The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-28

49, MIN
B5TSf8fA. ,.sa ES&8S3a area of bare land III
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. hkssssaNxD winter left from
W. F. Massey. the digging of tic
great sweet potato crop. The light
soils of Accomac and northampton lose
nearly as much fertility in winter as
from the summer cropping. Then the
sweet potato growers knowing the
value of humus in the growth OF their
crop, are hard at work in winter rakinE
the pine leaves and decayed material
from the forest and spreading it on
the land to turn under for sweet pota-
toes This helps of course, and they
make good crops. But II has always
seemed TO me TO be Il laborious and
costly practice TO get an inferior char
acter OF organic decay, when they
might on most of the land have n crop
OF crimson clover growing Ia winter
10 turn for the sweet potatoes and n
growth of rye on land that is barred
later TO turn for the early Irish po-
tato crop in February. What the soils
of these counties needs more than any
thing else is humus-making material,
vegetable decay, and by keeping the
land bare all winter they lose what
they might have, and lose fertility by
the washing from the soil of the soluble
nitrates that green crop would catch
ana keep for them.
But, as one grower said to me. the
clover would make the sweet potato
this would be the result. In fact, l
know of at least one grower in North
ampton who says that the crimson
clever gave him q very large crop.
Then, too, most of these growers are
trying hard for the early sweet potato
crop only and at times crowding the
market when, if they had good curing
houses as our growers here have they
could hold the crop for better prices.
Our growers here often get $3.50
bushel in spring, while the fall price
was much lower. and the increased
price pays we'll for all the shrinkago
in storing. 1t is always hard TO argue
against success. The Eastern Shore
counties have grown rich on their po-
tatoes and it is hard to convince them
that they could do better and grow
the crops at lighter cost, while great
1y improving their soil.
The Harlequin Bug.
My cabbagcs are covered with what
is called here tcrrapin bugs. ] have
tried slaled lime and Paris green with
no effect Am going to SOW turnips
near my cabbages. and they may like
turnips too. and l would like 10 know
a remedy" The insect is Murgantia
histrionica. also called Harlequin bug
and tcrrapin bug. Being n sucking in
sect, ii cannot be reached by poisons on
the outside of the plants that would
Kill biting insects. y very strong
but il will have to be so strong that
ii may injure the plants, too. On Il
small scale in the garden one way TO
destroy them is to pOnr some water
IN a pan and cover it With kerosene.
Then shake the bugs from the cab
bages into this and the Kerosene will
Kill them. one OF the best ways to
get them is TO SOW some mustard
ALONGSIDE the caDbages. They arc very
fond of mustard, and will gather on
it. and then you can spray them with
pure kerosene and kin them, and prob
ably the mustard. too Before sowing
the turnips would advise sowing
mustard along the border of the patch
and Kill the bugs with kerosene, and
repeat the sowing 10 keep them OH
the turnips. This insect, like the boil
wecVil in the South, came from Mexico
which seems TO be the breeding place
of many injurious insects that have
found their way north, and are gradu-
ally pushing further and further north
The mustard trap is about the best
thing l know OF. and II viii be Well
TO always SOW some mustard near
where YOU intend to set cabbages The
bugs gather all along the edges of
the cabbage leaves and suck the life
out OF it, and when only few cab
haees are grown the shaking off into
pan OF Kerosene Is effective.
Sorghum FUR Fced.
II am growing seine sorghum and
wish 10 know the best Stage TO cut II
for feed 10 get the greatest feeding
value? Also tell me when is the best
time to SOW onion seed for plants 10
set out in the spring and the best KIND
TO sow Let the sorghum get fully
developed and the heads of seed made
and then cut and shock it like corn. 1t
Will not dry out like corn. but Will keep
very we'll and be juicy long time. and
If the shocks are Well tied At top 1t
will keep there about as well as any
where.
You can SOW seed now of the Pearl
az the Norfolk Queen onion and can
transplant the plants when as large
as a pencil and they viii usually win
ter very well for carly green onions.
II YOU want 10 make ripe onions YOU
can SOW seed OF the PriHetakcr under
glass in = frame in January, and trans
rlant them in March, and they will
make fine large onions. or YOU can
plant sets OF the yellow potato onion IN
September and make good ripe crop
and can use the offsets for early green
Punching. You can make good onions
directly from seed by sowing seed IS
carly in spring as the soil can be gotte,
in good order, using seed or lic NJ"
England varieties such as the south
pcrt. and DanVcrs Globe onions, and hS
thinning properly can make good rlp'
onions that Keep well from seed the
first season. Heavy fertilization is, o
From Fauquier county widow
farmer writes. Il haze eight acres il
cowpcas. Have no disk harrow, but
Yauare hinged harrow win squar
teeth. and n riding cul,ivator that
use foi getting land ready for whea
following corn. VIII these do TO &c
the pea land in wheat? Part OF sam
field had rye cut from it. and I wan
to prepare this, too, Tor wheat. Wha
t.s.T a..
gu acre and what Kind OF grass seed
| have fourteen acres in corn. fertilizc
in the hill Slaty soil. and / wish t
follow the corn with rye to rurn undo
In the spring. lime and SOW 10 cowpea
10 prepare for wheat in the fall. iio'
,nucl, rye TO SOW AN acre and what fci
tilizer TO use, and what on peas in Ia
snring? Seven acres is in corn on bot