The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-02

sStsSs slSa spring. and what
IN W. IF. Nicsscy. fertilizer to use?
N one years ago was on the
tbFass experiment farm belong
Gag. to Peter Henderson Sc Company,
As,Ye New Yorl; seedsmen. where they
-, ssted all sorts of grass seed. was
own there large area from which
>crop OF Italian rye grass had been
-, al, which, they said, made three tons
~ + hay an acre, from seed sown in
hveptcmber before. Italian rye grass is
~ OF much more than an annual, and
- Woes not make n permanent sod, put
,own in the carly fall, using plenty
IL seed. It will make n crop of hay
Il bout. as early as any grass know OF.
Il rut and shock the corn and then pre-
.,re tho land we'll between the shock
Il y, ows, and SOW in September or early
II III ctober. twenty pounds of the Italian
~ ,ose grass an acre. and after sowing
81 scatter about ten pounds or GRIM
"A ION clover seed an acre. In spring
,i1t the crop soon as the clover is
i lin bloom and think that you can
| make a very good hay crop in time to
Fput the land in corn again, il you
s Iwish.to, or TO SOW in peas for another
hay crop. In preparing the land, l
would apply a mixture Of 500 pounds
of acid phosphate and 500 pounds OF
cottonseed meal an acre we'll harrow
ed In.
Lining for Crimson Glover.
r -Do you think that it will be of
any advantage TO spread lime on the
land before sowing crimson clover
E seed?" Tha. will depend on whether
the land needs lime or not We Go not
use lime as u manure. If your soil
is acid the clover will not be apt to
thrive. and it should be swcetened by
a spreading of 1000 pounds Of slakcd
lime an acre. To ascertain the cor.
dition of the soil, get some slips OF
blue litmus paper from drug store.
Make up some wet soil and put slip
of the paper in it and let it remain
for little while. n on taking it out,
it has turned pink, it shows that the
soil is acid, and should be lined.
Soil Analysts and Fertilizers.
"wncrc can | send some OF my soil
to have it analysed, so as to Know
what fertilizer it needs TO use cab
bages and Irish potatoes? How many
seed of each will I need to plant an
acre as l am thinking of doing some
trucking? Also the Lest mode of Gull
tivation to get the crops carly?" Any
commercial chemist would make an
analysis OF your soil. and would prob
ably charge you $50 TO make it, and
then it would be of value to you
in rcgaro to the fertilization of your
crops. The chemist would tell you
what the soil contains, but nor!N~nE in
regard to the availability to crops
of the plant food in it. The best way
10 ascertain the needs of the soil is
by plot experiment using the direrer,
forms OF plant food separately and il
various combinations in comparison
with plots With no application, anc
after several years of this You car
come very close to what your sol
needs. But TO grow early truck crop:
you Will on any soil need heavy appii
cations of manure or in it's absence
OF commercial fertilizer Cabbage:
need n fertilizer strong in nitrogen
and phosphorus. and need less potasi
than potatoes. Potat toes need n high
grade fertilizer with n strong percent
age OF potash. For cabbages you car
mix 100 pounds of acid phosphate
500 pounds Of cottonseed meal ant
200 pounds OF the muriatc of potash
and this will make Il ton. Use l,2O
to 1900 pounds AT acre. For potatoe
mix 1000 pounds of acid phosphate
100 pounds nitrate of soda, 500 pound
of cottonseed meal and 400 pounds o
the muriate Of potash to make a Tor
and use 1000 to 1900 pounds an acr
in the burrows You can count oil
1000 cabbage plants from each ounc
of seed, and II Will take OF medium
sized potatoes cut to- two eyes abou
nine bushels OF plant an acre Th
TENDER, and transplanted in late DC
tohcr or November ipto open furrow
three feet apart, running cast an
west, with the plants set fifteen inche
apart and set deep enough 20 cove
the stems. Potatoes are planted a
early in spring as the soil can b
worked in good order, and ! will HAY
moro about the crop at the prope
season. II you have had 10 expert
ence in raising truck crops, you shout
not undertake TOO much at first. &
slow for time and learn by expert
ence, and get among others who hay
had experience and note tfcir methods
Bermuda Grass.
Eastern North Carolina: "Will 70
kindly advise whether Bermuda yras
be safely soWn, and q reasonabl
good stand secured. by using seed ir
stead of cuttings in the early fall:
The fail is not the time to start Bel
nuda grass, for it is n hot weaths
grass. and stops growing with III
first frost. and if you got the seed
start IN the fall they would probabl
be Killed by the winter. | ha,
known good stand of Bermuda
made from the seed. But the
should be sown In May, and a gre;
many seed used. for the seed that
imported has rather a low cerminatin
character AMI it viii take thirty
forty pounds to make n stand an acr
You can set the grass more sure
and quickly ~ planting cuttings
tho spring. Plant in ehgilow III
rows Two <cet apart and cover, ar
roll tight. and they Will soon COW
the ground. II seems hard 10 get II
seed. as few sccdsmen offer 1t
Nitrate of Soda on Cotton.
'Wiil il Dav now 10 apply mira
of soda to cotton. and Will il hurt Ii
land as some think" NitTatc
soda car otter lee proiitabiy used !
= good farmer to urge strong
growth where the cotton has a pa
color. said, n good fariae- for
one is growing cotton, o, Sny 9th
crop, and depending solely ON fertile
to make il. the nitrate OF SODA m;
do harm. by encouraging a Atrong
growth and thus enabling thu pla
10 ..raw more heavily on the Satu,
fertility OF The soil. ard in this W
20 further rob the soil. But the m
who farms right and has plenty
legome forage to feed and make ma
uye will seldom need the nitrate: a
il he does. it Will have n larger str
In she soil for the plants to draw up
and m n "a Will do NO har