Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-10-11

pound? Greater attention was given to
1--we stock husbandry fifteen years ago
than at present, and the economics of
agriculture occupied the attention of the
southern planter so completely as to
make his plantations largely self-sustain-
ing. Permanent prosperity cannot come
to the south until existing conditions are
remedied, and this condition will only fol-
low when the boys and girls in the rural
schools are made competent by a rational
scheme Of education to cope with the
problems of life.
INOCULATING LAND FOR ALFALFA
T. M. p. Ocilla, Ca, writes: 1 want
to plant some alfalfa this fall. and
want some advice along this line. 1
am thinking Of planting one acre to
get a start, so I may have the soil to
inoculate other land. Would it be best
to buy soil to inoculate this patch, or
would the inoculated seed be sufficient?
How much lime ought 1 to use? l
have plenty of manure, but it is in
tested with weed and, grass seeds.
If you intend to plant alfalfa this
fall, you should prepare the ground by
breaking IT as deeply as possible and
subsoiling it if the underlying soil is a
heavy clay. Some Of the soils in your
section Of the state probably do not
need subsoiling nearly so much as 9TH
ers If you do subsoil and plant
alfalfa this fall. you should use one
of those types of plows which do not
bring too much of the bottom soil to
the top. Prepare the best seed bed pos
sible. and fertilize well with hard
manure. I realize the fact that the
manure contains much weed seed,
,T,s kfr,y,s IL fraHa In,
an alfalfa field, but 1 do not believe
you can hope for permanent SUCCESS
with alfalfa unless the soil is made
unusually rich with vegetable matter.
OF course, If you could wait another
year and put crimson clover on your
land this fall and turn 1T under in the
spring, and follow 1t with COW peas
and turn them under, you would Sc
cure a supply of vegetable matter and
nitrogen of great value to the alfalfa
crop, and avoid the necessity Of using
the manure, but If you intend to seed
this fall, 1 believe it is necessary that
you apply ten tons and upward OF
yard manure. You should apply at
least one ton of caustic lime or two
tons of finely ground rock. This is
a minimum application. The lime
should be put on from ten to twenty
days before you seed the alfalfa. Use
American grown seed which have been
carefully recleaned. Sow at least
twenty pounds to the acre, scattering
it broadcast, or. better, with a seeder,
and cover with a harrow. Do not use
nurse crop. Apply at the time of
planting the alfalfa 1000 pounds of
commercial fertilizer containing 10 per
cent of phosphoric acid, per cent OF
nitrogen and s to per cent of potash.
You may consider this a somewhat
laborious task and a costly experiment,
but our observation and experience, ex-
tending now over a period Of nearly
twenty years, assures us that a per-
manent stand of alfalfa cannot be
secured in the section Of the southeast
unless the farmer is willing to make
an unusual effort to get it and fertilize
his land with a liberality which has
not hitherto been practiced.
FERTILIZING FALL-SOWN OATS.
J. c. W., Molena, Ca, writes / want
to drill 500 pounds Of 1914 acid and pot
ash per acre with oats. I have been
told that this amount drilled with the
oats will injure them, coming in such
close contact with the seed. Please
give me your opinion of this.
We have sown oats and other cereals
in the several southern states for a