The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-21
w. T.. Massey.

EsEiRasss saaNShasf8 ket purposes and
w. 4. Massey. w en- do tn g y
ripen? Would YOU suggest planting
them With winter oats for a hay crop?
am -iad "a say that Your sugges
tions given me in regard TO planting
....D gous nave Surned out well.
Wcet potatoes will be dug about
the LIST OF October, Will that be too
late TO SOW crimson clover and oats?
would like to use the oats, as no
clover has been sown on this land.
How shall l inoculate it for clover"
Canada peas sown in the fall here
sometimes make a fair crop. but rs a
rule they are very uncertain If the
spring is late. wet and cool. they may
do we'll. but usually they fail in the
South more frequently than succeed.
Sown with spring oats in the sections
north of Pennsylvania they make n flne
hay crop, but in your section vetch
and oats will be far better as a fall
sown crop. How late crimson clover
can be sown VIII depend on the char
acter Of the late fall season. I once
sowed crimson clover seed at Raleigh.
y. C. the LIST of November. and had a
good stand. But the fall was late and
favorable. To- day have a letter from
a farmer in Eastern North Carolina,
VIII says that he thinks we have been
advising too early sowing OF the Grim
son clover He says that he succeeds
with II in his section from sowing at
any time from October l to Deem
Der /. I believe that in Nansemohd
YOU can be pretty sure of stand from
sowing in early October, but in the
upper sections l would not SOW later
than early September You can get
the artificial culture Farnogerm for in
ocu!atins the clover seed. But if the
little ssray-headed rabbit foot clover
grows on your land rs 1t does whore
live, tho soil will be found we'll in
oculated for crimson clover
Orchard Troubles.
From Clarke County: Il have an or
chard of about 200 trees, mainly Yorks
and Ben Davis. Until two years ago
had not gotten a full crop, though
they are sixteen years old In tho
spring OF 1911. had them dug around
for a space OF four feet each way from
the trunk, and MANFRED them that far
That fall / had full crop, and the
quality was as fine as any in this vi
cinity. Last fall had nothing like a
crop. and the few l had were of little
account Last spring had the trees
worked and MANFRED n distance of six
feet. and the rest of the ground plowed
and planted TO corn. had a promise
OF a fine yield, but the late frost killed
practically every apple.
Il had not plowed IL before for six
or eight years, and the broomsedge
was taking possession in parts of the
lot. Did make n mistake In blowing
was carefully done and the corn is
light What would you advise from
now on? Should / SOW. crimson or
red clover among the corn? What is
the best season for setting strawber-
ries. spring or fall?" think that the
first mistake you made was In imaEin-
ing that YOU Were feeding a sixteen
year tree by manuring a space of four
feet around it, The feeding part OF
the roots Of a tree are the fine fbres
and root hairs near the extreme tips
OF the roots. and these are out and n
little beyond where the limbs drip,
and it is OF more Importance to manure
there than around the trunk where
there are very few feeding roots Then.
apple trees are apt 10 bear on alter
nate years, unless the heavy crop in
the bearing year is carefully th!nned.
BY regulating the crop in this way and
improving It's quality, you can get the
trees more in the habit OF annual fruit
ing. The blowing after years in sod
did 10 some extent damage the roots
that had gotten near the surface. But
I think that a. bearing orchard is best
in sod, provided the sod Is treated
right Plenting corn was a damage
to the trees by robbing them of mois-
ture and food. and It Is evident that
they needed all the SOIL would AFFORD.
II the sod had been fortilized annually
and the grass mown several times and
the cut grass applied as mulch under
the trees there would have been differ
ent results. Manure is not bad. so
far as the growth of the trees is CON
cerned but the making OF fruit de-
nlands matter that the manure &c rath-
er deficient IN. the phosphorus and po-
tassiun. a good crop of apples will
remove three times as much potash
from the soil as a crop OF wheat of
twenty-five bushels an acre. To keen
an orchard IN a thrifty and productive
condition demands annual top dress
ing of the soil. n pays as we'll TO
fcrtl.ze trees Nherally as il does a
crop OF wheat or corn, and unless the
fertility of the soil all over is main
.ataed there will be loss OF growth
and fruit. I would prepare the land
well after getting the corn out. and
harrow in all over the land cxcept
right up near the tree trunks. q mix
ture OF 400 pounds OF acid phos phate
-
seed meal and 100 pounds Of sulphate
Of potash an acre. Then seed the land
down with a mixture OF ten pounds
OF orchard grass. ten pounds OF red
top and ten pounds Of meadow fcscue
an acre. Then NOW the grass next
year TWO or three times and leave al
the cut grass on the land. and ever
spring give the sod top dressing OF
800 pounds OF raw bone meal an acre
and never make hay nor pasture II
the orchard
Then. If the trees get loaded will
apples, IL viii pay 10 thin them. Their,
VIII be just many bushels ant
larger fruit, and you VIII have a bet
ter chance for n crop the next season
1t pays well to fertilize en- orchar,
every year. but put it where the feed
Ing roots are, and thu In sixteen
Year old orchard Will br nearly all tn
soil between the rows. In regard L