The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-23
WITH THE FARMERS
By Prof, w. F. MASSEY
addresned



| make tho tobacco. where they prac-
ticc thrce-ycar rotation of wheat,
clover and tobacco Now. have seen
| this. but never have grown any dark
| tobacco, but. If did attempt IL l think
that would adopt the Nelson plan, and
grow no grain crop on the tobacco
iand. but wheat, following tobacco
with wheat. and sowing rcd clover or
the wheat. and turning tho entire
growth for tobacco, giving tho wheat
Il heavy application of acid phosphate.
ana then. after turning the clover roi
tobacco. 1 would apply simply 81 heavy
dressing or about 500 pounds an acre
or Thomas phosphate, for the lime il
carries: In this way. you will need.
on red land, no fertilizer but phos-
pnoric acid. as the clover will give YOU
All the nitrogen needed, and the largo
amount of organic decay will release
me potash that is abundant In the rcd
clay soil. But you do not say anything
about bavinE any clover on the land
ana If this is tho case you will have
! to use II complete fertilizer, and on
your soil would change the formula
| have given to read 900 pounds acid
phosphate. 100 pounds nitrate or soda
100 pounds dried blood, 200 pounds OF
sulphate of potash. to mako ton.
Use this ut rate OF 500 to 700 mounds
an acre But tho thrcc-year rotation
with tho phosphatcs will be cheaper
ana make as much tobacco. It Will
crops
Surfing Celery Seed.
! please tell mo IL good way to star,
celery seed where one has no glass
! Which is tho earliest White Plume or
tho Golden Self-Blanching? No glass
- heeoed 70 start celery planta In this
| climate, for our summers forbid Our
making very early or summer celery
| me Northern growers start seed in tho
/ greenhouse. as they can grow the cron
| early. We have to take advantage of
| our fne autumn weather, and do moi
| need 10 start early. To get the sect
! TO germinRto we'll demands some spo
! clal attention. II possible select a epot
on tho north sidc OF a board fence NJ,
! building, where the sun will not be so
intense. Prepare n bed in nnc shane
ana merely mark lines six inches aD.rt
| on the surface. On these lines SOW the
/ seed thinly. and pat them down with
the BACK OF spade or shovel, but do
| not cover much. Then get some old
gunny sacks and spread chem On IN,
| ocu ana give q good Watering OH IN.
| Sacks. me sacks Will retain the mois-
turc so mat the seed will gcrlninats
well. and by watching YOU can sec a.
! 'hcF start and then prop up the sack.
| over the bed for a time as n shade tui
'he y"uhS plants get good and green
| whcn the sacks are entirely rc,nov.d
| SOW early In April. Then, as soon n.
| tht plants are about two inches high
~ 'nc''l UP ana mp the tap root and
| transplant In the bed In rows elk
inches apart and two Inches in ~
rows. and by time to set the nlan,s Vol,
VIII nave nice strong ones that will mr.
win quite mass of soil and trans
pant ihr more easily than If they had
not the first transpiantinr. I hav,
heretofore given my method for rrow
ing inc crop. and may refer to IL nyai,,
IN the summer. You would forgct ali
about 1t II l gave it here. There IL
no oiHerence in season between the
'"o varieties you name.
Growing CantnIouper
North Carolina: Il Intend to nlant
zen 10 l"eiNe acres in cantnIoupcs and
want to know whcro to buv the secd
''hc TO plant. cultivation, rertiliza
uon. and where to shin? 1 have tbrco
experienced laborcrs. Can / re, nm
letins on the subject"
as you seem to know so it'll. abou.
can'hioupc culture. | would advise yo,,
'o go slowly One man in 4 section
mnefe lheie arc no others growing
me crop. and having TO depend nm
SHIPPING TO commission mon vii, no
more likely to make a failure M,
s"ccesa- Here. where I live there ar,
thousands or acres planted every wear
ana no one ever ships on his own ,c
count. They either sell to the h,,vnr.
Mt the stations or shin ,hrnug,, ~,
produce exchanges. which have trav.t
lIg agents all over the Northern citice
! sctnhs by car load. Hence. came,
auVisc YOU where to ship You would
naFe 10 find by inquiry the names or
leilablc commission men in the ci,,es
North The Rocky Ford is the yoriat,,
,HiS used, and a special varietv or
.niS, known as Eden Gem, is the r,oat
popuihr. Ihey are shipped I'm standard
ah.eS. called forty-nves, as they hold
hVe melons of the average si,n
'nouGh the larger ones. called ii,,rhon.
| ale shipped in fewer numbers In ~.
.aiHe crates. and usually bring moe
49,, ,""' the smaller ones. The buver. M
me stations here pay about an nyor
"se OF 81 crate. paying more c,riv
:" the Season, and somewhat lose In,o
VI AFTER tho Jersey crop starts. ON,
sIoWcrs NIL the burrows half fu1, -,
s.aoie manure and make rows five foo,
, rpart' az l have before described IN
; :. columns. which you can see ava
!. is not worth while to reueat 80.
n.tulai directions. You will necd
,'"oie manure and heavy fertilization
ooth' and you had better try nm ,rr.
or Two first. and not risk too ,nuch
till YOU have learned moro about