Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-11

find it to your advantage to :cu1ti7
vate some other crop in place of
corn for q year or two. Then you
may grow a crop of corn and so al
ternate your groupings as to in
crease the yield of corn secured from
this land. 80
You should, of course, be certain
that this land is not deficient in
some particular fertilizing element.
We have seen corn sometimes make
magnificent stalk and still fail
to ear up properly. An application
of 300 to 500 pounds of acid phos-
phate per acre will often cure this
may be very deficient in potash.
This would be most likely to occur
If it is sandy. In that event some
carrier of that element should be
used. -.
From what you say, we are inclin-
ed to think the land in question is
infested with fungus which is re-
sponsible for the characteristic
growth and development of your
corn, and therefore accounts for
failure to make a satisfactory crop.
This fungus lives over in the land
from year to year, if it is the type
we have in mind. and you can do
little to control it by the use of fer
tilizers, blowing or any other prac-
tice which you can institute. On the
other hand. this fungus will not af-
feet other crops which you might
grow on this land to advantage. and
we would advise you not to plant
corn on this area for several years.
A good drainage and aeration of the
land is essential in fighting this
disease. 1 regret to say that there
is no known remedy by which you
can free the land of this fungus.
Getting Land In Condition for Alfalfa
]. H. ", Maxeys, Ga writes: We
want to plant some alfalfa. The land
is dark gray sandy loan. 1t will aver
age a bale of cotton and forty bushels
of oats per acre. The land is in corn
now. How is the best way to prepare
the land and when is the right time TO
sow. and what fertilizers should be
used?
In preparing land for alfalfa we
have proceeded as follows: All our
paintings have been made in the fall
and we consider this the only prac-
tical method to follow with this
crop in Georgia. In the spring we
pillow the land as soon as possible
and turn 1T over to a good depth.
Before doing this we put two tons
of crushed lime rock on the surface
Of the ground, distributing it as uni
formly as possible. You may use a
lime spreader or scatter it from a
to have it well distributed.
After blowing the land we SOW
cowpeas as soon as practicable. We
ferttllZe the peas with 200 to 800
pounds acid phosphate. When they
are in good condition to make hay
we turn them under. AS rule this
is early in September. AS soon as
the peas are turned under we roll
the land, which we consider very i'm =.
portant, and then harrow and work
it as fallow until the first of Oc-,
tober. Then we put on two tons more
Of crushed lime rock.
About the 18th of October, if sea-
Sonal conditions are at all favorable,
we SOW the alfalfa, using about 20
to 20 pounds of re-cleaned western
late with special cultures obtained
from the bureau of plant industry.
Washington. D. c., or from other
commercial sources. We follow the
directions which come with these
cultures very particularly The all
falfa is covered with a weeder. We
do not mix lime and fertilizer to-
gether. This is a practice to be avoid
ed. We use formula containing 3
to 4 per cent of nitrogen, 10 ,rer
cent Of phosphoric acid and in nor
mai times some potash. Recently
we have not been able to use notasI
because of it's high cost Three to
TOUR per cent would be about the
right amount of this element to an
Ply. We think the use of 500 to l.
OOO pounds of the foregoing mix
lures would be about right.
We do not Craze alfalfa in the fail
but cut it for hay the next wear
After 1t has stood a while it should
be lined occasionally. We do this
once in about two or three years,
6ao year you should put on, say l.
ooV pounds OF acid phosphate
We have cut an average of five
| toas of cured hay from this land.
II you have any live stock to feed