The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-09-17

'Neighbors say that lettuce, let
stand where the seed are SOWn, VIII
not make large heads, but must be
transplanted. Is this true Yes.
The transplanting nips the tap-root
and the plants make far more laterals
and grow more strongly.
as not basic Stag the best source
for phosphoric acid where the land is
sour Basic Stag or Thomas phos-
phate, as 1T generally called, carries
40 per cent of lime, and to that extent
it will tend to sweeten the soil. 1t IS
not quite SO readily available as acid
phosphate unless h soil abounds in
vegetable decay, but 1t is an excellent
carrier of p%hosphoric acid.
What will prevent the black smut
in OatS?" Mix one pound of primal
dehyde in 80 gallons of water and
either steep the seed oats in this or,
what is fully as good. spread them
out on the barn floor and sprinkle
well with the solution, mixing 1T
thoroughly SO as TO wet all the grain.
Then let it dry before sowing. Max
ing it a little stronger, or one pound
to 20 gallons of water, will not do any
harm In sprinklins.
] had q fine dish Of strawberries
given me by my nelghbor, W.. T.
Allen. the great strawberry grower of
called Superb. which Mr. Allen says ls
the best of all the f~all-bearing straw
berries They are certainly fine, large
n remarkably sweet. My round
are too limited for strawberry grow
ing, and | find that for family use we
field around US. But those who
want a fall-bearing strawberry should
make note of the Superb.
What is the best wheat for this
section eastern North CafOllna) I!
AS a rule, the coastal plain Of the
South Atlantic is not a favorable sec
ton for wheat as the humidity Of the
climate faVOrs the growth of rust,
and the soils, as a rule, are better
suited to winter oats than to wheat,
and oats will pay better than wheat
there as a sale crop. But If you SOW
wheat use a bearded variety always.
for the heavy rains that are apt TO
come when the wheat is in bloom
will often blast the heads of the
beardless wheat, while the bearded
will escape. The Fulcaster is as good
as any.
l was on the farm Of Mr.. Claren-
don Davis years ago n had then
OCCASION 10 admire the WOIutI III
growth of wheat. Mr.. Davis farms IN
a very thorough and economical plan,
and evidently saves his in the
most careful way, for at the time OF
my visit the barnyard was perfectly
clean of any trace Of manure. Now
as Mr.. Davis makes corn SO cheaply.
why does he still stick to the old
cropping system in growing cotton?
1t seems to me that if ne grew his
cotton IN the same way that he grows
his corn, it would be the most profit
able crop or his farm.
Mentioning, a few days ago. to DIR.
Alexander. of the Farmers Union,
that | had been sorry to see the far
mers down in Harnett county, North
Carolina. still laying-by their corn
with a big furrow thrown to the rows,
and the roots evidently torn, he said
that he had thought that all the far
mers in North Carolina had learned
to cultivate crops level. And they
have in the Doctors county of Neck
lenburg and in the most of the upper
Piedmont section, but there are large
sections of the State where the crops
Of corr and cotton, too, have been
shortened this season by the use OF
the turning pillow, tearing the roots
and throwing the soil up to dry out.
In southern North Carolina Our
farmers are mixing ground phosphate
rock with ~cottonseed meal n potash
Would you advise this or the use OF
acid phosphate?" 1t depends entirely
on how a man is farming as to
whether the ground raw rock phoS-
phate will be Of use to him. If it Is
pulverized as fine as -four, and |:
used in connection with organic mat.
ter lik stable manure or clover
turned under. it will soon becom.
soluble and available to plants. Blu
used as the ma jority of cotton far
merS use fertilizer Simply to &c
crops-it Will be of very little use. II
short, as | have often said, tn,
ground phosphate rock is a good thin;
for good farmers and a poor thin$
for poor farmers.
In Virginia have a field nov
in peas that we want to put in whea
in October. Shall we pillow it or cut j
10 with a disk harrow and seed 1t ?