Suggestions and information for the month of November, 1893 [Nov. 1, 1893]

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CIRCULAR NO. 1.

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SL~'l'H SERIES.

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RECEIVED
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Suggestions and Information.

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FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, 1898..
Jssued by the Department of Agriculture, Noveznber ~. ~893.
STATE OF GEORGtA, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,} ATLANTA, GA., NovEMBER 1, 1893.
The past month, with local exception, bas been uniformly favorable for the sowing of all crops, and in this work our farmers have made fine headway.
THE GO'l'TON
crop is virtttally gathered, and, with few exceptions, never were its result'! more disappointing. At one time tbe crop outlook through thll State, with the exception of Northwest Georgia, was most encoumging. From unpropitious seasons in that particular section the crop bas been almost uniformly unpromising, and from the time it came out of the ground, all through the growing and making season, and until fully matured and gathered, offered little hope. In other sections, however, the crop at one time promised well, and the general failure in results, combined with unfortunately low prices, have brought disappointment and gloom to almost every farmhouse in Georgia. The perplexing and unsatisfactory condition of om monetary affairs has added its depression of influence, and, al togethet, out farmers as a class are troubled by anxious forebodings. More especially is this true of those who have neglected diversity of crops and ample home-raised provisions.

DEPAHnENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGI:\

0 ? '1 .i -~ ~ l

EC'ONOllfY

has been the ,,-~l;iword i~Jnaking the present crop, and its principles
have been more generally practiced this year than for several years past. In many instanc~m lH>le .denied theruselYes and families necessary comforts. But }Jilllilfip~~ems unavailing, and farmers, in common with workingmen of'afl classes, are suffering, though it may be in less degree, from the designated condition of the times.
But, while much of the present unrest and dissatisfaction can be traced to defective financial laws, we, as farmers, must admit that, as a class, we have invited disaster by ignoring some of the plainest and simplest business rules. We readily admjt that in our efforts to cultivate much of our land, we are yearly taxing it beyond that point where we could expect, even under the most f:worable seasons and with the most persistent and faithful <work, to realize more than the cost of production- no hope of profit, even under the best sea ons and best management. With unpropitious seasons the result is actual loss, and oftentimes suffering. 'Vill we never learn wisdom from hard experience, or is the absolute loss of our property and total inability to secure supplies on time the only sure check on our

SPECULA.'l'IVE SYS',l'E3I OF FAJDITNG'.'
'Our farmers should remember from their past experience that they cannot afford to start a crop in the vain bo}Je that, after advancing it to a certain stage, some one else will be willing to risk the supplies to keep it going. The merchant, like the farmer, ha drifted along in the same current, both shutting their eyes to the dangerou snags all along their course. He, like ourselves, has hoped against hope, striving each year to recover some part of tbe losses which 11e bas borne in the shape of advanced and unpaid for supplies. Our mutual hopes have been built upon sand foundations, and the props seem entirely swept away. 'l'he lesson for us a farmers to learn is, that under existing circumsta,nces, it is worse than folly to attempt to work our lands under the old methods, and with supplies obtained on eredit. It must be evident to every thinking farmer, in the light of his own experience, and that of hundreds of others who have braYely struggled and failed, that if we continue a course so fraugl1t with danger, nothing but a miracle will save us from ruin. Let us arouse our elves to our true condition, and realize at once that if we expect to make our farming succes ful and self-supporting we must follow legitimate and sensible business rnles, and not the, speculative plan which bas characterized our management for so many years. Let us

LOOK CAREFULLY OVER THE GROUND,

and determine just how much of our land, under favorable, or, I

should say, average seasons, with carefnl management, will give us home

supplies, home comforts. We but invite failure when we attempt to culti-

vate laud which, depleted by a long and continuous system of cleanly hoed

and exhaustive crops, holds out little hope of remunerative returns, unless

:~

a different plan is adopted. Our towns are to-day being filled with

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KOVE~IBER CROP REPORT- 1893.

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DISAPPOINTED FAR ~fER '
who, de pairing of success in their chosen calling, have been induced to embark in undertakings iu which they have no experience, and, in many instance , little aptitude. They forget that success in any business is usu.ally the crowning result of education, study, and often years of patient labor in that special line. W e . ee daily hundreds of cases where farmers h ave ,entured their all in new a nd untried business and lost, a nd their condition calls for our warme. t sympathy.
The young man just starting out in life without capital, but fitted by temperament and education for some special work, will find it to his in:terest to engage in that work, because there his bra in and muscle can be .u ed for his advancement. To such the farm cannot hold out inducements sufficient. Other fields are more inviting and offer better pay, and one cannot expect him to forego a favorable opportunity or sacrifi ce his interest to a mere sentiment. Lif'-work is too real, and we deal with issues too vita l to be trifled with, and each one should elect the work for which h e is best fitted. But in selecting our business, not only our fitness, but our iudiYidual fa ncies and'prejudices should be considered , and in every avocation there is one es.eu tial without which we can rarely hope to climb hig h on the ladder to. uccess, t hat is, we must love our work enoug h to be willing to devote our time, our energies and such talent as we pos ess to "its a dvancement.
Having chosen our work we must not only love it, but hold to it iu shadow .as well as sunshine, in discouragem ent as well as when it goe right. As fal'mers we must allow n o opportunity for gaining informa tion, for improving our methods, to escape, and once we discover that we are on the wrong track, call a h a lt, consider the situa tion , and having decided on a d i.tferent lin e of action, follow it to the finish. Heretofore defeat h as made us de perate, a nd in the vain hope of bettering our co ndition we have plunged deeper into m ethods, which, upon reflection and in our calmer moments, we willingly a dmit a re fa lse in promises and unatta inable in accomplishment. vVe have been working for immediate r esults wit.hou t Considering the injury to our lauds or our ability to execute the pla ns which we h ave but partially matured. Recogni:r.ing our mistak e t!1e only . ound policy is to
'HANGE OUR PLAJ.'\'"
for the future. Permit me to emphasize some of the mistakes and to reiter.ate the warning which I have so often uttered. The first and most grievous, the one which has caused us the greatest numbet of disappointments .as well as changed the character of our soils, is planting the same land year after year in the same clean hoed and cultivated rrops, without rest o r change. Ou this subject I quote the following from the Ame1'lcan Aglicultwist, ;showing how universal the practice and important to apply th e remedy :
"The farmer who owns his farm is concerned quite as much for its future as for its present productiveness. H e cannot afford, even under pressure .of seeming necessity, to sell the fertility of his land by the bush el until its

-J.

DEPARTMENT Ql<' AGRIC LTURE-GEORGIA.

decreasing productiveness makes longer cultivation impo sible. Thous-

ands have gone this road, and have only found their mistake when too

late to retract their steps.

"However important immediate results may eem, the carefu l fat"Jner

looks to next year and the year after. It take exceptiona l mops to make

the farmer indifferent to the future of his soil. But the true economy con-

Sists in combining both immediate and future benefit by applying manures

ch iefly to clover and other crops which themselves add to soil fertility,

and thus make it erve both ends. It is here that grain farmers have an

advantage over those who grow hoed crops .exclusively. 'l'be farmer who

grows grain can and should always sow clover with it. Then all the ma-

nure he applies to the grain c1op serves a double purpo e. 'l'he hoed crop

may make the most money per acre, but, if it i grown year after year, it

demands the yearly purchase of a large amount of manure. 'l'hat will

tal'e off tbe profits. 'l'he alternation of grain seeded with clover, and then

after one or two years growth the clover plowed under as g reen 111anure for

some hoed crop, secures both the immediate profit and the petmanent

benefit to the oil which every good farmer seeks."

In the mo tsouthem latitude. peas or rye ta ke the place of the clover.

A econd error is the yearly purchase of large amo unts of commercial

fertilizer, stock and provisions, partly on time, in the hope of a few extm

bales, forgetting 'that wllen the addition a l labor and Yarious other extm

items are calcu la ted the expense flccount is largely increased aud when,

the crops are gathered the add itiona l results are &'td ly disproportionate.

'l'he third mistake is included i.n the nthers, that i., the hazardous e;ocpcr-

iment of planting a short provision r l' and trusting to our merchants or

'luck" to keep us out. On a farm where plenty of pro\ ision are planted

thete is a lways ample opportunity for "rotation and reno\ation," and

where the fanuer ra ises hi. own meat !tnd possibly hi. stock, the harmony

of a.g 1icultura l relations is adjusted and maintained year after year and

the land, instead of retrograd ing, is being constantly improved.

"\Ve have

EXPLODED 'l"HE OLD IDEA

thatdebtscan be paid or money made on borrowed capital when cotton brings only s~ven or eight ceo ts. In looking at tb is question from a busiuessas well as

an agricultura lstandpo int, wecannotafford to igno resomelun pleasant truths.

The crop producingcapacity ofourcultivatedlands hasalarmingly decreased;

the facilities for reach ing newer and more productive lauds have so greatly

increased as to draw off a large part of our best farmiug population; these



two cond itions, comb ined with our unfortuuate financial status and the

low prices prevailing for our principal farm products have caused a gener-

al agricultural depression, and we Southern farme1-s will be compelled to so

arrange the acreage, character and general direction of our crops as to en-

able u to run our farms without incu rring additional indebteduess. Many

are eriou ly cramped now, and with the decline in land production and in

prices their affail-s are becoming more and more embarrassed. To such

error of attempting to cultivate large area in cotton on borrowed capital is

painfully apparent.

KOYEMBER CROP REPORT-1 93.

\T\Te should cultivate only .uch land as experience has ta ugh t u will produ ewell a nd in uch crops as a re .uited to our soils and the demands of home a nd availa ble markets. vVe .l10ul d resolve not to be swerved from thi position by any favorable or . udden change in the general mark et prices, for it is the policy sanctioned by ex perience, common en. e and our natural surround ings.
At this eason, when the rops a re nearly or about gathered, each farm er should determine upon the

PROPKR PLAJ\

for him to pursue for another season , and t hen direct his en ergi es to th ei r

accomplishment. 'rb e fa ll a nd win ter plowing should go on whenever

the la nd is in proper condition. Very liitle atte u t ion has h eretofore been

g iven to this work, becau e of t he ch a racter of our crops, they occupying

the land until late in the easo n ; becau!;e we h ave n ever realized the im-

JlOrtance of a thorough stirring of the su bsoil, a nd because we are . uch

creatures of h abit that it is difficult to fall into new lin e of thought a nd

action.



In some ca.es, where there is an absence of vegetable matter , and the

land is disposed to "run togethe r," th i. plowing may have to b r epeated

in the spring, but in the meantime the la nd ha been put in condition to

y ield up a dditional p la n t fo od when needed. A sufficient a rea in small

grain should be put in each year to m eet home demands, th is dre. sed with

a phosphate and followed by p eas, to be turned under or cu t, a the farmer

may d ecid e. By this proce s we will build up our land and gather a sup-

ply of plant food which, combined wi t h the prepared fertilizer , will pro-

duce aston ishing results. Build up pa tures, and p rovide for the comfort

of stock. Keep one or t wo good brood sows, a nd watch and attend to them

earefully. G ive th em t h e benefits of the s lop or .ul'plus mill;: from t he

ki tchen and dairy. S helter cattle and stock properly . All of these dumb

e rea tures, which contribute so la rgely to our comfort, suffer intensely from

the effects of cold, and when unnecessarily exposed require more food to

promote health and growth. Humanity and economy both demand that

we look carefull y to the comfor t of the farm animals. Fences and terraces

a re to be looked :.tfter; lf'aves a.ndlitter to be hauled for bedd ing; imple-

m ents, plow-gea r and wagons overhatled a nd repa iTed. In these small

matter~ we a rc too apt to procrastinate, a nd when too l ate, that is when

t he spring work opens in earnest, w e realize the time we have lost, and re-

g ret our inaction.

R. 'r. KESBl'l'T, Co m mi. ioner.

COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER,.
'l'HEIH PERCEN'J'AGES OF YALUABJ,E l'LAXT FOOD.
We are often asked by farmers why it is that so much unnecessary material is found in the ordinary fertilizers on the market. A common cornposition of these goods i about 10 per cent. of available phosphoric acid, about 2t per cent. ammonia, and about 2 per cent. pota h . 'l'his is a total
of 14~ per cent. of available plant food, or J.q pound in every 100 pounds
of fertilizer. 'l'his may appear a small p ercentage, yet when the souTce of the mate-
rials and the urgent demand for low-priced fertilizers is taken into consideration, there are excellent reasons for such a condition of affair..
'l'here are certain material. offered upou the market which contain lllant food. Some of them are sold at very low price , which make them available as fertilhr.ers. Bones, phosphate rock, cotton seed meal, blood, tankage, sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, mmiate of pota h, sulphate of potash and kainit are uch materials.
Pho!<phate rock is our cheapest and most used source of phosphoric acid; cotton seed meal is one of om ch eap sources of nitrogen, and kaini t is largely used as a source of potash.
:Now, 100 pounds of phosphate rock only contain about 30 pounds of pho.phoric acid, and to render this 30 pounds of phosphoric acid available as plant food requires in round numbers about 100 pounds of sulphuric acid added to it. Then the 200-pound mb::ture will contain the whole of th 30 poundS:of pbo phoric acid, or 15 pounds in 100; or, in oth er worcts, it will be a 15:per cent. "acid phosphate. " Phosphate rock is a combination of lime with phosphoric acid, and it also contains some impurities, such a. sand, etc. Sulphuric acid when added to phosphate rock . eize a large portion of the lime, and forms sulphate of lime, leaving the pho, phoric acid available as plant food. If it were possible to ecure a perfectly pure pho phate rock we could only make about a 23 per cent. "acid phosphate" with it by this process. It is possible to leach out the pbo phori acid from the "acid pho:phate" and evaporate the solution down, and thus produce a remarkably high grade of "acid pho phate." Tlli , of com""e, iucteases the cost of the good. very much . It is po ible now to buy goods running from 40 to 50:per cent. available phosphoric acid, but the demand is limited, a every one wishes cheap fertilizers. uch an article i intrinsically worth three times as much a a 15 per cent. acid pho phate. With 15 per cent. acid pho phate selling at 13 a ton, a 45 per cent. one should bring $39. Even at this figure the higher priced article would be the most e onomical on account of the freight, as it wouid only be ene-thil'd of that of the lower~grade:goods. Another fa ctor comes, however, into the matter, whi ch is the additional cost of producing the more roncentrated article. Au

~OYE:\lBER CROP REPORT-1 893.

7

actual pound of available pho phoric acid sells at a high er a nd price as it becomes more and more pure. While it is worth 4 cents a p"ound in an ordinary "acid phosphate," it ells for . 2.50 a pound in a perfectly pure condition, as u ed by ch emi ts.
Cotton eed meal is one of the la rge som ces of nitrogen, yet a. it is put upon the market it only contains nitrogen eq uivalent to 8~ PE!,r cent. of ammonia. -'!'be raw cotton seed itself contains a still smaller percentage before the removal of the hulls and oil. 'l'hi s partial concentration of nitrogen in the cotton ee i meal i<'l too expensive to undertake for fertilizing purposes a lone. It is the extraction of the valuable cotton seed oil upon which the industry chiefly depends to make the business r emunerative. If agriculturists could afford to use the most con centrated ammoniates which it is possible to produce, uch arumoniates could be made far cheaper from other materials than cotton eed. Blood is a by-prod uct from the slaughter houses, and contain nitrogen equiva lent to about 16 per cent. of ammonia, and while higher per ton, usually co ts less per pound fo1 the nitrogen it contain than the cotton seed meal. If cotton seed meal was worth nothing except a s a fertilizing material, th is might not be the case, but cotton seed is a lso a valuable cattle food. itrate of soda is al o a very concentrated form of nitrogen. It can be bought containing nitrogen eq uivalent to over 18 per cent. of ammonia. Perfectly pure nitra t e of soda contains nitrogen equivalent to only between 19 and 2[) p er cent. of ammonia.
Perfectl y pure nitrogen and ammonia a re both ga e , and for fertilizing purposes must be fixed by combination with som e other body. Ammonia gas is now sold in a liquid form, compressed by h eavy pressure into iron cylinders for the manufacture of ice. Such liquified ammonia gas it i. , of course, impractical to u e. ulphate of a mmonia i ammonia gas combined with sulphuric acid, which holds it. Pure sulphate of ammonia contains over 25 per cent. of actual ammonia.
Kainit is an impure pota sh m inera l, only cont.'l.ining about 12 per cent. of potash, muriate of potash containing fifty per cent. of actual potash. It can be bought at very low fig ures, considering its conten ts of potash. 'fhe ulpbate can be bouo-ht at a little high er fig ure, containing al o about 50 per cent. of potash. If we con icier' ' acid phosphate" iu an unadulterated state asJcon taining 15 p er cent. of available pho phoric acid, and cotton seed meal as containing nitrogen eq uiva lent to ~ pe r cent. of ammomonia, a nd lminit as carrying twelve per cent. of potash , fertilizers cannot be made t.o run very high from such materials in their crud e form . For in. tance, 60 pounds of 15 p r cen t. acid pho;;;pbate contain 9 pound of available phosphoric acid (that i , it contains TGo of 15 pounds) 25 pound. of cotton seed 1m eal contain } of the 8~ pound of nitrogen eq uivalent to ammonia in 100 pounds of cotton eed m eal, which will be about 2-(r;2cr per cent.; 15 pounds of kainit will contain 1i'IJ pound s of potash- as 15 pound s i. -rtf1y of the 100 pound of kainit co ntainiDg 12 pounds of potash per 100 pound .
By using greater or smaller proportious of each ingredient the percentage:> can be Yaried , but such formul rn cannot be expN:ted to contain more than 1:3 or 14 per cent. of plant food.

