The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-03-10

~. lhey grew Very uiry and nal.
80 SUMMER. What IS the tronh1eat
! rom the Wlry character Of tho 80
, rather SUSPECT that You have nc ~.
III III IN ne only thing 10 do is to
~ : ~ ahd Dufn the trees at once
are ~ Indications Of -
othel insects, and ! feel snra Tba, -
Is yelioWS ana o should m 10 80
vent It's spreading.
LeSpedeza.
some of The Southern papers hav,
peeh booming ~Lespedeza as a hav
crop. LhlS plant, well-known az
Japan clover, has spread all over inc |
South. and makes a good summer
pasture, but several write having seen
the accounts Of its making two tons
an acre OF hay down on the GULF
coast, and want TO know all about
SOWING it here. AS a final word or
L~espedeza, l wish to say to these sev-
eral correspondents that it is entirely
worthless for hay : in Virginia and
North Carolina, and its only value il;
as a summer pasture on outlyina
lah0S, Tor 1t never grows more thar
SIN inches at the highest here, and
generally three or four inches high,
so please do not ask more about Les
pedeZa as a hay crop.
Sweet Clover Again.
Like LeSpedeza, there seems to be
q great deal of interest now in sweet
clover, melilotus alba, among armer
who are always looking after new
things instead of using the old ones
successfully. l haT a number of let
tefS asking about sweet clover and
It's value. There is no need for sweet
clover in Virginia and North Carolina,
here we can grow soy beans, cow
peas and crimson clover so success
FULLY, and there is no need for putting
a new weed on the land. [ have never
grown an animal to eat sweet clover
till forced to it, as it is SO bitter thai
they do not like it. 1t has some value
III the cold Northwest, but here we can
grow SO many better things that l
can not see any reed for sweet clover,
or bitter clover, which would be q
better name, since it simply smells
sweet, but tastes bitter.
Even if | desired to do so, h farm
erS vii! not allow me toS air myself in
long essays, for the columns assigned
me in The Ti1nes-Dispatch have be
come a daily correspondence school.
i started out with the idea that the
best use of these columns would be
to try to tell farmers just what they
want to know, rather than to write
long articles On matters that might
not touch half of the readers. There
fore, these columns III The Times-Dis-
patch have become unique in the way
Of agricultural journalism, a regulal
farmers institute every day. We hope
farmers institute every day. We hol
that the readers will nave patience til
We catch up with them.
Improving An Old Farm.
Il have been reading your very in
teresting columns in The Times-Dis
-. rn nn3 a,,lrn.t N,a
mOyed here last spring and planned &
establish a dairy farm and raise hog
as q b~y-product. Land on York River
part Norfolk fine sandy loan n par
Norfolk sandy soil. Have fifty acre
in cultivation IL as many more il
ravines covered with broomsodge. TIL
last crops, grown by q tenant, wer
very inferior. The sedge probably III
diCateS the need of lime. My idea /
to let the hogs have the run Of tn
woods and the ravines. One field is i
crimson clover, TO be turned tor corr
Will SOW ccWpeaS in the corn, dis
them down, and SOW wheat; then pea
. for hay, followed by oats, and the5
| by peas again, Il then crl1nso
clover, and 50 on Have no sllo, pt
/ Will depend on beetS and turnlpS g
f ~succulent feed. My idea is to Sc
away from buying feed except concen
trates. like cottonseed meal. Should
| top dress the clover now With aci
c phosphate or Thomas phosphate
j Should fertilize the present crop {
wheat or wait to fertilize the cowpea-
or still wait for the clover? Whe
t should ] fertilize rye to be turned VI
i? der?" Your proposed rotation wi
be an excellent one. 1Ou Should 4.
once give the crimosn clover q dress
ing Of Thomas phosphate, 800 poune
x IAN acre, with twenty pounds Of mur
0 ate of potash mixed with it. The san
s will be advisable on the wheat, as
l. direct application Of lime to peas
G often q detri1nellt. Then on the Oa
n do not be chaly Of phosphate, tor tha
e with nitrogen, is the greatest need
IS YOUR land, and yol can get the MFR
ii gen with peas and clover. Then q
II ways Get out the\n1anufe as fast
a made in winter, whenever you can 9
on the land and spread it on the Glow
for corn The rye is to be turned u
4 der. and an application OF nitrate
IN soda. when the leave are dry III
q growth is starting. will give You mo