The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-03-28
BY The Countryman

1t is said that the trouble with cheap
seed is that it costs too much Inns
applies to pretty much everything. Re
liable products cost more to produce,
consequently they are well worth the
difference in price.
DONE overlook tomatoes in planning
the garden. Have plenty, and II there
is surplus can them. Nearly every
BODY is benefited by eating this lus-
cious vegetable; dietitians say the
Juices are chock full of vitamlnes.
Some amateur gardeners refuse to
accept any advice, others accept too
much. There is a middle course.
An authority on soils in the corn
belt says that the best way to meet
present low prices of grain is for the
farmer to store his corn in the ground.
By this he meant that continuous
cropping Of land to grain crops has
run down the soil fertility and inter
fered with rotation crops until 1t IS
high time that many fields be returned
TO grass and clover. With return to
the approved rotations, including leg
ume crops, there will be stored in the
soil the elements needed for future
corn crops. This readjustment can be
accomplished with the least possible
immediate cost during period OF low
grain prices.
Soil Is What We Make 1t.
Soil is the gardeners or farmers
capital. 1t is either being improved
and yielding an income in the. form OF
crops, or it is becoming less and less
fertile. going bankrupt. There is a
mediocre soil, OF course, which barely
Yields enough to pay for the labor eX-
pended on it. 1t is always holding out
hope, which is not very substantial.
In some parts of Europe it is Gus
tomary for gardeners who rent land to
consider the top soil as their personal
property and take this upper layer
with them when they move.
Fifty tons of stable manure to the
acre is often applied by market gar
deners, and, of course, they get re-
suits. The backyard gardener OF little
experience is likely to think he has
done something mighty fine II he
treats his plot to a WagOnload.
Some of the shortcomings OF a medl-
OGRE soil can be overcome by extra
care in stirring the soil.
Most OF this work can be done with
hand tools In a garden OF any size,
however, one or two civilizations with
horse will pay.
Stable manure does not contain
large percentages of fertilizing ele-
ments, such as nitrogen, phosphorus
acid and potash, but ii improves the
physical texture of the soil; it sup
plies humus, decayed vegetable mat
ter, which increases water capacity
and establishes laboratory for the
development of bacteria, which aid ii
, plant growth.
The commercial fertilizer supplies
large percentages of nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid and potash. A few pounds
OF it may equal wagon load OF ma
nure in this respect. 1t is easy to get
and apply, and it acts quickly. But
it furnishes no humus. 1t does moth
ing to improve the mechanical cOndi-
ton OF the soil; it does not encourage
the development of bacteria, conse-
| quently it has no enduring effect.
! The experienced gardener uses both
manure and commercial fertilizer; he
! knows that each has its merit when
correctly applied.
Nitrogen is especially beneficial in
the development of leaf growth, con
sequently it must be supplied for such
crops as lettuce, spinach and cab
bage Vines like peas and beans are
| heavy consumers of nitrogen, but they
have a way OF obtaining this element
from the air. Phosphoric acid stimu-
lates the growth of seed, as in corn
! Potash is essential to the growth OF
tubers, such as potatoes.
Potash and phosphoric acid are the