Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-07

ly 1t is good practice to leave only
one per hill. At this time sprinkle
one spoonful Of nitrate of soda to a
hill.
Cultivation should begin early so
that one crop of weeds may be kill
ed before or shortly after planting.
This may be done with a weeder or
harrow. The beds should be COM
pleted, leaving a shallow water fur
row in the midGles. Subsequent Gull
tivation should be shallow as the
melon is a surface feeder.
1t is good practice that the grass
and weeds should be kept out of
the hills at least. A wagon row
should be left every sixth row, the
vines being turned back on the bed.
This also allows a spraying machine
to operate without injuring the
vines. At the last cultivation, cow
peas should be SoWn as they Will
act as Windbreak for the vines
and shade for the melons. Before
the melons reach six inches in
length all except two should be
pruned off and hauled from the
field. This insures quality.
In hauling the wagon should be
we'll padded on the sides and bot
tom; this prevents bruising. The
driver should not be allowed to sit
or stand on the melons. In the car
the melons should be treated for
stem-end-rot with blue stone paste.
How to Treat Watermelon Seed Be
fore Planting
Immersion Of watermelon seed in
a 1900 mecuric chloride corrosive
sublimate) solution for five minutes
will render the exterior Of the seed
free from disease. If the seed are
washed thoroughly in running water
after the operation there will be no
injurious effect on termination.
Mercuric Chloride, Taken Internally,
Is Extremely Poisonous
When in solution it should be
kept in a glass bottle, earthenware
jar, or wooden receptacle. The use
of metal should be avoided. The
container should be kept closed to
prevent evaporation of the solution.
Evaporation of the stock solution
will increase the strength, and sub
Sequent use might kill the seed. I'M
merse the seed for five minutes ami
no longer. Wash thoroughly after
the treatment.
To Treat 400 Pounds of Seed
1. In order to prepare for the
treatment make up a stock solution
of the mercuric chloride. This may
be conveniently made 1-20 strength.
Ammonium chloride (NH4CL), equal
in amount to the mercuric chloride
should be used, as this will aid in
getting the mercuric chloride into
solution quickly. To secure a 1-20
solution, add one pound of each of
the two chemicals to two and one
half gallons of water. Before re-
stock solution should be stirred or
shaken.
In case only a small amount of
seed is to be treated, it may be moro
convenient to use the mercuric chic
ride tablets sold by druggists.
2. The seed may conveniently be
treated in forty pound lots. To
treat forty pounds of seed, add two
quarts of the stock solution to "a
IL gallons of water. This gives a
1000 solution. A wooden barrel
makes a good container for use in
treating forty-pound lots of seed.
3. Place 40 pounds of seed in a
burlap bag or one made of some
other loose weave material. Do not
fill the bag more than three-quar-
tiers full. Entirely immense the bag
containing the seed in the 1900 So
luton. Stir the seed about to in
sure wetting. After the seed have
been in the solution exactly fivs
minutes, remove the bag and place
it in a barrel of clean running wa
ter. Stir occasionally and allow the
seed to wash for at least fifteen
minutes.
4. Spread the seed out so that
they will dry rapidly. An electric
fan will hasten the process. Mix
ing the seed with dry sand or starch
is also an aid to quick drying.
5. If the seed are to be replaced
mersed for at least five minutes in
the 1900 solution and then washed
and dried.
6. Do not use the same 1900
solution for treating more than two
lots of seed. Make a new dilution
II more are to be disinfected.
Z. If possible, plant on land new
to melons.
The Cultivation of MangeIs and
Sugar Beets
II. r. o., LaWley, Ala,
writes: I wish to know how to
grow mangel and sugar beets for
live stock. Can they be grown
proftably in the south?
Mangels and sugar beets may be
grown with considerable success in
many sections of the south. These
are valuable for use on dairy, stock
and poultry farms. These crops
should be planted early in the
spring just as soon as weather con-
ditions will permit. Sow in rows
2.5 to 8 feet apart. Select a good,
rich, fertile piece of land that is
deep and friable. Fertilize it very
literally. Crops of this character
make heavy demands on all the es-
sential elements of plant food. For
mulas used under them should be
well supplied with available potash
and pkosphoric acid. Fertilization
at the rate of 300 to 500 pounds per
acre is desirable. AS soon as a
stand has been obtained, thin both
mangels and sugar beets out to
where the individual plants stand
about IL to Is inches apart in the
drill row. This will insure the big
gest and most rapid development
of the crop.
A good variety of mangel would
be the Jumbo Long Red mangel,
while a good variety of sugar beet
would be the White French half
sugar. These crops make an i'm
mense tonnage on good soil. The
mangel grows about two-thirds out
Of the ground and will often at
tain a height of 10 inches to two
feet above the soil. The diameter
will vary from to 6 inches. These
crops can be allowed to stand in
the ground all summer and har-
vested in the fall as needed. They
may be chopped up in any way to
enable live stock to consume them
easily.
U. S. to Investigate
Acts of Hooded Men