Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-14

a bushel of corn will take care of the
increased prices of fertilizer per acre
and that Virginia farmers ought to
plan for larger crops during the coming
season.
Is virgin land more profitable than
soil that has been intensively Guilt
waited for over century? compari-
son of yields in Texas and North Caro-
lima shows that when attention is given
to the maintaining of soil fertility the
trouble. The older land is increased
rather than decreased in its pro-
ductivity. Texas averages 510.9 pounds
of cotton per acre and North Carolina
though North Carolina has been in
tensively cultivated for over a cen
fury.
Farmers of Maryland, Delaware and
Virginia who have been maintaining
fertility through manures and fertil-
iZers are getting greater yields at low
er cost per unit than farmers of the
middle west. who have been using
soil that but few years ago was viz
gin land. With the fertility methods
which are becoming increasingly pop
ular throughout these states. the farm
ers are becoming more prosperous and
their soils are increasingly productive.
Conducting experiments to determine
the value of different applications of
fertilizer on corn. r. +. Holberton of
Rocklands farm. in Orange county. NaS
increased the weld over 10 per cent
and increased the net rofits per acre
$3.50. through the use of 900 pounds of
high-grad fertilizer per acre. He had
been using 500 pounds per acre and
! had been getting seventy bushels per
acre. With the heavier applicat ton. he
| made ninety-tWo and one-half bushels
per acre from a two-acre plot. In
every other detail his methods were
the same as with the smaller applica-
ton of fertilizer.
Figuring twenty two and one-half
| bushels of corn per acre increase at
| 20 cents per bushel. the gross gain per
acre was s15.75. The cost of the fer
| tll1zer amounted to S5.72 per acre and
the cost of application amounted to
sl'o per acre. Mr.. Holberton explains
mat the corn came up unevenly and
that transplanting did not help the
neid much. The season was unusually
dry and Mr.. Holberton claims that un-
der normal conditions his yield would
have been over 100 bushels per acre,
Lime does not take the place of fer
tliiZers or manures. but supplements
them: according to Bulletin No. 400 of
the Geneva experiment station, New
| YORK. When the use of life in any
form is continued alone, and no ade-
quate provision is made for maintain
ing the supply of fertilizers and organic
| matter, crop cannot be kent ND and
| the returns in the use of lime become
less. and may finally drop below that
OF land unlimed. according to this bull
letln and also the results found by the
Ohio and other experiment stations.
Economy in the buying Of cheap seed
IS poor economy in most cases 1t paws
TO use good seed to lime the land
when needed. to rotate crops, to con-
serve serve, BARNARD manure and to use fer
tilEers wisely and literally Without
paying proper attention to the funda-
years work are liable t. be- ei losses 81 rn a
| stead of profits
ers agree, that diversified farming is
| most profitable. Diversified farming
means raising live stock and various
Kinds Of crops: 1t gives opportunity
crops in connection with profitable
cash crops. and enables the farmer to
more profitably operate his fields with
out decreasing the fertility. hut rather
adding to the productive ability of the
soil. 1t enables the farmer to carry
i out the best farm practices, including
| the use OF manures and fertilizers
proper tillage, good seed, drainage and
| lining when necessary.
| Commercial fertilizer and farm
manure help the corn crop to WIZ
stand and cover the attacks from in
sect pests says A. P. Sibold. county
agent. GileE county. Va. in the South
ern Planter. Early planting. plenty of
seed and frequent civilizations will as
sist in combating the pests.
| The pea and melon lice are the most
serious aphides with which the trucker
has to deal Pet lice live for approx
| mately eight months of the year on
clover. preferably crimson clover.
hence the first measure against the
nea louse should be to remove the pen
| field as far from clover practical. o.
| il ii is necessary that both be clos"
| together, the clover should be turned
under early in the spring.
Careful watch should be made in
| April for the first aphides. which are
| light green and about one-eishth of an
| inch long and spraying should take
place Immediately after they are first
observed
A tractor sprayer with nozzles so ar
ranged TO direct tn" spray over the
top and both sides is the best machine
| to use -Four rows can he snraved AT
once with euch machine. Use BLACK
naf 40" ~ san uarts of water. or
10 ouuce~ To 30 gn'l"ns-r'us pounds
% Tsh oil soon. Using - gallons per
acre one nnulication will cost anp-oxi-
mately $3.50 per acre. including labor
of two mon. team and materials Tn"
same mixture is effective on the melon
aphis a small, black aphis. but the cost
will he higher, as the vines must be
turned over and back again. since the
aphides cluster on the under side of
the leaves.
Weeds take out Of the soil plant food
which should be utilized by the de-
sired crop Every one knows also
that a good. clean. well cultivated gar
den with straight rows has much
better appearance than garden fun
Of weeds Sometimes tho ground be-
tween the rows of certain vegetables
is muIched with straw, strawv manure
or sa wdust to urevent the evaporation
Of moisture and keep down weeds
Orchardists should be careful to see
that all dead wood is cut and removed
from the orchard. Such dead wood, or
diseased or sickIy trees. offer an oppor-
tunity for infestation by the fruit tree
bark beetle or shot hole borer. While
the attack of this insect is usually
confined to such wood. after becoming
established in an orchard it may attack
perfectly healthy trees.
The beetles bore into the bark and
sap wood, where they eat vertical gal
leries or brood chambers. into which
the females lay their eggs. The bored
holes are about the size of No. 6
shot.
The adult beetle is about one-tenth
inch long by third as wide and uni
formIy black in color. Trees or parts
of trees seriously attacked by the n. 81
are usually hopeless. Gum exu1cs