The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-25

the soil or seed.
~ #. Massey. and IL 30. what Is
the cheapest process?"
10 inoculate with the artificial cul-
lures at 81 an acre would not be cheap
exactly, though 1t might in some cases
pay TO do so. There is no doubt that
an artificial incubation often gives fine
results / had Thoughts that all of our
lnnd here was fully inoculated for cow
peas but l was Induced this summer
TO try new artificial culture, and 1t
has given striking results. The part
OF the field where the peas were ino-
culated has made better growth, a
darker green and tho roots are moro
fully supplied with the bacteria
nodules than where no inoculntion was
used
Then in regard TO crimson clover
We find here that the little gray
headed rabbit-foot clover, that grows
abundantly on all our soils here seems
to have inoculated the soil for Grim
Eon clover, for IT succeeds everywhere.
tempted Now. this fall am go
Ing To try an artificial cuI-
ture OF crimson clover bacteria
and note the effect doubt that 1t will
be very marked in comparison with ad-
5acent clover. for this clover has been
grown here 30 extensively that the soil
must be pretty well inoculated for It,
Now. whe ther in your section any artih-
cfal incubation will be needed 1 am
unable to say. But IL clover Of any
kind has thriven on your soil, do not
believe that Ii would pay you TO inocu-
date all your seed at the price charged
for the cultures. 1t might be we'll to
got enough fnrmogerm for En- mere or
two and try IL and then after getting
some soil well inoculatcd. you can use
that on other soil at rate OF n barrel
an acre. narrowed in before sowing the
seed. But have seen crimson clover
sown every fall among cotton in North
Carolina and no incubation attempt
ed and good crops made. Hence I
would not advise the purchase OF Il
culture for all your twenty-five acres.
and believe that II you SOW plenty OF
seed, not less than fifteen pounds an
acre, among the cotton In September
you Will get fair stand II your soil
liz not acid. II you can get through
the cotton with a fourteen tooth cult
vator and stir the surface n little be-
fore sowing 1t will be better, though 1
have seen fine stands from simply SOW
Ing the seed between the cotton rows.
Copenhagen Cabbage Again.
us the Copenhagen market cabbage
sharp conical head like the Early
Jersey Wakefield or round head, and
is Il as early as Wakeiield?" The
Copenhagen market cabbage Is n
round headed cabbage. sometimes
slightly rising in the centre, but gem
orally round and not fiat on top. 1t
IS carly. ana, being uniformly bred
to type, II rs cleared OF the ground
sooner than any strain Of the Wake
field / have seen OF late years. 1 do
not intend to grow any other early
cabbage. unless ! could get a perfect
~ pure strain Of the Wakefield.
McliIotus.
II have been told that where the
wild sweet clover grows, the soil Will
be found inoculated for other clovers.
Is this n fact2" The so called sweet
clover is not exactly a clover II is.
botanically. Melilotus alba. 1t is a
legume. and II has been found that the
soil where 1t grows Will be found to
be inoculated for alfalfa and alfalfa
IS not true clover as the true clover
all belong 20 the genus Trifolium.
while alfalfa is Medicago. I think
It is doubtful that sweet clover, Melilo-
tus, will Inoculate the soil for the true
clovers.
In fact. nearly all the legumes Will
carry their own incubation on the
seed II the soil is sweet they Will
thrive. Using an artificial culture GER
taiply increases the number OF bac-
terra but II has been found that when
the first sowing OF clover makes a
rather thin stand. the same land sown
the next year will give good stand
and growth, because the incubation
has been erected by the first sowing.
Years ago, when we were nll young.
we bad wonderful growths OF clover.
and we knew nothing about the BAG
terra or incubation. But the careless
methods OF the past got the soil into
an acid condition. in which the bac-
terra failed TO thrive. and there came
general failure to grow clover. Ut
is necessary to keep the soil sweetened
by IN occasional lining, and to re-
store the bacteria in some way. The
cultures will do this more rapidly, but
we can get the incubation In a sweet
soil without using any incubation IL
we persevers in the sowing.
Where / live, crimson clover is sown
everywhere, and no attempt is made to
inocuIate it, and II thrives. Still, as
I havo said, 1 intend to try an arti-
fetal culture on 1t this fall and find
out what difference 1T will make in
the growth OF the plant. But l am
inclined to think that there is rather
too much stress laid the artificial
inoculation OF the soil. 1t is help
to get rapid increase of the bac-
teria, but not Indispensable.
Wild Grass In Lawn.
From Norfolk: please let me know
the name of the grass sent My lawn
is full OF It." The grass is Setaria
viridis, green foytail grass, and 1
mention It here merely to say that 1t
Is there because you have neglected to
keep the lawn mower going. 1t is an
annual grass that comes only from
seed, and you have allowed 1t to run
into bloom and seed. and, OF course.
the lawn is full OF it. The only way
to keep a lawn In good order is to
keep the grass mown often with the
lawn mower, and cut 1t so often that
there Is no need for raking off the cut
grass, but let 1t remain. and 1t will
soon disappear, and act as mulch and
help the lawn. These wild grasses
come in on lawns because people use
stable manure on the lawn, and that
will always make trouble. l use no
manure OH my lawn, but give 1t a
heavy dressing Of n good fertilizer In
the spring, and about once in five or
elk years l spread some air slaked
lime on 1t and rake 1t In. Never let
any grass run to seed on the lawn,
and run the lawn mower weekly in