The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-12
(The Practical F'armer.)

cents a pound for 1T WhOleSale Nheil
he wrote. He says: our SOIL IS
mostly a sandy loan. with clay sub
soil. 1t gives us good crops of corn,
potatoes. tomatoes, fruits, etc. Al
falfa hay yields as much as 6 tons per
acre per annum. Now. which would
you do, raise crops to feed cows, or
give up the dairy and grow potatoes,
tomatoes, etc. TO sell off the place!
We'll, if YOU are much III debt, or are
in need of ready money particularly
TO improve the place, and if YOU can
get good prices quite surely tor po-
tatOes. etc, you might grow them
largely for Il time. Suppose o can
get 10 cents a bushel or more for po-
tatoes. and can make land produce
200 bushels or more per acre. ana
can do as we'll with other crops. 1t
will be possible with q good market
handy to make more money tor Il
time than YOU can from the dairy
Potatoes are q specially good crop to
sell off the place as they are SO largely
water. They carry but little plant
food away from the farm. But it Is
not wise to grow them continuously
on same land. If YOU can anase to
grow potatoes in a four-year rotation,
and cow feed on the three
fields, and to AXE thorough care OF
dairy and potatoes. too. you wotid
have a chance to do a fine business.
But now we are not told just raj
crop the land produces. or the prices
received for vegetables. Suppose pc
tatoes yield only about 100 bushels
per acre and prices are less than A.
cents often. Then / would not think
OF trying to do anything with them
Butter prices are more attractive.
<. Cents Wholesale is Il Big Price.
And dairies can be SO graded up and
fed as to produce 500 pounds or more
mean u large, certain profit to the
man who manages wisely. And, in
selling butter off the farm one re-
moves practically no fertility. Butter
tat IS not plant God Have cement
floors under ali animals so as to save
all anure. And manage as care
fully in other ways, Do o let ma
nurc from the cows be wasted in
lanes or open yards. In such ways
ones land car be greatly increased in
fertility, The dairy business offers
this chance. Selling large crops that
pay Well off the place may be done
for q time, for some definite purpose.
But in the end, if long continued,
It q rundown land and poverty
for h owner. as Il rule. In all this
report nothing looks as favorable to
me as that 6 tons Of alfalfa hay per
acre. That, with corn. and 35-cent
butter ma1c an attractive combina-
ton, Good, early-cut alfalfa hay is
about as rich in protein as is wheat
bran. With it and rood corn silage
one would certainly need to buy very
little cow feed. Alfalfa hay is worth
decidedly more than is red clover hay.
And [ would think L was doing finely
20 get 4 tons or SO Of lover hay in
Two cuttings in d season [ believe.
my young friend, hat unless there is
special need of ready money at once,
and q good chance from selling vege-
tables. you better push the alfalfa
and corn and grade up and increase
h dairy. | believe you can SO man
age hat In 10 years you will be much
better off, taking Improvement to land
into account.
\ Dairy Can BE Made to Bring Sue
cess.
\ New York farmer rented a farm
for seven and made some mon
ey, he says, summers. but did not
make anything on stock winters. I<uW
he has bought a place of his own and
does not want to keep much stock
for above named reason. Soil is a
clay loan. He has GO acres Of plow
and and thinks of growing potatoes,
peas for canning factory, wheat and
clover Land freezes as soon as po-
tatoes are dug. He asks if he can in
crease fertility OF farm by green ma
nuTing and use OF fertilizers. Also, If
he will nee to buy any nitrogen. AS
money is scarce with him he does
not expect to use more than $50 lbs.
OF "~phosDhate' per acre. Now, my
dear friend, YOU propos to sell three
crops in succession of the place. and
only put bach q paltry $50 pounds
Of fertilizer. And you will need the
clover for hay, il 1t grows, and the
straw for bedding. With Your short
seasons L cannot see much chance for
green manurinG. If clover will grow
rankiy, which is very doubtful, and
you will pillow it under hen mature,
and pillow under the pea vines. you
can get along h purchasing
much nitrogen. But you will prob
ably need to use phosDhoric acid free
~. New York soils are usually well
supplied with potash, which can be
made available and save purchasing.
AFTER q time. But in all probability
lime Will De needed to make clover
grow. [ must tell Won FRANKLY that