DEPARTME ' T OF AGRTCULTURF~GEORGIA.
If 16 per cent. blood or 16 per cent. nitrate of soda is u sed all the percentages can be increased if desired. By the use of such material as the high grade acid phosphates, which can be bought, running as high as 18 per cent. available phosphoric acid, sulphate of ammon ia containing over 24 per cent. of ammonia and of sulphate o1 muriate of potash running over 50 per -cent. ot potash, Yery much higher grades of fertilizers can be produced than the ordinary average of those on the market. Fifty pounds of au 18 per cent. "acid phosphate" would give 9 per cent. available phospho pboric acid, 25 pounds of 24 per cent. sulphate of ammonia would give ti per cent. of ammonia, and 25 pounds of sulphate or muriate of potash containg 50 per cent. of potash would give 12~ per cent. of potash. The de_ mand, however, is for low-priced goods, and many buyers do not stop to consider the quantity of plant food in a fertilizer, but think the cheaper they buy a ton the better the bargain. If one desires to b uy a gold ring of a certain size b e finds they become cheaper and cheaper as they contain less gold, though to the eye they appear equally well at first. One bas to take the jeweler 's word or go to a chemist to decide the matter. A farmer has to either take the manufacturer's word or go to a chemist also. Some may think they can tell the q uality by t.he smell, taste or color. 'fhey a re badly mistak~n .
A fertilizer running 9 pflr cent. ava ilable phosphoric acid, 6 per cent. of ammon ia and 12~ per cent. of potash costs a manufacture!' $7.20 for the phosphoric acid, '15.60 for the ammonia and $10 for the potash, and 2.60 for mixing, sacking, inspecting, etc. 'fhis will be $35.40. Such goods can be purchased, if desired. If low percentage goods are not desired one should not buy them, as higher percentage fertilizers can be secured if oue is willing to pay for them. Where freights are high considerable money can be saved by using high grade goods. To increase the sta.ndard would be to lessen the use of cotton seed meal and the lower grades of phosphate rock in manufactured fertilizers. This would, of course, make fertilizers proportionately somewhat higher in price.
Pure phosphoric acid and pure potash quickly take up water from the a ir, and they would be difficult to manage as fertilizers. 'fbey could not be kept pure unless sealed air and water tight. Pure ammonia is a gas under ordinary conditions, and, of course, would be unmanageable in such form . These bodies, however, can be combined with each other and thus handled more readily. Phosphate of potash can be made from phosphoric acid and potash, and phosphate of ammonia from phosphoric acid and ammonia . 'fhese two white substances would look very dissimilar from the !ordinary "guanos" !blackened with lamblack, and even if there was no increased cost in ridding the crude material of their impurities, the market value would be very high. At the low valuation of four cents a pound for available pho phoric acid a ton of pure phosphoric acid would be worth $80. A ton of pure potash valued at four cents a pound would be SBO, and a ton of pure ammonia at only thirteen cents a pound would be $260. The freight on such chemicals would be proportionately low according to their concentration, but they are, of course, out of the q uestion, as

NOVEMBER CROP RlllPORT-1893.
t h ey cannot at pre ent be 'manufactured except at con iderabl additional e ost per pound of plant food .
At equal prices per pound for plant food a high grade fertilizer is ch eaper than a low priced one, a the freight is le s, it doe not take so much bagg ing, and it t.'tkes less work to handle it. Farmers s hould buy their goods on analysis as the manufacturers do theirs. No .r easonable man hould. exp ect to buy a ferlilizer containing t wen ty- even per cen t. of })lant food at t he same price a one conta ining only thil'teen per cent.
GEORGE F. PAYNE.

INQUIRIES A~SWERED
BY 'rHE t;.EORGIA DEPAR'fME:NT OF AGRIC"UI~ITRE.

RELA.'l'ING TO THE FARM, G ARDEN , DAIRY, STOCK RAISISn, ETC~

CAKED BAG IN COW. '.

I want to know how t~ cure caked bag in cows. Will you please g h e

m e the information '?

S. B . C.

Rub the middle well every nig ht with cod liver oil, aud g iYe the a nimal twenty-five grains of iodide of potassium in half a pint of wa te r every morning before feeding.

SCJ;tATCHES IN HOR SE S .

How ca n I cure ruy horse of scratches'?

\V. F . F., Ca ss l::ita tion.

Mix white lead and linseed oil in such propor tions as will render the application convenient. Two or three a pplica tion. sh ould eftect a cure.

CH ICKE ' S.
W e a re pleased to be a ble to a dd the va lua ble experience of 1\'lrs. \V. E. H ., of Milledgeville, as a furth er a nswer to the inquiry as to h ow to rid the h enhouse and chickens of mites. Mts. H .'s letter also contains other valuable suggestions. S he says :
" Seeing in the w eekly paper h ere in one of your recent reports an inquiry for cure of mites a nd lice on chick ens I send t he foll owing, which I know to be sure, as my chick ens h a ve been free from mi tes for oYer fiv e years: 'fwo tea spoonfuls of sulphur to a pint of corn m eal mixed w ell together to every seven fowls ; given twice a week to get rid of mites; g iven once every 10 or 12 days to preven t. Mites will n eYer get on roosts. made of sassafras poles, and they can be used several years. Onions cut .fine and bakecl in dough prepared for biscuit a ncl fed to fowls once or twice a week when cbolem is around is a . ure preve ntive. Littl e c bick eus just a few days olcl can be fed with both prepa ra tions. Threerlrops of sweet oil on the beads of ducks will kill the lice."
R esp ec tfull y,
MRS. w. E. H -

XOVE illER CROP REPORT-1893.

ll

l'EA YIXES.
'Vbat is the best way to save pea vines for hay?

P. C., Lee County.

'rhe vines should be cut just as the pea is developing in the pod, where you can find an occa ional fully developed pod . Mow or cut down the . vines &<trly in the morni ng, !as soon a the dew i otr Leave vines on tile ground until next morning, when you scatter the cocks and leave as before. 'fhrow two cock s together in the afternoon, and go on in this way until the vin es are dry enough for the barn. Do not handle the vines in the b eat of the day, when very dry, or the le.<tves will fall off. 'fhe vines should, if not prevented by rain, be left iu the field for four or tive days. Place them loosely in th e barn, and never pack th em away. Jn this way you can secure very fine bay.

\\' EEVII..S D1 CORN.

Can you g ive m e a rem edy, or, rather, a preventhe, that will keep \vee-

\'il. out of corn?

J. L . H., Adel, Ga .

In answering your question on tllis subj ect we reply to . everal oth er inquiries relating to the same m a tter. Experiments w ith bisulpbide of carbon prove it a most va luable rem edy. As pra ctical experien ce is the
best test, we give what )Ir. John vV. Hice, of -uwannee COUll~', Florida,
says on the ubject: "Last winter, after I had housed my corn, I obta ined of Evans B roth-
ers, of Live Oak, a few pounds of bi."ulph ide of carbon . I took a long tube and worked it into the com to bottom of barn on one side, and poured in one pound of the stuff, stopped upper end of tube aud let it remain two week . I then made th e same operation on the other side of the barn. 'l'he weevils were pretty thic k in the corn , but they soon disappeared, and I ha.Ye them no m ore. My barn is freer from weevils in August than it ha. been in March before. 1 must say it i. a decided stl(_ cess. I would not be without it, though it cost m e S5 a pound. I haYe a s upply for th e present crop, and b a ll put each bottle in a box slatted ou top to prevent the breaking of the bottle, place the box on th e floor of th e bam and throw the orn on i th e bottle un. topped, of course. J shall use one bottl e to one hundred bushels of corn. l\'Iy stock have eaten both corn and shucks t reated wi t h carbon a nd it h a d n o inj uriou.' effect . 'fh e stuff is worth million to the . outh , wh ere the orn weevil is .o de.-tmctive and annoying. "

G R.EEX CR.Ol'. ',

I notice t hat you advise tmning under crops ju -t a matured . I would

like to know wheth er the character of the soil should have any influence

in deciding wllether the crop should b turn ed und er green or after

matured.

C. C. S., Bartow County.

'l'he. general deduction that crops benefit the soil mo t when turned under j u t when matured rather than when green is clue to th e fa ct that when plowed under green they produce an a cidity in the soil from th e decomposition.' that i hurtful. 'fhis being th e ca e, it i. evident that

12

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULT RE-GEORGIA.

wh er the soil abound in alkaHne matte r, such as pota!<h and li me, no uch injury can re ult. On this character of oil it may be advantageou to turn under the g reen crop, a the acid i then harml es , and uniting with the allmline may relea.e plant food that otherwise might be useless to vegetation. In the experiments cond ucted at th e 'tate tation, no marked result. in faYor of any particular time of turning und r crops wa. cured . In ou r preYious an wer to the tJUe tion we gave only the general deductions drawn by experi enced and scientifi agl'iculturi ts without the qualification that arise in pecial in tance . It i the duty of every farmer to in m e success to study the best method. , or rather the method that wlll secure the be. t results on hi land. '!'hi can be done in a ll matter , especially tho e involving fertilization b,,- experimental work.
LRIHJ [ l'O'l'A'l'OES.
an you give m e a good m eth od to l'eep Irish potatoe .,
D. G. vV., Cartersville.
'l'o keep Iri h potatoes through the fall and winter, elect a cool, dry, ai ry .ituation- a cellar wh ere the atmosphere is not damp aud the temperatur not too low or -.;-ery high, i. the best place. l\fix two bu hels of harcoal with one bushel of air slack ed lime for every 50 bu bel of potatoes, a nd sprinkle the mL'\':ture throtwh tl!e pota,toes immediately after Jeruoving thE'm from the fi eld. 'ee that your po!K'l.toes are well dried before. toring away. '!'bey should be dried in th e hade, and a ll cut and brui eel tubeJ removed.
A common m ethod of toriug potatoe -a ditch cut for the purpose. WherE' this m ethod i adopted it is be t to select a hilh;id where good drainage can be .ecurecl. P la ce traw in the ditch, on which place the potatoe a.nd then co ,er with tra w, covering the whole with ufficient earth
j u t to prevent freezing. All the potatoes should not be stored together, but
separated into lots of about 25 bushels each, by earth or straw. Your eed potatoe and others can be excellently preserved by placing
them in a bin in a dry, cool place, and sepa1ating the potatoe by saud so that they do not com e in contact with each other.
ORA '' 'EED.
'l'o ow r d clover, how much seed hould I u e to the a re; aloo bow much clover and orchard grass mixed '.'
R. P. '.,Milton County.
How much eed to sow depeuds on the purpo for which you de ire to u e the land. For pasture it hould be sown thicker than for meadow. Mucll will also depend on the character of the oi l. If the o il is very lumpy and not very fertil e, twice a much seed will be need d a i necessary per acre wh en the soil is mellow, free from lump and overed with a line vegetable mould. 'I he followin g i the quantity for general seeding, which may be varied to suit the so il, or for m eadows and pasture . When red dover and orchard gra s are sowed together, four quartet of the form rand ixteen of the latter will be utficient if the oil will produce one

NOYEMBER CROP REPORT-1 93.

13

and a half tons per acre. If so wed e venly and noth ing but clover is used, sLx to eight quarts will seed an acre. Wi t h orcha rd gra alone use frorp. two to th ree bushels-better sow thl'ee than le: than two.

PEAR l'REES.

Which is the best way to train pear t rees?

L . F . '1'., 'l'homaF;ton .

It is best to train your trees so t hat t hey will b ranch at a distance of only a few feet from the ground. 'l'lli s method ha the e advantages : 'l' he fmit can be easier gathered and the trees ea ier tra ined; the fruit does not injure so much in falling; the b ranches being turd y, will not be trained by overbearing or over weight of fmit; the so il will be kept shaded and moist, and the trunk protected from the scorching sun.

STU UPS.
Can you give me a method to de troy stumps? F . D. U ., Hancock County.

Bore with a two-inch a uger to the h eart or center. F ill the bole with sulphwic acid o r with crud e petroleum. In the .fu t place the acid destroys in a few months; in t he latter, when th e stump becomes satmated with the oil, it is fired and will burn to the roots . Where o il is used, two or more holes will hasten the t ime for burning. Place a n iron weight on the stump when fired, and it will render the result more certain. 'l'h e iron retains heat, and by its weig ht removes charred portions of the stump.

H MUS.

How does humus benefit land?

S. B. N., Brook .

L a ud is benefited by humus principally by its mechanical effects. It stiffens sandy land and loosens clay oil; it g ive power to the soil to absorb a nd retain moisture, and it :olven t powers renders ava ilabl e mineral su bstances in the soil. When the vegetable matter iJs from leguminous plants, a considerable contribution of ni t rogen is di1ectly made. Carbonic acid is the principal element evolved from humus.

ASHES AND S'l'ABLE )J:ANUR}~ .

Will it do to mL'( ashe and stab le manure?

F.M.W.

It is injuri ous to mix ashes with stab le manure, as they cau e the escape of the ammonia, wh ich is the most costly of p lant foods. If the materia l is perfectly dry, a nd yo u wish to use the compost immediately, by the use of dry earth or pla. ter you can mLx them with out loss.

WHEA'l' A..li\'D OA'l'S.

How can I separate oats from wh eat?

F. H. E .

Oats may be nearly entirely removed from wheat by putting the grain

in a tub of strong brine and . kim m ing. 'Ihe wheat must then be spread thin and dried quickly and well limed. It pays to have pure wheat seed,

and you should do this if you wish to sow the wheat.

1-l

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

WIDTE WA H.

In your next repor t please teU me bow to make a good wbitewa b. L. H . '1'.
'l'his i a simple recipe: Mix up half a pailful of lime and watet; take half a pint of flour and make a starch of it, and pour it into the wbitewa b while hot; stir it well and it i ready for use. In uggestions and information for farmers issued by the department you will find another valuable r ec ipe.
Tl K." ON SHBF: I'.

Plea e give me a remedy for ticks on beep.

H. L. '1'.

Mix ulpbur and salt, se\1en pint. of salt to one of sulphur, and feed or salt the sheep with the mixture given to them . everal time. . It will drive the ticJ;::;; off.

DEAD LEA\'EH.

What is the be t thing to do with dead leave , so as to u e them for rna-

nme?

S. S. P., Hartwell.

'!'brow them in the pio- pen, ot use them as a litter for cows. Hogs will work them into manure in a Yery short time.

SUGGESTIO NS AND INFORMATION
BY TH E
Georgia Department of Agriculture#
MONTHLY TALK WITH THE FARMERS.
FOR MONTH OF DECEMBER
A GRI CU LTURAL DEPARTMENT,}
ATLA ~T,\, December 1, 1893. In this, the ciosing mon th of the year, there is much that can be done on the South ern farm, and when ever the weather per mits the plows, double if possible, should be kept moving. This work is importa nt, more so than most farm ers realize, and it is maintained by the highest scientific authority, and proven by so me practical farmers, eminent for their uccess, that with deep plowing and manuring with green crops it is possible to sustain an d improve the fertility of lands with out using one pound of commercial .fertilizers. Be this as it may, competeRt chemists ass nre us that there are bound up in the soil mineral elements suffi cient to supply the crops of thou sands of years. This being true, why should the farmer hesitate to unlock these b idden stores? Put the plow in deep and brin g th e subsoil to the . surface, where it can be directly acted upon by sun, air.and winter rains, and thus undergo the necessary chemical changes. If you are in doubt try a small space as an experiment. In sowing some small grain rece ntly, I have had this fact very forcibly illustrated, and as I pas. by the spot each morning I hav e a dail y object-l esson of the effects of deep stirrin g of the soil, and bringing to th e surface the organic elements, \oo fur down to be reached by ordinary m ethods. Last year, on the spot mentioned, th ere stood a dead oak tree of considerable ize, which, instead of being cut down , was du g up by the roots, much red clay being brought to th e surface in the process. Th e g reater part of thi s was thrown back in the h ole, but much remained cattered around , causin g a spot so un sightly that I determin ed, ere planting it, to haul ome woodsearth and spread over the place. But this was delayed, and wh en the g rain, rye, wns sown it was plowed in j ust here, the same as on th e other land. This so win g was don e in September, and until the middle of November not one drop of rain fell on it. The rye came up on the entire phinting, there was a good "stand,'' but owin g t o the beat an d drought, and also to heavy wind s, the plants, exce pt on this spot, were parch ed and seemed scureely aliv e. Wh ere the tree had stood was a patch of li vid g reen, and . trange to suy, thi s wasn ot only where the hole had been deeply rlng, but as far out as 11tle

