The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-26
WITH THE FARMERS
By Prof. w. F. MASSEY
be entirely too late except in the
Lettuce In Lower Underwater.

! DC entirely too late except in the
lower South
Lettuce In Lower Underwater.
Opinions here are divided as t.
the treatment of the fall lettuce crop
Is It best 20 SOW the seed and thin on,
or to SOW and transplant?" In my en-.
periencc l have always found that
sowing and transplanting will give
Better heads OF lettuce than sowing
where 1t is to stand and thin it out
! The only difficulty is that careless
hands may set the plants too deeply
and n lettuce plant set too deep will
not head we'll For the fall crop, 70
head carly in November. l SOW seed
in carly August thinly broadcast on a
we'll prepared bed. SOW broadcast
because when sown in rows the plants
are apt to be crowded. and l get plants
better suited to transplanting by thin
broadcast sowing. can then get
plants that stand alone. and by SOW :
Ing plenty OF seed | can get just such
plants as want AS soon as the
seeds are sown and lightly raked in.
cover the bed with old fertilizer
sacks. and water on Thorn. These hold
the moisture and prevent crustinE and
are removed as the seed scrminates.
Then l like to transplant just as soon
as the plants are large enough 10
handle we'll. To prevent too deep set
ting I make slight ridges TO set the
plants In. and these can he work ed
down after the plants are we'll started
The SOIL in which the plants are 10 he
headed should be we'll filed with old
rotted manure and after the plants get
started. heavy dressing of a high grade
commercial fertilizer is sown hetwcer
the rows and raked In. Manure and
fertilizer both are needed for the max
tnG OF good lettuce heads The plants
for the carly winter crop are not sown
till September and are set in the cold
frames rs soon as large enough set
ting them in the same way as the
early fall crop.
I.nte Irish Potatoes.
II would like some information in
regard to growing the late crop Of
Irish potatoes" think that this has
already been discussed. but it Will do
no harm 10 repeat it here. as this NAV
have been among the lost matter. and
will interest new readers
The best seed potatoes for plant
ms the late crop are those tina; have
been held over in cold storage These
can always he had from the Richmond
seedsmen and in Norfolk Late June
or early July Will be a good Nme 10
plant. Run out burrows three feet
o. less apart, going twice In n furrow
TO make deep one Apply the fer;i-
lzer in the burrows and drag log
through 10 mix il with the soil. Drop
the potatoes about fifteen inches apart
and cover lightly, not filing the fur
rows. Then as they grow, work the
soil 10 them TIL level, and cultivate
perfectly level and never hrl them up
We hill up early potatoes because at
that time We need the warmth OF the
early sun. But for late potatoes the
conditions are different and We need
10 cultivate shallow and keep n dust
blanket on the sol! TO conserve the
moisture. Getting tie potatoes deep
in the ground and then cultivating
shallow Will k*ep tho moisture where
II is needed, while throwing N ridge
would dry out and DO .-o-o farm than
good
Nitrate of Soda on Tobacco.
What is your opinion and expert
ence in applying nitrate of soda TO
help backward plants OF tobacco? We
grow bright tobacco here. and many
farmers say that nitrate OF soda makes
the leaves light and thin" That has
not been my experience In my ex-
pcriments with bright tobacco, when I
was connected with the North Caro-
lima Experiment Station tested the
effect OF different plant foods Sc parate-
~ and in various combinations
found that where phosphorus acid was
used alone. the result was thin. papery
leaves and big veins. And in every
combination l found that any excess
Of phosphoric acid had similar effect.
have always advised some nitrate Of
SODA IN a tobacco fertilizer. with dried
blood as the source for organic nitro
gen l would apply some nitrate Of
soda around backward plants OF to-
hacco IN the field
Curing Alfalfa Hay.
What is your experience in tho cur
Ing Of alfalfa hay?" have had
really very little experience in the
curing OF alfalfa. but so far as I, goes
have made very little difference in
the method have given for curing
cowpeas and red clover The curing
OF any !ccume hay should be mainly
I In the cock and barn Letting I, lie
exposed TO the sun soon crspe the
leaves and they will be lost, and the
quality o: the nay injured ! would
use the tcddcr right after the mowers
I TO wilt tho hay as rapidly as pos
sible, ana would get il into cocks as
soon as practicabl While cowpea hay
IS not seriously injured by shower
red clover and alfalfa should D., pro-
tectsd by twlled cotton hay caps In
/ the curing OF tho cocks for rain docs
serious damage 10 these crops say
tWiiicd cotton hay caps for do no,
ike the wholly imDcrvious hay cans
Ike the pressed paper pulp ones that
smut down the moisture and cause the
locks 10 heat. for do not want any
heating in the cocks, as the leaves VII
iail of ! would get the nay into the
o"r! as soon ] could not wiring sar
I" nard twist, and then let it eettl,
with its own weight an6 fnisD ,ba
curing in tho harm. letting u strictly
alone II II heats. Cotton hay caps are
Il very good investment for hay-mak
lns Of any sort
Sundry QUESTION:.
nave cut out and filed your
columns in The Times Dispatch from
~" start and want several questions
answered We viii build ;wo sllos
iAis summer, and am nov preparing
ana ;or ensilase- corn Would you
adIis" sowing cowpeas in This corn
and cutting an for slla9c. or wou!c
'ou SOW the peas separately and US,
some Of them in the sno or would