The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-01-12
arAlKs 10 FARMERS,

insGNulS IN december bN j. n. Nero
ney is well worth reading by al
people interested in truck growing
in Tennessee;
MY subject to-day is Truck
Growing in Middle Tennessee" | will
first call your attention to the nat
ural advantages OF our section foI
this kind of farming-its adaptable
ity to this special kind of work
We have here all varieties of soil
from heavy deep alluvial soils OF
our river bottoms TO the light free
stone soil Of the highland rim and
the mountain plateau, Soil can be
selected suitable for any vegetable,
I fruits or berries that can be grown
1 in the temperate zone. Our climate
/ is mild, allowing outdoor work nearly
/ the whole year, with long growing
seasons, early springs and late falls,
enabling us to grow two crops a
year of many vegetables.
We are favorably situated, midway
between the large cities, both to the
North and South of us, with direct
and quick railroad transportation to
the splendid markets those cities fur
nish What crop shall we grow?
Potatoes, tomatoes and cantaloupes
have been our best shipping crops,
but we can profitably grow early ap-
pies, Keller pears, strawberries,
raspberries, watermelons, onions, eel
cry, asparagus and early green beans
for shipment, and many other vege-
tables to sell in our home city and
town markets. And for our home
gardens we can put our early pota-
toes, tomatoes, early apples and
strawberries in the markets of the
large Northern cities some weeks be-
fore their products are available and
when the prices are best. We have
some soils that will grow as fine
cantaloupes as the famous Rocky
ford region of Colorado, and we can
put them on sale in Northern cities
| two weeks before the Northern crop.
! We can grow as fine Strawberries
as anywhere in the world. Our early
apples are always eagerly taken in
the Northern cities. Or course, these
crops for distant shipments must be
grown in communities so as to get
cheapest carload freight rates
Let us notice some of the advan.
tages of the business of truck grow
ing over general farming in com
munity. Less land is needed for cul'
tivation, so that more acres may be
sown to grass and clovers and rested
up and improved More labor is re-
quired; more fertilizers are needed;
better and more thorough cultiva'
I ton is needed. AS the favorable re-
suits of manure are noticed, more
extra care will be used in saving and
using it, thus building up and sus'
tanning farm fertility and encour-
pging more intelligent cultivation.
! In general farming, as wheat, corn
and cotton, it is almost impossible
| to improve or even sustain the fer
| tility of the farm. While truck
! growing is sure to make the land
more productive, less of the natural
! fertility is sold off and more OF the
| fertilizing elements are yearly added.
Natures law of rotation has to be
more closely studied and followed
because of the increase of insect
pests and fungus diseases peculiar
to the many different crops. Grain
and cotton growing bring into the
farmer cash returns once a year, so
that many farmers have to buy their
farm implements and family supplies
on credit, while the truck grower,
getting his money often, is able to
buy his supplies much cheaper for
cash. A truck-growing community
REQUIRES smaller farms; this in
creases the population in commu-
nifty and gives more pleasant social
surroundings. builds up better
schools, better churches and better
county roads. Truck growing bene-
fits all other business enterprises be-
cause it produces more per arce, and
these products when sold in distant
markets, bring foreign money INTO
home circulation. 1t does not require
such heavy expenditure for land in
vestment, so that men of moderate
means may become owners and make
better and more contented and use
full citizens.
Successful truck growing requires
fewer acres, but they must be ter-
tile. Certain things are essential 10
plant neutrality-suspicious., potash,
nilroaen. sunshine, air and water.
In most of our Middle Tennessee
soils the supply of phosphorus is
sufficient. Our red clay subsoils are
well supplied with potash Deep
blowing and deep-rooted plants like
clover and peas, will make that avail
able for all needs. The air is full OF
nitrogen, and the great Creator has
given us the leguminous plants whose
leaves absorb it from the air, and
the roots place it in the soil for the
growth of other crops. God gives us
the air and the sunshine at the prop
er season and sends water from the
clouds sufficient every year for crop
growth, if we will only work to save
it, This we can do if we make a
reservoir to hold it in the soil by
deep blowing, making the soil loose
and spongy by turning under stable
manure and crops of green vegetation
and then give level surface cultiva-
ton. often repeated, to hold the wa
ter from evapDrating Improved
farm implements have taken away
much of the old-time back-breaking
hoeing and handwriting from the
truck grower, 50 now it is not such
hard work. Reliable seeds of all
/ kinds can now be obtained at rea'
- NC