16

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

clay bad been thrown. It pre ented such a striking contrast to the surround ing color as to attract my attention, and set on foot investigations as to the cause, with the result as stated. Timely rain s revived the drooping grain ; all is now green, but this one spot can still be di stinguished from its surroun dings by the markedly stronger and larger growth.
COMPOST.
' Another important work which should be ca rried on now is th e making of and protecting compost heaps. To prevent the "fi re fang" which so often indicates that the manure has lost its principal and most valuable elements, a good plan is to mix the manures from cow, sheep and hog pens with the horse manure, a layer of each carefully packed. They are less heating, and if plaster, kainit or even woodsearth can be aclded the danger of over-heating and loss is still further diminished. If the heaps are under shelter, so much the better, but if that is impossible, put on top a layer of earth, allowing the greatest height in the center, that the pile may slant towards the edge, and pack down firmly. The situ11tion should be such th'at no water will drain on them . By using bedding and carefully saving all the manure, it is astonishing how much can be accumulated in a few months. It is our most perfect, as well as our safest fertili ze r, and if our farmers would more gener11lly turn thei r attention to stopping this, which is both literally and figuratively one of the biggest "leaks " on our farms, it would not be long before they would realize how much has been wasted in this one item, and themselves beco me its warmest advocates.
To show the amount and value of the man~tre produced from different animals, I appt.>nd the following, which has been carefully prepared by Professor Roberts, of Cornell Experi ment Station. He has given this subject th e closest study and attention, and while, as he says, the value of the manure depends muc!:t on the character of the food, and also the purpose for which the animal is used, these figures will serve as an illustration, and will, I hope, set many a farmer to thinking and acting who has heretofore been indifferent. Once he is convinced that there is" money in it," we shall see more 11ttention given to the keeping of li ve stock, and, as a natural sequence, to the planting of green crops, and then follows th e diversified agriculture, which must be our hope for the future.
Animals which are not producing anything, as milk or young, and !Ire not gaining in weight, return in their voidings all of the manurial value of th e food they consume; mature fattening an imals, about 95 per cent; youngish growing animals, 90 per cent; cows in milk, 80 per cent; while yo.11ng nursi ng calves t-ake a very large amount of the manurial constituents of the milk which sustain them. While the above figures are not absolutely correct, they serve to help in determining the real value of various manures.
The quantity of manure produced per year by the various classes of animals Wl\5 estimated by Boussiangault as follows:
T ons Lbs. per vear.
~~~:: _(9~. l~s). ...... ..... .... ... . ..... ... . . .. . .... .li~:~:; 1~:::

Cows . Cows.

15,000-7 1-2
. liqu\ds, 20,000 . solids, 8,000-14

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-DECEMBER.

17

In 188:{-84 the animals kept at th e University barn were estimated to be equal to forty-five mature animals, about two-thirds of which were cattle and one-third horses. The manure was kept in a covered barnyard and no loss occurred. Ever y tenth load was weighed and the average was computed from these weighed loads. Seven months' feeding produced 466 tons, or a trifle over ten tons per animal. A fairly liberal amount of bedding was used and is included in the above. In 1884-85 forty-seven full-grown animals of 900 pounds each produced within a few pounds of 200 tons of manure in five months. The manure as before was kept in a covered yard, and this time every load was weighed; less bedding was used than the previous winter and less cotton-seed meal was fed.
Three large cows, liberally fed, when producing 31! pounds of milk per day, produced 89, pounds of manure per cow per day, including five pounds of bedding. This is rather ubo,e the aYerage amount of manure produced by large cows in milk. This high average was probably due to the consumption of a rather large -amount of warm water.
:bast year 18 large Jersey and Holstein-Friesian g rade cows, in milk, produced in 24 hours 1,452.5 pounds of manure.
AVERAGE QUANTITY OF MANURE PRODUCED BY VARIOUS KINDS OF ANIMALS
PER DY.
A ve rage per animal. 18 cows, three experiments, gave (ex9lusive of bedding).... .................. ..82 lbs. 10 horses, at work 10 hours (exclusive of bedding) ........ . ........ . ............. 31.5 lbs. 10 horses, two determinations (24 hours in the stable).. ........... ....... ........ 53.5 lbs. :Sheep, 140 lbs......... .................... ..... . . ..... . .................. .. . ...... .... .... .... 7.5 lbs. :Swine, 150 lbs., nitrogenous fed .. .......................... ............................. 5.2 lbs. :Swine, 150 lbs., carbonaceous fed .............. . ................. . ................... ..... 1.7 lbs.
After many experiments, extending through several years, the following estimates of the value per ton of manures is given. I am well aware that wide vari-ations will appear from the figures, still I am quite certain that the values stated .are so nearly the average of those on the American farm , under ordinary circum,stances, that I believe they w,ill not only not lead the reader into serious error, bt.:t that they will greatly assist him in his endeavors to understand more clearly one phase ot the great question: How ca~ plants be fed well and cheaply?
VALUE PER TON OF MANURE PBOlJUCED JIY VARIOUS CLASSES o~ ANIMALS.
Horses..... .. .. .... ..... . .. ..... . ........... .... ...... .. .. .. ... ......... .. .... .. ........ ..... $ 2 80 Cows...................... ... ....... . .... ... ....... ........................ .. . ...... ......... ...... 2 30 .Sheep........... . ... ... .. .. .... ......... ........ ... ............. . ..... . ...... ...... ...... ...... 4 00 .Swine.. ... .............. ... .... .. ........ ...... ...... .... .. ........ ...... ...... ......... ..... .. .. 2 25
If we multiply the quantity produced by the value per ton, computing as near as we may the averages of tile experiments already given, with a few others recentl y .added, we have the follow ing value per 1,000 pounds of li ve weight of animal per _year, computing nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid at commercial values, and ignoring small fracti ons:
Horses........................................ ...... ......... ... ........ ...................... $ 19 00
i~~~~~~1:~~~::::::::::::.:::::::::.:: _::::::: ~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::.:::::::: H~

i8

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE- GEORGIA.

Since ordinarily this class of animal are in their stables but seven months of the year, and since potash and nitrogen and phosphoric acid are believed not to be worth as mu ch in farm manures as in commercial fertiliz ers, because they are less soluble, a considerabl e allowance must be made in this last table. After careful consid eration, with opportunity of .wide observation, I conclude that we sh~ll arrive at very nearly the true values if these figures be divided by three. It appears to me that this is a conservative estimate, and, applying it to a supposable case as follows, will assist in emphasizing the value of the manure produced on many a small farm: Four horses of 1,000 pounds each, 20 cows of 800 pounds each, 5(} !'heep of 100 pounds each, a n~ 10 pig,; of 75 pounds each_. would produce, according to the above modifi ed co mputation, fertility worth $248.91 in the eve n winter months.
REPAIR S.
In former articles I have urged the necessity of attending to needed repairs, fences, ditches, terraces and build in gs, of "righting up" matters on th e farm rlludy for the coming year's work, of cleuring away, us it were, obstacles whi ch migh t binder our success. Let us take fresh courage. W e have much to be thanl>ful for. In the almost un i\'ersal di stress we find that the furmer, who has his fGHid suppl ies, and this is t ru e in much larger proportion than usual, though h e has little money, is in far better condition than th e majority of laborin g men. Besides ,\certainty as to food, he has hi s hou se, his fuel, his garden and hope, which seems den ied to hi s Jess fortunate brother of other avocations.

"FA RllER )J ' T STUDY

All that relates to fa rming.' Vve cannot afford longer to waste our capital. Th e

school of experience i valuable, but it sometimes takes more than bulf a lifetime

to get through , and we pay a high price for our d ipl oma. Subsc ribe to some good

11griculturnl paper. The low price of subscri ptioa i- returned over and O\'er again

before the yenr is out in valuable information.

The three greut essentials are; first, the theory- true plan-of fttrming; second,

t!h e a rt of controlling labor and of executing all wor k to the best advantage with

least labor ; third-last and best-success depends on quick perception, wise judg-

ment, that seldom or ne ve!" errs. H ow is thi s to be ncqui red except by the use of

books in conjunction with practi ce?

R. T. NESBITT,

Conmli sioner.

FOR~IU LA S FOR )I A.lj ,U RDIG.
For general purpose, i . e., for i.1se .on corn , cotton and ~t~e r summer ctops, the . following is a good formuln:
No. I.

A cid ph oaphate .................. :.... ............ . .:................ .... .. ............ 1,300 pounds Cotton- seed meal. .. .... ............. .... ............. ............. ..... :.. . .. .. .... ... 500 potmds Ji'ainit.. .......... ...... ... ... .... . ...... ...... ........ ......... .. ..... .. .. ....... ......... 200 pounds

T otal .. ................ .. ............................. .... ..

.. ..... ...:.. ....2;000 potmds

SUGGESTIONS AKD INFORMATIO -DECEMBER .

19

If cotton ..eed be used instead o: th e meal, then th e. foll owin g :
N o. 2.
Acid phosphate .. .... .. . ... .. ......... ......... .... ... ... .. .. .... . ......... ...... ..... . 865 pounds C ottqn-seed, 33-k bushels..... .. .. .. .. ..... . .... .. ... . .. ... .... .. .. .... .. ...... .. . 1,000 pound. Kainit ,........ .. ......... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ... ..... ... .. .... .... ... . .. ... .... .... ... . 135 pound s
T otal ...... ... .. .... ... ... .......... .. .... ... .... ......... ... ..... .. . .... ........ .. 2,000 pou nds
If nmriate of potnsh be su bstituted for kainit, then-
N o. 3.
Acid phosphate....... . ...... .. . ... ............... .. ... .. ..... ......... . ........ .. 1.... 1400 pou nds Cotton-seed meal.. ......... .. ..... .. ........ .... ................. .. ........... ... ...... 540 pounds Mur)ate potash ...... ................... .. .. ..... .. . .. . .. ._.. .. ... .. . .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . 60 pound
T~~al: ......... ......... ... .... .... .... ... ...... . ...... ..... ... ......... ... ......... 2,000 pounds
If cotton seed be substituted ir~ N o.3 for cotton-seed meal , th en....:..
N o. 4.
Acid phosphate .. .... ............ .. ....................... . .. .... ......... .... ....... ... 900 poun ds Cotton-seed ...... ......... .. .............. ........... ....... .... .. .... ..... .. ... ..... ... 1,060 pounds ~furiate of potash.. ... .. .. ... .... .... .. .. . .. .. ..... ......... ...... .. . ..... ........ . .. 40 pound s
Total ..................................... .. ...... ... ........ . .. ................. .. :2,000 pound s
The foregoing formula s comprise the co mmercial ingredients most generall y u sed in composting or mixing at home. As already indi cated, these ingreuienL, when provided in the proportions gi1en, may be mixed with stable manure and <>ther crude or bulky home materials in any com enient proporti ons of the latter. The larger the proportions of stable manure, etc., the greater the dilution, or the weaker the resulting mixture, and a correspondingly larger quantity should be applied per acre.
EXPERDlENTATIYE FARMING.
The above formul as are gi ye n for general use. They may be varied accordin g to the particular crop, or the character of the land on which the crop is to be produced. In refe rence to the partic ular crop, we are better informed, both by the known analysis of such crop and its power of supplying itself from th e plant food already contained in the soil or in th e air, than we are in reference to diffe rent .soils. The same plant, corn for instance, always contains th e same well -kno wn -elements, in substantially the same known proportions, and always behaves ex:actly the same under th e same conditi ons. But soils dift'er very widely from each -other, not only in th eir physical condition and analysi s, but also in their chemical Compositi on.
Even where a che mical analysis and a careful physical examination of a soil has been made and is before th e eye, we cannot say in just what proportion the elements of a fertiliz er should be mixed in order to give the best result on !i given crop. The only absolutely reliable method of findin g out what elements and in what proportion they should be applied, a given soil requires in order to produce .the largest and best results in a given crop, is to apply to the soil in competitile

20

nEPARHfENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

plots or test rows the several elements combined in different proportions, sometimes suppressing one altogether.
In this way, and in this way alone, many a farmer will find bow to fertilize his land so as to get the best crops and the largest profits. It is the plan th11.t has long been adopted by th e experiment stations of this country and Europe, and! already much has been lenrned in regard to the wants of particular crops and the requirements of different soils. Fortunately this method may be adopted by th e careful and intelligent farmer. Why' write to an agricultural journal a thou sand miles away to ask if potash is required by your soil? Only a general answer ca n be obtained in a majority of cases.
The more obvioui resort wo.uld be to ask the soil whether it needs the addition of potash, by applying potash in some form to one set of rows, and withholding it. from another set alongside of the first, the other conditions being as nearly ns possible the same. The question may also be asked of a particular crop what it most. needs; in fact the same experiment will often answer both question~. If it be found that any given element increa es the yield of every one of se,eral different. kinds of crops planted on it, it may be safely concluded that the soil is essentially deficient in that elemen t.
If it be found that nitrogen increases the yield of cotton, but does not affect the yield of corn, then it is at once suggested either that the soil furni shes enough nitrogen f0r the corn or that corn does not require so much as cotton . The same is true in regard to an y nnd all of the elements of plant food. Indeed, the same principle of experimentation will apply to all the operations on a farm, and hav e long been applied to many of them. All intelligent and progtessive farming ismade up largely of experiments.
THE HOG CROP
in Georgia this year will be larger than for many years, and I regard this as one of the strongest e,idences of our returning prosperity. If fi elds of peas, groundpeas and potatoes have bean provided, the porkers are in good condition, and need ~nly a little corn to harden the flesh. If the weather permit, it i always better to kill, if possible, before Christmas, both on account of the ex pense of keeping the hogs up and because the meat, except in rarely exceptional cases, has a better chance of curing. I have found the best plan to be to b.-ill as early in the morning as possible, in order, if there are a considerable number of hogs, to get the me11t. cut out, spread and slightly salted by night. After cleaning, cut out while the meat is still warm; lay each piece to itself and sprinkle on salt; leave until morning, when all animal heat will have disappeared; then rub thoroughly with salt, and pack in boxes or barrels, joints first, sides last, using plenty of salt; cover and leave until rendy to be smoked. The following is, by all odds, th e best method in the many I hnve seen tried for
CURING RAMS.
Trim smoothly, avoiding gashes in the flesh; take off the feet lit the bottom joint below the knee, and also the small bone that connects them; trent with salt the same as directed for the other meat. After packing in the snit allow the hams to stn nd for a cay or two to draw out the blood. To each one hundred pounds of ham use eight or ten pounds of salt, two ounces of sal tpetre, two pounds of brown sugar, one ounce of red pepper dissolved, or seve ral doze n broken pods will

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-DECEMBER.

21

answer. To these ingredients add fou r or five gallons of water, mix thoroughly

and pour ove r the hams, whi ch must be previously packed in tight casks or barrels,

allowing the brine ju t to cover the barns well, and place a weight on top to keep

them under. Before pouring it on, to be su re that the brine is strong enough, see

if it will fl oat an egg; if not, add more salt. L et th e hams remain from four to

six weeks in this brine. nn d then bang by th e ,kin at the end of the leg and smoke

gently for StoYeral weeks with green hickory \l' uoduntil City and brown. In March,

before tb e flies start, and choosing a windy day for the work, take the hams down,

and , lest th e fl y may hav e deposited eggs, scald each ham and place in the wind to

dry; t hen wrap in paper, and if bay or straw is convenient, as a more perfect

protecti on, wrap this al so around, tiein g into place. Then put the hams into bags,

pack down , tie up and bang in that position until needed. Since trying this recipe

I have nev er used any other, and the baco n is fine enough to tempt an epicure.

The chines and shoulders may be treated similarly if desired.

'

I trnst the d~ty is not far distant when, as of old, th e festive " bog killing " will

:!dd its pleasure to the Christmas cheer of every farmh ouse, and the farmer, with

his familv and friend s, enj oy the toothsome sparerib and backbone. H ome-raised

bacon will th en perform its rightful part in building up our fallen ilrtunes.

Throughout the State may Ch ri stmas bring peace and happiness, and may the first

of Jan uary daw n 0n a bright and hopeful N ew Y ear.

R. T. NE. BITT.

JN(.2 U IRIES A SWERED.
We have recently had a nu mber of inquiries in regard to g rowing <nions for market. The foll owin g from Mr. W. ~'. Massey gjves a condensed reply to these in quiries:
" F orm erl y it was thought that in the South it was essential to success to treat the on ion as a bienn ial plant, growing small bulbs or sets one season to be planted for the matured crop the next. This notion retarded the cultivation of onions on a large scale, since thi s expensive mode of culture could not compete with the growing of th e crop direct from the seed, as was a! ways practiced at the N ortb. But of late years it bas been dem onstrated that it is as easy or easier to grow onions from seed in the South than in the North. The only cases in which it may be best to use ets are when growers are int11rested in the early crop for shipping green in bunches early in the spring. F or this purpose the sets are rather more certain for fall planting, as our autum n weather is apt to be dry and interfere with the proper gP.rminati on of seed. But if the seed can be gotten up well in early October we would prefer seed so wn to planting of sets, even for the P.arl y bunching crop. For the main crop of ripe onion s seed are g reatly to be preferred to sets, as we produ ce in th is way a much more handsome bulb and a better keeper. There are two methods of growing the crop, one by sowing the seed directly where the crop is to be grown, the other by sowing in a frame under glass and transplanting later to th e open ground. Good crops cnn be grown by both methods, but usually the tran splanting meth od will g ive larger oni ons, but this will not be the case with all varieties. The transpl anting method is particularl y adapted to the Span ish and Italian sorts. When it is intended to tran splant the on ions, we sow th e seed

22

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

