The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-26

as is now conducted at many of these meetings on cotton acreage reduction re- minds me of the old story the negroes used to tell about a wolf and a rabbit that went into a partnership to farm. All the old plantation slave owners and slaves are familiar, no doubt, with the story. However, if the story should be wanted l will give 1t in my next.
 Put away all such foolishness. Put away all prejudice against your old time friend, cotton, and if you can pay your debts and live without selling, put away your cotton and let's go to work to pro- duce all things needed.
 FertiIizing.
 This is a question that will have to be determined by the condition and re- quirements of the soil used Where the COW peas or even the velvet beans are grown as directed above and turned un- der. this will furnish the necessary ni- trogen needed to carry the plants until they are able to feed on nitrogen from the air. Well routed stable manure which contains no foul seeds, weeds or grass would be valuable.
 Rich black soils containing large quan- titles of lime phosphates and potash, If grown to peas or velvet beans to secure the needed nitrogen, would need no other fertilizers. Alfalfa, like all other plants, needs plant food, nitrogen, phos- phoric acid and potash, and these should be supplied in the most economical form. An application of 400 pounds of high grade acid phosphate and fifty to 100 pounds of muriate of potash per acre ap- piled broadcast at or just before sow ing while the soil is being prepared, will greatly increase the yield on most all soils. For all sandy soil or soils where there is no lime, lining will be of great benefit This, too, may be applied at time of preparation at the rate of one half to one ton of pure rock lime slacked per acre. We cannot too strongly rec ommend the use of lime freely, for near ly all the clovers and grasses especially should 1t be used on all soils where a heavy crop of manure is to be turned under. While lime is not properly a fer tilizer, 1t has a fine mechanical effect on many soils correcting the acidity in the soil, libera ting and setting to quicker action the plant foods that would with out its use lie dormant in the soil for considerable time.
 When the farmer finds out the chars acteristic of his soil and finds what plant foods are needed and apply these 1inteli- gently together with the needed prepara- tion of the soil, he will then have no more difficulty In growing clovers and grasses than he now experiences in growing cot ton, corn and wheat We have gone Into this matter of soil soil preparation and fertilizers at considerable length for the reason that here is where the whole se- cret of success lies, and a failure in start ing right is sure to end in failure.
 Some fertilizer must be used in the preparation of the soil, and where this is to be commercial fertilizer 1t should be preceded by the use of humus In the soil, an application of pure raw, ground bone meal at the rate of 200 pounds to- gether with fifty to 100 pounds of muriate of potash per acre will give good results.
 Some growers follow the practice of giving the fields top dressing in the spring of either or both well routed stable manure and bone meal These are broadcasted and usually a good steel tooth harrow run over the field. This no doubt Is very beneficial after the plants are well established. In concluding the chapter on fertilizers l want to warn the reader again never to use fresh stable manure which may contain foul weed or grass seed It stable manure has to be used at all, first let it heat and start all seeds to growing which will free it from these objectionable features, when 1t may be used
 When and How to Sow. This Is also a very important matter and one that will have to be determined by local conditions. In the southwest and in all the southern states it is best to SOW 1 in the fall, September October and Mo- vember are the best months to SOW in these states. There is, however, one dif- ficulty. which Is that 1t frequently hap pens in the south that the weather Is dry in the fall and not enough moisture to cause the seed to germinate. When this Is the case, the next best time will be in the spring, commencing in February and continuing through March, according to tine locality, not sowing fin any section until danger of severe freeze is past. Where spring sowings have to be made it should be done as early as the season will permit, for 1t is important that the plants get start before hot weather comes. The better plan by far will be to SOW in the fall whenever there Is mois- ture enough to promote growth, for the fall sowings are more apt to get the start of weeds.
 When sown in the fall 1t Is often a good plan to use some nurse crop as this is almost certain to secure a good stand. 1 and besides the nurse crop will afford 1 protection and prevent weeds from grow | ing. There Is, however, great deal of difference of opinion in regard to the using of a nurse crop for alfalfa. Many | object and claim that 1t is best to SOW 1t alone. The writer believes that a stand may be more readily secured in | all fall sowings by the use of a nurse | crop. Observations and experience both prove that there are less failuers when ] nurse crops are properly used than when