The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-06-14
THE FARMING OF MIR. JOHN
CRAKORE.

Tt was early September n mere
and there over the cotton fleld the polis
were opening their snowy fruit. John
Crakore sat on his porch taking MS
noon rest with his pipe, when his Ole
ncighbor. Jim Mulekin, came up
John, / have come over TO talk
mere about this improved farnln
you're dom. We-alls down at the
store have been discussin' it and we
hev come to the conclusion that we
alls have got to go to farmin' some
what in the same way if we are to
make anything.
."They say you made a bumper crap
of oats, an your corr was something
wonderful. Now, ] would like to know
how much fertilizer and what sort
you put On the corn and oats.
Il did not put any fertilizer on the
corn at all; that is, no fertilizer out OF
a sack. / had crimson clover, as you
know. on that field last winter, and all
winter long, whenever / could haul on
the land with a manure Spreader,
spread the made by my
horses, COWS, and beeves, and When
the clover was perfectly mature, |
turned the whole under and prepared
the land for the corn. Then L cut
the corn off at the ground and cured
it in shocks and disked the land fine
and sOWed oats in September, using on
the oats 800 pounds of acid phosphate.
I made this year nearly 70 OF
cats an acre. My corn now is being
treated in the same way, n as we
have a beef club. as you know, / have
still some cattle in the stalls, and now
I am cleaning the MANURE out and this
afteroon Will start to spread 1T be-
tween the cotton rows"
"Manurin' cotton when the bolls are
beginnfn' to open" said Jim.
We'll, l do not know that it will
do much for the cotton; but it will
spoil in a heap, and I am going to SOW
crimson clover among that cotton
shortly. and while / cannot use the
spreader there, I know that if
I scatter the n between the cot
ton rows, it will do no mann to the
cotton, and will certainly help me to
get a good catch of clover. Then next
winter the n will go on the clio
yer for the corn ley spring. Q see
my corn this spring and every one
says I Will make at least rs bushel to
the acre and in q few more years of
this sorn Of farming l hope to get an
average of 100 bushels ar acre. Then
after the oats you see l have a splen-
did field of peas for hay. 1 put 800
pounds Of acid phosphate and %
pounds of muriate of potash an acre
Or the peas. / will SOW crimson Hover
after the peas are cut, and will turn
1T in spring for cotton and will apply
400 pounds an acre of acid phosphate
only on the cotton land broadcast,
and plant on the level, harrow and
use the Weeder as usual, and the rid
ing c~ultivator, and l am working for
two bales Of cotton an acre, and from
the looks of the crop will get almost
there this season"
Il begin to see it," said Jim. M
and my old mule will make about
one-third of an acre this year and it
will fokn IF oil tn Cotflo nm at tho Cfnro
and pay for the fertilizer. And you
amt buyin' any ready-mixed fertil-
iZer at aIl?"
mo, I have long ago found out that
I can get all the ammonia I need, and
more than I would buy in a mixed
fertilizer by growing the peas and
clover and feeding the pea hay and
corn stOver to stock and getting the
for the corn. There is moth
ing like stable manure to make corn,
especially when you have crimson
clover to put it on and turn under.
You Will see that my corn is green to
the ground, while l saw yours fired al
most t. the ears
That's So" said Jim, land I can't
understand it, for l put some 2-S-2
in the furrow under that corn"
But you have not the stuff under it
to hold the moisture. Your corn is
fired in the dry weather following the
49, A1AAb' oAN W AAAN W.
thing there but the old dead skeleton
OF sand and clay, while I have the de-
Caying clover and n making hui
mus that will hold moisture. Then,
too, you laid by your corn with a turn
pillow, banking the earth up to it and
cutting the roots, while I went
through as shallow as my two-horse
cultivator would run, and simply left
a dust blanket on the level ground
But" sai JIM, II thought that
the corn would blow down if the soil
wasn't hilled up to it."
1T has blown down worse than
mine, as you see, for you weakened it
by cutting the roots, and you covered
the brace roots and made them tender,
while mine are left tough above the
ground and hold or HARD with their
uncut roots.
Why don't you take the paper and
study these %things?' ske John.
That is where l W. learned these
improved methods. The man in these
Gays who fails to study his profession