in a cold frame in January. By the middle of February th ese will be large enough to transplant, which is done quite rapidly by making very shallow furrows with a marker on well prepared soil, and placing the little plnnts nil along on one side of the furrow, raking the soil from the opposite side on their roots and pressing it with the foot. It is important that they should be set quite shallow, only barely covering the white end of the nascent bulb. When the seed are sown where the crop is to be g~own, we defer until the groun d can be put in good order in F ebruary or March (or in the mountain country in early April ). The value of the crop depends upon the rapidity with which it is grown. Therefore we must not be at all chary with fertilizers. Mellow andy loam of a le,el chamcter is best, and we would use a complete fertilizer with not less than four per cent. nitrogen at th e rate of 1,500 to 2,000 pounds per ucre, one-half to be put in broadcast and onehalf in furrows under the rows. We would lay out the tows with a one-horse turning plow, as closely as ca n be worked by a mule. In th ese furrows scatter the remainder of the fertilizer and plow a furrow from each side over the first one, thus making a ridge or bed. Flatten down the centre of the beds with a garden drill. When the crop is to be cultivated by band we would so w all the fertilizer broadcast, mark out the rows with a garden marker about twelve to fifteen inche apart and run the drill on those lines. When labor is plentiful it will pay with this heavy manuring to plant close and cultivate by hand. Land for onions should not be changed so often a for other crops, better crops being secured after the land has been in onions several years. But there must be no let-up in the hea,y manuring, and it is a good plan to so w peas, to die down on the land, as soon as the onions are pulled. The Italian onions grow qu ickly and to a large size, but are nearly all of them poor keepers. Therefore, when the crop is to be kept for winter use or late sales, the northern sorts should be grown. W e hElve found the best varieties of the ltaliun sort to be the Queen, }1ammoth, P ompeii and Giant .Rocca. Of the Northern sorts the Southport, White Globe and Yellow Globe Demers are best. The Prize Taker onion is particularly adapted to the tran splanting method, and makes the big yellow onions, like the Spanish onions often seen here in crates. The White Southport Globe is our favorite for a keeping onion. To grow sets for fall plan ting select a piece of land of a sandy character and of only medium fertili ty. Do not so w the seed until late in April. Then sow in shallow furrow s at the rate of twenty to twenty-fhe pounds of seed per acre. Sow in broad rather than narrow furrows, making the row as broad as you r band and the seed as thick as they can lie, Keep clean with hoe, rake and fingers, and when ripe take up in dry weather siftin g th e soil away, but leaving the dead tops attached until planting time. The White Pearl or the Queen is the best for this crop. The smaller the sets the higher prices they will briug.
T o keep onions, pull them tiS soon as they are ripe. Sun them for a day , but do not allow any rain to fall upon them. Cure them in the hottest place you can find under cover. I usually spread mine in a loft under the roof. After two week. they should be put in a cooler and dark place. A dark room with slatted shelv ing is the best, so that they need not be piled deeply. Keep the room as cool as possible. Even if they get froz en in winter it will do no harm , provided they are not handled while frozen. But on ions should only be kept here for the home market, since we can always re11lize better prices by anti cipating the Northern crop and selling in June and July. Potato onions make no seed, and, of course,

SUGGESTION A ' D INFORMATlO -DECEMBER.

23

::are always g rown from sets planted in fall. Th ese come in as th e earliest ripe -onions in the mark et and must be sold at once, as they are bad kee pers. Tree onions, or top onions, form a bu nc h of small bulbs on top of the ste m by the -abortion of th e fl o wers. T hese bul blets separated make sets fo r pla nting. Th ey make a rank, stron "' onion, not very saleabl e.
F EE ill:>"G H ORSE .
The large number of work anim als that di e an nually from the re ult of im.proper food , or food improperly admi nisterod , mak es th e stud y of proper meth ods .of th e greatest importnnce to th e pa instakin~ fa rm er.
The folhnving fr,>m a bulletin of th e L ouisiana Experim ent S tati on contai ns interesting information and so und adYice on thi s subject :
Th e stomach of the ho ~se is ve ry small in compariso n to t he size of the a nima l, -'llnd the digestion very rapid and effectiv e. The horse, having such a small stoma ch .requires to be fed frequently in order to supply th e demands of th e system ; not beLing constructed for long fa stin g, when the stomach i o,erdistend ed and its ,powers overtaxed , it is quite in capable of performin g th e fun cti ons of digesti on . This theory accounts for th e greater mortality among t horses and mules from flatulent colic and inflammation of th e bo wels than any other class of disease.
The most important Cll nsiderati on th en for all o wn ers of workin g stock is: H o w .to feed them to the best ad,antage and to get them to perform th e largest am oun t -of work at the least possible cost.
It is difficult to say wh at is a fair day's work for a horse OL' a mule ; it depends on -circumstances, such as the distan ce to trav el, weight to draw, co ndition of th e roads .~nd the disposition of the dri,er. It is of the utmost importan ce, however, that .the condition of working animals should be watched ,ery closely, for if they lose -condition they must be either o,envorked or underfed , or hav e a bnd horse .keeper. They must have suttable work and suitable food to keep them iu proper condition. which is only produced by ba rd work and hi g h feeding, which give;; 1ton e and hardness to the mu scles, a state in which th ey are capable of performin g .the greatest am ount of work and possess th e greatest power of endurance.
If a horse is o,-erwork ed or over fed, or t he feed is insuffi cient in muscle prod ucing matter, loss of condition inevitably foll ows.
There is no eco nomy in o, erworking animals, as th ey g radually lose tone and . trength, the general co nditi on is injured, th ey beco me poor, wear out very qui ckly, <their value is considerabl y lessened, disease is Yery prevalent amon gst them and ;the owner's band is constantly in hi pocket buying fresh supplies. In large esrtablisbments it is true eco nomy to keep a few animals extra in case of sickne;;s or Ja.meness.
Very frequently the loss of condition is the fault of the horse-keeper. It is of 1the highest importance that th e se rvices of a trustw orthy, intelligent man !hould -be procured, wh o will effi ciently carry out instructions and take a n interest in th e ::appearance and well-doing of the animals under his care. A bad horse-keeper will upset the system of man agement and the wh ole of the arrangements in th e feeding.
Regularity in feeding is Yery essential. A horse should be fed at least three >times per day; for the reason previously stated, his digestiYe organs are not co n ,-structed for long fas L I don't mea n that he shottld be allo wed t hRt feed extra in

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.
amount of food than if be were only fed twice, or two-thirds more than if he wereonly fed once a day, but that th e necessary total amou nt for th e day should be divided into at least three tim es .
Many large establishments, own ing some th ousu nds of horses, divide their day'srations in four, and all that th e better. It diminishes the interval of fa sting; the animals never become ravenous, but merely appetized; they get a sufficiency, alJl of whi ch, in a very large percentage of cases, is properly masticated, digested and assimilated, and th e waste reduced to a minimum.
The question may naturall y arise here: How are we to feed our mules so often in the course of th e day du ring the busy season when th ey are in the harness from morning till night ? I'll tell you bow it is done in oth er places under similar conditions, and it was th e grave results and heavy losses from long fa sting tbut impressed upon some one the necessity of instituting some plan to obviate it. Tbeplnn is the nose bag, which can be made of some porous material with a strongbottom in it and a strap from the upper border, that can be bung over the animal's head. The driver can take his mul e's feed in this, and when he bas an oppor-tunity, such as taking his own lunch, he ca n slip the feed bag on to his mule's head and allow him to eat; if only a few mouthfuls, it will sntisfy th e cravings of hunger~ nt all events to that extent.
This large amount, which is fed by many stoc k owners at night, should be reduced at IeRst one half, for two reaso ns: It is excessive, and, ns before stated , thetime occupied in eating it must deprive the animals of so much tim e for wellearned rest which, with a sufficiency of food, th ey could enjoy, but with engorged sto machs of nnrnasti eated food they cannot possibl y be benefited to any appreciable extent by nature's calm restorer-sleep, to say nothin g of the disease such a sy tern engenders. These are no empty theori es; they are establi shed facts~ based upon actual ex perience, which hnve been proven after close observation and repented ex periments by most practical and capabl e men, wh o have the interestsof th e stock owning public at heart. Endless experiences cou ld be enumerated of men wh o hnve the responsibility of large numbers of bard working animals, and who e positions, so to speak, depend upon the co nditi on of t heir horses and theconditi on of the feed bills.
Suffice it to say, however, that the secret of success lies in the system of feeding small quantities at a tim e, and often of food co ntaining the different elements necessary for th e req uirements of the animal eco nomy.
I do not propose to enter upon the subject of the com position of food here, my object bein g more especially to direct attention to systematic feeding ; how food should be given rather than what should be gi ven. Most people lmow that all animals require for their nouri shment food containing the proximate prin ciples,. nitogenous, non-nitrogen ous and mineral, and it has been proven that the absence of nny one of them induces starvation and death. What is necessary, then , in all nutriti ve food .is that it contains these three p1'inciples in proper proportion , sothat all the t issues of th e animal body may be suffi ce ntly n ou~ished ,
In all animals water is also necessary, not only as a diluent, but as forming a co mponent part of the blood and tissues.
Th ere are differences ot opinion as to whether horses should be watered beforeor after feeding. On e emin ent veterinary authority reeom mends it before fe eding, and gives his reasons thu s: The w11tcr passes directl y through th e stom ach into-

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-DECEMBER.
the intestines in a few minutes, which he proved by giving colored water to a.
horse a few minutes before slaughtering it, when be found it in the intestines r
and be argues, if you gi ve the water after feeding , it does not leave the stomach, but dilutes the gastri c juice, and in stead of the stomach performin g its proper functions of digestion, partial decomposition of the food takes place; then follow th e co nsequences of indigestion .
.A s a rule pure water may be allowed with benefit and advantage in such quantities as th e animal see ms to require, provided he be not heated or exhausted by work, wh en it should be judiciously suppli ed in moderate and repeated quantities until hi s thirst is satisfied.
It is sometimes difficult to arriv e at what may be considered the best feed for work stock. Full rati ons of corn by itself is fattening for a time, but too laxative in its action, and should be mixed with other food materials having the opposite tend ency to counteract it. Now, beans or peas are especially valuable, as their ph ysiological action is opposite to that of corn. Given alone, beans and peas are too beating and binding, but when mixed they counteract the effect of each other.
I have here noted down a scale of feed for work h orses or mules weighing about 1,000 pounds, which can be in creased proportionately, containing all the r equirem ent~ necessary to form a good ration, viz.: Shelled corn, seven pounds ; oats, three pounds; peas, three pounds; bay, ch opped, thirteen pounds.
The ing.redien ts of this rati on are mixed together, making a total of twenty-six pounds and dividing into at least three feeds. Of course the preparation of this cale of feeding would necessitate the use of a little machinery in the form of a hay chopper, corh crusher, etc. , and all thi s chopping and mixing may seem very unnecessary and expensive, but depend up0n it, on a !urge plantation , or in fact on any place where a numbe r of work stock are to be fed , the first cost would be the greatest, because I h~tve no hesitan cy in say ing that what would be saved in feed and th e redu ction of mortality am ongst work unimals would more than doubly repay for any extra trouble and outlay.
TO CU RE HOGS.
A bog mu st be slaughtered suddenly and with as little damage as possible to such p orti ons as :tre useful. Bleeding, being of special importance, should be thoroughly and well done; hav e the water in the scald in g vat nearly 118 degrees Fahrenh eit. Wh en the hair slips off quite easily it is an ev iden<'e that the parts are well scalded. Hairs should be rem oved entirely from head, ears, fe et, snout, etc. Other parts are more easily clean ed than these. S wing the carcass up, remov ing the offal, and washing ~vi thin and without; it is best to leave it banging all night if possible. A fte rward take off the head just behind the ears, and at tbe th ree-joi nts, th e fe et. Sever t he ribs on either side of the backbone and take out the last, avoiding removing much fat with it. Next, plit the carcass in halves down th e m iddle of t he back, and cut off the ham s in oval shape and th e shoulders square; do not remove much meat with them from th e sides. Trim the hams and shoul clers nMtly, putting th e trimmings in the lard tub; thl'l tenderloin from the sides shoul d be placed with the sausage, tbe solid fat with tbe lard stock. This is beC'au se the tenderloin and sol_id fat above it are not satisfactory for bucon . Take oft' the leaf fat and ribs smoothly, and then prepare for salting. Of good coarse snit take six pounds ; sugar, two pounds; saltpetre, one teaspoon ful , tor e11cb one

26

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIC ULTURE-GEORGIA.

hundred pound s of meat. Mix toge ther th ese ingredients and proceed to ru b every piece well with the mixture. Should the blade-bone not have been taken from the shoulder, plunge a knife into the joint and fill th e cn vity with salt. Take the chin e-bone from the hams; cut down to the point and fill with salt, th e snme as shoulders. Put the meat to stock with the skin side down , sides first , hams and shoulders on top. Be careful that every piece is separated from the oth er by salt, and all portions that are exposed are also covered with salt. If th e weather should be warm and damp, it mi ght be necessary to sprettd the meat to cool o,ernight, repacking earl y the succeeding morning in plenty of salt. When the mea t htts absorbed salt, it should be well scalded for about three minutes, owing to size of piece, more or less, and then hung up to smoke. The smokeh ouse must be ,ery dark and hard wood sawdust used to make the smoke. After it is sufficiently smoked, rescald to destroy any in ect eggs that may haYe been deposited, and when perfectly dry pack in boxes with sweet, well-dried and clean hay, coYering with same material. Thi method of "curi ng " meat bas been pronl'u nced a n effectual and excellent one, with most satisfactory and permanent results.

MANURE FOR THE ORCHARD.

Is stable manure valuable to use on the orchard, or would you advi se the use of

something else?

S. B. N ., Douglasville, Gu .

In first establishing a ,ineyard or orchard the use of stable manure may be

found beneficial to promote a suffi cient growth of wood and Yine, but it is better

still to locate your orchard on land containing sufficient organic matter !lnd nitro-

gen to promote this growth without any additi onal application of nitrogenou.

matter. As a rule highly nitrogenous manures arc injurious rather than benefi-

cial to the orchard. As stated in the last report from this department, there is

nothing better for the orchard than wood a~h es, th ough it is well also to use fel-

tilizer material that will supply phosphoric acid. The best sou rce for thi - eupply

is pure rnwbon e, which will give all the nitrogen required by the trees or vines,

and in such form as will not form a small rank growth, upon whi ch th e fruit will

poorl y ripen and render the trees liable to suffer in winter.

CABBAGE WORli.

I have seen the essence of pennyroyal recommended as a remedy for cabbage

worms. Can you give me the recipe ?

H . I. L ., Canton, Ga.

The recipe is to mix one teaspoonful of the esse nce in a gallon of water llnd

spray the plants. It is said to be an unfailing cure, though nothing is said of it

as a remedy in the elaborate report of the government on this subject.

WOLF'' TEETH.

Are blind teeth injurious to the eyes of .colts, llnd should they be removed and

how?



A. N.H.

Diseases of the eyes are not infrequently attributed tv the prc. ence of th!'se

teeth, but this is an error.

The so-called wolf tooth or blind tooth is the indimentary tooth located in froo t

o.f the molar teeth and on a line with them. As !l rul e it is shed simultaneously

with th e milk teeth, but is sometimes retain ed longer. When they are thus re-

tained. should they chan ge f1om their usual st raight position, it would incon-

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-DECEMBER .

27

veniencc the animal, and where the point of the tooth is sharp may ca use soreness of the tongue or cheek. In such cases we advise their rem oval, though they would by natural action become quite absorbed. In removin g them use a pair of , mall forceps, and do n(lt punch th em out with a chi sel and hammer, as it causes the animal unnecessary pain , and is apt to injure the gums and neighboring teeth.

CUT BONE.

Feeders of poultry and hogs are beginning to appreciate the value of ou t raw bone in feeding their stock. In the <'OOI weather of winter and sp ring this arti cle is of great vaiue for feeding growing pigs and chickens, and any farmer who is feeding mu..!h of this kind of stock will do well to buy a hone-cutter and attach it to his windmill or other power, if he has any.
Cut bones are well worth what they cost for manure. They contain nitrogen and phosphoric acid, and are more valuable by far than bone ash or the ground tenmed bones sold by dealers in fertilizers. There is no reason why this materiaJ should be gathered by the bone dealers, and after steam ing to extract the glue, ground and sold as fertilizer. It can be bought at the meat markets for about three-fourths of a cent per pound , and will pay well for cutting and feeding. The , poultry and pigs will grind it for you, und their manure will be enough ri cher to repay the cost, beside whatever profit th ere may be in feeding it. It is not pleas- ant stu ff' to handle in warm weather unless cut and fed immediately.

DEHORNING.

I notice that a bulletin from the Experiment Station gives the method of dehorning. \Vhnt do you considet the best recipe to prevent the horn from coming_ in orde r to avoid dehorning Inter?
.J. L. H ., \Vnlnut Grove. The following formula is said to be a good one, and to have been u11ed with great succefs: Take 50 parts of caustic soda, 25 parts of kerosene, and 25 parts of water. Heat the kerosene and soda together, stirring vigorously, and then add the water. Take the calf at from one to three weeks old, trim away the hair around the base of the horns, then with a few drops of the mixture on the cork, which should be of rubber, rub on the first one h orn and then the other, repenting until three or four application s are made. Be careful not to allnw the fluid to run down upon the face.
VlTALTTY OF l>EED .

Please tell me ho w lcrng you may keep different garden seed and they will come

up.?

H . I. S., Oak Grove.

If kept in a cold place, and not exposed to either too dry or too damp ail >ltmosphere, nearly all seed will germinate as fre ely the second liS the first ,year, the e:-.ccptions being onions, leeks and parsnips. With other seed the limit to this vitality vnries very much with the different pecies.
Those safe on ly for two year are pens and beans, peppers, okra , sage, rhublflrb, oanot and eggplant.
Th >se safe for three years-littua, asparagus, radi sh, parsley and spinach. Safe for four yearo-cabbuge, celery, caulifl ower and turnip. Those possessing the longest vitality, and that will last from fiv e to ten years, are RJelon, pumpkin , squash and .tom.ato.

28

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

J'ARM YARD MAN U RE.

Can you give me an analysis of farm yard manure ?

J . B. T., J oncsboro.

No two samples of farm yard manure are exactly of the same com position, the

manure value depending very much on the feed used. For example, wh ere cotton-

seed meal has been used, the manure will run Yery high in nitrogen or ammonia .

The following analysis by Dr. V oelcker may be considered as represe nting a fair

average:

Pounds. Soluble selicia (selicic acid) .... ....... ... .... .... ....... ............... ....... . ....... .. 24

Ammonia (actual or potential ) ......... ... ............. .. .... .... ................ .... Phosphate of lime........ ... .. ....... .. .... ... .. . .. .... ..... . ... ... .... ... . ..... . Lime .......................... .. .. ............. ... ............ ....... ...... ....... ....... . .. . Magnesia .............. ............ .... ... ............ ....... ......... . ................... ... .

15 2-5
13 7-10
23 7-10
a 1-10

Potash ... ... ... .. ......... .. .. ... ........ . ... ... .......... .... ...... ... ... .. ................. . 13 1-2 Soda ............ :................. ... .. ...... . ... .. . .................. .. ....... .. ..... . ... . 1 2-5 Common salt. ....... ...... ......... ... .... ..... ........ ..... ... .... ........ ......... . ...... 6-10

