Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-14
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
~ DR. ANDREW NJ. SOULE

sirable seeds offered to farmers by
various concerns, but the only thinE
we can do in this respect is to buy
from those who are found to be re
liable. There are of course goot
seedsmen. They charge more for theil
Seed but in the end they represen
the cheapest investment the farmer
can make.
j. S. c., Atlanta, Ga, writes:
1 wish some information in re-
gard to the fertilization of Pc
can trees. What grade of fertil-
izer should be used and when
should it be applied and how
much per tree.
There is no doubt in my judgment
that pecans require liberal fertiliza
ton. Especially is this true where
they are planted on other than ricl
bottom land. Even then fertilizers
will prove profitable. We are quite
certain the shy bearing of many pc
can trees is due largely to the char
acter of the soil on which they We're
the lack of fruit, the comparatively
small growth made by the trees anC
the color of the foliage. When lib
eral applications of complete fer,
tilizers are made, the nature anc
character of the pecan tree is
from my own observation. Certain
commercial orchards which proved
Improbable here in Georgia made
very good yields when wel1fertiliZed
We could not say of course, thai
any one element was mere benehcla!
than the others. We are convinced
from our experience, however, that
complete fertilizer will prove the
most profitable. We would adVo-
cate the use of a formula contain
ing from to per cent of nitrogen
s to 10 per cent of pl osphor1c aclC
and from 3 up to per cent or pot
ash. There are locations on which
not over five pounds of such mix
ture should be used per tree. There
are others on which the use of from
twenty to twenty-five pounds per tree
will prove profitable. The amount &c
use will vary, of course, ACCORDING
to the character of the soil and the
age of the tree.
1noculating Material for Alfalfa
J.; B. NJ, Woodland. ca.
oculating material for alfalfa
seed. and what will til cost?
have two acres which l prepared
last fall for sowinigi to alfalfa.
What time should it be soWn
this spring? I have wheat on
an old alfalfa patch which stood
from this patch be of any bene-
fit to scatter over the new
patch? | sowed the old patch in
October, 1915, and for four years
it did tremendously we'll and now
[ Just can not do without al
falfa.
Inoculating material for alfalfa Is
prepared by quite large numoel
Of commercial firms doing business
G
nished by the Georgia Department OF
Agriculture at Atlanta, Ga. The
price on this material, of course
varies some. 1t will be best for you
to communicate directly with the
makers relative to this matter. MY
impression is that the Georgia De
partment OF Agriculture furnishes
enough to inoculate the seed used or
an acre of land for Is cents.
We plant here from twelve to nj
teen pounds of alfalfa seed per acre
I presume, therefore, the inoculating
material for sixty pounds of seec
would cost anywhere from 81 &c
$3.50. 1t is important that you Gus Sc
cure a high-grade of this material
for unless the incubation IS success
fully accomplished, you will not Sc
cure a permanent stand of alfalfa
our experience leads us to believe
that the fall seeding of alfalfa. Is
preferable. we nave seen very -
stands that succeeded where the
seeding was done in the spring
If you care to take a chance
of course, the seding should be
done at once. Scatter the seed over
the ground and cover into the sol
with a. brush and harrow or Weeder
The seeding of alfalfa can not DC
done successfully until the ground is
in condition to bear the weight OF
animals. We imagine the seed YOU
have on hand, if of good quality anc
kept under good conditions, shoulc
be yiable for planting next fall. You
should be certain to keep the weeV1
out of it, however. This could DC
accomplished by the use of carbon
bisulphide. You can, Of course, lnloc'
uate by using soil from fields where
alfalfa has been grown successfully
From 800 to 500 pounds per acre
would be about the right amount OF
soil to use. We doubt If this methoc
of incubation is as effective as the
use of the cultures, however. Ii
fact, we rely on cultures altogether
now here at the college.
| agree with you that alfalfa is q
most important and essential crop &c
lairymen and livestock dealers IN
Georgia. 1t does we'll in our climate
when established on land that mas
,een suitably prepared. Our great
difficulty in this section is to secure
a stand.