The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-16
WITH THE FARMERS
BY Prof. w. F. MASSEY
Uetters addressed

'"er Massey must have stamp i.cl.ses fer

put the other half broadcast down tina
iniddlcs Then the roots Will find II ol
the time at hand as they spread over
the soil. Then as n material with ~
sanic nitrogen, the dried blood ia moro
readily available than cottonsced meal.
ana as both arc used for nitrogen |
cannot SEQ the need for using both, ana
with the blood at hand l would MAKE
the organic nitrogen with the blood
entirely, using only little nitrate or
SOD" as an carly start. In fact where
one has crop of crimson clover TO
turn Tor cotton. 1t will be better to nut
.hc whole OF the fertilizer broadcast,
ana plant tho cotton on the level
Is German millet a good feed? Does
IL itnpoverish the land II fortified we'll
and followed by clover to turn under?
Can ~ DO sown after wheat or oats on
GOOD land and make II good crop? Ia
there any danger in feeding II If it rcts
oid before cutting? Give method OF
sowing and fertilizingT" HUNGARIAN
grass or millet Is a quick growing
summer crop. and. OF course, draws
OF the soil. but If It Is we'll fertillzcJ
on good land and is followed by crimson
clover In the fail It can be made n
very good hay crop
Potash.
An old friend In Charlotte County
. VINO seems possessed with the Idea
that under no circumstances nor on
any crop grown in Middle Virginia is
thrre any need for potash writes mo a
card asking if l know OF any expcri
incnts In Middle Virginia which no 10
show that potash Is necessary asa fe-,i
ilzcr Tor anything. MY own experience
based on carefully conducted experi
1nents. Is that st IS not only not needed
but found II detrimental to bright TO.
bacco.' The difficulty with my friend
10 mat no gcncral!zes too freely. What
no hns found on his land may bo all
right there. but hundreds OF othcrs hay.
round that good oupply OF potash has
made GOOD returns on bright tobacco
And certainly on the old bright to
bacco section OF North Carolina It has
done great good In Granville County.
fertilizer that I advised. containing
10 per cent OF potash made tho highest
priced tobacco on tho Durham market
that season. On tho red lands OF tho
middle section OF Virginia and on the
red lands OF the upper Piedmont nee
ton. the farmer who farms in a good
rotation and gets his soil well nll.d
With humus and lines II occasionally
Will never need to buy potash Bur
on most OF the lands that are suited
10 bright tobacco, potash is essential
In South Carolina last year those who
used my 10 per cent formula wrote
to me that they made $3.50 an acre on
heir tobacco and will stick 10 the for
mula.
Soils that are really suited TO bright
tobacco do need potash literally /
have studied this matter of soils and
their needs for q great many years
and am not an advocate for the uso
OF potash everywhere and under all
conditions, but II viii not DO to iur-
10 conclusions for whole terr!,ory
from experiments made on one or two
farms. Tobacco does remove larr.
amounts OF potash from the soil and
II the soil has not in Il an abundar,
store OF potash that may be mad.
available TO plants b. good fariniup.
II IL necessary TO use some carrier Of
potash. AS / have before quoted. in
experiments on a soil containing oyer
10000 pounds an acre OF potash IN the
hrat six Inches. an application OF
potash in soluble FORM aid prontablv
Increase the crops. But at the same
tirne there is no doubt that on that
same sol! the increase OF hurnus ana
lining once In Two years would brinr
the insoluble potash OF tho soil into
use as fast as plants need It Il is
simply matter or soils and their
content and treatment, and II Will not
do TO become obsessed with a hobby
You cannot apply your results to the
whole Of middle Virginia Each farmer
should study his soil and its needs
for doubtless many are spending money
for fertilizers that they do not need
II they farmed right II YOU ind that
You can grow better crops on your land
without potash than with Il. you should
drop potash. But when others are max
Ing money by using II on their land
they should continue TO use II. found
that had no need for buying potash
on tho red hills Of Albenarle and
believe that on similar soils OF tho
Piedmont section no farmer need buv
potash II ho farms right. But when
you speak OF Middle Virginia YOU re-
fer to a region Of greatly varied soils.
on some OF which potash Is certainly
deficient. II is good thing for a
farmer to find out what his soil does
not need. but that should not make him
ride this az n hobby all over so large
a section OF varied soils
Correction.
In the ISSUE OF March 3. in suCgesting
fertilizer for peanuts. ] am made by
the types to say Ave pounds of Thomas
phosphate. when IT should be 200
pounds. am not blaming the limo
type man, for nm as apt to make a
slip RE he is.
------------------=-->--- ----------------