The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-22
Crop to Precede AIfaIfa-House Plaster

Crop to Precede Alfalfa--House Plaster
 A Wilcox County correspondent re- ports satisfactory results from 8 small area in alfalfa and submits several questions as to fitting an old cowlot, containing some Bermuda to receive alfalfa next fall.
 Your recent letter is at hand. I should much prefer to sow thiekly in peas rather than to cultivate in corn the cow lot on which you desire 70 SOW alfalfa early this fall. Bermuda grass is serious disadvantage to alfalfa and this with other weeds in your old COW lot may greatly injure it.
 Plaster from an old house would be a useful source of lime if used in large amounts, perhaps four to eight loads per acre. If your soil should be sour l think half a ton per acre of building lime would be more effective. Alfalfa soil would be sufficient to lnoculate the patch and you can afford to use a large amount. say at least four wagon loads per acre. I would advise you to use ySur own alfalfa soil as inoaulating material l. F. D.
 Spontaneous Combustion of Clover Hay.
 By the time this reaches our readers III the central part of our territory many or them will be busily engaged in put ting up clover hay. In the southern RGA OA OuE Gl Lucy are dI IS now, and so are our alfalfa readers in the western part of our territory. It is therefore, timely to point out possible Gtanger from neglect or haste and bad Judgment in putting hay in the stack, bays in barns.
 The. fact that clover and alfalfa and sometimes sorghum or shredded fod- der will take fire by spontaneous com bustion is too well established to ad- init or any possible doubt. Scientists tion: but they have been obliged to yleld 10 the stubborn, stern logic of &C., tual fact The sight of hay stack on ire where no other means of taking nre are present Is convincing proQf. EVen more convincing proof Is found m the middle of large bay or shed or stack, In the blackened and thor oughiy charred remains of what once was hay, In which combustion occurred without flame. Cases of this kind are by no means infrequent.
 The cause of 1t is somewhat obscure There can be no combustion. with or without flame, until the moisture is completely exhausted, not merely LhA moisture over twelve or fifteen per cent which thoroughly cured good hay tar- ries even when quite dry, but all the moisture, called fixed because it can not be removed without unnatural heat. The exhaustion of this moisture Is Gue to heating and fermentation, and that Is due to. fungus carried in on the kay, and particularly on clover.
 HIS GAlIcut utBTSe or neat uOeS nOI arise unless the hay is stored in large quantities. It arises more freQucntly In some years than others and more in some sections in the same wear than others, due to the greater abundance of the fungus which is capable Of de- velopinR this extreme degree of heat The remedy Is proper curing bef ore the hay Is stored in these large bays or stacks. Just how to determine what is proper curing Is something which can not very well be put on paper. Or dinarily when a farmer of ordinary muscle takes a wisp of hay and twists 1t as hard as he can and finds no moist ure on the outside 1t Is ready to go intc the barn and can safely be stored. There | are, however, atmospheric condI-.o IS | which warn a man to be very cautious Every farmer knows that clover rakes up moisture very rapidly from the at- mosphere He has noticed how much heavier the hay handles when he takes in the last load in the evening in mug. gy weather. The hay lying loose ir l taking up moisture very rapidly. I | would have been in first-class shape tC have gone into the barn at 3 or o'clock. but may be altogether too damJ taken in till sundown.
 l Again, much depends on the way tn, hay Is hal handied bd,, If 1t Is very heavy an' CT words, in heavy swath, and tn day has been hot and muggy. you will frequently find the under side quit ! 6ASSAlS WhAAN AAAO part Ol ll swath may in fact be sunburned an, seriously damaged by excessive heat Hence the necessity of keeping hay il the field that is not intended to b.
 cooked as loose as possible so as t.
 allow the freest circulation of air Ev
 cry observant farmer will notice tha
 the hay lying on top of the swath on
 wet day will be quite green and sappy while the leaf structure is dead. It
 almost impossible to get the water ou
 of the stalk afterwards.
 | Spontaneous combustion frequentl
 occurs from putting hay in too gree
 or insufficiently cured, or if one ma
 pitches and allows 1t to drop from tn
 fork into the middle of the mow.
 Is just at this point that the crater
 form. from which hot air continuall
 rises. and where the combustion starts
 It Is well on general principles fo
 the farmer to watch closely ever
 morning what is going on In his bar
 or hay shed. He should not trust thi
 to his boys or hired hands. but go an
 look at 1t himself. If he gets up |
 the morning and goes out befor
 breakfast and finds the hay on top Q
 his mow or shed quite wet, especiall
 where the fork drops the hay, 1t Is n
 indication that he had better be littl
 careful. What is going on there? Tn ! af n fhA fg a cn01