The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-11
The Farming of Mr. John Craaore.


Il their snowy fruit. John Crakore sat on his
porch taking his noon rest with his pipe, when his
old neighbor, Jim Mulekn, came up.
John have come over to talk more about this
improved farmin you're dom. We-alls down at
the store have been discussn it, an We hev come
to the conclusion that we-alls have got to go to
farmn somewhat in the same way If We are to
make anything.
They say you made bumper crap of oats, an
your something wonderful Now, |
would like to know how much fertilizer and what
sort you put ON the corn and the oats"
Il did not put any fertilizer on the corn at all;
that is, fertilizer out of 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
manure made by my horses, cows, and beeves, and
when the clover perfectly mature, | turned
the whole under and prepared the land for the
corn. Then 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. l made this year
ly 20 bushels of oats My now Is be-
ing treated in the way. and have a
beef club. as you know, have still cattle in
the stalls, and now | am cleaning the manure out
and this afternoon will start to spread it between
the cotton rows"
"Manurn cotton when the bolls are beginnn
to open?" said Jim.
We'll, do not know that the manure will do
much for the cotton; but 1t will spoil in heap.
and | am going to SOW crimson clover among that
cotton shortly, and while I can not use the manure
spreader there. know that IL scatter the manure
between the cotton rows ii will do no harm to the
cotton, and will certainly help me to get good
catch of clover. Then next winter the manure
viii go on the clover for the next spring You
see my corn this year, and every one says | will
make at least rs bushels an acre, and in few
more years Of this sort of farming hope to get
an average of 90 bushels an acre. Then after
the oats you see have splendid field OF peas for
hay. l put 800 pounds of acid phosphate and Is
pounds of muriate of potash acre on the peas.
| will SOW crimson clover after the peas are cut
and will turn 1t in spring for cotton and apply 400
pounds an acre of acid phosphate only on the cot
ton land broadcast, and plant on the level har-
row and use the weeder usual. and the riding
cultivator, and am working for two bales OF cot
ton an acre, and from the looks OF the crop will
get almost there this season."
Il begin to see it," said Jim. Me and my old
mule will make about one-third OF bale an acre
this year, and it will take It all to settle UP at the
store and pay for the fertilizer. And you amt
buyin' any ready-mixed fertilizer at all?"
mo, have long ago found out that | can get
all the ammonia need, and more than 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 manure for the
corn. There is nothing 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 saw
yours fired almost to the ears"
That's So" said jim, "and can't understand
it, for l put some 2-8-2 in the furrow under
that corn"
But you have not the stuff under II to hold the
moisture Your corn is fired in the dry weather
following the heavy early rains and you have
nothing there but the old dead skeleton of Sand
and clay, while have the decaying clover and
manure making humus that will hold moisture
Then, too, you laid-by your corn with a turning
plow, banking the earth up to it and cutting tho