The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-03
nents. mutually helpful, but not in
terfering with each other.


A letter from eastern North Caro-
lima SAYS: LAS most Of our land is in
a swamp, we are obliged to plant cot
ton on the same land every year, ana
grow corn in the swamp land"
If I were obliged to do that, I would
sell and move to a piece Of land where
1 could farm. There is no profit in
growing cotton yea after year on the
same land with the aid OF fertilizers.
You think that the swamp land will
not make cotton, and that is a very
general opinion. But If that swamp
land was well supplied with mineral
fertilizer in the shape Of Thomas
phosphate and potash. it would make
cotton in spite Of the big weed. 1t is
the deficiency in these that makes it
poor for cotton. / know many men
in North Carolina who make two
they do not do it by planting the same
land year after year in cotton and
dribbling in a little fertilizer on 1t.
They farm the land in a good rotation.
Even il I did not grow cotton on the
black land I would not keep that in
corn rear after year but would make
a rotation on it that would give me
some forage for stock, for at the very
foundation Of all successful farming,
some form OF stock feeding must
come in. 1t is this neglect Of forage
crops and livestock that has done
more to keep down the productivity
Of our soils than anything else. I nave
many years, and would like to live
long enough to now that all South
ern farmers were really farming.
AS the editor said in a recent issue
on the first page OF The Progressive
Farmer: IF you + going to be a
cotton year after year on the same
land. not because they have to, but
because they will not make an effort
to get out of the old ruts. One farmer,
or rather one cotton grower, in Scot
land county. said to me at an 1nsti-
tute. when [ was urging more atten-
ton to the feeding of stock: II do not
want to be pestered with cattle"
Ina is the secret with many. They
do not want to be pestered with cattle
IN winter. bat simply want to wait all
winter to start a cotton crop again,
and go in debt for the fertilizer, and
then hope against hope that the cot
ton will buy them everything else
they need, and that they can keep on
making cotton on the same land
every summer. and kicking their heels
all winter.
No man is 'obliged" to farm badly.
lie farms badly because he does not
try to farm we'll.
Some Orchard Planting Notes.
u have land sloping northeast and
SOUTH writes a farmer, land wan,
to plant apples, peaches, a cher
fy, plum, mulberry. n pecan trees
and grapevines. Where shall I SCI
he different fruits, and how to prune
n p1ant?"
In the first place, get only one-year.
Old trees These O. can not only buy
reaper and freight cheaper, but the5
are better thar older trees. They arr
simply switches with live buds
throughout, and you can Gu back and
start h head where it ought to start
while the wo- and t~hree-year tree.
have started a head in the nurser,
rows, and always too high from thu
ground. In these days when prayin
is essential, it is Necessary to have
low-headed trees and iow-headei
trees are better than tail ones in ever,
way. They make the gathering O
fruit more easy. spraying more easy
and the wind has not such a leyerae,
on them as it has on tall-headed trees
Then. too. with a low stem on a yount
tree it is easy to protect the stem
from sunscald till tho top shades il
while with tall stems, there is apt t,
be a good deal OF damage from sun
scald on the southwest side. Tree
that are inclined to bloom too early
like peaches, q piunaS and cher
ries. should be planted on the north
east exposure. The apples will d,
fairly we'll on the upper part OF tn,
south exposure, with the grapes an,
mulberFies below.
AS in digging and transporting tn,
trees, the small fbeFs Of the roots viii
be destroyed and new feeding root
hairs must be made, it is best to prun
all the roots to about six inches cut
ting with a slope on the under Side
! Pnt the top soil into the bottom of tn
holes, but no manure in contact Wit
the roots. Ram the earth tight +
the roots. as though setting a post
: Then cut back the tops to a bud
p twenty inches from the ground, an,
! when the trees start in spring selec
= three or four buds neares the top t
t form the head, and rub Off all below
. Give the trees the cleanest sort G
| cultivation till July. and hen 30,
- $500 m turn