Sulphuric acid.. .. ... ...... ......... .... . .. .... ...... ...... ......... .................. .. .. .. 2 1-3

Water ............ ..... . ...... .. . ........... .. . .................. .. .................. ......... 1323 2-5

Wood, fiber, etc................................. .... ....... . ... . ...... ............. ... 579

TOBACCO STEMS.

Will you please give me the analysis of tobacco stems and how to use them a

a manure?

H. E. 1., Savannah, Ga.

Tobacco stems will be fount! excellent as a fertilizer, especially on soils deficient in potash, and Qnder plants, such as potatoes and other vegetables requiring an abundance of potash. An average analysis of the stem! would run two per cent. nitrogen, one-half per cent. phosphoric acid, and six to ieven per cen t. potash. As they can often be purchased very cheaply, as a source of plant food they should receive the consideration of every farmer. and espe~ ially truckers near town s and cities, from which they can be secured. They can be rendered more quickly avail.able and effective by com posting them with fermenting horse manure.

CRAB uRASS.
Is crab grass an annual or perennial, and at what time should it be sown? L . M. P ., "L ocu t Grove.
Crab grass is an a nnual. We have ne\er known it sown, as there is no need of this. On plowed land there is always enough seed in the land to produce a good -crop. If the land is poor it should be manured. Should a crop of weeds come up give it a second or even a third plowing. If the summer is wet a crop can be .secured after small grain .
T his grass is v~:ry nutritious, and admits of several cuttings on good land.

EXCESSIVE SWEATING OF HORSES.

I have a horse that sweats very much under the least exertion. Can you give

me a remedy?

M. R. V.

Clipping has been recommended. There is no drug that would be of !lOY benefit.

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIO '-JANUARY.

P!GS.

What is the breeding age of pigs ?

H. S. S., lH. Vern on.

The breeding age i> from >even to eiaht month> in so ws and from six to eight

i.in boars.

The grub worm, the larva of the common May beetle, lhes in the ground three years, feeding on the root of g rasses, and, of co urse, those of cereal crops. The third year they issue as perfect beetles and lay their eggs in meadows, and also in aands containing cereals. Plowing the soil and turning in hogs is one rem edy. It tis said a thorough summer fallow will destroy them. You can neither trap nor lJ>Oison them, It is impossible to grow a crop of strawberries wh ere th ese grubs
-abound.

WHAT COMMISSIONER N1E8JU[I'T H~# TO SAY TO GEORGIA FARM-

ERS FOR THE ?t10NrH' OF JANUARY, 1894.

.

~

fPLANS FOR THE COMING YEAR. EXPERIMENTS IN FARMING, RENOVATION AND ROTATION, Sl:CCESS IN COTTON PLANTING, FERTILIZER$, ORCHARD Al\"D GARDEN.

DEPART~IENT OF AGRICULTURE, ATLANTA, January 1, 1894.
The year 1893, now numbered among the thin gs of the past, was ushered in with many hopeful and encouraging signs. Southern farm ers had more hom e raised supplies ; their indebtedness had been reduced ; cotton, their main money -crop, commanded a fairly good price ; a,erage grain crops had been made; throughout the length and breadth of the land the farmers were at last aroused to the importance of supplying humus to the worn fields ; acres upon acres of starved land were absorbing the renovating crops, more especially of peas, often of clover 'llnd grasses.
Other hopeful fa ctions were t}le reduction of the cotton acreage and the wide'spread sentiment in fav or of home raised supplies of meat and bread. . Encouraged and hopeful, our people entered on the work before them , believing that, with proper and well directed energy and econo::..1y, success would crown th eir labors. But, unpropitious seasons, short crops, the low price of cotton, and other reasons -difficult of explanation, here have precipitated a period of di spondency and disCouragement from whi ch we find it difficult to ri~e.
Let us look th ese conditions squarely in th e face. Let us frankly admit any -errora we may have made and take steps to avoid S uch future mistaloes. Let us 'lllso mark our successes, and build upon them for future prosperity. Every far m .is or should be
AN EXPERIMENT FARM.
A knowledge of the results from the State Experiment Farm at. Griffin is of :great value to the body of farmers . But soils and conditions on different farm s

30 .

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTU RE-GEORGIA.

and in difl'tJrent locnl ities vary greatly, and eve n on the same farm different ti eldso require different treatment.
Un all farm s of waning fertility-and what Georgia farm is not more or less depleted ?-it is important to know in wh at th e defi ciency consi sts, and each farmer should mak e, as it were, hi s own soil tests. Study th e req uirem ents of each crop,. Hnd then carE'fully note the effect of each applied fertili zer. It is tru e that in commercial fertilizers th ere is what is termed t he " perfect fertilizer," containing all three elements of nitroen, acid and potash.
But su ppose we have discovered that there is enough of even one of th ese elements in certain soil , or that by certain process we can d raw th em to th e surface what is th e use t>fpay ing a high price for material already within our reach ? Ex-. perimentnl pints need not be troublesome or expensive, and th ey may b!l made totell us mo re certainly than any ge neral oil test, no matte r how scientificall y .made~ of what plant elemen t the land stands most in need.
For instan ce, one plan t may be fertilized with nitrogen alone, an other with phosphori c acid, an oth er with potash, a fourth with nothing. Then combine theseelements, tw o of each, then try all three.
These experiments bea r directly _on the QQ_nJ)m icnl side of farming, be ides bein g full of interest and pleasu ic. To one who has been accustomed to loQk upon the soil as simply in ert matter. they ope n the door for a full er and broad er view~ and lead to a more cn re ful study of and more extended intfl rest in th e beautiful yet. simpl e laws of nature. T o those wh o hav e ne ver given this subject much thought~ the statem ent that twelve in ches below the surface of each average acre of land in Georg ia th e re lie at least two t ons of phosphoric acid, three tim es as much potash ~ and en ,n more than that amount of lime, is almost beyond belief, an d at once th einqu iry is suggested:
'Why buy these elements at all? 'Why not plow deep, bring them to the surfu ce and add onl y nit,.:>gen? The reply is, these elem ents are not in solubl e' form ~ the ordin ary crops cunn t appropriate them because plants do not ea t, th ey drink. Therefore, kn owing the e two facts, i. e., that the elements ran be placed in reach,. and yet the plants be unable to 11ppropriate them, it foll ow:s that our chief study should be how to put th ese important elem ents in solub le fo~11, that they may en te r into the stru cture of our growing crops. And here we hav e the broad: fi eld of
RJ:::);OV ATD' G CR01'.'
open ed for ou r in spection and th oughtful study. Our ordinary crops of corn and c0tton and small grain cann ot appropr iate these
locked up stores, but luguminous plants can . In thi s class are peas and clover. ''Vhen the roots and stem. of eith er of th ese are left to decay in the soil, th e lnborntory of nature begins at once, silently bu t su rely, to con vert the stores of phospholic acid potash and nitrogen, whi ch hav e been gathered by t'hese plan ts from the earth and atm osphHe, into a,a!lab le plant food; that is, a large per cent. of the original in soluble elements a~e put in soluble form nn cl mad e fit for plant. fo od.
FALL .A::-I D WJ::-ITJ::R PLOWING.
In former talk s I h!l.v e urged the importance of deep fall and winter plo".eng on stubble land, or on ,land wh ere there wa s an accumulation of vegetable matter to

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-JAN UARY.

3I

be turn ed und er. Recently th ere has co me under my observation an illustrati0n so pertin ent thnt I give it for the benefit of those who are still di sposed to question the wisdom of this plan. In a certain local ity in north Georgin, and, I may as well mention , situated in the hea rt of the drought stricken region ; a farmer ~began last January to turn under a broomsedge field. H e wa a new comer in that section, and when his neighbors saw him buryin g deeply, with a two horse plow, the hea,-y mat of sedge, roots and tops, they assured him that be was ruining his
land. But when th ey di sco vered that he intended to plant corn on the lund thus pre-
pared, th eir in credulity reach ed its height, and various were the prophecies of failure. In th e spring the rain s were heav y and long continued, but in June the dmugbt began , and for weeks not one drop of rain fell on th e parching plants. The surrounding crops almost dried up, but on this deepl y plowed land the corn remained green and vigorous, yielding thirty bushels to the acre, while th e 1werage yield on ndjoin ing farm s was searcely more than eight bushel s. Bear in mind that there was an ample supply of moistme absorbin~ vegetable matter whi ch was t horoughly buried, and not left on the suriace in tufts to dry out rapidly after each rain.
The weight of the deeply turned furrow held it firm ly and even ly in place, and th e vegetable matter absorbed and retained th e m oisture, ready for future drafts fr0m the rrop. Of course he placed fertili r.er in reach of the growing plants. The failure ot such ventures is too often due to the fact that the turning is improperly and hastily done, or that the land is destitute of vegetabl e matter. T here could not be equal benefit in thu s turning under a perfectl y clean fi eld having onl y a thin layer of top s<il.
J AN U ARY
In fu rm ing is e sentiall y a month of preparation and plann in g . The beginning of the year find more of other occupati ons re uming th eir regular duties, and it is a mi stake for a fa rmer to all ow cne day to foll ow another, and each to continue to find hi s plans unsettled and immature. H e should decide clearly what b e intends to do, realize the diffi culti es to be m et, and select th e best means of overcoming them. Let him keep stead il y in mind these fact : that future success in cotton planting depends on reducin g th e cost of production and on rai sing home supplies.
The fir t requires sound judgment, a knowledge of th e laws of preparation and cultivation, and a study of th e capacity of hi s land and th e effect of fertilization. During the pa t year many a farmer cult ivated land which, under most favorable conditions, was incapable of r eturning the cost of preparation, ferti lization and cultivation. If the actual cost of production for an acre of cotton is less than the yield of that acre, one-th ird of a bale, which i o. full av erage for the State of Georgia, it requires only a glance to see that th e result is on th e losing side for the farmer.
Fertilizers and labor are tno costly to be expended on land wh ich will produce only a bale to three acres. If the farmer is convin ced of this, let him resolve to leave hi s poorest lands to the kindly offices of Mother ature. Give them an absolute and entire rest, and begin th e ren ovati on process on the more responsive soils. Concentrate on th ese labor and fertili zers and manures; study plans of

32

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

RENOVATION AND ROTATION.
If necessary terrace th e uplands and ditch the low, wet spot>. An eminently s uccessful Georgia farmer ad,ocates the following:
" Sow in small gra in , grasses and clover one-fourth of all arabl e land on the farm, r est one-fourth, pasture on e-fourth , and cultivate in su mmer crops one-fourth. Alternate theie annually."
Another says: "Let the oldest and poorest and most gullied lands lie out for the prese nt until we can get to them in r egular order. On the best acres plant co rn , oat and cotton; follow the oats with peas and save the Yines for buy ; follow the peas with cotton, u ing the most prolific Yarieties, and fertili ze liberallyy foll o w the cotton with cor n, ndd more manure, and then oats again. Every year a little m ore of th e outlying or poorer lands may be taken into the system of renovation and improYe- m ent thus inaugurated. Let these addition s be so wn in small grain and then peas, then cotton, then corn as before. ' Th e question of suitable fertilizers should now be decided. .r umerous inqumes have been recei,ed at this department, and there seems some di ssatisfaction Rnd some complaint as to the grade of goods sold in this State.
THE PRESENT STANDARD
of 10 per cent. of available material was settled upon , after cRreful study and mature deliberation, as the proportion best suited to the generality of our lands. It is an axiom in agriculture that the ri cher the land the more fertilizer it will bea r. ..On our worn fields exhausted of humus, it is 11 ha zardous undertaking to apply "brge quantities of highly CO!lce ntrated fertilb:ers.
But this is a point each perso n must decide for himself, keeping in d ew the fact stated aboYe. If he wishes th e e senti a! elements of potash, phosphoric acid ,-and ratrogen Combined in different proportions, he Can haYe it d one at the fnctory. Or, better still, a number of farm ers cRn combine, purchase u car load of mate~al :and themselve mix in the proportion s, which, after car eful study, tb ey decide that .their lands most need. 'l'hcse ingredient are guaranteed, and th e farm er, with hil; :scales and rich scraping from lot and fen ce corners, can save th e cost of both freight and manipulation, and then knows exactly what he is using.
OATS.
In th e more south ern portion of Georgia it is well t o so w oats in January. I have seen Yery fine crop! raised from such sowings. In ,iew of th e ftlct that a Iar~e portion of the corn crop was cut off by drought, it would be ach isnble, where practicable, to so" largely of small grain, and Inter of mill et, and such other food crops as will supplement this deficien cy.
A GOOD GARDEN
I! an important auxiliary_in the economical management of the farm. Those who would enjoy its benefits during the coming year nntst begin to prepare for it now. If the manure has not already been di stributed 11nd plowed under, no time is to be lost in doing this, remembering that a garden can scarcely be too "rich." If the manure is coarse, coYer deeply; if well decomposed, !hallow co,ering is best. High culture is the only system t o be pursued in the culture of Yegetab1es. Good

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-JANUARY.

33

seed, dee p and thoro ugh breaking, plen ty of manu re and rapid culti>ation , are essentials. The plots for Irish potatoes, buds, ea rl y corn and cabbage should be put in conditi oR for p'lanting, so that when the proper time in F ebruan arri ,es th ere will be no delay.

-of trees and vines and shrubs, if not already accomp lished, should be finished this month. Cut out all dead wood tt!k! out unnecessa ry stems and shorten branches that are too long. Don't prune too aeverely, as this will diminish the yield of fruit, but cut with judgment and care.
FRUIT TREES
should have suitable quantities of potash supplied to the soil in which they grow, if not already there. A good plan with young trees is to draw the soil awny from the upper roots until they are nearly exposed, scrapi ng away any borers that may be found. This, however, shou ld be done in November. In J annary bank fre h wood ashes around the stems, and later draw the soil back to th e tree. I n supplying potash spread around the tree for so me distance; the rains will Cll rry it to tlie r oots.

I "QUIRI ES ANSWERED.

TEOS!'NTE.

Can you give me any information in regard to teos inte as a forage plant ? J . L. Z., Conyers, Ga.

T eosi nte is a tropical plaBt closely resembling corn. It suckeri! or tille rs to a remarkable degree, and is a rapidly grow ing plant, with fifty suckers sometimes springin g from a single plant, and in warm climates attaining a heigh t of from ten to fifteen feet. In this coun try , exc~tpt in th e extreme southern portion, the seasons are not long or bot enough to permit it to seed. While not eedi ng in Georgia, it will do well as a forage plant. It sta nds drought well, mucll better than corn, and th e yield is enorm ous in this State, ab;;ut nin eteen ton s to th e arre; stock like it, and theue is li ttle waste, as th e stalks are ,-ery !lender.
It will require one pound of seed to plant an acre, and it should be planted in r ows three feet apart and thin seed until the plants are about a foot apart.
It is said to have been introduced in this country from South America, wh ere it is perennial, but in thilo; country, while permitting more than one cutting, it must be treuted as an annual.

MANURE.

How much does manure lose by being exposed?

H . T. L ., BarnesdUe.

Vve have endeuvored a number of ti m&S to call th e attention < f our farm ers to the great loss they suft'er from not taking proper care of their barnyard manu re. Your question brings this loss pointedly to mind. E xperimenti on a large scale demoustrated that under ordinary conditions of piling and exposure duriQ g the cour!e of the summer, manure loses of its fertilizing constituen ts about fifty per cent. of its originnl value.

34

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE- GEORG IA .

A compamtive test of the value of leached and unleacbed manure conducted at th e Ohio experiment on co rn and wh eat, and mixtures of clover and timoth y, sho wed a very wid e dift'erence, and indi cated that th e marg in of profit on open yard manure is extremely small . In experiment at the Ne w York station it wa demonstrated that cow manure exposed to th e weath er lost sizty-five per cent. of it weight. There wus a los- in percentages of each fertilizing constituent, ex cept phosphoric acid, amounting in the aggregate to 2.50 per cord.
A large number of other experiments might be mentioned showing th e grent loss in curred by improper expo-ll!e.
It hns been well said that " th e true foundntion of all successful agriculture is un doubtedly th e manure pile, and when a sisted by clover and comm ercial fertilizers, roses ca n be mad e t o bloom in the phtce of th orn s ; hay can be made to grow in stead of briars and thi stle ; grain in stead of weeds, and wealth in tend of poverty ."
L et us r esolve at the beginning of the year more to hu sband our resources, and by th e use of cowpens, manure and a proper appreciation of commercial fertili zers bring our lands to n higher state of cultivation.

RAWB O ~E .A ~D STE.A)!ED B OXE.

\V e have previousl y been call ed upon to give th e difference in th e value to th e farm er of pure rawbone and steamed bone.
Th e . O!tlher n Plante, thus an s wers a similar qu -tion : This inquiry from a subscriber is a very p ertin e nt one at thi s season of th e year wh en fnrm ers are orderin g theiJ fertili zers for the wheat crop, which usually largely co nsist of bone or acid phosphate. If our subscribers will refer to the J nnuary, 1893, numbe1 of The Planle1, they will th ertl lind an article from Dr. D eChalmot, th e assistant che mi st of the department of agriculture, fully ex plaining th e different kind of bcne meal fert ili zers and their component parts, which will supply a complete answor to thi s inqui ry. F or the ben efit of those of our present read ers who may not have the January number, we would say that there is practi cally no differen ce in the percentage of phosphoric acid in raw and steam ed bon e meal. The st eam bo:1es, howe ver, hav e lost the larger proportion of their nitrogen. This loss, however, is attend ed with a gain in the availability of th e phosphoric acid, and as the phorphori c acid is the principal object for whi ch bon es are applied, the steamed ones are more valuable for thi s purpose than th e raw ones. T he loss of th e small perce ntage of nitrogen is more than counter-balan ced by the gain in av ail ability of the phosphori c ac id; at least, we think thi s to be so when used for u fall dressin g for wheat."

F ERTILIZERS RE)l0Vf: D BY 'ROP S.

I note in your reports where you giY e the am ount or the elements of plant food

removed by several crops. In ord er to practically apply your an swer l would be

glad if you would gi ve in dollars and cents th e am ount remo,ed by wheat or some

other crop.

D. A. L., Woodlawn.

In a report o ( the Pennsylvania State Experime nt Station the amount of fertil izing materials carried away by ord inary farm product is given in tabulated form. And from th ese tables th e an swer to your questi on is thus giv en :
" We learn from th e aboYe tabl e that th e farm er wh o sells a ton of hay, for

SUGGESTIONS AND l 'FORMATION- JANUARY.

35

e xample sells in thi s ton of hay fertilizing ingredients whi ch, if purchased i n the form of commercial fertilizers, would cost him about $1).10; that is if he sell 2,000 pounds of wh eat, he sells an am ount of nitrogen, phos phori c acid and potash which it would cost him $7.75 to re place in his soil in th e form of commercial fertilizers. Or, lookin g at it from a somewhat different standpoint, a farmer wh o ~e lls for example SlO worth of wh ea t sells with it nbout '2.58 worth of fertility of J1is soil. In other words, when be recei\'es hi s 810 this amount does not repre, en t the net receipts of th e transaction,for he has parted "ith $2.5 worth of hi s capitalthat is, of the stored up fertility of hi s soil-an d if he does not take this into th e .account he makes the same mistake a merchant would sh ou ld he estimate hi s profits by the amount of cas h whi ch he recei,es and neglects to take account of
