The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-18

E44ssSEss3te .t'a|ES1Td l still think 1t the
eESggSghfsASSg&SA best and quickest
" way. l see that
"''e'' has asked
you in The Times Dispatch about
plank for blind ditches Plank or poles
viii do very we'll where there is al
ways water In the bitches. but where
dry part OF the year they VIII rot out In
few years. One of my neighoors put
down old field pine poles with a green
miil slab on top. and In bitches where
water ran all the time they lasted forty
years. but where the water dried out
In summer they rotted in five years
NOW tell me something. Several years
ago planted some York Imperial APP
PIC trees. At urst these trees bore ap-
pies OF the usual size. but for several
years the apples have been no larger
than black walnuts and have no taste
at all. and find that the trees in nay
neiehbors' orchards are in the same AK
can YOU explain this suggest a
remedy Not knowing what sort of
treatment the trees have had. ! cannot
explain tho failure 10 develop good
iruit j Know that with most of our
apples the FIRST fruiting Is usually
larger In size of fruits than when the
trees get older and are allowed to over
pear TOO many apples on q tree VIII
make them MAILER and too little food
IN the soil. too. will tend to make a de-
terioration in tho fruit. II you use the
orchard for apples only, and do not try
10 make 1t hay field or a pasture. you
VIII get better apples. Then feed the
trees Literally. Experiments made by
the Pennsylvania Experiment Station
showed the most wonderful difference
between the trees that were literally
fertilzed and those that were not I
should say that from your account Of
the trees. the failure is due to soil pow
erty. and that the trees need liberal
fertilization. The trees cannot make
apples unless they get plenty Of
lhosrhoric acid and potash from the
SOL. and tho growth cannot be made
II tho leaves are blighted or rusted.
Healthy leaves are essential, and spray
Ing In these days IL essential TO the
keeping OF the foliage healthy. Keep
the foliage good and feed the roots with
what they need. and you VIII have good
fruit but with starved roots and blight
cd leaves. there cannot be good fruit.
Alfalfa Creek bottom.
Would II do TO try to raise alfalfa
on creek bottom? Land IS subject to
overflow whenever freshet occurs,
which is almost every year. and often
keeps the hand under water for ten
hours. Under such conditions II would
be a waste OF labor and money to try
10 grow alfalfa. Even If II did sur
vive the overflow. the red. muddy water
would ruin IL for hay. But 1t is very
probable that the overflow would de-
stioy IL Alske clover will thrive un-
der such conditions better than any
other legume crop | know Of
MendinE Stand OF Glover.
Il sowed sapling clover with wheat
last fall. There are some spots with
hardly any stand Could not pillow
these places and SOW oats and crimson
clover and nave the crop come on with
the apling clover for hay You could
patch the field in th!a way h"; the
crimson clover will he ready to cut ard
should be cut, soon as II blooms
without regard TO tho condition OF the
oats and snpl!ng clover. Then. as YOU
sa5. you want TO put the land In wheat
again IL he fall. / would cut the Grim
son clover and then when the sapllng
clover is ready. cut that. and then
break the land we'll and add 800 pounds
OF acid phosphate an acre and SOW TO
cowpcas and get another hay crop.
Then. after cutting the peas YOU can
prepare the stubble for wheat by disk
ing II as finc as practicable. and adding
more acid phosphate. and should be
able TO make good wheat crop. But
do not replow the land deeply after the
peas, but let the summer blowing re-
main settled AMI simply disk the sur
face as fine rs possible, and you will
make better wheat than by late deep
blowing.
Grass for Pnsture.
In Bedford County: PLEASE publish
grass mixture for pasture. Top soil
gray and sandy"
In your section think that the
mixture / have used in Virginia will
be good Ten pounds of orchard grass,
ten pounds Of tai! meadow Fescue and
b ten pounds of tall meadow oats grass
Then keep stock off ill the grass gets
strong. and keep the sod good by an
nual topdressing and moving off the
weeds. and the Virginia native blue
grass. Poa comprcssa, Will come in.
Trucking Questions.
From Fluvanna Please let me know
how TO pack lettuce TO keep 1t fresh
and to whom should ! ship TO get fair
treatment? Is there a market for
orris root and tho iowers?'
Our growers pull the lettuce so as to
remove the roots from the soil, and
then cut of the roots. dip in water ana
pack root up in half barrel baskets
with covers. 1t travels all right in
this way. Where 1 live. all truck is
sold either TO buyers at the sta
lions or shipped in car loads by the
Produce Exchange 10 orders gotten by
their travelling agents. No shipping
10 commission merchants here at all.
Hence | cannot advise you as to the
commission merchants In Washington
Baltimore, and the best way is to
go to the cities and find out about the
men on the spot by getting their rating
from the Bradstrcct Agency. Men that
have a good financial rating are gen
orally reliable. Orrls. the root of iris
norentina, is imported from Italy in the
dried shape and is used to soma extent
in perfumery But the demand is pretty
we'll supplied, and ! would not advise
planting 1t In this country There is
20 demand for the flowers. and if there
was, you could not ship them safely
from Fluvanna except in refrigerators
More Garden Questions.
Fluvanna again: II have been read
ing your columns in The Times Dis
patch with great interest. All farmers
could be benefited by reading them,
but, OF course, there are some who
know 1T ALL and cannot be taught They
are always the poorest farmers. Please
answer the following In the paper:
|. What causes watermelons to rot
when small? 2. What time OF the moon
should watermelons be planted, or do
you not believe the theory? g. Do YOU
think 1t good idea to get the grass our
of the garden after vegetables have