The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1905-01-06

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+ net ~ crop. They are able TO satisfy
themselves, ia . general way. as to
whether the operations a. whole
have been profitable. Even in this.
Z however. they too often fail to credit
the farm with it, share in the Sup
port q the family living thereon
NOn-rssidents aud the growers Of
{ special crops more frrqueBfIy keep
s accounts with their different ven
I tures. aud are able 20 judge where
money Il made OF lost.
When re find a farm business.
conducted on large scale with &C
ggCate book accounts with every
. operation and crop, data i available
which must be useful in determining
tle places and crops In which the
. profits are largest. The matters Of
average yields and prevailing prices
are familiar % most farmers. II j.
he actual expense involved ia the
making II his crops Of which he Is
laWenrabiy ignorant. The actual
cost Of producing Al acre OF the more
common crops. accurately deter
mined i. therefore interesting and
important. Such results Of a series
II book accounts With the crops Of 4
large Florida farm am nov able 70
present.
Every item which entered int8 the
cost Of these crops is charged az
against them. The labor nf every
hour Df man and team, AL h. feTtili-
zer the wear On equipment, taxes
and interest are AL charged at actual
cl--. The results were As follows:
Rice 50 - per acre. C0wT5eas. T-sl.
Velvet beans. 6-g4 Sweet potatoes.
lp-z2. Beggar-geed hay, -. CASA
va AL Corn. y s. GrCuud-ueas.
: g. Sugar Cane. IA.
These crops We're grown on $50
acres Of Pl0Wed land; the acreage Of
zach crop. therefore. was sufficient
~ make results typical Of we'll
managed crops Of the different kinds
IN the section. West Florida. il.
which they were grown. A few 81
lie results are worthy Of special
consideration. The low cost Of th.
rice crop Is an important matter.
The cost Of the cane bears directly
On the question Of the profit Of syrup
making, and would seem TO demon
strate the truth OF the common as
ssTtiOH that syrup could not be made
prDtitably at &c per gallon. The
cheapnes= Of ground peas and velvet
D@aEs = important. and readily
places them in front rank as forage
crops. One Of the most interesting
things il the accounts is the nearly
equal cost Of making an acre Of corn
and cassava. This substantiates the
claims Of most cGssaVa growers. and
1isprCyes the common assertions of
parties who never grew the crop, I
nat it vas a costly product. When +
II Il remembered that an acre OF 4
cassaya furnishes more than three /
times a. much food as even the best D.!
acres Of Florida corn. the signifi- !
canoe Of this comparison. in the ac- I
tuaI cost Of making, is apparent.
4 FEW STRAWBERRY POINTERS.
The season has been remarkably 4
hard on new strawberry paintings. !
The phenOminally dry weather has |
utterly discouraged many growers
and eKtermiaated many beds. More .
water is the crying demand Of the |
crop. Even if the indispensable /
moisture is secured in time TO enable |
the plants 70 make fair growth be-
fore blooming time arrives. thew will /
enter on the work Of crop making
with a serious handicap and will
need all the assistance possible if
profitable returns are TO be expected. /
SO far as the future is concerned
the lesson Of the present season il
easily apparent. The Indispensable
demands Of the strawberry for water
should be more constantly recog-
niZed in the location of the planta-
lions. The providing Of means for
irrigation would be well invested in
surance. The expense of this, how
ever, will stand ia the way Of gener-
al adaptation. 4 simple substitute
is more frequently available. By To-
eating the strawberry beds on w
land thoroughly drained by open
bitches the grower is really in con-
troll Of the water problem. In wet
seasons the drains, with suitable
outlet and fall, will carry off all ex-
cess Of water. In dry times the
closing OF the bitches, with a few
shoyelsfull Of soil, will set the water
back. Drainage is thus stopped, and
Il the drought continues the water
in the bitches will be absorbed and
reach the roots of the plants by cap
llary action
Tie great celery plantations in the
Kalamazoo district are an illustra-
lion Of this practice on large and
scale.
The supply of moisture may also
De influenced in another way. Diff /
'erent fertilizers, or chemicals. pos
less marked influence on the move
nent of water in the soil. Nitrate
If soda and muriate of potash both
'ery greatly increase the available /
supply of water. This advantage is
wholly Independent Of the plant
God value OF these materials. The
lse Of 200 lbs of nitrate Of soda or
u lbs. of Inuriate of potash per acre Z
will render many crop Independent ,
# drought which would otherwise
ieopardize the crop.
1t should be remembered that both
hese fertilizers are specially adapt-
d to the requirements of the straw
Jerry. The potash should preferably
,e applied at the time of planting.
'ut the nitrate may advantageousiv ,
'e used as a late application, cult J
'ated in, when. the effect of drought
: feared, or at about the time of
looming. e
QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
q When should scuppernOng
rape vines be pruned? 4
A. This may be properly answered L
y Mark Twain's advice to the young :
nan about to be married. "Don'tI" I
he scuppernOng does best with little !
r no pruning. Give it plenty of I
uppOrt and let in run. Where nee r
ssary TO keep in bounds the prun- c
~ may be done any time before b
uds start in the spring. January is b
erhaps the best month for the work. =
q What fertilizer will make
trge bright peaches?
A. Other things beside fertilizer 9