Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-02

A., FRIDAY, MARCH =, 191'
fertilizer be where the roots of the
plants can quickly get in touch with 1t
and start the assimilation of the plant
food early in the growing season. 1t is
desirable that the roots of the plants be
encouraged to spread through the soil
as widely as possible, they will thus
gather a greater amount of plant food
and moisture than if they grow in re-
stricted area.
Broadcasting fertilizer is a question
which should be largely determined by
the condition of the land. When it has
been thoroughly prepared and is loose
and mellow to a good depth broadcast
ing is all right. On poorly prepared
land we would be inclined to concen-
trate more of theg fertilizer under the
drill row. believing that plants will
take more of it up under such circum-
stances.
1t is desirable that you plant cotton
to get ahead of the weevil just as soon
as seasonal conditions will permit. Not
a day is to be lost. Thoroughly delint-
ing the seed will help to get it out of
the ground a few days earlier than
when you' plant the undelinted seed.
We would also select a variety which
will seed early in the season and con-
tinue to grow until the late fall. Some
Of the varieties we suggest for your
consideration are as follows: CleVe-
lands Big Boil, College No. l, Sunbeam,
Poulnot, Hoopers Hites, Willet's Ideal,
Covington-Toole, Cooks, Webber's 40,
Culpepper, Trice and Dixie.
SOWING OATS IN THE SPRING.
B. NJ. c., Eastman, Ga, writes: What
kind of spring oats would you advise 10
SOW now? All the oats have been killed
down here.
1t is probably all right to plant some
of the rust-proof varieties of oats as
late as March /. After that date it
would likely be better to plant some
of the spring oats such as the so-called
Burt or ninety-day Oat. 1t is rather
important to get either the rust-proo1
or the spring oats in early. Our ex-
perience with spring seeding has not
been satisfactory. Once in a while when
we have a late, cool spring with well
distributed rainfall spring sown oats
do fairly we'll We have not, however,
secured the yields from spring sown
oats obtained from those planted in the
not advocate, planting spring oats on
anything like the same scale followed
with fall oats. In an emergency, such
as appears to have arisen now, it would
be good practice no doubt to put in q
moderate area. We are inclined to think
that all of the oats have not been killed.
If one-tlird to one-half should come
through the freeze all right and the
ground is in good condition, we are
inclined to think they will stool freely
and make fairly respectable crop. In
other words, we feel that by leaving
the oats, where anything like the stand
n On Cd hac fhrAr ,CI1 oil -;ohf
you will probably secure as large a re-
turn Of grain and straw per acre as
from spring seeding. Our plan is to
wait a few days until we are more
certain as to just what has happened
to our oats and then if we have as much
as one-half a stand left apply nitrate of
soda.
BUILDING UP A BERMUDA GRASS
SOD.
f. r. L.. Montezuma, Ga, writes;
have come into possession of a Bermuda
grass stock farm. The grass is thin and
not closely matted together 1t has been
grazed for long time and l doubt if very
much fertilizer has been used or ii has been
ployed at all. The land is hard red sand
with a clay subsoil. What shall | do to
make this grass vigorous?
Possibly the Bermuda grass about
which you write has never had a chance
to establish itself. Sometimes people
allow their lands to be grazed while
they are too wet or they overStock
them. In that eveHr, the grass is
likely to be eaten down, as we say
technically, into the ground. 1t takes
a long time, on some hard CALLED red
lands to establish a good Bermuda sod.
We know of nothing better to increase
it's growth than to cover these thin spots
with some yard manure or compost. In
the event this is done we would disc
the soil when it is in a good condition
to work, thereby Incorporating the fer
tilizer in the land. 1t does not seem
to us that lining Bermuda sod is par
ticularly beneficial OF course, we be-
lieve that this grass, just as any other
crop, would be benefited by soil enrich
ment by the use of commercial plant
food. On the other hand, we think you
can most quickly restore it in the man.
ner indicated and by keeping stock off
of it until it gets a chance to establish
itself. narrowing and working the sur
face of the ground a few times during
the summer. so as to keep it in good
physical condition, should also help the
grass to spread We have established
excellent stands of Bermuda on thin,
poor, CALLED spots by following the meth
DDS indicated.