The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-09
WITH THE FARMERS
BY Prof. w. F. MASSEY


field This spring broke il eight
inches deep and used LOCO pounds of
SIS and 200 pounds of 9-3 top dresser
IN acre My cotton was cultivated level
and shallow. 1t grew finely till the
/ heavy rains set in and then shielded
most of the squares and young bolls
Plants were about five feet tall and
tapped over four-fcet rows Will only
/ make about $50 pounds of lint an acre,
when ] should have made 500 to GOO
pounds. We have had too much rain
Tor cotton. but some say 100 much
nitrate. What is your opinion? The
bolls are all small and the lint short -
with the heavy fertilization. had YOU
i'ad only n fair season. YOU should have
made heavy crop But know youl.
deep sandy soil, and am sure that the
trouble is that in that lcachN soil the
growth started OF well. and then the
heavy rains washed the plant food out
or reach, and the plants could not main
tain the heavy growth made. and hence
me shedding. 1t was not too much
nitrate, but the loss of the fertilizer
in the deep sandy soil. You would
have done better had YOU deferred the
Application of the topdressinc till jus,
before the rains started. Had your
soil been different and more retcntiVe.
Your fertilization would have made 4
heavier crop. The plant food was sim
ply washed down out of reach. and the
extra growth made by the heavy fer
tilization could not be perfected
Oats After Corn ana Pens.
nave four ncrcs of sandy land
! with heavy crop Of cowpeas on It,
/ think there would bc at least twelve
bushels OF peas an acre. But it has
teen raining every day for nearly a
| week. VIII the whole crop of peas and
vines be worth as much to the land.
dragged down and left on the land
until spring, as though turned under
now Land made. with u good fcrti-
ii1ntion. eight and I, half bushels oC
vheat an acre this year. Please tell
me what is best" Your land is cvi-
gently badly in need of humus as
shown by the poor crop of wheat
! Then the best thing YOU can do now
viii be to disk down the pea crop. 10y
going over both ways with - disk har-
row TO chop the vines up. and then
turn them under and SOW rye on
the land as n winter cover. Then
turn the rye under when not over knee
high in spring, and YOU Will bring the
d"cayed peas where they Will help a
crop OF corn finely. Keeping the peas
on the surface all winter will he waste
. ful ana YOU should always have n
r
catch the nitrates that would other
wise be washed away. and in this way
can return the plant food TO the soil
in turning uSder the rye.
More Lime Questions.
North Carolina: Please reply in the
paper to the following: does Inning
/ land pay? What kind TO use, and should
ii he broadcast or in the drill? VIII
lime destroy blue lice and bud worms
| have some cotton on sandy soil whore
! had peanuts last year. ana the hollis
are many Of them rotting. y black
spo: comes on the boll and then spreads
till the whole boil rots and little
worms can be found in them"
You seem 10 have the idea that lime
is used as fertilizer. IL certainly
pays to lime if the land is acid. We
do not put ii in burrows nor pillow it
| under, hut spread il ON the plowcd
| land and harrow it in. Lime will not
| destroy the lice nor the bud worm.
/ Heavy applications of tobacco stems in
! the burrows will prevent the lice and
| heavy use OF hainit is best for the bad
! worm. Your cotton has the anthrac-
! nose disease. Like many others in
p, North Carolina YOU have probably been
| getting seed from South Carolina.
! where the disease is widespread. Tho
Z disease ia carried by the seed. There
, fore, do not use any seed from "A field
I That WAS affected This year but get
/
MI over North Carolina | have had
reports Of anthracnose from farmers
/ who have bought seed Of what is called
"ialf and iialr cotton from South
Carolina.
Lime or limestone.
You generally advise farmers to get
burnt lime in bulk and slake it Tor
themselves and thus save freight !
want but ten or twelve tons for alfalfa.
and can buy ground limestone not far
AWAY in sacks At s2.S5 a ton Would
burnt lime i'm bulk be cheaper for me 90"
think that YOU could get the burnt
limo in bulk in carloads that would
cost YOU about $3.50 ton at your
station. This lime will more than
double in bulk in shaking. and YOU
would need TO use not more than halt
as much rs Of the ground limestone.
ON land for alfalfa ton OF this Will
hc an abundance while YOU would need
two tons of the ground limestone an
acre You cam make the neurcs for
yourself
Celery.
lenrioo County: II read with great
interest Your columns in The Times
Dispatch Have some fine celery ready
for earthing Tried your Baltimore
method You promised 10 write about
j the last work on celery at tile proper
season but so far have not sccn any
directions FOR carthine up and hank
ing for The winter. Please give Same
! in tho paper Ten me where can
] get the bulk Of your experience in
book FORM You necessarily hive ia
repeat so much for your numerous In
qulrcrs that il is hard to nnd Nhal |
want withoui wadiug throdeh prea,