Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-11-04
Imnroy;up q Mountain Farm.

Improving
J.J. D., Stackhouse, n. c., writes:
'I have purchased 4 small farm in
the mountains of Western North Car
olina, which has been neglected and
needs improvement. The soil is
sandy. will appreciate any sugges-
tions.''
Answer: One of the chief needs of
@ sandy soil that has been abused is
undoubtedly vegetable matter. The
soil is also likely to be deficient in
available supplies of phosphoric acid
and potash. You can add the needed
vegetable matter to the soil cheaply
and to advantage through the use OF
|leguminous crops. Among the crops
that are grown to advantage in your
locality will be any of the clovers, the
cowpea, The vetch. soy bean and vel
vet bean. The velvet bean will hard
ly mature seed, but it grows we'll on
thin land and makes an immense
mass Of green material which can
first be pastured off, thus making the
land produce something of value and
lie refuse plowed under to add veget-
able matter to the soil. Animals pas
ture on the velvet bean to advantage
when they become accustomed to 1t,
though, of course, oue should look
but for bloat, which is liable to hap
pen when animals are pasturins on
any green crop that is wet with dew
pr soaked by heavy rains.
Under your conditions it is impor-
taut that you adopt rotation as
nearly as possible. One of the best
| YOU could use would be to SOW the
land in cowpeas this spring, using
200 pounds of sixteen per cent. acid
phosphate and seventy-five pounds OF
muriate of potash per acre. Ii the
land has not grown peas for several
years get two or three wagon loads
Of, earth from an old pea field and
scatter thinly over the surface and
work in with a. harrow before seed
Ing. Use either the Whipporwill,
New Era or Black pea. Cut the first
crop for hay and let the second crop
grow as long as possible before turn
Inc it under. Turn under and seed
| 10 wheat, using a complete fertilizer
1t the rate of 100 pounds of cotton
seed meal, 100 pounds of sixteen per
cent. acid phosphate and twenty-five
pounds of muriate of potash. Apply
The fertilizer well away from the
seed, as cottonseed meal sometimes
has an Injurious effect on germina-
tion. In the spring seed the wheat
iown to clover and timothy, or il You
prefer, pasture seeded to clover and
orchard grass. Allow to stand two
years in grass, cutting for hay one
vear and grazing the second year.
Then turn in the spring and put III
corn, seeding to crimson clover IN
the fall to plow under, and then BACK
TO cowpeas and wheat and grass.
You will need to use plentiful sup
plies of phosphates and potash ana
If your land is acid, give good coat
ing of lime, using one ton per acre.
This may be purchased in the un-
SACKED form and distributed in heaps
and scattered over the soil when
properly stacked, or it may beslacked
in quantity, and distributed with a
machine especially made for the ap-
plication of lime. Keep all the stock
you can on the farm, feed as much
of the roughness produced as posi-
BILE. and utilize carefully all avail
able supplies of farm yard manure,
and you should certainly be able to
! improve your land considerably in a
very short time.-Knozville Tribune.
r:o1d N;;co ,nd NIoleS.