Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-04

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BY DIR. ANDREW NJ SOULE

while proportions and to be main
tanned as such, the farmers of the
south and Of the nation as a whole
must be aroused to it's Importance
as an economic asset and to the
latent possibilities it offers them as
a source of revenue. In some re-
spects it is unfortunate that nature
provided US with such magnificent
forests. AS a result, through all the
generations that have passed we
have depended on her to furnish
us with our supplies of wood. Chan
cellor d. G. Barrow sums up the sit
uation in these words: =
"In Georgia we are so largely
descended from pioneers that the in
herited instinct to cut down trees
largely controls us. The ak was the
symbol of progress for so many
out of the head. 1t was q great
achievement to conquer a wilder
ness, but we went too far. In many
places we have not left enough for
fire wood, and nearly everywhere
there is scarcity Of building timber.
ut has reached the point where
we must grow trees instead Of cut
ting them down. am interested in
this matter from the standpoint of
a landowner as well as a citizen and
educator. My partners rule is, when
I make a stump build a house, AS
a result of this practice we have a
supply of excellent timber on each
of our farms. It has the advantage
of enabling us to build economically.
1t is one phase of living at home
Also we can keep warm without
crossing our land line for fuel"
The destruction of trees has in a
measure seemed incident to the
progress of our civilization. To the
early settler they were menace and
a nuisance. To the later settler they
were a source of revenue. The pres
ent landowner fervent1y wishes that
stunps had never been made. Few
as yet seem to realize the funda-
mental Importance Of he1forest, it's
immense possibilities as an economic
asset, or the part its preservation
is destined to play in our future de-
velopment. We cultivate corn, cotton
and other farm crops with energy
and zeal, but after all only about
Dne-third of the landed area Of our
state is devoted to cultivated crops.
Why should the rest Of it not bel
made to yield an annual crop Of tree
growth? Such a policy would at'|
least~>enable the owner to earn q
handsome. rate Of interest on the
money invested in the land. The rea-
son is not difficult to discover. We
have never thought of wood as a
farm crop, yet it should be regarded
rs subj because it differs only from
other farm crops in the length Of
time e1apsing between planting and
harvesting. It is evident that this
point of view must be inculcated into
the minds of the rising generation
Il we are to preserve an adequate
of our forest area and
make Of the farm wood lot public
asset. We must depend to large
extent in the future on much of
Dur merchantable wood coming from
such areas as Source of our lum-
Der supply. All opinions to the con-
,rary, this period is at hand and not
n the distant future, as many sup
pose.
1t seems to me, therefore, that |
,eculiarl emphasis SHOULD be laid |
lpon the. establishment and mainte-
lance Of large and efficient wood
OF on every farm at this time. TKe |
AID owner, unfortunately, still |
eerns to be of the opinion that he
will secure little return from such |
IN undertaking except at the end
u a period variously estimated at
WentyD forty or sixty years. It is
which promises to bear
rult after he has passed off the |
tage of human existence and, there |
ore, it does not APPEAL to him very
strongly as business proposition. |
n this respect he is mistaken. There |
S not a farm upon which the wood |
and may not be made to yield an
lnnual crop of fence posts, cord |
wood, repair material and even vari- |
JUS commercial products such as |
urpentine. The best and the most
'igorous trees will all the time be |
rowing into money. Essential |
INNINGS If properly made will add |
o the>Xalue of the forest and at the |
anne time supply the needs of the |
home and of the farm. A forest |
the value Of the land. con-
erves 'Athe water supply, and EVEN |
Lfords a certain amount of protec- |
ion to growing crops. Under prop. |
r management, it may serve to |
helter live stock and become a val |
liable refuge for bird life.
Using Velvet Beans as Fertilizer
r. P. NJ, Augusta, Ga, writes:
VIII velvet bean meal ground
with the pods make a good fer 4
tilizer for young and old peach Il
trees, used, of course, in con-
-nection with acid phosphate and
muriate Of potash? Please sug-
gest formula and amount to use
around trees.
There is no reason why velvet |
bean meal ground with the. pod
should not be used as a component
part OF q fertilizer for peach trees. |
Velvet BEANS, including the huIls. |
contain about 56.S pounds nitrogen,
IS pounds phosphoric acid, and 34.4
pounds potash per ton. This mate
'ial carries about as much potash
is cottonseed meal, but only about
'ne-fourth to one-third as much
acid, and less than one
lalf as much nitrogen. Il
The character of fertilizer to use
n q peach orchard depends, Of
course, on the natural fertility of
he land and the managementlWhich
mas been accorded the soil in the
past. For young trees fertilizer
relatively rich in nitrogen lis often
desirable, especially if the land is
hin or the content Of vegetable mat
-er low. The amount of nitrogen
required by the trees will be deter
mined by the character of growth
they evidence and the extent to
which cover crops of leguminous |