stock. The doctrin e of compemating and resto rin g to out oil wh at has been rcmo"ed
;is here strikingly illustrated. The farm er, like th e merchant , cann ot encroach on his capital each year and expect the stl me protit from the next year's labors. His soil stored with th e elements of plant food con,titute his wealth, and if he succeeds be mu, t see that his soil is not de pleted of th ese elements.
SO IL .ASALYSI~.
In dew of th e many que ti ons relati\'e to th e Yalue of soil analysis in addition to what we have said on this , ubj ect, we quote th e follo"ing frorn G. E. Morro w, o f the Illinois Experiment Station:
"An examination of a soil by a chemist will sho w with great exact ness of what it is composed and the relat i\'e proporti ons of th e elements. It may show that there is evidently a too small supply of som e essential ing redient, or it may show that some substan ce or some combin ation present whi ch will be injurious to plants. In these ways such an examination may ghe most ,aluabl e suguestions a to manuring the soi: or other meth ods of impro\'ing its fertility. A chemical analy-sis, how ever, will not show with ce rtainty wh ether th e substances of whi ch th e soil is composed are in co ndition to be a,ailable as plnnt food. Often it gi ,es ,ery little help to an understandin g of wh ether or not th e soil is in good physical con-dition. The chemist is able to stat not only th e actual :mel relathe quantity -of ea h element found in th e soil, but also th e perc., ntage of thi s whi ch L soluble in water and soluble in acid . This informati on helps greatly in es timatin g the -qualit~ of each which i' probably in suitable condition to be taken up and used by plants."
After thirty-five years' stud,, of thi s question on a g reat ,ariety of soils, Professor Hilliard (Ca l. R. 1889, p. 163) con<'ludes that " in no case bas any natural v irgin soil showing high plant food perce ntages been found otherwi e thun hig hly
producti>e under favorabl e phy ical conditions, * c,; * but th e re,erse is not
true, ' 'iz., that low plant food percentages necessarily indicate low prod uctiven ess." lmpro,ed physical conditions in the latter case may more than make up for th e deficiency of plant food. " It is th en absolutely indispensable that both th e phy-i cal character, as to penetrability, absorptive power, etc., of a soil should be kn o wn , as well as its depth abo"e bed-roc k, hard-pan or water, before a j udgment of it quality, productiveness and durabili ty can be found from its chemi cal composi tion." One kind of examination is the necessary complement of the other.
The processes by whi ch soils are formed and plant food rend ered a>ailable are

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

constantly going on in the soil, so that both the ch em ical and physical conditions of soils are co nstantly changing, and freq uent examinations are necessary if weare to be accurately informed as to the chemi cal and phy>ical properties of any soil at any given time.
In actual chemical analysis only the fine earth (ne,er larger than one mm. in diameter, preferably one-half mm. according l!o Hilgard ) is examined, it being: assumed that this fine earth contains all the plant food readily or immediately available to plants.
This fine earth i submitted to digestion with acids wh ich sepnrate it into two parts-an in soluble residue, which afford, an approximate measure of the sandiness of the soil , and n soluble portion, whi his further examined.

THE GARDEN.
The Secretary of the orth Carolina State Horticultural Society gives the following calendar for January work in the garden:
" Clean up tile garden; prun e all woody plants; burn all prunings and trash ;. repair fen ces and tools ; provide poles and brash for running plants; overhaul hotbed and cold-frame; send for the secdmen' catalogues, but beware of their "novelties;" procure the latest bulletin s of the State Experiment Station relating: to horti culture, noxious insects fungi and weeds; orJer your seeds and test th em; get your seeds directly from 11 reliable seedsman, ttnd not at the nearest grocery or drugstore; consider well what particular varieties seem best su ited for your parti cular purpose nnd order these:
In the southern portion of Georgia work can progress mu ch more rapidly than is here indicated. For economy on the farm, if not for profit, there is nothing. better than a good garden, su pplying as it does an abundance of healthful food.

ALFAL}'A.

Whnt is the proper time to ow alfalfa? What character of soil does it require?

Does it make as good hay for hor e as for cattle?

G. T . W., Whitfield.

Alfalfa, or lucern, sho uld be sown in the pring. It requires a deep, rich soil, which should be naturally well drnin ed . It cut at the right time and well cured ,.

it will make o-ood food for horses but is not so sa ti factory as well cured clover.

THO)IAS SLAG.
What is Thomas Slag, and what is your opinion of it as a fertilize r ? H. I. L., Blakely.
Thomas Slag is a hi -product of the Bessemer steel process. It contains from ten. to fomteen per cent. of ph osphori c ac id, but is so afl'ected by the iron with whi ch it is combined as not to be readily availabie. At the Georgia station it i reported next in effectiveness to acid phosphate.

<.:ATT.LE llREEDl~G AND FEEDT~G.

Th e Souihe,n Planter ghes some interesting information on this subje t which. will be read and appreciated by farmers:
For se \eral years past th erP. has been going on a gradual, but neverthele s certain and sure, diminution in th e number of range cattle, and an absorption of theranges in to enclosed farms. As this has prog ressed, the value of the beef has.

SUGGESTIONS AND JC\'FORMATION-JANUARY.

37

risen , until now it stands, on the average, more than one dollar a hundred high er thnn n year ago, and nenrly two dollars per hundred hi gher than two y<>ars ago; and yet, at this ad van ce, there is no oversupply of the b.est animals. We see no reason to suppose that thi s oversupply is likely to be forth coming for sometime, on account of th e fact that for many years past, owing to low prices and the co mpetition of range 5tock, the farm ers throughout the cou ntry have neglected to keep up t he qunlity of th eir herds by breeding to pure-bred bulls.
In addition to thi local scarcity, there is now superndded the certainty that th ere will be a large export demand for Europe. Owing to the failure of the hay and fodder crops on that continent, thousands of cattle, and even horses, are being slaughtered to save t hem from starvation. In England, half-fed beasts are being ru shed into th e market and sold for what they will fetch. With such a prospect, why should not our Southern farm ers give attention to this business of breeding and fe eding ? W e have the grain, the cotton seed, and the fodde r to bring up and feed the stock, and it is certain that th ese ca n be fed to pay a better price than to sell th em on the market. Besides all these advantages, we are close to th e great markets of the East and the North, and nellr to the poir.ts of export. Another adYantage to be gained, and that not the least, is th e improvement to be made on ou r farms by the manure which is mad e by feed ing stock. Thousands of dollars now spent in buying fertiliz ers can be saved, and yet th e fertility of th e farms be not only conserv ed, but in.creased. Recently a farmer from Piedmont, Va., came into thi city on hi way home from Philadelphia.
He called to pay for some farm anpplie. , and pulled out a pocketbook, wadd ed to repletion with currency, containing many hundred dollars. The merehant had the curiosity to ask him how he came to be carry ing about so much money. H e replied : "I am just on m y wny h ome from Philndelphia, wh ere 1 hav e been to sell the cnttle I fed last winter and sprin g, nnd this mon ey is th e proceeds of my sales. In addition to this,' he said," I have sold n heavy crop of lambs thi s pring at four dollars and"' hnlf per bead in the fi eld , and have a rich farm tpon which I hav e j ust harvested t he largest wheat crop I ever grew, and I have not paid, and do not owe, a dollar for fertilizers . I make mine at home by my cuttl e and other tock." Now, why ca nnot this be the position of more of om farm ers? It an, and we nrge tbnt it shall be.
BERllUDA A)iD WIREORASS.
Th ere is a raC: ient differen ce betwee n Burmuda and wire grnss whi ch Southern Culti va to1 thus explains : Bermuda is a low, creeping gras;, rooting at the joints of the en us cynodo n. Wiregrass belongs to the genu s ari steda, of whi ch th ere are nine vnrieties. It is a dry, hnrsh perennial grass with narrow leaves.
r'ROli THE EXPE RIM E :ST STATIO~ S.
In an experi ment co ntinued through three sea ons at th e Utah station a comparison i made of deep and sbnllow tillage and no tillage for potatoes. The average of du plicate plats for three yen rs gives the y ield oflarge and small p otatoes on hullow till ed plats as 206.38 bu she ls per acre; on th e deeper till ed plats, 205.87 bushel;:. and on th e untilled plats, 186.7 bu shel .
J. \V. Sa nborn, dire tor of the Utah stati on, reports that two year;;;' experiments in sowin g onts nt different date. howed n mark ed advan ta ge in early sowin g.

DEPARTMEKT OF AGRICULTURE- GEORGIA.
W. H. Caldwell, of the Pennsyhanin station, recommends us of mot promLe the following potatoes: Freeman, GrPen l\lount!iin, Burpee Superi or, Ben Harri son and l\Ionroe County Seedling.
L. R Jones, of the \'"erm ont station, ad d ses the hot water method of treating oats seed, not only for the immediate benefit, but for the eradication of -111ut from future crops.
Experiments bearing on the tw o methods ot tilling and check rowing corn were made in 1891-92 at th e tah station. Corn checked. tilled both wnys and not hilled, yielded, 39.64 bushels per ac re; chec ked and hilled both "ays, 36 bushels ; checked , then till ed and hilled on e wny, 42.84 and 43.5 bushels; dril!ccl nnd tilled one way, 43.5.

CO L1ISSIOKER'; TALK FOR FEBRUARY.

EXPERD!EXT IX FAR)!I:\(;, REXO \'ATIOX AXD ROTATIOX, SUCCE>l' IX COTTON PLANTIX G , FERT!l. I7.ERS, ORCHARD A :\'D GARDE::>.

DEPART:UE.'>T OF ACRICULTl:RE,
ATr.AxT~,, GA . , February 1, 1894.
In January the careful farmer has carefully mapped out his plans for the ensuing year, and ha,ing begun promptly to execute them, the present month should find him well ad,anced in his preparations for planting. The exceptionally dry fall and early part of the winter have been favorable to the deep plowing so important at this season. Where the stubble rom peas , roots and stems, grass sod, clovE-r, or the natural growth on the land has been turned under, a supply of available plant food is now, by natural processes, being manufactured for the coming year's crops, more or less valuable as the growth turned under is rich in the necessary elements and easy of decompo&ition.
Let it be borne in mind that the peas and clover are the only agents among those mentioned which haYe the power of appropriating and depositing the free nitrogen of the atmosphere, which fact should be remembered in selecting supplementary fertilizers for each crop.

TilE NEEDS OF E .\ C II CROP

.should also bear an important place in our calculations. \\-e know that cer-

tain plants do well on certain kinds of soil, and that on special artificial foods

\

they also thrive; and that on others they do not reach the full measures of

their powers of growth or yield. The soil, if deficient, must therefore be

l

prepared for their growth by supplying what is lacking. \\e also know that. judicious and abundant manuring will enable the soil to arow almost any crop, and that this soil will, in succession, yield fuller crops if these crops

be so varied as to extract from the soil, one after another, the several different

I

elements it is known to contain.
THE LAND GROW .' ICK

of one crop, but in the hands of the skillful farmer it can be made to yield

successhe crops, and at the same time its deficiencies be so supplied that it

will be kept up to a high degree of productiYeness. In establishing

SUGGESTIONS A o 11\ FORMAT!Ol\-FEBR UARY.

39

A.N ARTIFICIAl, ROTU' lOX
of crops we but follow the precedent which nature has set for us . How often do we notice that where an oak forest once stood the pine saplings take its place. All over Georgia the "pine thickets " attest the localities ,,-here ma jestic oaks once reared their heads. By following these sig r1s , which nature sets up for us , we may, i~1
)lAN !i RlXG FOR fWE C lAI. C ROP. ,
attain a certain degree of success without the aid of science, but if we would learn the shortest, most simple, most economical, and at the same time the mo~t perfect processes, we must accept the h elp which scientific principles offer us. With this end in view we should lose no opportunity of studyin the agricultural la ws of cause and effect, and of making practical application of the knowledge thus gained. The experiments at the various experiment stations bear directly on these problems, and are of inestimable value to the thinking farmer. They throw light on questions as to feedin g, fertilization, composting, rotation, reno1ation, which he being often hampered by unfavorable surroundings, has not the time or the means to investigate for himself. For instance, careful experiment has demonstrated that in six months horse manure, thrown into a loose pile and exposed to the weather, will lose onehalf of its fertilizin g qualities. Cow manure thus exposed lost t11o-thirds; mixed with other ingredients , of which muck was the leading constituent, the loss was not q uite one-third. I refer to these facts again because the present imperatile need on most farms is more care in gatherin g and conserving these precious elements of fertility, which , through carelessness and improper methods, are allowed to waste.
Experiment has also shown that the value of barnyard manure depends not so much upon its actual elements of plant food, these having been shown by analysis to be comparatively small, as upon its effect upon the physical condition of the soil. It improves the mechanical condition of soils both light and heavy, and induces fermentati1e changes by which latent plant food is utilized. It also draws the water in the soil towards the surface, thus adding to the supply both of water and food to the growing plants.
At the Xew Hampshire station the following experiment was tried : Three acres were set aside. On one the lot manure was spread and plowed under in the fall. On another it was spread in thl3 fall and allowed to lie on the 1lurface undisturbed. On the third it was spread in the spring. In summing up results it was found that the largest yield was from the acre on which the manure was allowed to remain on the surface during the winter. Again, .some interesting experiments at our Georgia Experiment Station go to proYe that the time and the labor expended in mixing and fermenting cotton seed and other materials before applying to the soil could be better employed, as this plan causes no increase in yield o1er that in which cott:m seed and other materials were applied to the soil separately.
But conditions vary, and while these experiments are valuable in a general sense, their promulgation should not prevent individual experiment, if possible. Neither are these experiment stations to be considered iron-bound

40

DEPARTMENT OF AORICULTURE-GEORGIA.

rules, but as furnishing data, as it were, by and from which each man canwork out his own conclu. ions.
As evidence of what pluck and energy combined with careful observation.
and experimentation can accomplish, the success of Mr. George 'V . Truitt,..
of LaGrange, furnishes an illustrious example. He has been phenomenally and pre-eminently successful. He says, "I have raised one hundred bushels. of oats on one acre ; one hundred and twenty-eight bushels of corn on one acre; four bales of cotton, 450 pounds each, on one acre." In regard to his . methods he says: "There are many who belteve that in clay there is no fertili~y. I would ask them, why such luxuriant vegetation on railroad embankments, from dirt originally twenty feet under the surface? My conviction is 'lucerne rooted,' that just as deep as deep as you turn your land, just. that deep will your land grow rich."
Surely, if one man can by industry and system bring up one run-down
Georgia farm to tl.is high degree of productiveness, others, seeing his succees, can grasp the same means and push forward to independence.
One advantage the farmer has the present season, of which he has been . deprived for several years, is more easily obtained and more steadily settled labor. This is one result of the general hard times, high meat and low cotton. Where indifference as to hiring once reigned we now find anxiety, even eagerness, for employment. This is no small advantage, for with our class of field laborers it is not an unusual occurrence for the Christmas jollifications. to extend fal' into January, and to obtain regular or steady work becomes a difficult undertaking until the last of the month or the first of February. I believe it is my first experience since the war in which the plows were an ready, man, mule and implements, for a start the first day of January. Since that time we have had much bad weather, often
TOO WET TO PLO W.
Plo"ing when the land is too wet is a mistake to be ca.refnlly guarded against. One error in judgmect here will cause trouble through the entirecrop season. A rule familiar to most experien ced farmers is not to plow land when a handful of the soil pressed together remains a compact mass . When. too wet for the plow to be at work there is always something to be done in the way of repairs-fences, ditches, terraces, fence corners and spots overgrown. with b riars and bushes, all to b e put in order, compost to be hauled anclt spread, and, when the rains are too heavy for outdoor work, tools to be overhauled and put in working order, plows made ready in order that no time may be lost when the sun is shining and work in preparation or cultivation ispressing. In this matter of farm implements farmers should be on the alert,. and as far as able, invest in well tested and improved plows, harrows and necessary farm machinery. In the one item of feeding, a good feed cutter will mora than pay for its price in one season, and by its use much valuable material, which is otherwise wasted, can be utilized for food and consequently for manure .' A reliable cutaway harrow, besides put.ting the land in better order for the plow, is the agent by which every particle of vegetable matter left in the soil can be made to do duty in producing another crop. It is these lessons of economy in small things, in laarning to judiciously invest in order-

SUGGESTIO ' S AND INFORMATION-FEBRUARY.

41

to reap larger profits, that we all need to sturly . On the subject of economy our farmers could learn a most valuable lesson from our fertilizer industries. On almost all ordinary farms the most valuable manurial elements are allowed to waste. :Much that could be saved and applied with profit, becomes valueless from neglect. On the other hand, the fertilizer factory gathers refuse, apparently worthless material, and converts it into valuable manurial agents.

OATS AND GRA S AND CLOVER.
Xow is the time for sowing the spring oats, better than in January, as there is less risk of kiHing. The land should be well prepared and liberally manured. .'ow an early variety of seed and don't stint the quantity. Remember that the spring crop bas only a short time to mature, and should be given every opportunity in preparation, manurintz, in quality and quantity of seed, to produce a heavy crop.
Grass seed and clover also should be sown now. .Orchard, tall oat, rescue, red top and Bermuda all suit our climate and soil. Plow and barrow, then sow the seed and roll. Do not plow or harrow after the seed are sown; simply pass a heavy roller over the surface. It is best to prepare the land for this purpese, but if preferred the seed can be sown on growing grain crops If the latter plan is chosen run a light barrow over the grain, sow the clover or grass seed, and roll. Where the seed is sown with a grain crop the better plan, howeYer, is to sow in the fall after the oats or wheat is put in, sow the
grass seed on the freshly harrowed surface. By this plan, with favorable seasons, the oat crop and two heavy cuttings of nati\e grasses have beentaken from the land during the summer or fall, before leavi ng it in the permanent possession o the sown grass.

IN THE GARDE:\ .

Seeds of nearly every plant grown in our climate may be sown this month,

either in the open ground or in cold frames; but it is not desirable that the

more tender varieties should be sown unless one has well constructed cold

frames or other ample means of protection in case of sudden cold. In the

latitude of ::\Iiddle Georgia, Irish potatoe , beets, cabbage, lettuce, carrots,

leeks, onions, English peas, turnips, spinach salsify and corn can all be

planted. In selecting your seed potatoes get the very best, and use only

those which you have found adapted to your soil. If yomown seed from the fall

crop do well, use them, of course; otherwise the Eastern seed are the best.

In closing I wish to mention that among the hundreds of letters received at

the department, the most cheerful and hopeful are those written by fanners who

