The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-21
WITH THE FARMERS
BY Prof. w. F. MASSEY

acid, and according to the market rates
for these ingredients 1t should be worth
about $3.50 u ton. At any rate, it will
pay you to buy il at 30 cents per 100
pounds. if you can get it, and 1t has
been kept dry. and has not too much
other material mixed with II. which
would reduce the value. If 1t has been
mixed with plaster or ashes II is not
worth half az much. 1t will be useful
for any garden crops spread literally.
and will be improved by mixing a lib
eral amount of acid phosphate with it.
] would say that II is worth twice as
much as stable manure.
wccviis md Garden Troubles.
IIenrico County: "Weeyils played
havoc with my corn in tho crib. until
September, when ] was forced to grind
what remained TO save II. is there any
way TO keep them out? All my at
tcmpts to raise sugar corn met with
failure till the late crop in September.
1t all came up, and then died sooner
or later, j think it was owing to some
worm. VIII YOU advise me how to
raise 1t? Ny green peas did nothing
at all VIII YOU please tell how to
Ish peas?" There Is no way TO keep
wecviis from an open crib. Some pre-
vcn;ion may he made by scattering
moth balls through IL as stored. but to
destroy the weevils you will have to
put the corn where IL can be shut up
close and then use the carbon bisultlde
rs | have more than once directed in
these columns. In our climate the eX-
ira carly sugar corns seldom amount
TO much But Il your corn dies it
t. ,.-st
some insect like the white grubs of the
June bag, which often get into land
where manure is used heavily. For the
earliest roasting ears I plant the Nor
folk market corn, which is not sugar
corn, but an early and good corn. Then
/ plant the country gentleman, and
Stowelrs evergreen sugar corn, and
these generally do very we'll The
late crop that comes into use In Sep
tomber IS generally more free from
worms In the ears than the earlier crop.
No one had any success with green
peas last spring. Ny early ones were
all cooked In the pod by the freeze
Of May IL, and later ones were hurt
so badly that they did not do well.
plant Motifs Excelsior and American
wonder peas at any time that l can
work the ground in good order after
New Years. and am seldom later than
the first week In February In getting
them In. But the later sorts of the
green wrinkled peas must not be plant
ed so early. ] plant them in March,
and make the last planting the last OF
March. using Premium Gem. Stratagem
and Champion of England for the latest.
We cannot do much with peas after the
middle OF June. Then about the last
week In August ] SOW some OF the early
dwarf sorts, like the Premium Gem, for
A fall crop. II is always we'll TO put
tobacco stems literally in the burrows
for peas 10 prevent the green aphis
from attacking them, for these VIII
speedily destroy the crop. Peas do not
need heavy applications OF stable ma
nurc, but are better with acid phos-
phatc and potash used literally. mex
perienccd growers are apt to rely en-
tirely OH stable manure in the garden.
The manure is all right. provided you
add plenty OF acid phosphate TO ma
ture the crops.
Emily Irish Potatoes for Market.
Please give me all the Information
you can as TO planting Irish potatoes
for market What kind to plant. what
kind Of soil. what kind of fertilizers.
and when to plant? How TO plant, how
TO work, and how to market
thought that ! had pretty well dis
cusscd this crop in these columns, but
IL seems that some DO not read close
ly. You are undertaking n risky crop
in growing carly potatoes for ship
ping. especially az you evidently know
nothing about growing them. In some
seasons the crop pays very we'll while
in other seasons II does not pay TO dig
them. Where live there are hun
dreds OF thousands of barrels shipped
every spring; and usually ut a fair
profit. They arc carefully culled. and
only marketable potatoes shipped.
They are packed in barrels covered
with gunny cloth. the barrels being
rounded up we'll 10 allow for shrink
age. The variety mainly grown is
the Irish Cobbler, and it is important
to get pure stock, for there is much
mixture in some stocks. A light,
warm and weil-drained soil is needed,
and il there is green crop on the
land TO turn under, all the better. The
fertilizer have suggested is 900
pounds of acid phosphate, 100 pounds
of nitrate of soda, coo pounds of cot
tonseed meal or OF fish scrap, 400
pounds OF muriate OF potash. TO make
ton. or this. use 1000 to 1900
pounds an acre in the burrows. and
drag a log through the furrow to mix
IL with the soil Cut the potatoes to
two eyes. and mako the burrows two
and onehalf feet apart, and drop the
potatoes fifteen inches apart in the
rows. Cover with furrow from each
side. and just before they come up
harrow the ridges level. Work with
cultivator. and lay by with furrow
To each side. Dig with two-horse
pillow, the steam straddling the rows
Where grown on n large scale, the
elevator potato diggers are used, and
planting is also done with two
horse machine. One attempting the
growing of truck crops in n section
where little OF this is done will always
be handicapped by freights and COM
mission men Here we have produce
exchanges. which have travelling sales
men selling by the carload in all the
Northern cities, and the potatoes go
under the exchange brand. and are
sold before shipping. You would have
10 ship to commission men to SELL and
ii is important that you know the re-
liability of the party to whom you
ship. and that you ship we'll cuIled po-
tatoes only. Barrels cost here from IS
TO 20 cents each. Planting should be
done in late February or early March
The chances are that an inexperienced
man ATTEMPTING the cuItura NJ III,