The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-12

ten Wondered at my blowing good
grass sod. as they had an idea that
the longer the hills were in grass the
better. But my object was to keep
good grass sod and never lot 1t run
out and start gulleys.
I have given moro space to this than
usual, because it is a matter OF great
Importance to the Hill farmers. If
farmer is going to keep his hills al
WAYS in clean cultivated crops and is
Soinc 10 scratch the land over with
a one horse pillow. he had better use
the Mangum terrace, as il is better
than the old terraces and ditch.
But have seen n field In North Ca
rolina where there were terraces made
In the best Mangum style, and | nave
seen them fill and break over like ut
tie Niagaras tumbing from one TO an
other and If that field had not been in
n good sod there would have been
in good sod. there would have been
gulleys started. Then once passed
n field. where a new series OF Mangum
terraces had just been thrown up. and
there had been a heavy rainfall, and
straight through the line of terraces
j saw n fresh gully started. 1t is all
n matter of deep blowing, sod turning
and level cultivation. and here in Nir-
ginia any good farmer can prevent his
land from washing into Eulleys II he
farms it right. If he does not. then he
may find IL necessary to check the
water and carry his soil more slowly
down the hill Poor farming makes
gulleys. and good farming prevents
and stops them. 1t depends. therefore.
on what sort OF farming YOU do, as to
whether YOU should terrace or not. !
never found any need for them
CHM shells.
"Are clam shells AS good oyster
shells for grinding or making lime
ANY shells found in the salt water,
clam shells, oyster shells. scallop
shells, etc, are all carbonate OF lime,
and one is good as another, the
only thing 10 consider is what you can
get most beautifully and cheapest.
Feed Cutters and Shocked Corn.
VIII II pay ME TO buy cutter to
cut UP corn fodder, shcRf oats etc?
VIII il pay q small farmer to cut and
shock corn, even II his place VIII not
afford a shredder Where one has
stock to any extent il will always pay
to use a outing machine for rough
feed. Where there is only a horse or
two and COW, II viii pay 10 use
hand power machine. but where there
are a number OF cattle, use power
machine as hand cutting Will be too
costly. Where the farmer depends on
corn fodder entirely for roughage and
makes no nay, ne can get Il better
artcl- OF fodder BY stripping blades
and cutting tops, but he Will do this
at the expense of the corn crop, for
the fodder saved in this way must be
saved in the best green condition. l
have seen farmers stripping and top
ping corn when the shucks on the
ears were perfectly green, and the
ears pointing straight UP. Now fod-
der saved al that state OF the crop is
a costly article, for il has been shown
by carefully conducted experiments at
several OF tho Southern experiment
stations that whore this stripping is
done al this stage. there Is decrease
OF the corn crop fully equal in value
10 the fodder saved. so that the
farmer has simply gotten some nice
fodder and has paid full market
price for corn IN getting IT,
So long as the leaves on the corn
are green and iour,shing, they are
making starch and feeding the ears.
Then :; is not a matter OF whether
a farmer has shredder or not, II
Is simply matter OF whether ne is
willing 10 lose corn IN order 10 have
better fodder think that a small
farmer and a large farmer should let
The corn mature. more, and then cut
and cure IL IN shpcks, and then, TOO.
grow plenty OF hay and not he so
dependent on corn fodder 1t is this
neglect OF the hay crop. and the de-
pendence on corn fodder that has
made the stripping Of blades and cut
ting OF tops 40 common IN the South.
50 far as the actual labor IS concerned,
there IS little difference In the two
methods, for cutting and shocking corn
II heavy work, as ! know.
Glover for Name.
Il am sending you plant %
clover and would like TO know which
Il IS, and whether It viii resccd the
land or die?" The plant Is trifolium
hybridum. and IS supposed to he q
cross between white clover and the
medium red clover, IT is called Al
sike or Swedish clover. 1t IS a very
hardy variety Of clover. and II will
thrive on SOIL that is too low and vet
for red clover. But as a pasture plant
i, slobbers horses worse than even the
white clover VIII The best authori-
ties do not consider II hybrid now,
but distinct species OF clover. 1t
mas pink flowers and grows taller than
white clover but not so tall as red
clover. 1t will grow on soils too acid
and poor for red clover. and as ! have
said, on soils too wet for red clover
II lasts for several years, but whether
!; Will reseed the soil or not have no,
found out.
stick ia the Old Crops.
] am continually Setl,nS letters ask
ing about the cultivation and proh-
OF growing sunfowcrs, gold seal gin.
seng. and all sorts OF crops that The
writer's OF the letters have read abou,
being profitable, and they want 10 have
me tell all about the cultivation OF
these things Whenever l get suct
letters ! know at once that here is
farmer VINO is not farming well. anC
who imaginee that some new croT
will be the thing 10 grow, and ne /!
ready to abandon the old money croI
ard try something else that ne ha
heard VIII pay. such men will neve
make their farming pay. no matte
what the crop. until they realize tina
farming Is a profession that demands
study and skill. and that to succeed,
one does not need now crops. but I,
learn how TO cultivate the old one
more intelligently and successfully
Going into some crop for which ther,
is limited and uncertain demand vii
be disastrous to the men VINO thinl
that all they have to do is Ia Dlov