raise their own supplies and diversify their crops. The tone of these letters

is in marked contrast to others, breathing dissatisfaction and distrust because

of the high price of proviooions and the general unprofitableness of farming.

In both I find strong proof oi my oft-repeated assertion that the bed-rock of

successful farming is, raising home supplies and rotating and therefore diver-

sifying crops.

R. T. ~ESBITT.

The French farmer bas learned that raising sugar beets increases the yield of the land. The process is an indirect one . The refuse from the beet roots enables him to keep more stock, and their manure improves the soil.

42

DEPARTME!\T OF AGRICU LTU RE- GEORGIA.

OTHER INQ IRIES,
1\' H!Cff AH E A ~ S WERED B'l SO )fE OF OUR EXC'ITAK G E ,' .
The following inquiries and answe rs are taken from the outlwn Cultivator and Di:r:ie Fa1'1ner:
GROL' KDPEA S .
I have a barrel of groundpeas, left over from last year's seed. \\' ould they do well for planting this year? Will b e thankful for an answer as soon as possible.
It is not likely that the peas are suitable for planting this year. They easily become rancid, which condition can only be detected by inspection. If not rancid, they will answer.
GHA SS ES .
l. Please tell me all about burr clover, when and how to plant it. I want it for grazing . My soil is shallow with stiff clay subsoil.
2. What grasses would you sow for a general pasture ? H ow would the clover do to mix with some of the grasses in Panola county?
1. Burr clover (medicago denticulata-medicago maculata ) is a natiYe of the Mediterranean region, which has been naturalized in most warm climates. It is widely distributed in California, whe1e it is considered of great value. It was :first introduced into the Southern States by the late Bishop George F. Pierce in 1867, and planted at his home in Hancock county , Georgia. In Mississippi it has been grown by Mr. Edwin C. Reed , of Meridian , who states that it is all that could be desired as a winter and spring pasture. \\Tith stock it is an acquired taste, and they will not eat it when more palatable plants are offered. It is a good renovator, and while au annual , reseeds itself, if not pastured too late and too close. The burrs make it very objectionable as a pasture for sheep. To sow, prepare as for common clo1er, and sow twenty pounds of clover seed to the acre early in the autumn.
2. It will be difficult to get a pasture that will answer for both winter and summer. For summer pasture, Bermuda and crab grass are the best. Red clover is valuable in earl y spring and autumn. On northern hillsides herds' grass will gi1e a fine summer pasture . \\rhite clover is exceedingly ,-aluable for certain kinds of stock , but like red cl01er, after the maturity of the seed it salivates horses.
For winter pasture, meadow oat grass, orchard, blue and fennel grass, or wild r ye and rye and white clover. One bushel of orchard, meadow oat and wild ryE> each ; four quarts of blue grass, red and white cloYer. This is the compound given by Howard in his _fanual of Grasses . 3Ieadow oat and orchard thus will do well , if latitude of Panola county is hi oh enough, b ut we are not familiar enough with the soil to say whether clover will do well or not.
D! PHO I'l~ G LA~D.
Please let me know how corust9lks compare with pine straw for a stable; also which will be the better fertilizer. I can fill my stable with cornstalks about as quickly as straw, and it makes a good bed after a few days. I am after something to improve the land.

SUGGESTIONS A:ND INFORMATION- FEBRUARY.

43

The yalue of either pine straw or cornstalks as a fertilizer is more in bettering the mechanical condition of the soil by the organic matter supplied, than as a direct source of the elements of plant food. Where u:ed in the stable, the readiness with which they absorb the liquid manure must be considered. While not making so good a bed, the stalks decompose more rapidly and therefore produce a better mechanical effect, and we regard them as a better absorbent, and for this reason would improve your land more rapidly.
H 0 \1" TO CO:UPO ST.
Kindly answer the following in your next issue: 1. Don't yon think the following formula a good fertilizer for cotton, when omposed in the order named: 900 pound!! of stable manure or 900 pounds of swamp litter, 200 pounds acid phosphate, 100 pounds kainit, 900 pounds green cotton seed, 200 pounds acid phosphate, 100 pounds kainit-? 2. Don't you think there is too much potash and not enough nitrogen? How may I lessen amount of potash !Uld increase nitrogen? 3. Is 500 pounds to the acre on poor land the first year a sufficient amount? -L Can you give me the chemical elements in well rotted swamp litter? 1. If we are to understand that the applications of material are to be made in bulk in the order named, we do not consider it a proper method of composting. In making a compost, the material should be distributed in layers through the pile. As a compost, your manure on. this formula does not contain a sufficient amount of phosphoric acid, and the amount of this element should be increased by an additional amount of acid phosphate. For ordi nary worn land we do not consider tbat the formula giYes an extra amount of potash. The amount of nitrogen, if you wish to increase it, is added by putting in more cotton seed or cotton seed meal. 2. To reduce the potash, use less kainit. 3. 'Ve consider 500 pounds a sufficient quantity on poor land; much more fertilizer can be successfully used on poor land than on rich land. -!. Swamp litter contains phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash in small percentages, with a large per cent. of organic matter. All analyses vary very greatly.

The French wine crop the past year was better than it has been in many years . The yield the present year is estimated at l ,:l25,000,000 gallons, against 650,000,000 last year.

44

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

ANclWERS TO INQUIRIES BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

RELATING TO THE FARM, GARDE N, DAIRY, STOCK RAI. ' ING, ETc.

H .\R\"EST!KG P EA S .

While I know that this is hardly a proper time for the question, still I de-

sire to know what you regard as the proper time to harvest peas, and whether

any analysis of their food ,alue at ditl'erent times of growth has ever been

made.

P. C., Lee County.

We have previously stated in these reports that as soon as the peas came to m;,tturity was the proper time. This is when the harvesting includes Yines, leaves and pods. Analysis of the whip-poor-will cow pea at five different stages of growth Yerifies tLe correctnese. As illustrative of practical and scientific study it will be noted that our farmers have almost been unhersally coa-rect in their idea as to the proper time to harvest.

PEAS .

What is a good fertilizer for peas ?

W.A.D.

The pea is a legume, and therefore does not require a nitrogenous fertilizer. The mineral elements of plant food should be supplied. These conaist of phosphoric acid and potash, all other mineral elements being found in sufficient quantities in ordinary soil. On most soil acid phosphate should be dominant, only a small quantity of kainit being required.

RED TOP.

What kind of soil is required for red top ? Will it grow on land too wet for

corn? When is the proper time to sow?

T. A. B. , Bartow County.

Red top is especially adapted to low bottoms and will thrive where the land is much too wet for corn. In seeding use two bushels to the-acre. It is not too late for you to sow now for spring mowing; that is you can. sow in February or March. When sown in the fall, September or October are the proper months.

GRA FT!KG.

How would crab apple roots do for grafting apples and pears ? Would

quinces grow and do well on them?

H. I. L., Hancock County. .

If the crab apples have sufficient suitabls roots, they could be used. v\ e would advise you too btain seedlings for grafting, as they are of more value and answer the purpose mch better. A quince and apple graft will unite, but it is not permanent, as when growth progresses it will come apart.

S WEET POTATOES .
Please furnish me with a formula for a sweet potato fertilizer. P. A. J ., Burke County.
The following would make a good fertilizer for sweet potatoes ; 200 pounds of acid phosphate, 200 pounds of cottonseed meal, and 50 of

SUGGESTIO!\S AND INFORMATION- FEBRUARY.

45

muriate of potash, with the usual percentages which these ingred ients run . 'This would give you a fertilizer running 4 per cent. ammonia, 7 per cent. phosphoric acid and 10 per cent. potash. Like the Irish pot.:to, the sweet ipOitato requires a great deal of potash.

I.!TURG U. SYL\' ESTR!
Can you tell me anything in regard to liturgus sylvestris ? J. C. l\I., Hampton.
Sylvestris is a perennial forage plant, the 1alue of which W!ftl first ascertained in Germany . It is a legume that sends its roots deep down into the earth , and it is said will enrich land more than any other crop . It has great ability to withstand severe drouths. The growth is slow for the first two years, but afterward it has produced as high as eight tons of good hay to the a-cre in a single season . If it is all that is .claimed for it, it will be found of <the greatest value in reclaiming worn lands in the South , and alt the same time providing permanent meadow and pasture.

H OLLO\Y REARTED POTATOES .
What is the cause of hollow-hearted potatoes? A. S. Y ., Talbot.~n , Ga. The cause of hollow-hearted potatoes is rich , moist ground. When soil of this character is dry early in the season, the later abundant rains cause it to t~roduce a very rapid growth of the potato, resulting in its being hollow.

OATS.

What do you regard ail the best time to sow spring oats? B. C. L ., Baldwin County.
The spring oat crop is very uncertain, and fall is by far the best time to sow lia the South. We regard the middle of FebFuary as the best time to sow apring oats.
FORAGE PLANTS.

Which will generally yield the most fora ge per acre millo maize or kaffir

-corn .

H. M. T., Madi8on County .

While we have made no accurate experiments 011 this subject, yet the ex;perience of others is that millo maize will make about double the quantity of kaffir corn. At the State Experiment Station the Yield of millo maize of dry hay was 14,002 pounds, that of kaffir corn 6,864. These figures may be regarded as large and abo1e an average yield per acre.

P Rll':l'lNG PEACH TREES.
In my peach orchard I have fri quently suffered great loss by o,erbeariR:Jg, and would be glad if you would suggest a remedy. If I can prel'ent this by proper pruning please give me the best method.
L. J . T., Spalding County.
To prevent overbearing by pruning peach trees, the cardinal principle to be l'emembered is that the tree bears its fruit on the wood of the preceding summer's growth. In addition, a compact round head is desired as giving symmetry to the tree, strength for the future , and therefore more fn.itbearing

DEPARTMEIST OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

capacity without danger. To secure this result the young wood should be

evenly distributed , for if the ends of the branches contain all the bearing

wood, the weight of the frnit has a great leverage, and either breaks the tree

down, or necessitates the propping up of the lim bs . Every winter one-third

to one-half of the young growth un the long and stronger branches should be

removed and the shoots through the tree thinned, so as not to interfere with

each other. If this method is pursued in there is little danger of the trees

breaking with an overload of fruit.

-

ROTATI0::-1 OF C ROPS.
The value of the rotation of crops I fully recognize, but would like to know the general rules or principle upon which rotation rests.
H. -L P., Sumter County.
Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash are the important elements of plant food. They are all t.aken from the soil in varied quanti ties and proportions. One crop will demand large quantities of nitrogen, of another phosphoric acid is the dominant, while a third demands more potash. Again , there are crops, such as the legumin, which restore nitrogen while supplying the soil with organic matter so necessary to a high tate of fertility and fertilization. While the general rule is applicable, that crops demandin~ the same plant food should not follow, still other considerations enter into the rotation.
We find, for example, that parasites Jiving on certain plant s will be increased by a rotation of these crops necessitating a change to such a crop as upon which they will not feed. Again, the consideration of a clean culture crop, as preventing the land from becom ing foul with grass seed, and rendering proper cultivation more difficult, must be borne in mind. The method by which the roots feed also has an important bearing upon all questions of rotation.
From the varied matters presenting themselves, it is easily seen that even general principles may be varied, such as while one crop may consume the same elements in about the same proportion, it may be in much less quantity and by roots of so different a character as to render the rotation eminently proper. A single system of rotation is not adapted to, or the best for, every locality, and experiment should demonstrate the most successful in thiR im portant study, as well as in other questions which present themselves to the farmer.
In planning judicious rotation it is well to follow or alternate broad-leaved plants, such as clover and peas, with narrow-leaved cereals, such as wheat, rye and oats; to let pertJen<;Iicular root plants and horizontal root plants succeed each other ; to follow exhaustive plants with those that are least exhausti,e. A good three years' rotation is corn, wheat, clover; or with cotton, clover or peas, cotton, wheat. 'Vheat will, however, make an exce\lent crop after clo,er or peas.
PEA CH-B ORER.
Please inform me bow to rid my peach trees :>f borers. I am aware of the method of remoYing them with the knife, but I want to know if there is any application I can apply this spring,. and when to apply it.
L. N. T., Fort Valley.

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-FEBRUARY.

47

The winged insect that deposits the eggs from which the borer comes usually appear in the orchard soon after the leaves begin to put forth. The female deposits from 30 to 100 eggs. One or two on each tree on the base of the trunk, and as the grub of last year is the moth of this, the borers rapidly increase. 'l.'he following liquid preparations have been found very effective. They should be applied with a stiff brush thoroughly from 18 inches above the ground to four below the surface: Soft soap, 10 gallons; corrosiYe sublimate, 11-H ounces; alt!ohol, 1 pint. Dis&olve the sublimate in the alcohol and mix thoroughly with the soap. The sublimate should not be used in a quantity large enough to injure the tree. It is very poisonous, and care should be taken in having it in the house. The mixture should be applied immediately after the first fly appears, and every two weeks thereafter until they disappear. The weak grub is killed at the first mouthful of the mixture by the sublimate, and the remedy is excellent.
The other application is to mix 10 gallons of sour milk and .JO pounds of Portland cement. The cement forms a coating through which the grubs cannot penetrate. It should be applied every two or three weeks, otherwise it will crack from the growt.h of the tree, and the grubs may enter.

FORMULA FOR COMPOST .

When is good time to compost? Please give me a formula for corn and

cotton.

A. L. C., Warren County.

December and January are good months to compost, though you can com-

post later. The following formula will answer for both corn and cotton: stable manure, 650 pounds; cotton seed, 650 pounds; acid phosphate, 700

pounds.

In mixing I have the ingredients well watered and worked with hoes in small piles and then thrown on the main pile, which I fix up in conical shape and then put on a layer of dirt from four to six inches, completing the work.

COMPOS TIN G .

I thank you for the valued information so kindly given. Permit me to

trouble you this once more, for it is a question in which I am vitally inter-

ested. I haYe about I ,500 bushels of cotton seed and some good stable ma-

nure which I am anxious to so mix with acid phosphate as to get the best possible results. I was anxious to mix at the proper time to allow sufficient

decomposition, but I see from your advice that I am a little late, for January is g,.,ne, so I will go at the work immediately. ow, I would like to know

whether the heap should have water poured in when the heat caused by decomposition and fermentation becomes too great, and how am I to judge when

heat is great enough to produce injury or fire-fang. Some say insert a rod,

and by drawing it out judge by the heat of the rod, but how warm should it

be to water.

A. L. C., warrenton.

We do not think that you will be too late with your compost e,nd that sufficient decomposition will take place to obtain good results. Firefang only results when the heap or any part of it .becomes perfectly dry. Its effect i::~ to permit the escape of the ammonia, and while we are unable to give you any certain rule as to the temperature can safely say that moist heat will

I

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE- GEORGIA.
not have an injurious effect, and if the pile is kept damp no ammonia will escape. A simple chemical test to ascertain whether any loss is taki~g place is to hold near the manure a small rod that has been touched or dipped in nitrate acid. If a white vapor arises the ammonia is escaping. No loss of other elements of plant food takes place except by leaching .
RED GC!NG PHOSPHATES.
I note in report of United States Department of Agriculture, Vol. ' ., No. 2, pages 228 and 229, a method for the reduction of phosphates and for the preparation of commercial fertilizers from the same which is represented as being simple and cheaper than by the plan now in use of reduction of sulphuric acid. This new reduction is by carbonic acid. I am not able to understand how the carbonic acid is generated and controlled, neither do I understand the characters used in showing what it produced in the different stages of reduction.
This process seems to be applicable to phosphates rich in lime or carbon ate of lime. You are aware that Southwest Georgia contains a great deal of this lime phosphate rock. Here on my farm are large quantities, also on adjoining farms. This new method is also recommended for the preparation of nitrogenous fertilizers, such as hair, hoofs, horns, leather, wood, slaughter house, etc.
Now this strikes me as being something of vast importance to farmers; a pian, perhaps, that they can put into operation, h ave a mill, or buy the floats and a plant with but little cost in every neighborhood. Of course at first a chemist would have to be employed until a foreman of the works becomes posted .
I would be glad of any information from you on the subject at any time. J . W . B. , Leslie, Ga.
The department is now investigating the process namerl , and we would prefer to give no positive information on its merits without thorough study. Our casual opinion is that it will prove of great economic value and especially so to "outhern Georgia, where such large deposits of carbonate of lime are to be found .
IRISH POTATOES .
We have about twelve acres of new land being pla nted to grape vines and other fmit at Tallapoosa. We are thinking of a spring crop to plant between the rows-perhaps potatoes. " rill you please inform us as to the variety 1 mode of shipping, market., prospect of profits, etc. And can you let us know where we can get bags or sacks suitable to ship potatoes in, etc. ?
We would suggest Early Rose and Beauty of Hebron. Your location is such that you will not be able to secure the la rge profits of the early market gardener, and you would be compelled to rel y largely on home consumption and the Atlanta and Birmingham markets. Shipments can be made in bags or barrels., You can purchaee them in Atlanta.
POLICY OF SO UTHERN F AJUl.E RS.
The business policy of Sou.thern farmers is changing, according to a large number of letters from bankers in all parts of the . outh, recently published

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MARCH.

49

in the Ma nujacture1s' R ecord. The farmers are growing more diversified crops, producing more of the needed and heretofore largely purchased food supplies, thus saving some of the money formerly paid for the latter. These letters also show that farmers are doing more of a cash and less of a credit business. The farmers are paying off their debts and spending at home the money that formerly went to the North and West to buy provisions These letters say that the South is less in debt than at any other time since the war.
AGRICULTURAL NEWS A:ND NOTES.
The poultry buildings on the farm of Hon. Levi P. Morton, recently burned down, are almost rebuilt. and it is estimated will cost about $10,000. The incubators and brooders will be run by electricity, while a number of other features will be introduced which have heretofore been unknown in poultry fixings.
For the best show pea, English gardeners recommend President Garfield. We want a good table pea and as early as it can be had. Sow any of the first earlies as early as you can prepare the ground in spring on heavily manured land, and you will get peas good enough and early en<ugh.
The London Times estimates the wheat area in Great Britain at 1,798,869 acres and the crop at 46,429,407 bushels. More land is devoted to barley than to wheat, or 2,257,293 acres, and still more to oats, 4,435,944.
