Judsonia weekly advance., 1916-08-16

Moving CoWpea and Millet Hay-T'
 (By J. M BELL) The following experiments in rais- ing forage crops, on an intensive plan.
 show most conclusively that if land
 is heavily manured and the crops put
 in as they should be that the yields
 will be at least 100 per cent more per
 acre than the ordinary farmer re-
 ceives.
 MT. N. J. Crull, a well-known livery
 man of Richmond, but formerly
 successful farmer in the state of
 Pennsylvania, and later on in Vir-
 ginia owns an 11-acre farm near Rich-
 mond, which when purchased few years ago in a low state of fertility,
 although the land was naturally good.
 Only forage crops have been raised, and the writer will briefly tell of those
 which he has seen growing, harvested and estimated.
 Beginning with an oat hay crop, sown year ago last September and
 harvested in June: I saw this crop as a two-horSe tedder was stirring it
 up and 1t was the first time in my life
 (20 years of which has been spent in farming) that l ever saw a
 growth of oat hay of such rank growth
 that a tedder could not stir up the
 mown crop from top to bottom. From
 this plot of 6 acres 15 very large
 wagonloads of hay were harvested.
 The hay was perfectly cured and
 ton per load was a most conservative
 estimate.
 The hay at that time would easily
 have brought $20 per ton on the Rich
 mond market, which gives $500 worth of hay from 6 acres. The cost was as follows, the figures being accurate. Cost of manure at 15 loads per acre,
 total of 90 loads, value $1 per load,
 $90; cost of blowing, $16; cost of har
 rowing, rolling, disking and seeding, $16; cost of harvesting, $15; cost of
 12 bushels of seed at 50 cents per
 bushel, $7.20; total expense, $144.20; ;
 profit on crop, $155.S0.
 AS soon as the oats were off the ground, the six acres were plowed, prepared and seeded to German millet
 and cowpeas, at the rate of s bushels
 of peas and pecks of millet per acre.
 Before the crop was SOWn, an appli- cation of a little over 300 pounds of acid phosphate per acre was used. or in other words, 1 ton put on the 6 acres.
 When this crop was harvested, hay was very high on the Richmond mar ket and $25 per ton Is conservative value to place on the beautifully cured mlllet and pea crop, which made a splendid mixed hay. The yield was 15 tons, which, valued at $25 per ton, totals $375. Cost of crop as follows :: Flowing, $16; narrowing, rolling, disk ing and seeding, $16; harvesting $16; l ton acid phosphate, $16; 6 bushels
 of cowpeas, SIP; AZ bushels of mill let, $7.87. Total cost of crop, $S2.S71. Profit, $297.12.
 Another five acres were sOWn in cow peas and millet about two weeks earlier. This crop followed oat stub bie from a crop sowed the previous September, but owing to the fact that 1t was constantly grazed, the value of the hay crop was so materially less ened that no account was kept of the 1 light yield. However, the amount of grazing value of the oats was of great value to the owner.
 This crop of oats had been top | dressed during the late fall with manure at the rate of 15 spreader l loads per acre Gin fact all manure used on any crop was applied with spreader). The land was plowed, and l there was considerable growth of oats, as we'll as manure, turned under The writer saw this crop as 1t was being | moved, and it could not be excelled either for growth or quality. The crop was estimated at 3 tons per acre, by many practical farmers
 who saw the crop at harvest time, l but at the lowest, the yield was 21a tons per acre, making 15 tons, which 1 at time of harvesting was worth $25 per ton, or $375. Cost of crop: Flow
 ing, $13.50; disking, rolling, narrowing
 and sseding $14 harvesting, $14; cow 1 peas, $10; millet, $6.56. Cost of 75
 loads of manure at $1. per load, $75,
 but it seems that at least half of this
 amount should be charged to the oat
 crop sown the previous fall. Allowing
 this way, the cowpea and mille.. crop will be charged wlLL s37.5O manure