The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-08-03
The Fertility Question on a Southern
Fam.

ct. 3. Terry in Practical Farmer.)
A North Carolina reader writes: Il
have a piece of land with clay sub
soil about S inches below the surface.
The land was covered with lot manure
this spring. then broken with a two
horse pillow and planted with corn. ]
intended to SOW cOWpeas at time of last
blowing of corn. After corn is gath
cred l will pillow under the pea vines
and SOW wheat. The land has made
about 20 bushels of corn per acre in
the past. Please tell me how much
and what kind of fertilizer to use for
wheat, and how much wheat TO sow
per acre, and advise generally" By
lot manure l suppose you mean ma
nure made in an open yard, subject to
teaching. Most of the potash and
part of the nitrogen are likely to have
leached out. If the peas grow well to
maturity they will probably furnish
nitrogen enough for wheat, with what
is in the soil. If your land is short
likely to be lacking. And if land
is short of phosphoric acid, more of
that h a the manure furnishes may
be needed to make a large yield Of
wheat. No range can tell you
nearer than this what fertilizer to use.
1t is a question largely of what your
particular soil needs. Experiments
on the land can be made to settle this
positively. 1t cannot be done in any
other way. Land with clay subsoil is
naturally strong in mineral matter,
usually, provided the drainage is good
enough so stagnant water in the
ground does not keep air out and in
jure growth Of roots. Potash and
phosphoric acid are mineral matter.
They cannot be burned up. They will
remain in the ashes if you burn any
thing in the vegetable line. Nitrogen
can be burned up and will return to
the air.
Some General Advice.
If h makes considerable straw it
indicates that there is enough nitro
gen. This element is required to
make a large growth Of leaf and talk.
II the straw seems weak. and falls
rover easily, it indicates lack of potash,
unless too much seed was put on land.
II there is plenty of stray and it stands
up Well, but yield of grain is light, it
is plump, a shortage of phosphoric
acid is indicated. Twenty bushels of
corn per acre is a very small yield.
Such land as is described, properly
drained and crop well fed, should yield
so or SO bushels of corn per acre.
This with good seed and proper til
lage. There is something wrong With
this land, or the management of it.
But one cannot tell Just what from the
report sent us. In general, probably
more NeScldDlo 11dIerld1 is ne6QeQ IN
the soil. Flowing under of cowpea
vines will help decidedly in this di-.
%rection. But do not pillow them in
green. They~should be mature, dead,
before beng turned under. And then,
while they Will be good for the land,
they may not be for the wheat crop
following. With US whea grows best.
goes through the winter in better
shape. in a compac soil, not in one
loOsened up by the turning under Of
much vegetable matter just before
sowing. But this will probably not
make as much difference in North
Carolina as with US in Northern Ohio.
We suggest that after you pillow in the
vines you work the ground very thor
oughly, making it compact as You can
before sowing.
The moun Of Secd to Sow Per Acre.
This depends on the fertility of the
land, time of sowing and size Of the
berries Of wheat. On fertile land
less seed is required as plants will tiller
out more And if too much seed is
sown on such soil the crop is likely
to fall down. The growth is too
thick, hence the stems are small and
weak. And the sunshine cannot get
down in among them to help them.
Early sown wheat requires less seed
than late sOWn. because it has more
time to tiller out and cover the
ground. OF course. large berries will
make fewer plants per bushel, SO
more seed will be required. Up here
on land fertile enough to grow 80 or 35
bushels Of wheat per acre, put in
fairly early, about 6 pecks Of seed has
been enough for best results. Wheat
will grow more during the winter with
you, unless your elevation is high, and
perhaps 6 or Z pecks may be enough
for you to sow on your land This
~supposing that-it is good clean seed.
But better talk with your n~eighbors
and study over the conditions at time
Of sowing and make up Your own
mind.