The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-26
WITH THE FARMERS
By Prof. w. F. MASSEY

which simply show that one map ha
selected pretticr ears than another
I though his field may not have made a
I, many bushels an acre as the man VIII
I! did not get the prize. What tn
! farmer is Interested in is i'll getting tn
most corn from an sacre under fai
I businesslike farming. II he can d,
( this with the pretty scorecard ears. al
right: but in breeding corn We need t,
look further than the making OF car,
! Of particular form; we want to pro
! ducc corn that will be OF fairly GOOD
/ stature. but not too tall. and with ear.
out of reach and VIC want the corr
that VIII fill most pushel baskets from
an acre on the same land.
Especially we need to learn that !r
soil of average fertility VIC can breed
out the stalks that make no ears by no,
allowing such to ripen pollen. ! have
investigated cornficlds that should
make fifty bushels OF corn an acre. and
have found as high as 10 per cent OF
the stalks without an ear. II would
seem. then, that tho breeding out OF
these barren stalks Is matter of great
Importance, and that ii can be done
] have seen in the work of one of the
best corn breeders, through whose field
wenu in every direction and failed
to find stalk without an ear, though
he said that in the beginning OF his
work thcro were always many Of these.
But he pcrslstently pulled the green
tassels from the barren stalks. and
thus prevented their scattering pollen
and breeding more barren progeny. till
finally he can find no barren stalks in
his field. Five bushels an acre is A
heavy. tax to pay for barren stalks, and
thcro is no necessity for having them
If the farmer will look carefully after
the crop and weed them out
Onions, Etc.
Pittsylvania County: II cannot get
along without your advice from day to
day in The Times Dispatch, and l beg
TO trouble you for further information
How and when TO SOW onion seed OF the
Prizctaker and White Pearl Of Norfolk
Queen, 10 be transplanted for big
onions next spring and summer? How
TO use hen manure have 100 hens
and $50 pigeons. Can ] mix II TO adj
vantage, and how does II do 10 apply
in e liquid state? Can I use cellar
room. warmed by o heater about co
TO 20 degrees not very light. TO sprout
seeds this winter and bulbs in boxes
for transplantinE to cold frame? Ny
rcd raspbcrries make very large vines
bloom we'll. but only here and there
g vine has large berries. most all seed.
Are they too close, or have too much
| have already treated of tho sowing
Of onions seed for transplanting. The
PrlzetalIer ANA the Italian onions arc
tho only kinds suited to this method
use the Norfolk Queen only for
green onions in the spring, as il is the
earliest VIC can get for that purpose.
Use the hen and pigeon manure just
o. you would any animal manure, eX-
Cept that being more highly nitrogen
Gus YOU Will not need as heavy a coat
as Of stable manure. bushel in a
barrel OF water will make = fine IL
Quid manure, and the two kinds will
mix very well. You cannot do much
at starting seed in the cellar. y dark
collar is u good place TO put bulbs till
the. get well rooted for forcing into
bloom, for tho bulbs VIII not bloom
well If they do not get roots we'll de
Vcloped before tho tops are excited into
growth You can root the bulbs in the
cellar and bring them when rooted into
/ full sunlight FOR blooming This re-
f-!S 10 such MS narcissus, hyacinths and
tulips for blooming H. the house in
winter. Your red Iaspborries may be
, too thick. may hc = poor sort or may
have too much manure and may be
helped by thinking and an application
OF acid phosphate and potash. / am
glad to note so many taking an interest
iu their gardens
sing Carbon DiSuipbidc.
"Plcase advise me Il carbon bisuiphide
placed on corn already sacked, will
iujure II In TASTE for meal or stock
feed 10, II viii have no effect at
al on the grain as ct is very vola
and leaves no odor OF taste.
Crimson clover Growth.
~ have sown some crimson clover,
lined the land and put on plenty OF
stable manure, and inoculatcd the seed.
Have good stand. but II seems 10
grow very slowly Having no expert
eree with IL before. ! do not know
whether this Is natural Of not" II
YOU have a GOOD stand and it Keeps
green what else could you expect at
thi- season Of the year? II is Tar bet
Ter that it should not grow and get
tender now 1t would have been much
better 20 far as its value 10 the soil
is concerned, had you LEFT out the ma
uure and used only acid phosphate and
potash. for the clover VIII use nitro
F"uous plant food supplied in the soil
and VIII not do rs much in getting
nitrogen from the aii as IL would have
done Win only supply OF the mineral
fertilizer. the plants VIII naturally
remain somewhat dormant through the
wiuter ana VIII grow of fast enough
ir the spring
Och Leaves for HcddinE.
DO YOU thinE that oal. leaves. used
as bedding for cattle aud Horses. will
make ~ good fertilizer as straw" !
Cp not think shat the OAK leaves win
absorb tne liquid manure. the most
valuable pH:, ~ the rnauure q well as
straw VIII have used thcio when
snort 81 straw, but ala not Gnd ;hcm as
good - Su. IS. The best absorbent /
have ever lsed Is cottonsccd hulls.
hut TIC, have GOTTEN to feeding those
So largely n tie South that they arc
too costly ior bedding though very
poor feed straw Is FAR more ahsor-
bent than oak leaves. while the oak
leayes themselves arc very good ma =
torlal when completely DELAYED