melilotus land near Marion Junction is utilized as pastur- age for cattle. It is notable that here it is on some farms considered advis- able to graze the Johnson grass mead ows well into June and then to remove the cattle and in due time nov the later growth. It is claimed that the complete utilization of the melilotus and other early growth thus effected fully compensates for the loss of the June cutting I cannot help having some doubts as to the advisability of this course where melilotus Is not abundant.
 In fields broken more recently and not pastured, Johnson grass is making a fine growth, which, with the mois- ture now in the soil, makes it certain that the first cutting this year will De a heavy one.
 The meadows where melilotus was absent seemed to me unusually free from weeds for this time of year.
 Promising as are the prospects for hay, I feel that Johnson grass farmers are not living up to their opportuni- ties until they make general use of nitrate of soda. which is the only com mercial fertilizer that in my experi- ments has promptly and greatly in- creased the yield of Johnson grass on prairie SOILS. Even tnlS IS useless or of light benefit in a season of deficient rainfall. I prefer to apply 1t late in April or early in May. on the surface, with or without narrowing. and at the rate of 80 to 160 pounds per acre, cost ing from about $225 to $4.50 per acre. It is hoped that next year it will be used on a greater number of Johnson grass farms.
 Considerable wild or native vet ch comes as a volunteer growth In the Johnson grass meadows around Ma rion Junction. I was surprised at it's comparatively small and backward condition. which I attribute rather to the close grazing given 1t while cattle run at large than to uncongenIal soil or excess of moisture. On land rich enough to produce four tons of alfalfa hay per acre the wild vetch was scarce ly as good as on poor sandy land at