Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-08-15


PREPARING LAND FOR CEREALS.
Do you expect to SOW any cereals this
1all2 II not. you are making a mis-
take Cereal crops do well in the south
Under rational conditions and manage
ment. They provide much needed sup
Elemental grain to use with cotton seed
meal and corn. They act as cover crops
during the winter. and. therefore. absorb
and utilize a part OF the residue Of fer
tilixer applied TO corn and cotton and
cowpeas. They provide a most desirable
cover crop. and are. therefore. not only
valuable for the hay they produce, but
for the roughage as well. They can
frequently be grazed TO advantage in the
fall and winter. and they can be har-
vested in time TO devote the land to an
other crop during the same season
II is quite practicable TO plant corn.
cotton. cOwpeas or other sOiling crops
after cereals have been harvested. The
tests made BY the college show that
wheat will grow in all the Piedmont sec
ton to good advantage. and may be
cultivated with profit on soils Of the
Triton sandy loan type IN what is
known as the coastal plains region.
Oats can be grown almost anywhere IL
a farmer will take sufficient pains and
trouble TO seed them properly. Rye can
be cultivated with equal advantage,
AdAACg VIII NN0NN NaAAaAAC OAA
tied areas OF soil which have been care
fully improved and put in good condi-
Tlon.
There has been a tendency to empha-
size cereal production in the last year
or two. but farmers often become dis
couraged about the growth of these
crops because OF the yield being cut
down so materially by drought. OF
course. this is one OF the conditions
which has ~ he an6 instead
complaining about il, il would be bet
ter to consider the means by which
this difficulty can be overcome. This
should be entirely practicable because
there is an abundance Of rainfall In
the south in the fall and winter. and
If soils are properly worked they can
hold enough OF il TO supply the needs
OF cereal crops. If the earliest matur-
ing varieties are selected at planting
time il will also be an advantage, and
then IL the ground is properly prepared
in the fall and liberal amount of sup
Elemental fertilizer of the right type
applied. the crop will naturally be in
much better condition to Withstand ad-
verse weather conditions than is now
true. At the present time the common
practice is TO seed cereals altogether
too late. TO use no supplemental fer
tiIizers, and to prepare the land in the
most Indifferent manner. The yield is
cut down frequently by an insufiiciency
OF available plant food Therefore. those
who intend TO cultivate cereals should
give attention and consideration to these
important matters. for If they are rem
edied. as they can be. the yield will be
greatly increased. drought damage ma
Ierially lessened and the cultivation of
cereals regarded as a more profitable
undertaking than at present.
In the first place. soil preparation can
not be emphasized too strongly. II is
necessary to plow the land in many in
stances. Where the corn is cut with a
harvester and the ground thoroughly
disked and redisked and then narrowed.
a good seed bed for the average cereal
can be secured. Planting cereals In open
burrows between cotton rows will give
good results providing the planting is
done at the right time. Seeding. as a
rule. should be done in north Georgia
from October 1 to Is; in middle Georgia
from October Is to November l. and i'm
south Georgia. from November 1 to Is
VIII farmers heed this important adj
vice? II they do. they viii have infinite
~ better success with cereals IL is
matter OF common observation that the
seeding Of these cereals Is frequently
not done until December 1. and probably
more Of the cat crops is planted in north
Georgia after November 1 than before.
This is a mistake, as the most careful
tests show.
Does the farmer realize and appreciate
the necessity OF using supplemental fer
tilizers2 There II an opinion that enough
food is left after the cultivation of
the corn or cotton crop TO supply all the
needs OF the cereals. This also is a
mistake South Georgia soils are not
rich enough in nitrogen. phOsphoric acid
or potash for this purpose. For the
present. potash must of necessity be left
out Of consideration. but there is no rea-
son why a moderate amount OF nitrogen
and phosphorus acid should not be ap-
piled. In the fall il is reasonable TO
suppose that organic nitrogen would be
the best form TO apply. At least 100 To
zoo pounds OF cotton seed meal should
be used along with zoo 20 900 pounds of
acid phosphate. From 900 TO 500 pounds
Of a good formula. IL applied to land
which has been properly prepared. should
prove a profitable investment under ce-
reals. Remember. however that fer
filters put on after a crop has already