Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-11-08

almost anything which can be used in
the south. For winter crop, as a pre-
ventive of erosion, and for holding such
plant food as may be in a soluble condi-
ton in the soil it is uneXcelled. If turned
under sufficiently early in the spring 1t
will enrich the soil intended for corn,
cotton or any of the crops ordinarily
| cultivated on our farms. Some people
object to rye because it is thought to
dry the land out and make it hard and
lumpy and difficult to prepare for spring
planting. This is due to the fact that
they allow the crop to become too old
before they attempt to turn it under.
| Rye is quite free from insect enemies
and fungous diseases which further rec
ommends it's cultivation.
LEADING VARIETIES OF CORN AND
COTTON.
A correspondent, Atlanta, Ga, writes:
have a ffty-hve-acre farm of fairly
good land capable of producing from one
half to three-quarters bale of cotton. I
wish to build this farm up along scien-
tific lines. What is the best kind of corn
and cotton for this section? Are sweet
potatoes a good money crop? What fer
NAAA1CI NC ubGu On NH6ul anu now
many bushels may 1 expect to get per
acre? Shall 1 mix my own fertilizer or
buy it ready mixed? Would also like
some information in regard to caring for
peach and apple trees.
The best method of operating a fifty
five-acre farm will depend altogether on
the nature of your land; that is, it's color,
texture and natural fertility. If you
have very heavy red clay land it will
not be well adapted for early truck
| crops. If you have some sandy loamy
soil, this win do very we'll for trucking
purposes, and you can make a good deal
Of ready money out OF devoting a part
of your land to truck crops.
In building up any soil iteis important
to establish a systematic rotation, and to
this end we would divide the land into
not less than three acres. as nearly equal
in extent and character as possible The
first one should be sown to cereals this
fall. Get them in at the earliest possi-
Bile date. Use winter oats of the Appler
or Texas rust proof strains. - Use 300
pounds of an S-2-4 fertilizer under them
and SOW in the open furrow. The next
area should be broken this fall as soon
as possible. and If you can secure some
lime rock high in CARBONATE, do so, and
apply IL at the rate Of two tons per acre
on top of the ground and allow it to act
on the soil all winter. Do not secure
too finely ground limestone, however
Lime, as you know, improves the phys
ical and mechanical condition of the soil,
sets free unavailable plant food, cor
reefs acidity, and enables leguminous
plants to grow to better advantage.
The third area of land should be plow-
ed this fall as soon as practicable, and if
it can be lined, it will also be an ad-
vantage. On the second area grow cot
ton next year and on the third area,
corn. Sow cowpeas or other legumes in
the corn and let them enrich the soil as
much as possible. The cotton land should
be seeded to oats by the open furrow
method about the first to fifteenth of
October, 1913. The cotton and corn should
be fortified with two tons of yard ma
nure placed under the drill row and
mixed with 500 pounds Of 1884 fertilizer
at the time of planting. side appli-
cation of fertilizer may not be necessary
on cotton, but will generally be advis-
able on corn. Use 200 pounds OF the same
mixture. Placing the manure under the
drill row will be a great advantage in
maintaining a vigorous growth during
the season and tend to insure larger
yields.
There are a number of good varieties
of corn for upland soils. We prefer the
prolific types such as Marlboro What
ley's and Hastings Prolific. Sweet po-
tatoes are a very good money crop but
difficult to handle. They may be pre-
served in pits with some straw or pine
needles thrown over them, and a layer of
earth put on and increased as the wealth
er gets colder. A vent should be left in
the top of the pit for ventilation to
prevent the potatoes from decaying. We
have found it good practice to grow
Irish potatoes for an early crop, and
seed to sweet potatoes after the Irish
potatoes are dug. Both of these crops
require liberal fertilization with about
a 10-3.5-7 formula. The yield of sweet
potatoes will vary anywhere from 100 to
300 bushels per acre, depending on the
character of the land and the variety
selected, and the methods of fertilization
followed. You may mix your own fer
tilizer or may procure a formula of a
standard grade. We will be glad to give
you information concerning a specific
fertilizer for any given crop. If the
trees in your orchard are grown do not
cultivate in cover crops to be removed
from the land. but use rye and legumes
in the winter and summer which may
be turned under to enrich the SOIL Your
trees should be fortified with three to
five pounds, depending on their size OF
about a 10-2-10 formula.
GROWING IRISH POTATOES.
j. ]. c.. White Stone, Ca, writes: I
want to plant three acres in Irish pota-
toes next year, and would like a little
advice, as 1 am a new beginner. What
kind of potato is best for these noun
tain regions, and what kind of soil ~
most suitable for them? When must
they be planted, and what kind of fer
tilizer should be used?
There is no reason why Irish pota-
toes should not be grown successfully
in Pickens county. The season for
planting and for harvesting would. OF
course, be considerably later there than
here. Several varieties of potatoes may
be cultivated in your section of the
state with success, but the Red Bliss
and Irish CObbler are among the best
strains to plant. A good loamy SOIL
well drained and containing an abun,
dance of vegetable matter, is the best
for Irish DOfa tOpS NAV ha