The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-24

there was in 1899 a total acreage o
 771,018 acres devoted to COW peas 1T the twelve states of Georgia. Soutf Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina Tennessee. Mississippi. Texas. Arkan. sas, Virginia, Florida, Louisiana and Kentucky, with a total yield of $751; 500 bushels. Georgia has the largest acreage-187,032 acres, yielding 1.l30.'
 Al bushels. The acreage then oe' creases in the order named until w reach Kentucky, which has only S,30' acres. The average yield in all the
 States is a little over eight bushels per acre.
 North Carolina, Texas. Virginia ant
 Kentucky produce each over 93-'
 bushels per acre. Louisiana produce.
 over 91-2 bushels per acre. Nortl
 Carolina exceeds all in yield per acre
 Georgia with the largest acreage
 comes out behind, yielding a little ovel
 6 3-4 bushels per acre.
 The yield in all said States Is mucl lower than should be. Under favor able conditions from 30 to 50 bushels
 per acre can easily be grown.
 Fall Crop Irish Potatoes.
 Farm and Ranch. The growing importance of the fall crop of Irish potatoes Is appreciated by all who have planted home grown seed potatoes from last years fall crop dur ing the past spring. The results from these home grown seeds have been most satisfactory and have saved a large amount of money to those who have had the forethought and skill to grow good crop of potatoes for seed during the fall of 1903. The cost of seed potatoes is the largest item of ex- pense connected with the growth of the crop. There are many risks to be run in the purchase of foreign grown seed. Sometimes entire car loads freeze during shipment and are worthless up- on their arrival. resulting in financial loss and serious delays in planting. Not linfrequently these foreign grown seed potatoes disappoint the growers by a small yield of potatoes of irregular size. or are diseased or badly colored specimens that do not bring the mar ket price. The first thing to do Is to grow our own seed for this important crop. It can be done.
 Errors to be Avoided.
 We call attention briefly to some of the errors into which growers of this fall crop have dropped during the the first place. the fall crop should be grown upon richer land than the spring crop. The reason for this will be evil dent if you consider the fact that the crop must be forced to make its growth rapidly between the scorching suns of early September and the killing frosts of November and December. The limit for its growth is narrow. It must be forced. In many cases 1t will pay to use commercial fertilizers when such commercial fertilizers would not be profitable with the spring crop. One hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds of nitrate of soda combined with some form of phosphoric acid K especially recommended to growers of fall crops. The nitrate of soda should be applied when the young potatoes are cultivated into the soil the better. One danger of applying the nitrate too late in the season will be found in the dan ger of disturbing the young potatoes in cultivating the nitrate of soda into the soil close up to tho growing vines. Hence. 1t should be applied as early as practicable. yet not so early as to stim- ulate too much vine growth. Where the land is very fertile and there is a fair supply of moisture. no cultivation is necessary atfer the land has been properly prepared, and the potatoes seeded thickly. Some of the best fall crops have been grown by putting in q small acreage upon very rich land. well plowed to hold the moisture. and plant ing the entire seed (which nave been properly greened before hand) in every turn blow furrow. IR this case each furrow of the turning blow covers the last "drill' of potatoes put in. This plan, however. can only be recommend ed for land that is retentive of moisture or under irrigation and where plant food is abundant.
 The largest number of failures with the fall crop of potatoes Is due to planting the raw seed potato without treatment h this ease thex lie In the