The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-06

S2575 essIS4.28 tnllaIfa Secu. lhis
3[.{39; - . tA &8 tstood for / hrec
ecs2aA1ARfy.ars and after
W. Is. MnsseJ. cutting two tons of
hay an acre each year, i last summer
,plowed and subsidized to a depth of
sixteen Inches. and applied 1000 pounds
or lime per acre, disked tho land we'll
and fertilized literally, and seeded 10
alfalfa. ] now have about So per cent
OF full stand of the alfalfa. DO you
think that 1t will pay TO SOW more al
falfa seed In the spring In February
or later to thicken up the standy' Yes.
l think that II Will pay, IL you lightly
harrow over tho alfalfa and loosen the
earth littel before sowing and then
roll everything tight again. Sow
about ten pounds of seed an acre.
Pasturc for Pigs and Chickens.
II have both wheat and oats sown
In September for chickens and pigs,
but Will want something moro in the
spring FOR them. | have a piece Of
good land already plowed and manfred.
what can ! SOW there that will give the
most feed for pIgs and chickens?"
The best thing you can SOW for this
purpose will he the Dwarf Essex rape.
Sow about six pounds Of seed an acre.
ms eariy as you can get tho land In
good order in February or early Merch,
for the rape is n very hardy plant and
needs to be sown carly. Then let II
got a well developed growth before
letting the stock on II, and 1t Will
run them for good long spell. 1t
would probably be better to divide the
lot and pasture ono part at time
whilo the other part Is getting strong
er, and after eating the hrst partly
down turn on the other and tho first
Viii make new growth.
Growing Prlzetnker Onions.
II have Il fine little truck farm OF
seven acres want 10 plant about
one acre In Prizetakcr onions, and
n u u Il 4.
] have the seed, and decided to plant
them In drill one foot apart and thin
10 four inches in the rows. az the seed
house bought the seed from says that
this IL good way. Please tell me
what KIM of fertilizer TO use and how
much" There IS no doubt that yon
can grow fair crop or onions In this
way by sowing carly as you
can work the land In good order. but 10
grow the finest of the Prizetnker
onions you should use the transplant
Ing method. This Is really no more
labor than tho thinning. but requires
frames and sashes. and, OF course, no
truck farm is complete without these.
Tho best way to grow the Prizetaker
md other of tho large Spanish ana
italian onions ~ 10 SOW tho seed In
frame OF rich soil In latter part OF Ian
nary. Sow the seed rather thiniy in
rows six inches apart, so as TO make
good. stout plants. Attend 10 airing
good plants ready for transplanting In
March. Then In the transplanting |
nip the roots and tops slightly. and
set them In rows fifteen inches
apart and four Inches In the rows. In
this way you will mako a larger crop
OF larger onions than b. sowing the
seed in the open ground The sowing
in the open ground IL all right for the
American varieties, but for tho Euro
poan sorts tho transpianting method
IS far better.
Ground Limestone or Phosphate Rock.
u am contemplating using some lime
OF ground limestone on some bottom
land. rich in humus. but acid Judg-
Ing from the broomsedse that grows
on them. One OF the bottoms has been
growing corn, and few years ago
made tho finest crop Of pea-vine hay
that could be grown. The other two
bottoms havo been pastured and hay
cut of. What / want TO know Is this
Which Is the most economical, taking
everything into consideration, raw
ground phosphate rock, Analysing 81
20 36 per cent phosphoric acid or the
powdered limestone that analyses 50
per cent carbonate lime and II per
cent OF magnesia? This limestone will
cost at my station 1896 n ton. and
the ground phosphate rock $3.50 al the
min. IL is claimed that two tons OF
the limestone an acre Will last eight
years. and the phosphate people claim
that 1000 pounds an acre will last four
years. Now, II ! understand correctly,
tho limestone is used simply to sweet
en- the soil. but the rock phosphate not
only does this, but In addition carries
good percentage Of phosphorus. which
IS badly needed, 1t takes about half
as much rs Of tho limestone, but costs
?bout twice rs much. l understand
mat the phosphate rock liz of value
where land Is deficient I'm humus.
Il also want to know II the lime
stone is OF much value whore the land
Is deficient In humus. Is land ever
sour when deficient in humus rock. as
YOU may adviser" In tho first place,
j do not think that 1t Is n good prac-
tice to use lime or limestone as a top
dressing grain. Lime of any sort
should be well mixed In the soil. not
plowed under, but well narrowed in
so that 1t comes in intimate connec-
ton with the soil that 1t is intended
10 sweeten. So far as the sweetenlng
Of nm acid soil is concerned, / think
that the phosphate rock Will have lit
tic effect. The ground limestone will,
after n while. II had rich bottom
land that was ncid l would use slaked
burnt lime for the best Immediate
effect. believe that 1000 pounds oil
freshly slakcd, burnt lime Will have
better effect than a ton an acre of the
ground limestone. and its effects will
last as long. Organic decay will GER
ta!nly help to make soil acid, but soil
can bo very acid that is almost totally
deficient In humus. Your land needs
Phosphorus. Then. use the phosphate
rock In preference to the ground lime
stone. but do not expect tina. either of
them will rapidly sweeten the soil.
take very little interest In the fad now
so prevalent for using ground lime
stone. Some Of the advocates Of this
material would make farmers believe
that all that is needed TO make land
rich is to fill 1t with ground limestone.
but it will not do it. y topdressing of
the pulverizcd phosphate rock may
help tho oats, but do not think that
1t will have much effect In sweeten-
Ing the soil On land that Is deficient in
humus would not say that the pull
verified rock Is OF no value, but that
st will have little immediate effect, but
will como into use gradually. AS n
topdrcssing ! would greatly prefer the
: phosphate rock, and for sweetcning
tho soil. well slaked. burnt lime, har-
rowed In after blowing the land for