West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-07-06


Joe's father.
Sure, an make the profit ourselves
You know and / know the commercial
fertilizer Is gone in year. Maybe a
little or the phosphate stays I'm the soil
for the next year, but not enough to
do any good. Got to buy again next
year."
That's So"
Now. 1 see by this here bulletin
we've Just read that an experiment
showed that seven years after piece
OF soil was treated with barnyard fer.
tilizer 1t showed effects OF the stuff as
against n piece of the same land treat.
cd with commercial fertilizer. That
showed no trace hardly after the sec.
ond year"
Looks like the thing to do il TO fig
ure the way TO get more barnyard stun
and build the land up-so It will stay
built" commented Joe.
That's Just what mean, son. Stop
the outgo for the commerciaf chemical
stuff"
How are we going to do IT."
TITS goin' to be slow work. In the
first place, we've got to have more cat
tie, an we've got practically no money
now. But we can do this Winter Is
on, an folks will sell cattle cheap rath.
er than feed 'em. We ought to be able
to pick up dozen or SO half starved
little calves for next to nothing. We
can get credit Mt the bank for n hun
dred dollars, an think we better put
It In calves"
Say" observed Joe, that's per-
fectly fine scheme. / know where |
can buy two flve-months-ol calves now
for 50 apiece"
AN I'll start tomorrow to bust UP
SIX or seven acres more an put I'm
more oats. It's late. l know. but they
VIII make all right. That will give
winter grazing and stuff to feed on an
straw to bed 'em In an turn under
later. We can pull them calves through
without much cost until grass comes
out; then next summer put every foot
OF ground we can In pea vine hay"
Peas are fine for the land-collect
nitrogen from the air and store IL on
the roots In those little bumps-'no-
dulles the book calls Them" said Joe.
Then the leaves that fall from the
pea vines help put humus in the land
along with the decaying roots"
$50 with the oats and pea vine hay
and fodder we will he well fixed to
take big herd OF cattle through next
winter, and what nubbln corn we
raise" said Mr. Weston. We'll keep
the cattle up at night, bed 'em I'm
leaves an straw, compost il, and we've
got good start on fertilizer In two
years more we ought to have those
calves I'm prime fix for beef cattle and
get $50 apiece for EN-"
THAT looks mighty fine" assented
Joe. Besides, the oats being grazed
by the cattle Will help the oats. and
the land Will get the benefit OF what
fertilizer is dropped there then. and
that Will amount to n heap"
Then" continued Mr. Weston, IL
figure that this next fall. instead OF
selling our cotton seed. we ought to
swap II TO the oil mill for cottonseed
meal and hulls. There's n heap OF fat
tening stuff I'm the meal, and It forms
about n fourth OF these commercial
fertilizers and furnishes nitrogen. Mix
the meal and hulls and feed II to our
cattle. We get the benefit OF the fat
tening for the beevcs an then have the
rest OF 1t with the nitrogen I'm It for the
land"
"Say, you were late getting started,
but you sure are farming like an uD
TO date farmer now" enthused Joe.
''Tryin' TO make up for lost time.
son. Wen have somethin' yet, you an
j. Well. as / was sayin', I'm this scheme
we practically get our beef cattle for
nothing, get the benefit Of permanent
fertilizer for the land and ought 10
make a profit Of GO or - per cent on
each animal"
ut looks good" judicially admitted
Joe.
1T IS good. and It's horse sense too.
Why, II we just broke even on han
ding the cattle Il would pay us, for
the good we will get in fertilizer for
the land and 10 stop the outgo for
chemical stun each year But well
make money on EN-, big money"
IF we keep planting peas and M
ing the ground with the roots full OF
nitrogen and planting cover crops I'm
winter and grazing Il and turning IN
der stubble and putting rotted leaves
and straw and cOrnstalks and stable
cleanings mixed In this land In five
years Wen have the richest place IN
the county" continued Sir Weston.
well. I'm going 20 go hunting for
scrubby half starved calves" said Joe.
I'll ask All the boys at school if they
have any 20 sell for cash. and You 20
and get the money from the bank"
GAN right, and FIRST thing we know
wen have q fertilizer factory here
that Will be paying us biggest sort Of
profits" said Mr. Weston
Joe was on bis way 20 school few
days later when he saw n boy about
his own age approaching him on a nieo
bay pony. The boy was evidently n
city youth. and. seeing Joe. he rein
ed up
Hello" ne remarked, I'm a friendly
tone. lie was n nice. manly looking
boy, but very thin and pale.
"IIello, yourselfr' answered Joe.
stopping and sizing him Up. Joe liked
his looks, but thought he was remark.
ably puny in appearance
You're Joe Weston. no champion
/. corn grower, aren't your DC said. Joe
nodded II saw vour ffoforo a., a.