Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-05-12

for not over five minutes. The seed
should be sown the same day. This is
crop but little known and appreciated,
and yet it has much Of promise to offer
the southern farmer. It viii pay any
one to experiment with it on small
scale. In view OF the fact that it re-
qulres the careful preparation of the soil
in advance of planting. it has been
thought we'll TO write this short resume
concerning 1t early in the season so that
any desiring to experiment with it might
have ample time in which to properly
prepare the ground for autumn planting.
SUPPLEMENTAL FERTILIZERS FOR
CORN AND COTTON.
w. d. W.. Chipley, Ga, writes:
1 have five acres of gray sandy land
with clay subsoil. which have sub
soiled 1 first broke with disk.
bedded with two-horse turner and fol-
lowed in this furrow with a five-inch
scooter. I split the ridge with a middle
butter and put in rs pounds of cotton
seed meal and acid when 1 planted. i
have a perfect stand. l wish. to do my
best on some cotton also, and will ap-
preciate your advice in the matter.
Gray sandy land is, of course not so
rich in phosphorus, potash or nitorgen
as some other types of soil found In
the state, and we judge from what you
say that while you have prepared your
land TO good advantage that you are
unbIe TO supply it with any form or
matter such as yard manure
or a leguminous crop plowed under
would provide. Under the circumstances
II is good practice not to put all the
fertilizer under the drill now, as this
tyne of land is rather leachy, and where
there is no vegetable matter TO help hold
the moisture and fertilizer, a part of 1t
is liable to be lost, especially in a wet
season. ii it were put down at the time
of planting the crop. Personally, we
would be disposed to use more than is
indicated in your letter at the first APP
pIication, and now that your corn is up
and you nave a good stand, you should
put on a liberal amount OF fertilizer
and make your side applications with
rapidity. With this end In
view We would use a 1886 fertilizer
on your land at the rate of 500 pounds
per side application Make about three
such applications two to three weeks
apart, putting the fertilizer down ahead
of the cultivator and turning 1t into the
soil. OF course, your land may need
more frequent cultivation than has here
been suggested. That will depend a
good deal on the amount of rainfall and
the tendency of the ground to crust
The advisability Of using nitrate OF
soda when the corn is silking and tas-
selling will be determined largely by the
of the crop. If IL seems TO
need stimulating at this time give II
good top dressing with $50 pounds OF
nitrate of soda The nitrate should
be applied on the top of the
srouad and not covered into the soil
Persist in cultivation as late into the
season as possible. This is an impor-
tant matter.
For cotton we would advise the use
of about 500 pounds Of $3.50 Ter
tiIizer under the drill row at the time
of planting. Possibly 200 pounds should
be used as a side application. This will
depend much on the season and growth
secured. Sometimes nitrate can be used
With advantage on this crop about the
LIST to 18TH Of June.
49,
HAIRY vETCH AS A COVER CROP.
II. J.. Laurinburg, n. c., writes: /
want a winter cover crop on my cotton
and corn lands. and intend trying vetch.
I have some sandy loan land with red
clay suosoil eight. or ten ipches from
the top. Do you think it would be proft-
able to SOW the Oregon vetch on such
land when I give the cotton the last
blowing about August II Where can
buy 800 or 400 pounds of good vetch
seed?
There are three legumes which may be
grown in the winter with more or less
success as cover crops and serve TO
enrich the soil at the same time by
gathering a part of their nitrogen from
the air. These are hairy and Oregon
vetch, crimson clover and burr clover.
In our experience the vetch has proven
10 be the hardest of all and the most
reliable in the matter of securing
stand. Next to vetch would stand GRIM
son clover, our experience with burr
clover having been quite Unsatisfactory,
though this may have been due to our
inability TO secure seed of the best quail
ity. OF the two vetches named the
hairy vetch IS much the hardest and
will withstand severe freezes. The Ore
gon vetch on the other hand, makes
vigorous growth in the early fall and
winter and would be ready TO turn under
much earlier than the hairy vetch and
more desirable on that account If you
expect to grow this crop in your sec
ton where the freezes are not severe. II
would pay you to give it a trial This
crop does well in the vicinity OF Augusta,
Ga, while at Athens II has frozen out
on several occasions. II your temperature
conditions are the same as at Augusta,
the Oregon vetch viii probably answer
better than anything you can use. Your
ability 10 secure stand OF vetch about
August 1 win depend much on seasonal
conditions. This is probably little early
10 SOW II. I believe n. L. Willet Seed
company. Augusta. make speciality OF
latch anad