Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-16
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BY DR.. ANDREW NJ SOULE
DO pounds of corn and SO pounds of

100 pounds of corn and SO pounds of
oats.
Mash Feed-1O0 pounds Of wheat
bran, 100 pounds wheat shorts, 100
pounds ground oats, 100 pounds corn
meal, 100 pounds beef scrap and
20 pounds of cottonseed meal.
In the above ration the scratch
feed furnishes body maintenance and
causes birds to exercise, while the
mash is for eggs alone. The
scratch feed should be fed sparing-
ly soon after daylight in the litter,
causing the birds to exercise. About
an hour before sunset the layers
should be given all the scratch feed
they will Clean up, which will be
from IL to IL pounds to 100
birds. During the winter layers
should eat from ten to twelve
pounds Of scratch feed per day per
100 birds.
The dry mash should be available
in self-feeding hoppers at all times.
Mash makes the egg and the more
mash hen eats, the more eggs she
will lay. Laying hens should eat
as much mash by weight as scratch
feed. The amount of mash can be
regulated by varying the amount of
scratch. Where a small number of
birds are kept it is often cheaper
to purchase commercial feeds. The
best should be purchased when pos.
sible.
To stimulate pullets to start or
increase laying, a wet mash can be
given to supplement the dry mash
and scratch ration. Beef scrap can
be added to the wet mash. A wet
mash for layers should be just damp
enough to mix we'll. Mark the pull
let's that start laying first. The first
to start laying is usually the last to
stop and is, therefore, the heaviest
layer.
Green food should be available at
all times to insure quick develop.
ment and maximum egg production.
Rye or oats can be sown in the fall
and winter. Rape, swiss chard,
cabbage, collards or beets make good
green food. ...
Ground oyster shell should be be-
fore the birds at all times. Oyster
shell supplies the lime for bone
making and for making the egg
shell.
Clean, fresh water must be avail
able at all times. A large per cent
of the birds weight, also of the egg,
is water, and if plenty of fresh water
is not available, the best results
cannot be expected. A bird will
starve to death without water quick
er than without food.
InOculating Large Seeded Legumes
r. l.. p, Dallas, Ca, writes:
would like information in re-
gard to the incubation of velvet
beans, soy beans, peas, etc. Does
the college distribute inoculating
material? Our land is ordinary
washed hillsides which has been
in corn and cotton for thirty
years. We are trying to terrace
and plant feedstuffs on it. What
is the best fertilizer for water
melons?
Where legumes have never been
grown on certain types of land artif-
Iclal incubation is often desirable.
Our experience does not justify us,
however, in advising you to use spe-
cial inoculating cultures on velvet
beans or soy beans. Most of the
large-seeded -legumest appear to con
tain enough of the bacteria on their
surface to insure the land on which
they are planted being satisfactorily
lnoculated. 1t is quite different with
the small-seeded legumes, such as
alfalfa and the various clovers. In
case one is attempting to establish
these crops incubation seems to be
both profitable and desirable.
We do not make or distribute in.
oculating material. You can prob.
ably secure a sample for the pur-
pose you have in mind through the
agency of your congressman or sen.
ator. The U. S. department of agri-
culture has sent out lnoculating ma.
terial to farmers for trial purposes
for several years past, and I believe
the appropriation for this purpose
is still in effect
1t is quite possible to build I'D
land of the character you have de-
scrlbd, though the process is slow
and will require the exercise of
plenty of patience. There is nothing
petter to grow on these soils for
thelr improvement than legumious
crops. Legumes of the character
you nave mentioned will tend to pre.
vent the erosion of the land and will
also increase its supply of nitrogen
ana amel1orate it's condition through
the growth and spread of their roots
through the top soil and subsoil as
WELL ~''
There is, of course. no one best
fertllizer for watermelons or anv
other truck crop. A great deal de
pends on the natural fertility of the
SOIL A good general truck fertil.
lZer IS one which carries 4 per cent
available nitrogen, about 8 per cent
available phosphoric acid, and q to s
per cent potash. You can prepare
mixtures of this kind through the
use of proper amounts of sulphate
OF ammonia, cottonseed meal, muri.
ate of potash, and acid phosphate
You could, of course, use any other
carriers Of these ingredients which
you can purchase at a lower price.
1t makes Gerry little difference from
what source the plant food is de-
rived, provided it is there in sufficient
amounts and readily available. Our
idea would be to use a formula of
this kind under watermelons at the
rate OF 500 pounds per acre. A gen.
erous application would be / 900
pounds. This is the amount used
very often by those VINO undertake
to grow watermelons commercially.
The sandy lands of south Georgia,
however, need to be more literally
fortified than those of north Geor.
gia. For your section we think 500