The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-09
State Agent McQuarrie Writes
of General Crop Conditions

Dry weather SIlll prev ais "
large extent over certain sections OF
the State, particularly in the north
ern and south central parts, the re-
suit being that crops are from two
to three weeks later than usual Pros
poets. however, are good for an aver
age yield as the farmers are learn
ing how to prepare their seed beds
better than before, and also to pay
more attention to cultivation of the
crop at shorter intervals with shall
low working tools.
Quite a number of farmers in the
southern belt have already harvest
ed their oat crop, making hay OF
some, which is really the best way
of using this crop. hey all report
short yields, in some cases as much
a only fifty per cent of the usual
crop.
Sweet potatoes promise to be about
average, and there is one promising
feature in this crop-that is, the
farmers are beginning to realize they
will have to standardize it and pay
more attention to the selection of
the best seed, preventing mixing OF
varieties as has been done to large
extent in the past.
If the sweet potato growers of the
State would only grow one or two
varieties, such as a short period type
for summer markets and long pc
riod type for the fall and winter
use, this crop could be made very
profitable. The Irish potato grow
ers can give the sweet potato grow
ers a good many pointers along this
line, and the success in Irish pota-
| toes is an object lesson as to what
can be done when Standardization
and proper selection of seed is con-
Quoted.
| Vie want also to stress that the
farms of the State should be kept
busy all the year round. The idea
of growing one crop and letting the
farm go to weeds the rest of the
year is CAST disappearing.
1t is advisable if the corn grower
has a poor stand to pillow up and re-
plant, because the replanting of corn
to fill up gaps has never been found
very satisfactory. The type of corn
that can be profitably grown, plant
ed as late as this, should be selected
by the farmers with more care than
usual. In the fatwoods section we
find Godbey's portland Corn is one
of the best, and in clay soils there
are quite a variety of types that have
been found satisfactory.
There is a tendency among some
of our farmers to use imported corn
for replanting purposes, This is not
recommended in any case whatever.
1t is quite true that it may grow
faster, but as a general rule the re-
suits are poor for the reason that
the seed has not become acclimated
and is growing under different con-
ditions 1t is true some of the north
ern types such as Boone County
White might be acclimated to ire ex-
tent of giving good results after q
few years test.
All late planted corn will be more
subject to bugworm ravages thar
the early planted. The best way tc
head off this is not to wait until the
extent of it's damages are shown, but
when the first sign Of it appears &
little pinch Of dry sand or soil in the
crown of the plant will generally
. prevent the eggs from Matching, as
the moth lays the egg in the bud Of
the plant and when it matches it has
to work its way through tie folds Of
the plant, and 1t is when it gets out
side that the damage is seen, too late
, to apply the remedy. The remedy
should be applied before the eggs are
Matched. A little dry dust is as eff
fcient a remedy as anything.
C. K. McQUARRIE,
State Agent, Farmers Co-Opera
tive Demonstration Work, State Re
lations Service.
Gainesville, May 2, 1916.