The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-03
Saturday

I123p ~ ssS sa<Ss4 %2sa large portion Of it's
]5h - X8 strength and value?
And would not the
w. F. Massey. loss amount to as
much, or more than the cost Of tho OK
ira labor In piling till ready to plow
under? / have labored under the i'm
preston that manure spread and al
Is lowed to stand. depreciates very rapid
iy" Manure piled does deprecate
very rapidly, for the fermentation
drives off the ammonia. Manure spread
on the surface does not heat and simp-
~ loses moisture. In an experiment
made some years ago by ono OF the ex-
pertinent stations, manure was hauled
out and left all winter on one pieco of
land. On another piece 1t was plowed
I under mt once, and on third piece It
was applied in the spring, and then
all plowed and planted to corn. The
Plot where the manure lay all winter
on top OF the ground mado far bet
ter crop than where il was plowed
Under In fail or spring. Piiing manure
In the field is not only waste of labor,
but waste Of the manure. Tho best
way to use manure IN to have ma
nure spreadcr at tho stable and load 1t
and at once drive out and leave II
properly spread, and do this all winter
ss fast ne tho manure is accumulated
and you can get on the land. Manure
loses less than In any way you can
handle It would not plow II under
even II had time and tho land was
ready in winter.
OIeomnrgnrine.
It has always been q matter OF sur
prise TO me that the daily papers In
tue citios Of tho cotton belt have been
advocating the repeal OF the law tax
ing coiored olct margarine. The editors
seem to think that because some cot
ronHecd oil is used In the manufacture
of cleo. that II la to the interest OF
the South to favcr the repeal OF the
law taxing 1t when colored In iinita-
tior of real butter. Now the fact Is
ihat the only reason for tho coloring
or oieo Is to make consumers think
they are eating real butter. They
make an outcry against taxing tho
poor mans butter" when. in fact, any
one can get IL chenply In the uncolorcd
state X no wants II. But people do
not want il, and only use II when de-
ceiyed and thinking. they are getting
butter More recently tho oIeo makers
tried sulphuring II, claiming that that
wRa not using coloring matter. But
the sulphur makes IL more unwhole-
some. and was glad TO see that this
was turned down by the authorities
us contrary TO the law.
Inc repeal OF the law taxing colored
oico would utterly destroy the grow
ing dairy interest OF the South and
this Is hundred times more Import
ant to the South than tho sale OF cot
tonseed oil. II Is doubtful. too. that IL
tho law was repealed It would add
cent TO the market price of tho oil. n
very small percentage of which Is used
In the manufacture of oleo. The in
terest OF the farmers. South as we'll as
North, is ia keeping the tax on the
colored oleo to prevent ruinous COM
petition with real butter. for, no mat
Ter what requirements were made in
regard to Its sale by dealers after It
goes out OF their nands there is no
safeguard. and the hotels and restau-
rants will put 1t before their guests
with impun!ty. Any one who really
wants oleo can get the uncolored ar
ticle cheaply, and the only possible
reason for coloring It Is to deceive the
consumers. Tho yellow color is the
trademark OF real butter, and il should
DO protected by law, or the farmers
.a-,iIiI be forced out of the butter max
Ing. They say that II the butter
makers arc allowed to color butter.
they should be allowed to color their
product. Eut butter Is not colored TO
mako II look like something else, but
to keep up q. uniform grade in winter,
while coloring oleo is done to make II
look like real butter. which it Is not.
TopdressinE Alfalfa.
II have been growing alfalfa on
my farm In Warwick for twenty years
My lond will grow scventy-hve to
%eighty bushels of corn an acre. now
have five acres In alfalfa Would you
please advise me which is the better
TO topdress it with. 16 per cent acid
phosphate, or IS per cent alag? l have
never used Stag on 1t, but have al
ways dressed Ii with acid phosphate
and stable manure" would prefer
the Basic Stag for this purpose. since
it carries 40 TO 60 per cent OF lime.
and alfalfa is very fond of lime. l had
rather use my manure on the corn, for
alfalfa can get all tho nitrogen it
needs. if we'll supplied with phosphorus
and potash, and IN your section I would
add some potash TO tho Stag, say, 200
pounds of muriatc of potash to n ton
of Basic Stag.
DnmpinE or of Seeding Plants.
what is the direct cause of tomato
and lettuce plants damping off? What
: condition of the seed he'd is best to
prevent the damping? Gould the seed
be tho cause? / sowed some lettuce
in beds this fall and over half Of
them damped off. How shall change
these beds, or the soil in them, so
that Will be safe in planting them to
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