The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-03-24
Using Stable Manure Alone As
Fertilizer Gives Soil Excess
of Nitrogen
PHOSPHORUS ALSO A NEED
Nitrogen Promotes Vital Activ-
ity of Plants But Something
Else Needed To Get Salts
factory Garden Results
Questions as To Peach Trees
Answered

Writing Prot. w. r. Massey, the
farm and garden expert, q farmer
says: |
Can you advise me what is the
trouble with my butter beans? The
garden Is very rich, and j PUT stable
manure In the hills with the beans
7 never saw finer vines, and they were
literally hanging with young pods and
continued so until frost killed the
vines. But the pods never filled, drop
ping Off when half grown. / have had
similar experience with black eye
peas, only they made very few pods
at all The land is red subSoil, with
brown loan and some sand. and is
very rich. How would Basic Stag do
FOR the garden? VIII you also ad-
wise me in regard to an orchard Of
young trees, mostly peaches, set out a
year g last November. A severe
hailstorm the last OF May cut the
leaves and bark badly. j put tar e
the cut places as soon as possible, as
the only thing / had on hand. l find
That q great many of the limbs are
badly cut, and the unk of the trees,
and glue is eXuding from these places
Will it be we'll to trim off tho dam
aged limbs. and to what extent :?
Nearly all are damaged some. We
'hih SVu1 tctuiiiilS very S6llldDlc.
Answering in the Richmond Times
Dispatch, Prof. Massey says:
The whole trouble with your gar
den is that it is one-sidely rich. You
have been using stable manure alone
n have gotten an excess of nitrogen.
Nitrogen promotes the vital activity
Of your plants, as shown by the fine
vines your beans made, and the MAX
ing Of pods, but the seed-making ma
terials were deficient, and hence the
seed were not made. I do not think
that your soil can be acid, as the ma
nure tends to keep soil sweet, but
It needs phosphorus. You have in
your soil an abundance OF potash
Then this spring use no stable ma
nue., but give the garden all over 9
dressing of acid phosphate of the
rs per cent grade at rate of not less
than 1000 pounds an acre, and
think that o will find a great diff.
ference in the crops. My soil is quit.
sandy. n / have to use stable ma,
nure. but l then add a mixture S pc,
cent ~phoSphroic acid and 10 per cen
potash at rate of 1000 pounds al
acre, as my sandy seaside soil need
he potash. l have just now covered
The garden thickly with black, rOttel
horse droppings swept from the pave
streets. and will now put On the phos
phate and potash before digging, 70
my garden has so many winter crop
on the lane that 1 cannot use a hors
and plow, but the manue and phos
phate go all over and between tn
growing crops, to be worked OF a
sprinS opens Now, as to the peac
trees. I would cut ont the damage
limbs, trying to preserve a good Shap
to the head. Then cut out clean wit
a sharp knife the damaged bark o
the trunks and paint the spots wit
white lead.
Onions I'm the Mountains.
Il have bought some fertile bottor
AND covered with a RAM growth {
al sorts of weeds. ] had it draina
and plowed well and sowed last sprin
IL peas and soy beans with some aci
phosphate IL potash. Now l rea
your articles carefully. but do rot fin
much for this mountain country ca
| get a crop of onions rhi3 seasC
from seed in the open ground,
would you advise sets? How soon cs
/ plant them? There should be 7
difficulty in getting a crop Of Ri
onions from the seed. The ma
thing is to sow early and fertili
heavily, no matter how Itch the So
naturally seems. You are about 2,5'
feet above the sea level and, Of cour
cannot SOW as early as we can dop
here near the ocean. But l wou
SOW in your section as early In Mar,
as you can catch the land in go,
order for working. The preparati
of the soil should be very thoroue
and for a fertilizer mix 900 pounds
acid phosphate, 100 pounds of mira
Of soda, 500 pounds of cottonSe
meal or OF tankage n 400 pour
of mufiate Of potash to make a T.
Use 1000 pounds an acre. Harrow
in we'll. With any considerable ar
il will pay to use a garden seed di
and SOW the seed in rows fifteen incl
apart. Thin them out TO three incl
in the rows. and give the cleanest c
tivation. Sow seed OF the Southp'