The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-06
WITH THE FARMERS
BY Prof. w. F. MASSEY

more Importance in the South than in
the North. where the soil is locked up
all winter by frost, while here we
nave an many open spells as frozen
ones. Even with n cover crop like rye.
tho SOIL gains some organic matter Of
carbonaccous nature that all plants
get from the air.
Some Apparent Inconsistencfcs.
you are great advocate for deep
blowing, and you nevertheless advise
In preparing corn land for wheat that
II should not be broken deeply, but
disked three or four inches. Why this
difference7 You also say that if clover
is supplied with heterogeneous fertilizer
IT VIII not get as much nitrogen from
the air. And yet you say that we
should have a winter cover of crimson
clover for corn, and on It spread the
manurial accumulation during the win
ter. Would not the clover get more
Of the aerial nitrogen without the ma
nure" take this occasion to say
that L do not object to criticism. as II
gives mo nm opportunity to explain
more fully what my critics have failed
10 recognize. Not that i am always
right. but. on tho contrary, am always
ready 10 acknowledge n mistake. But
there is no real inconsistency In what
have advocated. and which tho writer
or the above wishes more information.
have certainly advocated deep break
ing OF the soil. and on hill lands liable
10 wash. deep subsoi1lng. II ] was
breaking fallow early in summer for
wheat. would certainly break It deep.
But all the remainder of the season 1
would stir It shallowly to keep down
weeds and then let tho blowing get
settled. Now we have these same con-
ditions in the cornfield. only that In
stead OF bare fallow we have the
crop on tho land.
We break the land deeply for tho
corn. and then cultivate shallow, and
thus bring the same conditions we
would have In summer fallow Now
an certainly would not replow late
In the season the summer fallow, so I
would not replow after corn, but would
take the fallow made by tho growing
crop. Now IT Is true that supplying
legume crop like clover with readily
available nitrogen Will cause tho plants
TO get lcss nitrogen from the air. But
In the case OF crimson clover, grown
az n cover crop &c turn under for corn,
1t is true that would spread the win
ter manure on IL AZ fast as made But
primarily 1t is put there for the corn
and not for the clover. and 1t will be
some time before the clover would get
anything from the fresh manure. which
must 20 through the process Of nitri-
hcation or nitrate formation before
green plants can use 1t. and IL will not
nitrogen from the air. as would be done
by an application to the clover of the
readily available nitrate OF soda The
idea IS to concentrate the manure on
one field in the rotation, and the field
that can use the farm manurial accu-
mutation to best advantage Is the corn
field. and the manure goes there to
help the clover mako the corn. 1t Is
not merely the fertilizing but the
humus making. that is sought in get
ting the manure on the cornheld and
through the cultivation OF the corn TO
get the soil into the best condition for
the wheat crop.
With heavy MANFRED sod of clover
turned under for the corn, We can grow
the heaviest crops OF wheat with only
liberal amount OF phosphoric acid
added.
And right there is where many
farmers fail with wheat. They ,lo not
use enough OF the acid phosphate Even
II an excess is applied, the soil will
hold oil TO the remainder, and the
clover following tho wheat will bcne-
nj by 1t. IL / was in good wheat
growing section and was using red
clover. / would not haul out manure
on that clover till the winter before I
wanted to turn it under for corn, and
thus. during the first season. 1t would
be getting nitrogen from the air.
nitrogen on land that is not rich. than
1t Will on rich soil or soil with an
accumulation Of nitrogen and the
richer we get our soil the less nitro
gen -hXing the clover will do, since IL
can get all 1t needs from the soil.
nevertheless, we must continue to
grow 1t for its humus- making capacity.
Poultry.
1 am often asked why L do not have
more 10 say on tho poultry matter
Tho writer's are generally city men
VINO have caught the hen fever. and
have been figuring out the wonderful
profits that can be made from chickens
l never write advice concerning things
In which l have had no experience
have long since told our readers that
am no poultryman. So far as 1 have
observed. poultry on general farm
properly attended TO, Is n valuable
asset to the farm stock, but j have
never known man to try to make
living on small place devoted en-
tirely to chickens and eggs, and buy
ing his feed, and selling the product
On tho general market, to make liv-
Ing Mt it But I can count hundreds
Of places whore city men have invest
ed their means in such an enterprise
and have failed and gone back to the
city, wiser and poorer than before
Right In sight of my home q city man
bought an aero or two Of land. built
fine house and n long range of
chicken houses. He sold quantities
of produce in the way OF eggs and
chickens for n year or two. but now
has gone back to the city. and the
place is for sale. So whenever city
man, who has cotton the back-to- the
land fever. writes for advice I advise
him to go to farming and make the
poultry an adjunct to his farming
rather than make n poultry enterprise
and fail.
SnIt as Fertilizer.
II can get quantity of waste salt
cheaply. Where is the best place to
use it as fertilizer" Put it in tho
branch and salt tho fishes. Salt is Of
no value as fertilizer for any crop
il Is the chloride of sodium, and chic
rine is poisonous to vegetation, and
soda is not used to any extent as plant
food. except by such things as natur-
ally grow on the salt beaches
Another odd inquiry comes to me
almost every week. Tho writers soc