Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-07-26
STATE BOARD SENDS
MESSAGE TO FARMERS
Treatment of the Ground in
the Growing Of Crops


preparing a bulletin which deals
with the use of lime in the soil of
this State and as soon as 1t has
been printed it will be sent to the
various Delaware agrlculturlsts.
The use of lime on Delaware
farms is rapidly increasing as its
value becomes more generally
understood among the farmers.
This is particularly the case with
alfalfa, as it has been demon
strated that successful stands OF
alfalfa can be grown only when
the soil has been treated with
lime.
Alfalfa is coming to be recog-
nized as one of the leading and
most lucrative crops of the tSate,
and the number of Kent County
farmers who are preparing their
land for stands of this crop is
larger this year than ever before.
Alfalfa needs much care and at
tention, but as it is a crop that
N be cut from three to five
times in a season, and always
finds a ready market, it more than
repays the grower for his work.
The time for seeding Alfalfa is
approaching, as the usual seed
g period is between August l
and September l, generally about
the middle of August. A num-
Der of growers have tried spring
planting, but it is not nearly as
successful as the crops planted in
August, as the weeds usually
crowd out the young alfalfa
plants during the hot summer
On the other hand, fall seeding
will yield full crops the following
spring and is seldom subject to
serious injury by weeds the first
year.
The ground should be we'll pre-
pared with lime and fertilizer
and should be inoculated with
soil from an old alfalfa field, Oh
special cultures supplied by the
government. The rate of seeding
should be twenty-five pounds tt
the acre. The seed should be
sown by itself; never with
nurse crop. The method of seed
ing may be broadcasting by
hand or with one of the variou:
makes of machines on the marke
for that purpose. Among these
the wheel-barrow seeder give
good satisfaction.
The seed should be covered
to a depth of about one-halt al
inch and for doing this no i'm
plement is better suited than tn
spike tooth harrow with the teetl
chanting back, or p weeder. Sec
can be procured from the differ
ent seed houses, although l
would be a good idea to have tn
seed examined before it is used
as in some instances the seed o
weeds has been found mixed witt
thst of the alfalfa, which o
course is detrimental to the sue
cess of the crop.
The recent rains in this coun
try have been a boon to the farm
ers, especially those who ar
growing cantaloupes The wealth
err of the past week has also bee1
ideal for corn, and this deliciou
vegetable is now making it's ap
pearance in the market. Water
melons are also growing rapidly
end from present indications tn
watermelon and cantaloupe crop
will be unusually large in thl
section.
The blackberry crop is nov
nver, and while the season ha
been a profitable one for grower
others claim that the prices the
received for the berries were S
low that their profits were great
ly reduced.
The wheat, oats and othe
grain throughout this section ar
in fairly good condition. On on
Kent county farm, near Hazelet
vile. oats is growing to tn
height of four and one-half fee
and it is in prime condition.
fact crop conditions in gener;
have been aided by the rains, an
the chef complaint Of the kel
county farmers at the presel
time is the scarcity of labor.