The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-11
Facts for Farmers, Stock
Breeders, Poultry Raisers,
Orchardists, Truckers and Gar
deners---Queries and ANSWERS

the fall. and IL you want the Japan
clover. SOW that in the following spring
do not think that the Japan clover
VIII Interfere with the grasses. Then,
after cutting the peas. apply the fer.
iili"er mixture you propose.
FcrtiIixiins Grass.
Northampton County: "; have Il hay
Held Sown in fall Of 1912 In red clover,
orchard grass, red top and tail meadow
oats grass. Before sowing used
1.oco pounds of shell lime and 1.00e
pounds of 10 per cent phosphoric acid
ana /" per cent potash an acre Cut
tw" fine crops OF hay last year.
wish To top dress 1t. and have somo
-" potato fertilizer. What do YOU
think of using this as topdrcssinH?
fow many pounds an acre? Or do YOU
think IL will pay want to make "A
big crop of hay, have another lot
OF Tire" acres in grass, which nceds
something How about applying 200
pounds Of slakcd burnt lime an acre
ana. after rain. 500 pounds an aero
OF the potato fcrtilizor"' Tho T-7-5
VIII make an excellent top dressing
Tor the grass, and, in fact, / consider
IL fhr better for The grass than for
potatoes. know that 1t Is very gen
urnliy used, but ] believe that on orr
liGha truck soils there is too much
"i'liohit Tor potatoes and too little
potash. ! would prefer half that per
'ehtaEc OF ammonia on twice the per-
cehtaSc OF potash for potatoes
would not use lime as a top dressing
it the land is acid and needs lime |
would use tho lime when the sod l.,
turned Tor q hoed crop and harrow il
IN well, 1t will be all right to apply
the potato fertilizer on both lots mt
'tt" OF 500 pounds. Now as to tho
paying. that is another question ana
Ia,
small part of the hay field without tho
Top dressing, and In this WAY find ont
what the increase has cost YOU You
40 not say what the cost OF the 7-7-5
IS and Of course ] cannot make an
estimate. But believe that III, an
plication Will double the hav cron over
the part where mono is applied, and
what this increase is worth will be tn.
thing to compare with the cost OF thS
fcrtiliZer.
Limo and Manure.
nave ten acres OF crimson clover
which have just turned. and wish to
apply ton of lime All acre. also
rave about 125 loads CT good cow ma
h"re which | am going to put on this
and. litv" no place for the manure
hut on this field. The land has been
improved and brought up to a high
state of proGuctivcncss. This i. the
second year in clever How " Guild YOU
amply the lime Ia prevent Injury to the
manurc?" You should have sprcad the
manure on the clover ana turned 1t
under with the clover. But even now
there Will he no difficulty about the
lime. OF course. If YOU mix the lime
with manure 1t will volatilize the am
monla, but when the lime is once in
Tho soil little ~ no damage will he
done. Spread the lime and harrow II
In well, and then spread the manure
Nk.l, lfnts1
he absorbed by the soil and no loss
take place.
Value OF Manure.
What is the commercial value OF a
ton of stockyard manure, when Il has
been made under shclter?'' That will
depend on what food was consumed by
tho stock. and what amount of bedding
material IL used. Cattle fed on highly
heterogeneous food like cottonsced meal
and pcavinc hay, Will make manure of
IA far higher value than cattle fed on
corn stalks and corn. Solid mixture Of
cattle eXcrement and urine, clear OF
bedding, will have In Il ton about fif-
teen pounds of nitrogen. ten pounds of
potash and thirty-four pounds of phos-
phoric acid, hut the accumulated ma
nurc and litter would not have near
so much per ton even IL all the urine is
saved, which has much more nitrogen
ana potash than the droppings The
average cattle manure under cover.
with an abundance OF straw and other
litter could not be valued more than
81 10 $3.50 ton.
Soil Analysis.
u wish to have an analysis made of
my SOIL. Where can I send it for ti,ls
purpose? Any commercial ANALYTICAL
chemist would make the ANALYSIS and
perhaps not charge over $50. and after
you have II. II will not be worth 20
cents 10 YOU. so far as giving YOU anv
information in regard to fcrtiliZints the
sou. The chemist can toll YOU what
the soil contains. but he cannot tell
YOU anything about the availability of
amy plant FOOD that may he In it, IL is
possible that an analysis may show a
great amount OF plant food I'm tho soil
ana yet the soil may bc In n very uu-
productive state, because the plant
FOOD Is locked up Plot experiments
WIN different piaut foods alone and III
various combinations, intellisently car
RED on and studied for II few wears
VIII give YOU more information ms tn
the needs of your soil than any chem
ical analysis can give