The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-20

colu frames, ana FAR better than a hot
| bed.
DO Not Rush Into Fad.
! One, who like me, can look back and
remember the various crazes ia agri-
culture, can look with some conpla-
cency on the present fever for Inning.
| Forty years ago every navigabie creek
in the Eastern Shore OF Maryland in
tho upper counties OF the peninsula
was crowded with the canal barges
/ bringing lime from the Schuylkin
| River. and tho farmers spent most OF
the winter hauling lime. The effect at
first was good. and they seemed to
jump to the conclusion that lime was
the cure-all for every soil trouble
Now In that Same section one never
sees a canal barge bringing lime, and
those old enough to remember the old
rad for limo are rather cautious. now
/ That renewed craze has started for
| Inning, under any and all conditions
ana for amy crop. But we have all
been learning, and know that the play
Ing out OF the old craze for lime was
duo TO the incautious and injudicious
use OF limo Tho old proverb that
lime enriches tho father and impover-
ishes the son, is true yet.
! Lime used frequently on the land
ana no effort made to maintain and in
crease the hunius in the soil. will GER
tainly enable the father to mpoverish
! The land for his son, while an occa-
sional use of lime in good rotation OF
crops whero the vegetable matter is
maintained In tho soil, is one Of the
greatest helps TO the improving farm
er. But the enthusiasts now tell us to
pile on tho ground limestone heavily
enough TO make a limestone soil. They
do not seem to know that many OF the
so-called limestone soils have less limo
IN them than the granite soils of cur
piedmont country. The limestone IL a
documentary rock formed under water
and In ancient lakes there was such
+! formation. and on this rock an ;lluvial
soil accumulated which had no connec
, ton with the rock below. so that the
soil is really In need OF lime The only
real limestone soils are where the old
dolomits limo rocks project through
the red clay, and by their weathering
have made tho soil really limestone
. soil.
Heavy applications OF ground lime
stone may bring about conditions SINH
lar to these old dolomite sections
found that slnkcd burnt lime has a good
effect. If this Is true where the
f, weathering OF the projecting rocks has
kept the surrounding soil constantly
supplied with the raw carboniIe, ii is
rather strange that the addition OF pull
verified rock will entirely suffice, and
do all that burnt lime will do.
f. We are told that the burnt lime de-
stroys the humus in the soil. II GER
tainly does aid In bringing into use by
plants tho plant food In the organic
decay, and IL Is the duty Of the good
farmer 10 maintain u supply of this
humus-making material in his soil. and
lime, through its making the soil suit
! able for the growth of tho legume
I crops. viii aid immcnscly in tho keep
ing up of the humua. a clay soil
filled with the weathering of the old
acid. and needs lime TO sweeten II, and
I II the raw carbonate will swectcn the
soil. why has il not done so in these
/ so!lsT
81 am thinking OF trying 10 grow
0roomcorn and manufacture II into
| brooms. Will II grow here, and what
would be the cost Of getting ready for
! the manufacture OF brooms?" There is
no more difficulty In the growing of
broomcorn than there is in growing
sorghum. But the matter OF skill
comes In in the handling and curing OF
the crop.
For the tabling and cutting and cur
ing YOU VIII need skilled labor, and
for making the brooms you will need
! mn outfit OF machinery and skilled
hands in the manufacture. My opinion
is that you had better stick TO the
usual crops OF your section Years ago
broom corn on the rich bottoms of the
Rivanna, in Albcmarle County, and az
ter several years of trial II was aban-
! doned, even after they had under
taken the manufacture of brooms. Ger
tain crops get located in certain sec
| lions. and seem to suit and pay better
! there than elsewhere. and I do not
. think that we can compete with the
West in the growing OF broom corn.
Tobacco and Fertilizers.
Eastern. y. c.: "On land now in cot
ton, and which was in tobacco u year
ago. ! would like TO know the best
variety OF tobacco TO plant and the best
fertilizer for II on sandy soil, with clay
subsoil fourteen inches down Land
| Will make about half 4 bale of cotton
an acre" / would suggest either the
| Hyco or the Orinoco tobacco for your
section. About a level tcnspoonful Of
seed TO square yard OF bed. Now, in
| regard TO growing tobacco plants,
! Experimental considerably with tobacco
| in North Carolina when ] was engaged
in the experiment station there, and
| found that I could grow better plants
! and moro safely by using the ordinary
| cold frame and glass sashes that gar
deners in general use. and sowing the
! seed In rows In the frame six inches
| apart. and thinning TO get stout plants
OF uniform size. and I believe that it
| VIII pay any tobacco grower to use
GLASS sasncS ana frames Tor the pro-
| duction OF the plants. When tho seed
are sown broadcast and protected with
cotton cloth they get crowded and are
| drawn up slender under the CLOTH
while exposed to sunlight under glass
and the frames properly aired, the
plants arc shorter and stouter and
transplant better than those grown in
tho usual way. In fact, in my expert
mental work / transplanted the plants
rs soon as large enough to handle into
| thrce-inch flower pots TO get n uniform
style OF plant, and these were knocked
out in an unbroken ball and set out,
and did not seem TO know they had
been moved. but grew right off. l do