The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-05
WITH THE FARMERS
By Prof. w. F. MASSEY

manure and spread II on this clover
In spring turn all under for corn again
rnd repeat the rotation. This will give
YOU lots of feed, and the ability to
make manure. and will save YOU the
buying of ammoniated fertilizers. But
you should be liberal in the use of
acid phosphate and potash to encour-
age the growth of peas and clover
The burning of the brush piles was
doubtless the cause of the irregular
growth OF the clover. and the heaviest
growth was where the piles were
burned and the soil got from the ashes
lime. potash and little phosphoric
acid, and probably the growth would
have been more uniform had you
spread the ashes better. The above
rotation is short one. and, after the
land has become more productive. you
might lengthen 1t by sowing two crops
of oats after peas. rs that sandy soil
is better suited to winter oats than to
wheat. ] would not feed the dusty
hay to horses. In fact, crimson clover
is a poor haymaking crop, and will
inevitably be dusty. The best use for.
crimson clover is to turn it under for
the corn crop.
Peanuts md Beans.
II have fine stand OF peanuts on
poor sandy land. whore l used no fer
tilizer at planting. Can YOU tell me
growing some OF the old Virginia corn
field beans, and want to fertilizc these"
You were very unwise In planting pea
nuts in poor sandy land with no fer
tilzer ut the planting. You may to
some extent remedy the omission by
applying now alongside the rows 400
pounds of acid phosphate and forty
pounds OF muriate of potash an acre.
Peanuts like peas. are legumes, and
can get nitrogen from the air. The
same application Will help the making
OF the beans. This bean is far better
for growing in the South than the
white navy bean of the North.
Alfalfa on Red Clay Soils.
Il was visiting In South Carolina
few days ago. and was surprised to see
that they wore growing alfalfa profit
ably on red clay soil. They applied two
tons OF ground limestone an acre. and
plOwed 1t in and then used fertilizer
Have YOU any data this subject /
thought that perhaps much lime
may cause tho clay to give up all Its
plant food and ruin the land. ! have
q similar soil, and would like to eX-
pertinent with limited area" There
is no difficulty In getting good alfalfa
on red clay soil; that is, in good heart
end we'll drained. The application of
two tons of ground limestone an acre
is not excessive. but all right for al
falfa. ] would not use that amount
of burnt lime, but the ground stone
is not caustic like the burnt lime. and
Will simply bring in limestone soil CON
ditions. But YOU say that the South
Carolina farmers plowcd the lime un-
Ger. If they did that they were maxi
ing mistake 1t should be merely
ha: =. we'd in after powling the land.
1t sinks rapidly In tho soil, and we
want it to go through and affect all
the soil from top to bottom. There is
not the slightest danger of harming
the land with almost any amount of
the pulverized limestone.
Cotton on Black Swamp Land.
Il have seem cotton on black swamp
land Got a good stand. but 1t seems to
be dwindling and dying. What is the
natter You do not say what YOU
applied to the cotton, If anything Such
soils are strong in potential nitrogen,
but are deficient in phosphoric acid.
and especially in potash. If you had
given the cotton a heavy applica ton
OF acid phosphate and potash say 400
pounds Of acid phosphate and forty
pounds of the muriate of potash an
acre ut planting time, l think that you
would have had successful growth
Certainly this has been the result in
f'rinccss Anne County on similar land
II is lack of these elements that
makes such land poor for cotton. The
swamp land will usually make strong
growth. but little cotton. withou, the
your case that lack OF drainage is the
trouble Cotton will not grow with
wet feet.
FertIlinins Int Potatoes.
From Hanover County: please let
me know the proper fertilizer to mix
with cottonsccd meal for late Irish po-
tatoes My land is light and fairly
good. Has been plowed and given a
top dressing of manure. One of my
nclShoors makes fine crops OF potatoes
by using cottonsccd meal" Cottonsecd
meal alone would make a poorly ball
anced fertilizer for the Irish potatoes.
but is a good source for the orconic
nitrogen needed. To make a ton Of
good fertilizer mix 1000 pounds Of l6
per cent acid phosphate. 500 pounds of
cottonsced meal and 400 pounds of
murihte of potash. For the early po-
tato crop / would use l 900 pounds of
this an acre but for the late crop about
ouV pounds Make very deep burrows
and put the fertilizer In the burrows
and mix il well with the soil with a
narrow shovel pillow or bull tongue
Plant the potatoes and cover lightly.
and then work the soil to them as they
grow, so as 10 get them deep in the
ground. Then cultivate rapidly and
! level, and do not hill up as we do early
potatoes. for AT this season we must
use every effort to rctain. the moisture
and hence getting the potatoes deep in
the ground and keeping a dust blanket
/ on the suface will he far better than
/ killing 10 dry out
Window Plants.
young woman writes: "My home
is seven miles in the country. hut / am
working in city Office and am only
home on Sundays. cannot grow
| flowers out on the farm but do want
: some here III the oitice. We have sunny
| windows and steam heat In winter and
3
and ferns There is host of things
| than can be Known in pots in sunny
4 window, and ladies are often more sue
cessful than florist would be under
the same conditions. / was once PASS
ihS along street in Baltimore with a
/ horst friend. and noticed a window
with wonderful show Of fowerine
plants My friend said. Massey. Won
and could grow those things in the
greenhouse. but the women can beat
/ us badly in the Windows" and il is
I usually true but Win care there are
many things that viii thrive in win
! dows- one Of the most persistent
1 blooming plants is the Primuia OBJ