Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-21
FARMING


To the man seeking an opportunity the
dairy business offers an alluring field.
The prices are all that could be desired.
Foodstuffs can be had in variety and
abundance. The foundation stock will
not be difficult to secure. Why not give
This much neglected industry an oppor-
tunity to demonstrate its value, not only
from a monetary point of view, but for
the purpose of building up southern farm
lands. 1t will be necessary to study
this question very carefully at no dis
tant date and to engage in the industry
on much larger scale than has been
possible or probable by many, for the
increasing population of the north and
west will presently consume all the sur
plus products of that section which has
hitherto supplied the southern markets
and it will be incumbent on US to so
without milk butter or cheese or pro-
duce them for ourselves.
PLANT FOOD SUITED TO IRISH Po-
TATOES
w. F. D., Abbeville, Ala, writes:
would like to know a good balanced fer
tilizer for Irish potatoes on black sandy
loam What kind of potatoes would you
plant for market? Is 1t best to plant
whole potatoes or cut in pieces?
good fertilizer for Irish potatoes on
black sandy land may be prepared as
follows: Mix together 1000 pounds high
grade acid phosphate, 600 pounds dried
blood containing per cent of nitrogen,
and 400 pounds of high-grade sulphate
of potash This mixture will contain
about 80 per cent of nitrogen, 8 per cent
of lphosphoric acid and 10 per cent of pot
ash. 1t should be used at the rate of
not less than 500 to 1000 pounds per acre
on Irish potatoes. Potatoes may be plant
ed now in wide, deep burrows. The bot
tom should be filled with well deeayed
compost or yard manure. The fertilizer
should be scattered on top of this, and
then a little earth put over the top of
the manure so as to keep 1T from COM
ing in contact with the potatoes. Cut the
potatoes and plant pieces with two good
strong eyes to each piece In cutting be
careful to divide the potato so as to
leave a falr-sized piece attached to the
eyes. Many varieties Of potatoes may be
cultivated, but probably Bliss Triumph
rs most extensively used as an early po-
tato
SUITABLE CROPS TO CULTIVATE
FOR HAY
r. w. c., Macon, Ca, writes: Dur
ing the past year or two II has been
very difficult to obtain cowpeas OF
the desired variety and whenN you do
find them the price Is too high. 1
have mad a price of $2.25 Plus freight.
have about Is acres OF light sandy
loan planted in oats to be harvested
by June /, and wish to plant ii IN
some good hay crop that win make
good forage when cut, ana at the same
time improve the land. Is there not
some crop that will take the place OF
the peas that will not cost so much?
we need crop that will withstand
drought and not take too long to ma
ture.
Pea seed is scarce and difficult to
secure and the chances are that the
price will not be much unoer the fig
ure indicated in your letter, though,
of course, one cannot say as there is
someP speculation on the crop, and
it is sometimes held so long thai the
weevils get into it and there Is a
break in the price later in the season.
The cowpea is probably one of the
best crops you can use for the pur-
pose you have in mind, and even
though high-priced will often prove
more satisfactory than most any thing
else you can use. The soy bean should
do well in your locality. especially
if seeded with the grain drill. We
prefer to plant them 16 to "a inches
apart This may be done by stopping
up every two out of three tubes of
an ordinary grain drill They should
be seeded at the rate of one bushel
per acre under these conditions Gull
tvate lightly with the weeder or any
other surface-working implement Until
they begin to spread. They will COW
er the ground in the course of time
and win make a large growth il the
season is at all favorable. They pro-
duce more grain, as a rule. than the
cas-, but the stems are much coarser
and they do. not make quite so fine
quality of hay on that account. rfhe
yield of hay would be about the -ame
and in our experience they will stand
drouth quite as we'll as the pea. 1t
is probable that you can buy soy
beans at a lower relative cost than
you can cowpeas. 1t would pay you
to look into this crop and to expert
ment with il somewhat If you are not
acquainted with its virtues. SO far as
covering the ground and enriching IL
is concerned, the velvet bean will give
you excellent results, but IL is doubt
full if they will mature, sufficiently
to make a satisfactory qualityI Of hay
in your section of the state. It is
not well adapted, therefore for the
nurpose you have in mind You wiz
find the Early BLACK, Medium Green
and Mammoth yellow desirable varia-
ties of soy beans.
FOREST LITTER AS A SOURCE OF
HUMUS.
j. F. c., Kings Mountain, N. c.. writes:
What is the value of, pine leaves and
liter from the forest to use under cot
ton and corn, and what kind of fertil-
izer should be used with it? The land
has been making about a half bale of
cotton to the acre with only 200 pounds
of an S-2-2 and has been plowed very
shallow with only one mule. l am now
running around the stalks with a one
horse pillow and running in the same fur
row with a bun tongue. going ten inches
deep. How do you think the B. w. Haw-
klns prolific cotton will do?
Pine leaves are of some service i'm add
ing vegetable matter to the soil. They
contain a small amount of nitrogen, but
not much phosphorus or potash You
could well afford to use as much as
ton or two of this material underneath
the drill row for your corn or cotton
| If you have plenty and can handle it
easily? The decay of the leaves will
not injure the crop, in fact, pine leaves
are used extensively as a source of
vegetable matter throughout tidewater
Virginia in the production of both corn
ana pota +oas. but land s1Ich as Won