The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-31
WITH THE FARMERS
By Prof. w. F. MASSEY
delicately to prevent bruising. and I
clt nntntoen phnlld 30 into atorage.

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ielicately to prevent bruising. and no
cut potatoes ehould so into storage.
Color of belgian Rabbits.
What color should the giant Belgian
Or Flemish rabbits be? l ordered
pair and they arc about the same
color as our wild rabbits. have very
large ears ana feet. and look as though
they may grow large. Arc they all
right Rabbits are out OF my line.
| had rather shoot the pests than breed
them. ] know nothing about the Bel
eiams, except that ! have seen them
mt tho fairs, and have ne-er seen any
that were not the same color as cur
wild hares.
Sowing n Small Lot to Grass.
u have lot in town OF two acres
that / wish to COW to timothy, red
top and sapling clover Please state
in the paper the amount of seed to
give q heavy stand Of grass? Will il
lie best to SOW some oats with IL? The
land is good. IT made sixty bushels
OF oats and wheat, and ! have just Gu;
II heavy crop IF SOY beans and peas.
Uavc been giving it q coat OF manure
and about 500 To coo pounds an acre
of acid phosphate and potash each
year. getting two crops year OF small
grain and pea hay. Have ten tons OF
manure 70 uso this TALL and more in
the spring. What fertilizer shall l use
on the grass To get that lot IN
grass. would not use any fertilizer
besides tho manure after what you
have applied. Drill in about a bushci
OF oats with a wheat drill and then
SOW ten pounds Of timothy and ten
pounds OF red top. and brush tho seed
In with n smoothing harrow. Sow the
clover on frosted ground in the morn
ing In late February, so that tho thaw
ing VIII cover the seed Sow ten
pounds Of tho clover. IL is rather late
to get = stand now that would winter
well. and / would rathe: SOW the me
Glium red clover than The saplinE
clover.
Clearing Land OF bermuda Grass.
IL tile trucking section: y have
field. that is thlCkly set III Bermuda
grass which | want 10 prepare for Il
variety Of truck crops III tho spring.
How shall go about it," Now is
cood time 10 begin the destruction Of
the grass. Flow the land Just barely
deep enough to set under the sod, not
over three inches perhaps. Then mar
row ana rake out all the grass YOU
Gun aud haul it OFT to some waste place
or gully, wnere it will do some good.
If tho land is sandy. YOU can get most
OF the grass out. Then the next sea
truck crops very rapidly to keep down
any grass that may be left. If you
plant tomatoes YOU Should stake them
and train To single stems, that YOU
can keep tic soil clean of grass. for
If the tomatoes arc allowed to tumble
on the ground, the grass will get
good start there. and YOU will have
the trouble over again. Bermuda
grass will leave tho land moro fertile
than before, and. with good fertilza-
ton ana clean cultivation, truck crops
should do well. But the first season
would not plant any crops that VIII
cover III" ground late in the season
like melons, as thc grass win get a
new start among these, but cultivate
croiSa like Irish potatoes. tomatoes &C.
that will allow YOU to keep the grass
down dnrig tho summer. SOW peas
"a smotherlnS crop after early vege-
tables 10 shade cut grass
Packing and shipping Strawberry
Plants.
"Wil YOU kindly furnish me direc-
tons for packing ana shipping straw
berry plants SO that they will arrive
~ good order, ANA that the cost OF
shipping may he "A minimum -
Clean the plants Of All dead leaves
and straiHhtcn the roots and Tie in
lunches OF fifty with label stuck under
each tic The large shippers OF plants
mere pack orders OF amy size In straw
berry crates, tile roots inside aud the
tops out. III fact, many Of the tops
projecting between tie Stats of the
crate Put layer Of damp sphagnum
moss ON the bottom Of the crate and
some between each layer OF plants
ana pack tho crate fun so that there
Will be no jostlins. Small orders can
ne wrapped IN oiled paper with moss
and heavy manila paper wrapped
around this. They will go by parcel
post In this way, to California or ore
Eon. During the spring shipping sea
son here il is Il daily sight to see
wagon loads of the crates going to
the depcts with the green leaves show
nag between every Stat, and If plenty
Of moss is used there is no damage
done at all,
Grass Not Doing well.
buckingham County: II have n field
IN mixed grasses, herds grass. timothy
aud sapling clover Red subsoil, high
land well-draincd Been seeded three
years. Land does not seem 10 he rich
enough TO brini; Il good crop viii il
pay me TO SOW - top dressing Of bone
meal or Thomns phosphate on tins
Frnss and harrow il IN? II so how
nuch An acre and how 10 put il on?''
II viii he good plan TO apply now
300 pounds an acre OF Thomas phos-
phate. and in tie spring give the grass
an application Of TOO pounds nm acre
OF nitrate Of soda Apply this =.
growth starts, and when the leaves
are dry Crush all Jumps hne before
applying the nitrate. No narrowing
IN VIII he needed row OF IN the spring.
Nitrogen applied now would he largely
lost IN the winter, ANA | would apply
only the phosphate now. aud that car.
ries some lime. which VIII also h.. n
help. Then run the grass but one
more season, and after tho FIRST moving
break the land we'll and SOW to peas
Turn these under when mature in tho
fail and resced the land 10 grass. End
sou VIII get far better results IL
bonencal IS used II snouid always he
applied I'm spring