The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-19
PROF.. MASSEY'S VIEWS.

+ha, nav their hard cash for, be
cause he sack stinks and the air does
not. though nature is ready 20 supp.H
all needed nitrogen if the farmer Wiz
only use the mean for SettlhS IT,
Lime For Peanuts.
The hest peanut soils in the South
are deficient in the mineral mattefs
especially needed by peanuts, phos-
phoric acid and potash. Inc peanut
plant, being a leguHe, can get It's u
froyen from the air, and when the
mineral elements are a~bundantiy sup
Piled. needs no application OF nitro
gen in the fertilizer. This is espe-
cialIy true when q good rotation OF
crops is practiced and the son is
supplied with humus-nak1nS mate
rails from COW peas ana crimson
clover.
Lime is useful to peanuts solely be-
cause it releases insoluble potash in
the soil, and this being Already den
cient in the best peanut soils, the ef-
feet of lime in the long run is to de-
plete the soil of potash. Where the
plants can get abundant supplies OF
phosphoric acid and potash, lime is
not needed, except as the soil gets
into an acid condition.. Plaster Will
also release potash, and as there is
so pounds of plaster or sulphate Of
lime in every 100 pounds OF acid
phosphate, a heavy application of
dCl0 phosphate lii 10 Oh "a "
the release Of potash as an applica-
ton of plaster. Lime will be useful
in soil that has a large amount of
hunus and has gotten into an acld
condition, but pops are not the result
of the lack OF lime, but of the lack
of p~hosphOric acid and potash which
are essential to the formation Of the
This refers especially to the soils
81 49, At1n-+; I,Noct aninr In tho
Gulf States where most soils seem to
be well supplied with potash there is
a probability that acid phosphate will
be the only fertilizer needed for pea
nuts. though it will be we'll for farm
ers there to experiment with lime on
the land hat is put in peanuts.
If the lane is acid it must be sweet
ened, for the bacteria that enable the
peanuts to get nitrogen from the air
will not thrive in an acid soil. If one
will get a piece Of blue Iitmus paper
from a drug store, and mix some of
his soil to a loblolly with water. and
place the paper in it for a while, and
finds that it turns pink in color. lime
will do good. To apply lime. pillow
the land well and spread the lime at
the rate of 25 bushels per acre and
harrow it in. Then use on the pea
nuts 400 to 500 pounds Of acid phos-
phate. Without lime YOU car use
the saline dIilOuHl OIL DdSlc SidS OF
phosphate, which carries
about forty pounds of lime in
every 100 pounds, and l believe that
this viii be as we'll, or better. for
nuts han lining and acid phos-
.hate. This will be cheaper than
lime, for the price Of the
Thomas phosphate is regulated by the
percentage of phosphoric acid, and
car get the lime practically free.
Planting the Home Grounds.
Mrs. stevens writes we'll or this
Making the home beautiful
IS one OF the best means for keeping
he Boys and girls or the farm. ] am
sitting up q new home, and one of
he first things done was to plant
thirty varieties of shrubbery 70 mass
around the porch. And / do not in
END to stop at that. for / have plant
ed gladioli by the hundred to shoot
p and bloom among the shrubs, and
4 border of scarlet Says On the out
side of the shrubbery border. Then
have hundreds of flowers coming
On from seed sOwn in the frames un-
Ter glass. and hope to make the lawn
gay all summer through. [ have hun
1reds of Seeding dahlias, and few
people understand that we can get
1ahIiaS in bloom from seed just as
as from roots, and there is lots
Of fun watching to see what they are
going to urn out.
Preparing for Cotton.
The best cotton farming is really