Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-09
plenty of stable manure that we
want to use,

| plenty OI SIdD1S LudC We
want to use.
An almost endless variety of com
post formulas can be made up. We
think one Of the pest methods OF
procedure is as tollows: First OF
all. handle the manure SO as to
break it down into the finest con,
dition possible without the loss OF
too much of It's nitrogen content.
This is best accomplished by piling
it in a compast heap in place
where there is q well-puddled clay
foundation so as to prevent too
much seepage away from the pile.
In q general way it will pay to
build a cement platform with a
high shoulder all around 1t on
which to pile material of this char
acter during the composing period.
In case you do not have such
platform, or are not in position to
build one, then puddled clay peck
ct is the best thing to use.
The manure should be piled close
ly and compactly into a v-shaped
mass. It should be kept thoroughly
wet at all times so as to keep 1t
from fire-fanging. 1t should be kept
well compacted on the outside also.
There should be a convenient ar.
rangement for keeping the mass
wet. This can be accomplished by
spraying water over it with a
hose from time to time as may be
necessary.
When the manure is broken down
thoroughly we suggest that you
weigh out roughly LOO pounds and
mix with it 200 to 300 pounds of
acid phosphate and so pounds of
sulphate Of potash. A ton of this
mixture will give you the equivalent
Of a low grade fertilizer. If used
at the rate of 3 to tons per acre
under the drill row it should answer
very we'll for a tobacco crop. Our
idea would be to open a wide, deep
furrow and scatter the compost
therein and mix it well with the sub
soil by means Of bull tongue. You
can Of course scatter the material
broadcast over the land by means
of a manure snreader and work it
into the surface soil with a disk
harrow before planting is undertake
en-.
In addition to the above we
think .somel supplemental fertilizer
could be used to advantage. 1t would
be our idea to apply 500 younds of
a formula containing to per
cent nitrogen, to per cent phos-
phoric acid, and to 4 per cent pot
ash. The amount to use and the
grade as well would be determined
to some extent by the natural fer
tility of the land and the amount
and type Of tobacco you wish to
produce.
.Cuitivating Onions in Georgia
e. T. A., Luthersville, Ca,
writes: I want to plant an acre
in onions for the market il 1t
is not too late, as the boil wee
vii has prevented us from max
ing cotton. Is it better to plant
the seed Of sets? How far
apart should they be set and
what fertilizer should be used?
Onion sets may be put out in Geor-
gia from January to April and from
September to- November. It is usual
to set them down in soil to depth
Of about two inches. The rows should
ordinarily be eighteen inches to two
feet apart. It is customary to plant
the sets to inches in the drill.
We prefer the wider spacing as a
SCI dllU DCLGSI Oll1Oll 10 SCSoI GU
1t takes a quart Of sets to fifty feet
Of row, or about eight bushels per
acre. A.
There is some question as to the
hardihood of the Bermuda onion in
your section of the state. Severe
freezes are likely to damage it, and
extreme weather might destroy the
onions. It is somewhat doubtful,
therefore, as to the wisdom OF rec
ommending the planting of Bermuda
onion sets at this season of the year
in your section of Georgia. The Vel
low Danver, the Prize Taker, or the
Silver Skin, however, we think,
would prove hardy and desirable va
rieties.
Onions developed from sets do not
as a rule make quite as large size
as those grown from seed, ana are
often hot as uniform. They are
harder. however, than those devel-
oped from seed. 1t takes onions 80
to 100 DAYS to mature. The seed
NAV be sown in the open in Octo-
Der, or in February or early March.
We generally plant our onion seed
here from February Is to March L.
AS soon as the seed are out Of the
RIOu1lu
ment Of the young plants is made,
they should be thinned out to where
they stand about 81 inches apart in
the row. Liberal fertilization and
forcing will then cause them to de-
velep rapidly. They will not be
ready for market, Of course, as soon
as onions established from sets.
There would be a difference of about
two to four weeks in this respect.
AS a result, onions started from
seed at this season of the year, even
If they came through the winter all
right, would come on the market
when there was more danger ofsa
glut than those started from sets.
Situated as you are, I would start
part Of my crop from sets and the
remainder from seed. This would
make a succession of onions for you
to market for quite a long season,
and + think you could dispose of
them to better advantage in that
way.
Land intended for this crop should
be we'll drained and enriched with
we'll rotted yard manure. FertiliZe
also with formula containing 8
to per cent nitrogen, 9 per cent
phosphoric acid and 8 to per cent
potash. A minimum of 500 pounds
per acre should be used. Most OF
the fertilizer Should be scattered
broadcast over the soil before the
sets are put out. If a side applica.
ton is used, it should be put on
very early in the growing season
to prove Of any special benefit.