Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-24
FARM EDUCATION
Some Pertinent Facts to Bear il
F. Mind
BY DIR. ANDREW M. SOULE


Mind
It is gratifying to observe the in
terest being evidenced in the more
general cultivation of alfalfa, and in
the terracing of land to prevent its
erosion. Some suggestions seem
quite appropriate at this time.
One of the greatest needs of Geor-
gia farmers is a perennial forage
crop. Other sections are fortunate
in having their blue grass pastures,
Timothy meadows and clover hay
fields to furnish cheap feed for live
stock, but it has been very hard to
find either a grass or a legume that
would meet the conditions in Geor-
gia.
After years Of trials at the Geor-
gla state C,,:.,,:-1ssA of Agriculture and
the successful experience of farm
ers growing it in the field alfalfa
seems to be the best forage crop. 1t
is a wonderful crop. Three to SIX
cuttings can be made each year,
yielding three to six tons per acre.
One planting will last five to ten
years without reseeding. The hay
is rich in food value, and, when fed
to work stock, the grain ration can
be cut in half.
The first cutting can be made
about the last of April, which is the
earliest hay crop that can be plant
ed. Often a ton and one-half to two
tons per acre is secured at this time.
1t comes when the supply of other
feed is usually limited and when
good feed is needed for the work
animals. The other cuttings follow
at intervals of about thirty-five to
forty days. The last cutting will
be made about October 10,
Every farm should have AN alfal-
IA patch of at least one-half acre to
the mule. If several cattle and hogs
are kept, the area should be increas-
ed. 1t is one of the best grazing
crops for hogs that can be grown.
It will last for several years; has a
high carrying capacity and it is one
Of the most nutritious of grazing
crops.
The time to plant is between Sep
TENDER 1 and October 10. Prepare
tons of the land must be started in
early spring to eliminate crab grass
cient amount of moisture for quick
termination and furnish fair
amount of organic matter.
The following suggestions should
be observed carefully:
/. Select a piece of heavy clay land
that is fertile and we'll drained.
2 About the first of April break
the land with a twO-horse pillow fol
lowed with a subsoiler in the fur
row, if the land has hard pan.
3. Disk the land frequently.
4. About May l SOW the land in
coWpeas, applying about 500 pounds
of acid phosphate per acre.
5. Turn the cowpeas under about
the last of July, applying about 2,
900 pounds of ground limestone and
several loads of barnyard manure
per acre.
6. Disk the land frequently during
August, until seeding time.
z. When a good season comes, sow
about twenty-five pounds of a~good
variety of alfalfa seed per acre.
Before you lay off rows for the
years crop is the time to consider
the protection of your fields against
erosion or washing. This is a Very\
serious matter. Soil erosion takes
valuable plant food away from the
land.
If your land is not level and has
fall of about two feet in seventy
tive feet, it should be teTraced. North
Georgia soils wash away worse than
South Georgia soils, and more at
Iention should be paid to terracing.
If your land is not already terraced,
start before you put in your crop.
The first terrace at the top off the
ill is the most important one and
must be made the surest to hold
is water because if it breaks at
any place, then double duty is inn
posed upon the next terrace below
It. Thence, it is absolutely neces-
sary to consider two points about
The top terrace, ID make good one
go it will not break, (2) place it very
near the top of the hill so that it
will not have too much of the first
water to care for, which would tend !
to overload it and maybe break it.
1t is the practice in the steepest
fields to have seven feet vertical
drop between terraces and about
twenty feet horizontal distance; the
reason for this is that terraces clos
er than twenty feet are a nuisance
and the steepest lands naturally run
about seven feet drop in twenty feet.
The nearest to level lands which re-
quire terracing should have the ter
lOIC AlOI OfOl 0CNCAIy -1ING 4CCL Olo-
lance between them, and such lands
naturally run about. two feet drop
in seventy-five. All lands between
the two above extremes of slope will
require terraces with varying YER
teal drop and distances between
them; according to the slope of the
land.
Next thing to do is to throw four
burrows together with a two horse
pillow, making two rounds, throwing
two up hill and two down hill, upon
the line of the terrace. Then take
a terracing machine, homemade
one will do, and ridge this loose
dirt very high. After this, throw
four more burrows toward the ter
race with the same pillow. Then
again run the terracing. This gives
you a terrace eight or ten feet wide.
This is called the wide base Mangan
terrace. When laying off your rows