The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-28
WITH THE FARMERS
BY Prof w. F. MASSEY


| fertilizers to make every crop he
grows, Will always hayc poor land, amt
land cultivated year after year in thu.
same hood crop, naturally. becomes
| SIMPLY q place TO mix fertilizers in.
and not real soil at all. merely tho
skeleton OF soil, from which lie mas
departed with the hmnus and the
crops arc grown only ON bought ma
terial. Gambling. and not farming
at ALL
W'iit-Proof Tomatoes
Rockbridge County: II failed to ret
any tomatoes at all las. summer on nc.
count of the blight. and want TO ger
some bliEht-proof seed. You mention
cd :, tomato which you said was PROOF
against wilt and blight but the Dapet.
has been mislaid. and / would like To
know where to get the seed" The to.
mato ! mentioned is tho Texas Belle,
which | grew in North Carolina in
wilt-infcctcd soil, and grew it one son
son here. Bat as the wilt has not
troubled mo here. ] can grow better
tomatoes, and dropped this one out. 1t
Is small, biscUtt-shapcd tomato. and
got the seed from the Austin Nursery,
Austin. Texas. 1t is a. small tomato,
but wonderfully prolific and immune
20 any disease | have ever seen attack
a tomato. IL would make n good start
ing point for the Southern experiment
stations TO breed up a diSea Sc resisting
variety of better size. But. small as
it is. IT Is far better than no tomatoes
Fertilizer for Misunderstanding Reeves.
Edgccombc County, y. g.; IT notice
In The Times Dispatch the mixture of
fertilizer YOU give for peanuts. using
Thomas phosphate. But as my land
has been abuudantly lined ] would
like to use acid phosphate. in what
proportion shall l use II? What stoclc
OF beef cattle would YOU advise to buy
for feeding next winter? [ wish to huy-
u thoroughbred NAL All the clover [
sowcd under your directions is looking
exceptionally fine. Some OF this land
has been broken eight or ten inches
deep with disk pillow. Would you add
wise turning this clover with tho Same
pillow o" with tho Spalding deep tiller?'
You can simply substitute tho 16 per
cent acid phosphate for the Thomas
phosphate for peanuts. In buying feed-
ers in the fall 1t is hard to get any
particular breed ! think that grade
Poilcd Angus would suit your section
best But YOU can buy good grade
Shorthorn feeders in Ashc and Allie,
ghany Counties, y. G., IN the fall. je
you wish to raise Your own 1 would adj
wise keeping Il full bloodcd bull of tho
Pollcd Angus breed This breed has
in recent years topped the beef market
more frequently than any other
have never used the Spalding deep till
ing machine, and so far as I now Know
would prefer TO go over the clover with
a disk harrow both ways first. to
chop it up and mix with the soil to
/
disk pillow. This will prevent having
a solid layer OF clover that might in
terfcre with the rise of the soil mois-
ture in dry weather.
EARLY Corn for tho Mountain Country.
1T Is my intention 20 plant two
acres OF fertile Piedmont red upland
here In Henry County To carly corn
for market purposes DO YOU know OF
n better variety than Adamss Early
or Truckers Favorite, and where /
may get It? 1 should also like TO
know at what fountain OF youth YOU
drink that your youth and strength
are renewed for what seems to me the
WellniSh impossible amount OF di
CeStcd writing You ACCOMPLISH
Then my correspondent goes on in sew
eral pages of complimentary matter,
which | am too modest To print
have found the Norfolk ma "ltet corn
great Improvement on the old Adams
The corn is just as early and the ears
are much longer. ! have not grown
the Truckers Favorite. and hence can
not give an opinion. As to my per-
, sonal work and health, | have simply
tried to lead u sober and quiet life,
and being in love with ones work has
a great deal 10 do with It's accom-
plishmeut My good father tried to
educate me for the ministry, but my
tastes were toward scientific work APP
piled To farming, and felt called moro
10 preach good farming in the South
! than TO preach the gospel, though
have tried To live Christian life I
thank you for yOur complimentary re-
marks. can hardly realize that
am getting old though now in my
seventh -nfth year. but l remember my
great grandmother, who died at the
age OF ninety-two and | suppose that
some OF her strength has descended to
me. The farmers certainly keep me
busy, for up TO this time. 7 have writ
ten over 1,050 personal letters In reply
10 their appeals for help since tho
first OF January, and have done it with
my own fingers, so that what appears
from me In print is really a small part
OF my work. But / am taking too
much space with II merely personal
matter that is not entitled to 8 place
here.