The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-04-11
FARM WORK FOR APRIL.

March has given US more cold than
February, and many things that would
usually be in the ground in March
have still to be planted. While IN
the far South the corn has doubtless
been planted, n / usually here plant
some garden corn in March. / have
so far planted none.
But | do not think that the earliest
planting is always the best. / have
fOund that even IN southeast Maryland
we can get a better crop by letting a
crimson clover crop grow to complete
maturity before turning it under.
Then, too, an early variety of corn
is seldom the best for the South. In
fact, in any section I believe that the
corn that takes the whole warm sea-
son to mature will generally make
the heaviest crop.
What is needed is a thorough pre-
parat1on of the soil before planting. 7
am daily getting letters by the score
asking for a fertilizer formula for
corn, and I usually tell the inquirers
that a crop of crimson clover that
has had the farm manure spread on
1t during the winter as fast as maze
will make tn best fertilizer for corn
and will make the cheapest corn. The
man who uses fertilizer of a complete
ASafI I'll 1olH Viii Increase
the crop, doubtless; but if he VIII
plant an area of the same iand with
out the fertilizer, he will find that
all the extra corn has cost him a fair
market price.
Peas the summer before, followed
py CRIMSON clover in the fall and the
manure made from feeding the pea
n2W and corn stoyer and some cotton
SEED meal to fattenins cattle in VIM
ter, spread all over this clover with
Il manure Spreader as fast as it is &C.
cumulated, will make not only the
pest preparation fnr the corn crop.
put VII insure a good crop of oats
aitef The corn If peas are sown among
the corn and disked down for the oats
ihen peas after the oats. and clover
altef the peas, will give you a crop
70 turn Tor cotton in the spring tina,
Will save buying ammonia IN tho far
tiilzer for the cotton.
OF course. this cron of Glove, MI,
rave 20 be turned earlier than that
lor eotton, or as soon as q red bloom,
appears mere and there. But it will
pay TO use It nevertheless. for the
.ioNer cecay Will protect the cotton
rom dry weather While furnishing il
Ii your soil is light and drv-tha
peS' sandy cotton land, in fact.-and
>iS 1iottI TO turn under
why not try both lever planting ara
rover n shallow cultivation for cot
ION: Then. before the cotton is nm.
pleah ali the crust with a smoothing
narrow, and give the young plants
d better chance. The same i, .r,a of
sse corn crop. Then run the weedar
oo'h ways after the cotton or corn
IS up n kill the young startinr
s'ass rapidly, The man who does nc
- not gong to be caught in the prass
~ rainy weather, while the man VIII
uepehos on going through the rouc
ssNefai times with a bne-horse fmnLa-
Aeh VIII get over SO slowly that n
. "et speli the grass is pretty certain
~ SCI anead Of him. Then uitn
TTaass as nigh as the young cotton. his
Iieiu IS IN a bad way, all CT which
sou!d nave beer prevented bv tba
1apiu use of the Weeder. If Won use
.te heystone weeder, YOU can close =
" and run between the rows snd
statch the soil shallowly and kean 49,
- oust mulch. l know q farn,a,
VINO makes his entire corn .cron ,,,ith
no implement but the weeder 80
tie makes good crops, too.