The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-01
THE FARMERS
4 Prof. w. F. MASSEY

grew. III July. too. SOW seed of the
Long White French turnip. This is n
white turn!p and the hardest l know,
very sweet turnip, and will keep here
southeastern Marylnnd) unhurt. and
not pithy all winter In the rows. Green
curlcd Scotch kale sown early In July
or In June. can he cut during the win
ter. The Norfolk kale can be sown in
late August or early September. and is
rather more hardy than the Scotch.
and is really better too when cooked.
Plant sets of the Norfolk Queen onion
for early spring use. planting. as
have said. in September At same time
plant sets OF the yellow Potato onion,
and you can use the offsets from these
after the Queen are over and tho main
bulbs will ripen nicely
Then, too. while many farmers have
found the value of level and shallow
cultivation for the corn crop, the same
men still stick to the killing of tobac-
co. Try level and shallow cultivation
on part OF your tobacco and note the
difference. But hereafter mix your own
fertilizer with the best materials. and
make fertilizer of good materials
for tobacco that will run about 4-1-1o,
the tobacco and half down the middles.
Hedge Plants.
Us there any plant that will make a
really good defensive hedge? The
old Usage orange is nuisance" I
fully agree with YOU that the Usage
orange is nuisance and a failure as
hedge plant. In fact. | think that
hedges as a farm enclosure in this
country will generally be found a null
On Tbn def net, n1n
that I know OF. plant that will make
hedge that nothing larger than a
bird can get through, is the Citrus
trifoliata. the hardy orange. This
naturally grows dense and needs little
pruning. and it's long and sharp thorns
will make II hard for anything to
break through. The plants are easily
grown from seed. provided the seed
are kept in damp sand during the win
ter, for if let get completely dry. they
will not grow. The hardy orange
bears a multitude of little oranges full
Of seed and not good to cat but is
ornamental when In fruit or bloom, and
MS the shoots are green in color the
hedge looks green in winter when the
leaves are off. There is n hedge of this
plant at tho Berckman Nurseries at
Augusta, Ga. that will bear n man
standing on top of II on a board, as
the growth is exceedingly stif. Year
ling plants can be had by the thousand
now at fair prices for hedging, and the
plant is hardy as far north New
York or perhaps further. But my
opinion is that the various woven wire
fences make the best farm enclosure.
and that while hedges may be pretty
around the lawn and house they will
eventually be voted nuisance IL
planted around the fields.
The Tcddcr
One OF the most useful implements
20 the hay maker. and Yet one of the
rarcst on our farms. Is the tedder This
ma chine has a series of forks on a
crankcd axle, and driven over tho
freshly cut hay it losses ii up to lie
lightly and wilt rapidly. 1t is in
dcspcnsihle in the proper curing OF
peas. clover and alfalfa for hay and
will pay its cost in one good crop OF
hay. In making pea vine hay I always
ran the tedder right after tho NOW
crs. and the cut hay then lies up open
TO the air, and willis rapidly Then on
grass, l have used the tcdder on a lot
OF red top cut the morning of a hot
day, and had that hay safely in
stack that evening. If you have much
orchard grass to cut get tedder by
all means, for YOU need rapid work
with this grass In the catching wealth
er We are apt TO have when ii is ready
to cut Then another convenient thing
is to have cheap open sheds near the
moving grounds. Often, when the hay
Is cut from bottom lands IT is a long
and hard trip 10 haul 1t direct to the
barn, and the hay can often be saved
from coming rain If there are sheds
convenient for hurrying 1t into to fin
ish curing. II can then be hauled to
the barn at your convenience.
Land Washing.
IL have some hillsides that are wash
ing badly, and I want to know how
best TO look after this" The washing
OF the Piedmont hills is largely the
result of poor blowing, and injudici-
Gus cultivation when the land is in
a hoed crop. Keeping a hillside too
regularly in clean cultivation will also
tend to increase the washing. The
more vegetable decay you get into the
soil the less the soil will wash If the
blowing is done properly. As a rule,
on level clay soils, do not think there
is much advantage in subsoilinE but
on the hills. that are inclined to wash,
we should break deep and follow with
the subsoiler. and loosen the soil fully
tfteen inches deep. The Mills have
washed because the blowing has been
too shallow. With blowing only about
four inches deep and a hard clay right
under this. when the summer cloud
bursts come the soil gets completely
hllcC with water and becomes Il semi
liquid and. as the water cannot sink
in the hard clay. it carries the soil
downhNl. for there is no other way
II can 20. But II there is always a
good sod on the land that is TO be
put in a hoed crop. and the blowing
is done with a heavy team and good
plow. slightly deeper than before. and
a subsoil pillow is run In the same
furrow. to loosen and let the subsoil
remain in position. YOU will have
deep bed OF loose soil that viii take
up any rainfall and hold II, and the
sod with its tibrous matter, will help
To hold on TO IT,
Then another great cause Of gull
lies j. the way the corn crop is cul-
tivated If the crop is laid by with a
turning pillow and deep valleys left
between the corn rows, the next heavy
rain VIII gather in these valleys, and
one after another will break over.
gathering head as they go downhtu
TIL a gully starts. Now if the cult
Vation is made shallow and as level as
possible with the cultivator. the water
will he spread out and no head gather