The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-14

am not IN expert hue Curcr I have
grown bright tobacco and have hau ir
cured. but did not do the curing aud
10 not believe that any one car, learn
tiuc-curing from printed directors. Tho
only way | know TO learn the art IL
20 employ an expert Curcr and thei,
stay by him ana learn how he does {.
ant why lie makes differences I'm tho
heat at times according to the Condi-
ton Of the tobacco. Then most bright
tobacco IN cot cut by prmed ana tho
leaves cured, while tho stalks are lerr
in the ticld. YOU ask if / can gee any
reason why Won should not grow bright
tobacco. In fact, | cannot tell nor
can any one tell II a piece OF land ho
has never seen, ana on Which bright
tobacco has not been grown. Will mako
il or not. As ! nave said. only actual
trial can determine what sort OF to-
boccc viii be produced on a soil that
has not been tested. And worked-iu
sheet iron viii make flues for you, es-
pecialiy in the towns of tho bright to
baccO section. know no reason WIN
good gray soil in Buckingham should
not make bright tobacco. Your barn
must have a brick furnace, and YOU can
run flu"s both ways around tho house
TO a chimney
Topdressins Grass.
MecklcnburE County: IL wish TO ton
dress some grass lots with acid phos
phate or Thomas phosphate, and do not
know which will he best. VIII be glad
10 have your advice. Please also state
whether ashes from soft coal hayo
any value as FERTILIZER have some
to move. ana il they VIII do no harm
I propose to spread them on grass "A
topdrcssing for grass | would use
500 pounds Of Thomas phosphate and
fifty pounds OF nitrate OF soda an acre.
The soft coal ashes are OF little value
rs fertilizer. They do have o slight
IS more amount OF potash IN them than
n2rd coal ashes. but the percentage IS
so small that 1t IL usual to say thac
they have no value. And yet I did
once use the ashes on grass, and wheth,
er due to the ashes or not. I have II
remarkable growth OF whito clover on
tho nart OF the pasture where they
we're used. have found too, that tho
ashes are very fine as mulch for soma
things, 10 retain the moisture In dr..
weather.
In my garden tomato plants mulched
with coal ashes kept green and more
healthy than those where no mulch
was used and never stopped bearing
till frost. This was due, think, to
the moisture retalninG character of the.
ashes I once had n pile OF hard coal
ashes in an out-of-tho- place
whcrc II had been for several years.
one spring tomato plant made It's
appearances on tor the pile, which
was about three feet high. 1t was let
alone, and was surprised to find that
tomatoes. | suppose that tho old ash
heap had gotten some plant food II,
some way, but whether duo to tho
ashes alone or not. II made fine toma-
toes. Now. I would not say that coal
3shcs VIII make a good MANURE for
tomatoes, but there are certainly som.
things that our chemistry does not
discover, for analysis shows hardly any
plant food In hard coal ashes, but that
tomato plant found something that
suited H.
Irish Potatoes.
New Kent County: II turned down
Ia heavy growth of rag weed and crab
grass Just before frost last fall for
irish potatoes this spring. Am spread
Ing q good coat OF horse and cow ma
nurc on the land. Please tell me how
much l6-per cent phosphate and pot
ash | should use in the burrows at
planting" For early Irish potatoes I
think that you would have done bet
ter TO nave sown rye on the land last
fail To turn under green this spring
That would have given you more
greenstun ana the plowini; would
have brought back the decayed rag
weed, etc, where il would do the most
good. Then. too. | never usc animal
manure on Irish potatoes, as It Is apr
TO make conditions in the soil favor
able 10 the scab fungus The best
and c!caneSt crops OF potatoes are
made by using commercial or chemi-
cal fertilizer entirely. l havo hereto
fore given a good complete fertilizer
INr potatoes. But, under your condi-
tons, II your soil is not infected with
scab. yon can make good potatoes by
mixing in the burrows $50 pounds OF
JIG per cent phosphate and 100 pounds
OF the mur!atc OF potash an acre. Go
twice IN the burrows with n small
shovel pillow, To mix II before planting
IL can be sown after wheat harvest
ana should have good application OF
Il fertilizer strong in nitrogen and phos-
phoric acid No matter how good tho
soil, YOU cannot make the maximum
crop OF millct without good fertiliZa e
ton. FOR nitrogen use nitrate OF soda
because YOU want an Immediate effect
The Japanese millct VIII make q
heavier crop than tho German, and
crops Of ten tons an acre of green for
age have been made This means tina Z
such 4 crop would remove from the sol
fifty pounds OF nitrogen. tw enty-hve
pounds OF phosphoric acid and 10
pounds OF potash. Assuming that tho
soil is good and already has consider
able amount OF these plant foods. you
should apply ut least half the above,
amounts in the fertilizer. or say $50
pounds OF nitrate OF soda. 200 pounds of
acid phosphate and ITO pounds OF mu-
riate OF potash an acre. The crop
should be cut as soon as the heads are
out IN DlOoin. Tor II icft TOR the seed to
ripen IL viii! be dangerous food for
horses, as the seed are apt to cause,
impaction In the intestines. Sow halr
la bushol an acre.
FcrtiIiIinlS Strawberries
Can prontablv use nitrate OF soda
on my Strawberries this spring." II
the straw berries are only for home us..
or q home market, the nitrate viii en-
courage the growth and make larger
fruits. but if the fruit is TO be shipped
leave out the nitrate. for II tends to
make the berries soft. and they will
not ship we'll Then. in applying tho
nitrate, he sure 10 put il alongside the
rows and not on the crowns of the
plants. whore II VIII damage them