The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-11
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON $. WHITE.

| In mind what we have stated about using
lime on certain soils. The lime where
needed should be applied. before using
the fertilizers mentioned IN the tables
There lare many soils thai SHOULD have
/ from 80 TO $50 bushels of pure stone lime
per acre sown broadcast and narrowed
| in. Instances are ON record which show
| that where lime was used al the rate Of
| 100 bushels per acre In connection with or
preceding the use of other fertilizers 1t
Increased the yield of wheat from ten to
fifteen bushels per acre.
The use of lime as soil builder is no
| longer questioned. Is action as a fertilizer
Is both direct and Indirect There are many
soils which are deficient in lime; on such
| soils lime Is of direct value in supplying
a necessary element of plant food. Lime
is of indirect value in unlocking the avail
able potash phosphorie acid and nitrogen
In the soil Lime eXerts "A decided influence
on the mechanical conditions of soils rem
dering heavy compact soils looser In tex
/ ture and tending to bind Particles of loose
| leachy soils 1t is also very valuable IN
correcting the acidity In soils. Where
! large crops of green manure are turned
| under lime should be used freely to mas
! ten the decay of such organic matter ana
! to prevent sourness in the soil. Lime
however, used in an injudicious way may
prove very injurious to both soil and
crops. We have brought this subject of
| lime in here for the careful consideration
| of our readers because of the fact that
there are many farms that can never e
made to produce fine crops Of wheat with
out the use of lime in improving the me-
chanical conditions of these soils We also
| have farms where the use of kanit or
crude salt would be very beneficial.
| But above all else, while on this ques-
F, ton of fertilizers. we wish to keep in the
mind of the reader the all-important mat
ter of keeping the soil always in fine me-
| chanical condition. and that for best re-
/ suits to be obtained from the use of any
concentrated fertilizers the soil must first
! be supplied with sufficient amount Of or
! ganic matter-decayed vegetable matter
as mentioned above. which may be more
cheaply obtained through a rotation OF
crops than from any other source.
Now. in the face of all that may be said
in favor of concentrated or chemical fer
tilizers, the fact remains that If the far
mer were in possession of enough we'll
! rotted barnyard manure to fertilize his
| fields, and If this were wisely used In
/ connection with a we'll regulated ~Ntation
of crops. he would not need 10 spend one
cent for these concentrated fertilizers
/ less he might perhaps need i Use little
/ nitrate of soda for a light top dressing
| for some crops. such as wheat and other
grain crops cabbage. "a. etc.
Experiment in New York.
In support of this proposition we will
state here the result of an experiment
made by a farmer In New York This
| farmer had made field very rich by the
use of barnyard manure and had also
used lime for top dressing. This field
was planted to stock beets and ais crop
was followed by a crop of fall or winter
! wheat, which produced fifty bushels or
| fine wheat per acre. With another SINH
/ lar experiment the same farmer produced
/ forty bushels of wheat per acre weighing
] sixty-fve pounds per measured bushel
In these crops of wheat as many as sixty
! spears could be counted growing from one
/ grain. Here was our slxty-fold.
/ The farmer can save much on fertil-
/ izers by saving everything on the farm
that will make plant food. There Is on
many farms and in nearly all towns and
small villages vast amount of material
! going to waste that should be saved ana
made into plant food
/ There is a farmer in Alabama whose
example in this natter should be fol-
/ lowed This farmer has a manure "a
! scooped out and fenced in: he hauls
! everything in the way of manure and
! dumps it into this yard. He has an old
negro hired hy the year to gather up
! leaves and soil from decayed logs In me
woods. These are all hauled and thrown
I'm the yard All stock are DIT ~ and
turned or kept in this yard of nights
! 60, "a other GRAIN 10 sown for hogs
18th boon, tho manure stirred ND and
/ n,a,.orts heating In the early winter
! this manure is forxed up and put in heaps
with an occasional layer of phosnhoric
acid. BY spring this Is heap OF hne
! oo,nnost This farmer claims that by this
| nrocoss he is able to make on the farm
| a connnost at the cost of IS per ton which
is worth fullv as much for plant foods as
concentrated fertilizers that would cost
ON tho markets from $25 to $50 per ton
i ,,,t,is owe economv can and should be
''9 e. ~ a,,a,,, farm
| Pc no, -. .hot snaee will not permit
- s,rthar treatment of this important
s,,os,io,, Of fertilizers for there is so
-, ,tot oo,,,d he written. - l. useless
=, i,,roduce new and improved varieties
| of saeds and plants where there Is a want
=, ,se' $50, ~, 20 ,hasa nraetical soil nee Is
VI NV" w, '7,,,ia,,s
''' ~, ara tbe first things that n farmer
,o,1 A., l,now IN know the wants of his
| soil and how TO supply these soil require
! n,ants I'm the most economical manner.
1 o
oeeo anu
Naxt ia soil preparation core the very
important matter of good seed. Ihe neg
lect of the farmers in this matter OF Sc
| Letting pure, high grade seed ana Keeping
| IT pure and up to a high standard Is one
| of the main reasons why We near me
complaint that our wheat to'her sr"IS
| also) is deteriorating. running oo"h ia
| both WELD and quality. we Hiu IL" '''''
In many sections who seem TO never
have given this important hia''et any