The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-06

quirer who wanted to know where
ne could have his soil analysed, that
an analysis wOuld be of little use to
him, since it would not indicate any
thing in regard to the availability Of
the plant food in the soil. This be-
ing the case, how is a man TO deter
mine what his soil really needs? 1t
might be rich in potash and nitrogen,
n be almost barren in phosphorus.
In fact, a man might try to improve
his and with q fertilizer which would
be a waste of time and o to ap- |
ply. This is an important matter,
and a question that directly bears
upon every man engaged in farm
ing"
Replying in an article in the Rich
mond TimeS-Dispatcn he said:
All Of which is very true. But we
do know in a general way some Of the
needs Of the different classes of soils.
We know that the red clays of the
southern uplands have an
tible store Of potash in al insOluble
form, derived from the feldspathic
rocks from which these soils were
formed. We know, too, that the
good farmer, who maintains and in
creaSes the organic decay in his soil,
anu times II OCCASIONALLY, Cdu DIlIS
this potash into use as fast as need
ed by crops. We know, too, that the
sandy soils of the coast region, and
especially the reclaimed, swamp
lands, are deficient in potash, though
the swamp soils contain a great deal
Of potential nitrogen, and are also
deficient in phosphorus. In fact. as
"A rule. all of our old cultivated soils
are more deficient in phosphorus than
any other plant food. We know, too,
that if we farm Alright. We can get all
the nitrogen we need without buying
any in a fertilizer. and we kn"w
all other forms of plant food besides
the phosphorus, nitrogen and potas-
stun are in abundance in all our soils,
and that we do not AVE to d iron
or sulphur or other things that plants
do use. But any careful farmer can
study the special needs of his soil by
plot experiments on it. Having a Sc
ries of plots of equal size. he can
plant one without any treatment as a
check plot, and then on another plot
use some carrier or phosphorus only
e on another potash only: on another
nitrogen only. Then one with a corn
bination of nitrogen and potash, nit
rogen and p~hosphoric acid and then
combinations Of phosphoric acid and
potash, and then all three in differ
ent percentages. BY studying the
crops grown and repeating them two
or three years on the same plots. he
can form "A far better idea of what
his and needs, or does not need, than
he can from any analysis But we al
ready know enough, as I have said,
in a general way, TO know that the
farmer who cultivaLes his land in a
good rotation. bringing the legume
crops often OF the land, and uSIEg
them either as manure or feed for
stock, will never in gram or cotton
farming need to buy anything for the
red clay uplands but some carrier Of
phosphorus, and in the coast lands
phosphorus and potassium. A che
mical analysis might help the farmer
TO know what his soil actually con-
tains, but il will not help him in the
supplying OF fertilizers, as, though
the plant food may be there, it may
be in such a form that it canno be
gotten at.
Other queries and Prof. Massey's
replies were:
Shredding Slower.
Il have five acres OF good corn
which 1 cut and shocked four weeks
ago, and want to have it 1t
was planted late, nj h stalks are
green yet, and / do not believe it will
cure till Christmas. My early corn Is
ready for shredding, but 1 want to
make one job Of the whole. Would
the late corn Stover damage very
much to shred it now? How would
it do to mix the early and late? ]
have not barn room enough to store 1t
without s~hredding. nor stock enough
to consume it." If o cut the late
corn and mix it with the dry corn
stover ! hin that it will cure all
right. 1t may heat some after being
put in the barn, but if you let it alone
it will cure. But do not go to turn
ing it to Stop the heating, for you viii
let in the germs Of mold. and viii
spoil it. l suppose that you have
more of the early than the late corn
and by mixing a good lot of the dry
with that not so dry, it will Absorb
the moisture and cure the fodder.
Improving Deep Sandy Soil.
Can you tell me how to improve
upland that has no clay subsOil? We
have some that seems to be sandy al
the way down." Down in the pine
barrens of North Carolina there is
lust such a soil. AT PinehurSt Mr.