The peanut crop is reported light.

WHAT COMMI SSIONER NESBITT HAS TO SAY FOR MARCH.
~IONTHLY TALK WITH THE GEORGIA FAR~[ER S ON St.;BJECTS OF GENERAL INTEREST PERTAINING TO THE FARM AND GARDEN- GOOD ADVICE.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ATLANTA , GA .,Marcb 1, 1894.
The first of March finds the farmers in a most backward state of preparation. The weather bas been such , first freezing and then raining, that it bas heen impossible to plow the red lands, and even on the gray lands very little has been accomplished. There are drawbacks and hindrances to every occupation, and these are but the disappointments incident to our avocation; but when difficulties confront us
1\'E SHO LD SUM~[QN OUR BEST ENERGIES
to meet and combat them. Trials and difficulties develop and make the strong man ; they paralyze and destroy the weak. We still have much to be thankful for; the unerring return of the seasons ; the blessings of the early and later rain; the perennial hope which springs in the farmer's breast as he goes out to begin his year's work and sees all nature donning her fresh spring robe; the pleasure of witnessing the soil respond to our efl'orts, and the gradual development of the different crops from seedtime to harvest. Surely the farmer in his work comes nearest to God, and takes its results more

so

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

directly from the hand of the great ruler of the universe . How important., then, that he study to maktl no mistake in executing his part of the contract.
I hope my farmer friends have utilized these muggy days in
REPAIRING ,
as far as possible, the farm buildings and fences, and in making compost, the latter a most important factor in the farm economy. Every moment, when the land is to wet to plow, can be utilized to the best advantage in giving your farms a 'more home-like appearance, and even when the rain keeps the farmer indoors, there are many jobs in the way of mending and preparing implements, wagons, plowstocks, harness, etc ., f:.r the coming strain, which should not be neglected ; and always there are stables and yards to be cleaned out and attended to, leaves to be hauled and cattle and stock comfort<thly bedded. On a stranger the impression of a well-kept farm is beyond estimating. Even
ONE THOROUG HLYCULTI\' ATED 1 \\'KLLKEPT FARli
in a neighborhood is an object lesson to be seen and appreciated, not only by farmers, but by every passing traveler. .A.t firat it may not seem to exert any sensible influence, but gradually adjoining places begin to touch up; the lands are better prepared; more manure and of better quality is made; more
progressive methods are undertaken; a spirit ot emulation is aroused;
evidences of thrift are seen on every side, and ere long the improved condition of the neighborhood is the subject of favorable comment throughout the <:ounty.
OURS I S A POSITION OF HONOR AND RESPONSIBILIT\"1
and if we expect to fill it with credit to ourselves and families, we must fit ourselves for it as do successful men in other avocations, by careful study and by well-directed energ_v and diligence. Every moment, every hour is worth so much to us; they are not to be wasted if we expect success to crown our efforts. The slothful, indolent man, no matter in what. occupation he may be engaged, has no reasonable hope for even moderate pros perity. Let us observe the methodical, systematic energy of the successful merchant; the "anap" and vim which characterize the successful lawyer or banker. No idling in the hours devoted to business, no putting off until tomorrow the work which demands attention today.
THE FARMER, MORE THAN ANY 0~' THE S E ,
comes directly in contact with nature, and has the better opportunity of studying her in her various mootls. 'Vhy hould not he draw inspiration from her perfect work, lying all around him, and portrayed in the smallest plant, the minutest blade of grass-no detail lncking, each complete, of its kind? I understand that there can be
NO ARBITRARY R ULE
laid down by which each individual farmer is to be governed, but in these "monthly talks" I wish to make suggestions which will not only arrest the attention of farmers, but which will provoke discussion on the lines I ad,ocate. On one point

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MARCH.

5 I

WE ARE ALL AGREED,
and that is that we have to build up our lands or stop cultivating them, and that we must make our farms self-supporting. But when we begin to discuss . the plans for accomplishing these much-to-be-desired ends, we differ, because our circumstances and conditione, individual, climatic and otherwise, are such as to preclude the possibility of all working by the same rule. For instance, one farmer has a large family, many of the members are old enongh to help him in his work, and he owns a piece of good bottom land. Such a man can make his borne supplies on a few acres, and then devote the rest of his farm to the preduction of cotton, or some other money crop, which can be worked successfully and cheaply by his immediate family. Another man owns a farm, the larger part of which is so poor that until th e land is improved there is no hope for him to succeed. Common sense teaches him to try and build up a few acres each year, and cultivate only such spots as will yield some return for the time and labor bestowed upon them. Again, take the weather which has prevailed during January and February. In North and :Middle Georgia , the lands for the most part being stiff and adhesi ve, the continued rains ha,e prevented any progress in plowing. In Southern and more especially Eastern Georgia, rain has been needed for the small grain crops, and plowing is well advanced, and preparations for planting move on apace.
It is most gratifying to find from all the information obtainable at this department, from reports of correspondents, and from other sources, that in nea1ly every county, and in particular sections of some counties, there has been a marked 'improvementin the production of home supplies; that there is now on band a larger per cent. than is usual at this season, and that there is evident determination on the part of fanners to pursue such a sensible farm policy as will not only bridge over our present unfortunate condition, but gives us an assurance of future success. The blind worship of cotton is, I trust, i:>ecofning a thing of the past, for the self-inflicted punishment, whi<-h the farmers have had to suffer, has taught them a salutary lesson . Wherever the farmers are studying their surrounding and conditions with an eye to ultimate results, where they are giving more thoughtful consideration to the reasons which should control them in the direction of their affairs, good
results are beginning to be seen. They realize their past mistakes and are
applying themselves to. the task of correcting them .
TO THOSE FAR1I:ERS
who are still considering the advisability of an all-cotton policy, I would utter a word of warning. It is the farmer who has not thought to provide for his corn-crib or smoke-house until the past two months, who is suffering most to-day. llleat at 12,%' cents, with the lard pressed out, is not a very pleasant subject for the all-cotton farmer to consider, except as it may release him from the thraldom of mistaken methods and policies. And the man who expects to buy his lard, and sells his cotton seed to the oil mills under the mistaken idea that be is making a good trade, pays two or three times its value when it comes back to him in the lard at fifteen cents a pound . The selling of th e cotton seed to the merchant is all right, f0r in each ton of raw

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.
cotton seed applied to the land there is $20 worth of oil which is absolutely wasted, as the oil possesses no manurial value and cotton seed meal is the better fertilizer, but the farmer who buys his meat and lard is playing a losing game.
IF I CAN INDUCE MY FELLOW FAR:UERS
to read and discuss these ideas, even if they fail to agree with me, I will feel
that one important step has been gained, i. e., that these discussions will
bring to the front new ideas and stronger reasons for the abandonment of our ruinously false system, and the substitution of better and more remunerative methods. Of course my opinions are not invulnerable. Already I have had farmers dissent from them, and my suggestions do not a!ways receive the cordial support of my thinking friends, but I do not object to fair criticism, and the good results of such discussions will be seen later on. If every neighborhood throughout the State would reorganize their alliance clubs, with the distinct understanding that their object is to foster and build up an interest on everything pertaining to agriculture, and to permanently advance every interest connected with the farm, and permit only such questions to be discussed in their meetings, much light could be thrown on these questions fraught with such deep interest to every struggling farmer, and there would soon be a revival of that love for our country homes, once so general among our people. The friction produced by the ideas brought out in these meetings, when intelligently discussed, would have a most salutary effect upon our entire farm economy.
The fruit men, the truck men, have gained valuable aid and information from an exchange of ideas. If they can perfect an organization to protect and advertise and advance their interest, why cannot the general farmer?
I hope the farmer will study the results of the experiments made at the Experiment Station in crops and fertilizers for the past season.
I WI SH ALSO TO CALL THEIR ATTE~TIO~
to the paper read before the Agricultural Convention during its recent meeting in Augusta, which is published in this report. From this can be learned the nature of some of the duties devolving upon me as Commissioner of Agriculture . Acquaint yourselves with these duties and find out if they are being faithfully executed , and if your interest is being protected and advanced. The latter part of this paper is devoted to the ad\dsab ility of teaching agriculture in our public schools. Read it carefully, and I think you will agree with me that there are very strong reasons why it should be taught.
I cannot c1ose this article without making
AN APPEAL
for broad acres of oats, corn millet, potatoes, cane, and only so much cotton as you can produce at a profit. Ordinarily land which produces only a bale to three acres is worked at a dead loss. Think seriously before you embark in such a ruinous undertaking.
Elsewhere in this report I publish a letter from a prominent farmer which puts this question in such a strong light that nothing more need be said.
R. T. KESBITT, Commissioner of Agriculture.

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MARCH.

53

CULTURAL NOTES 0 r POTATOES.
Here is a summary of the results of experiments extending over a period of three years at the Michigan Station :
First-It was found that the seed end was as good , H not better, than any other part of the potato for planting, and, as a rule, produces fewer small tubers.
Second- As a rule medium sized potatoes cut into halves lengthwise, usinoo at the rate of thirteer.. to fifteen bushels of seed to the acre, will produc~ the best net results, planted one and one-half or two feet apart.
Third-If smaller seed is used the eyes should be fifteen inches apart, and pieces containing two or three eyes about eighteen inches. At distances over two and one-half feet the number of bills is so much decreased that the yield is lessened .
Fourth-'When potatles are cheap it does not pay to use small potatoes as seed, but wben seed potatoes are high tubers the size of hen's eg~s may be used for one year without greatly decreasing the yield. .
Fifth-Even on fairly rich soil manure or fertilizers can be used with profit. When manure cannot be obtained without hauling two or three miles, five hundred pounds of mixed chemicals or some good brand of commercial fertilizer will be cheaper to use, and will be a profitable investment.
Other items are, that as the uest depth for planting the result seemed to favor covering the seed about three inches. This seemed to be right for dry seasons. The highest yield was obained when manure was used as a mulch between the rows. While it can readily be shown that the fertilizers were used with profit, it is difficult to say which of the chemicals was most necessary. It is to be observed that tte land on which the experiments were made is repres nted as being in excellent t.ilth and of more than average fertility.

HON. R. T. NESBITT' ~ ADDRESS BEFORE THE STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
WORK OF THE AGRICULTURAL DEPART~lENT-NECE S SIT OF AGRI C ULTURAL
EDUCATIO!\.
The following address, which was delivered before the 'tate Agricultural Society, treats of two important subjects. The Department of Agriculture .and its relations to the farmers, and the necessity of particular education relating to agriculture. The object and aims of the department are set out, and the Commissioner ia anxious that those who desire to render the department more useful may be able to coo-perate with him in the work. The introduction into our school system of studies that would be of particular advantage to those who intend to engage in farming, and which would invite .others to investigate and induce them to make the farm their home, and upbuild our agriculture, is a subject of g reat interest, and which has been but Jittle agitated in the State. Few men can succeed at an occupation without possessing natural qualification or being fitted by education . Complete sue-

54

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

cess on the farm is no exception to the rule, embodying as it does in it& entirety a large and varied knowledge of scientific and business affairs. Tile farmer oi the future, with increasing population, will have to ask and require more of the soil, and must be fitted to obtain these results. The question involves the place our children raised on the farm, who shall become farmers, shall take in the advancement of agriculture in the future. We trust that an who see these reports will r ead with care and thought what is said on this-
subj ect.
THE WORK OF THE DEPART)IENT.
llfr. P.re~ident and Gentlemen of the Agricttlhtretl Convention:
In making this, my yearly report, before your society, there are two subjucts of utmost importance, to which I would like to call your attention, and I will do so as briefly as possible. The first is "The Relations of the Agricultural department and the importance of its work to the People of Georgia," aud the second is "The Relations of Agri culture to the Youth of our Land and the Importance of its Being Taught in Our Public Schools ."
In order to arrive at a better understanding of the first, I will outline the principal work of the Department since its organization, seventeen years agor leaving it to the minds of my hearers to feed on the details, and then explain its present management and the benefits which our State agriculture receives from its work. Before opening this subject, I will state that there is a widespead prejudice in the minds of average farmers against the department, arising most often from want of information as to the aims and the manner in which those aims are carried out-and it is in part to combat these prejudices and give the needed information that the present paper has been prepared.
About seventeen years ago, owing the rapidly increasing use of commercial fertilizers, there was a popular demand for some more thorough and effective means of protecting the consumer against fraud in the purchase of these goods, and at the same time promoting the sale of j!'oods suitable to our landsand to the needs of the crops un der cultivation. We all remember the beautifully prepared Peruvian guano, costing from $90 to $100 per ton, according to the distance from market; the tremendous life-giving principles it possessed, causing our crops to spring forward as if by magic, but we also remember that at gathering time the results were most disappointing. After this came the era of cheaper goods, which in many cases possessed no merit, and were prepared often with no other object that to swindle the purchaser. The results from their use were not as represented or expected, and the farmers were naturally disappointed and disgusted. Then followed garbled reports of these results made by designing salesmen to mislead and entraJ> unsuspecting farmers. As a sequel suspicion crystallized into certainty of fraud, and caused our courts to be crowded with litigation, the duped buyer& seeking by law to right their wrongs.
Our lands were deteriorating and exhausting from years of mistaken agricultural treatment, and with the consequent spirit of unrest and dissatisfaction arose the demand for an agricultural department, whose duties were defined as protective and educational. In all countries, as the population be-

SUGGESTIONS A:IID J:IIFORMATION- MARCH.

ss

comes more dense and the natural products of the farm fail to meet the increasing demand , commercial fertilizers play their part in ohin" th e problem, and with their aid comes the demand for more enlightened ag;icultural methods, and thus follow agricultural schools, agricultural colleges and departments of agriculture.
It was under this pressure, and to throw around the farmer th!'l protection of which he stood so much in need, that our legislature in 1 76 established our Department of Agriculture. New ami untr ied , it met with much adverE e criticism even from those for whose benefit and promotion it was created. All through its history it has had to combat prejudice, sometimes denunciation, and often its life has trembled in the balance. Doubtless there have been mistakes, but these are so far outnumberE:d by its advantages that we should pardon them for the sake of the great work it has accomplished in securing the farmers against fraud, if nothing else.
The most important protective duties with which the department is charged are the inspection and analysis of the tremendous amount of commercial fertilizers which annually cover hundreds of thousand3 of tons, and the sampling and testing of the enormous bulk of illuminating oils offered for sale in this
tate. :Millions are annually spent for these two articles needed and used on nearly every farm and in nearly every farm-house in Georgia.
The old system of each fertilizer inspector being a chemi st and conducting his own analysis, which was practiced during the early days when the amount of commercial fertilizers used was by comparison merely nominal, and the latter system of inspecting in bulk, have both been abolished, and our system is at present regulated on a different basis, and in its provisions for protecting the farm e r, at the same time dealing fairly with the manufacturer~, is considered nearly perfect. The analyses of the different fertilizers are published to the world, but any individual farmer, wishing an analysis of any brand of goods sold in this State, has only to drop me a line, and the knowledge will be forthcoming.
In the sampl ing and testin.,. of illuminating oils a much simpler and less difficult test is made. Under the present law the inspector is only required to make a fire or explosive test. It is not allowerl to be stored or offered for sale in this State unl ess it is demonstrated by the te>t that it will not explod e at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.. The department has n o power to apply an illuminating test, and repeaterl complaints have reached us as to the inferior illuminating qualities of much of the oil which has passed the fire test. The defect in many cases probably arises from t.he pressure of foreign matter in the oil, notably sulphuric acid, which is largely used in refining the crude oil. To meet this difilculty will require a special act of the legi lature. During the last session of that body [ called attention to this defect in the law, but in the pressure of other matters this was passed over. Until we have further le~tislation on this subject the remedy must be with the people themselves. When inferior oil is put upon you, write to the merchant from whom you purchased and ascertain the name of the company manufacturing it, and also the inllpector's name, which should be branded in plain letters on the barrel. As . oon as you ascertain these facts notify me at the department. In this way we haYe been able to have several lot~ shipped back to the manufacturers

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.
and we can thus create a decided demand for further legislation on this im portant matter.
In its educational capacity the department is further charged with the duty of collecting such farm statistics and information as, when properly presented, will aid the farmers in the intelligent management of their affairs. To say that this information will not be of value to our farmers is to assert that n o agricultural education is necessary, and to set at naught the painstaking and successful investigations of such eminent men as DeSaussure, Sir Humphrey Liebig and others. But for the patient and scientific researches of these men we would be today groping in darkness, not only as to the necessary elements of plant food, but as to the best methods of their application to the growing crops. It was only after years of perplexing experiment that Liebig discov ered that these elements, to be effective, must be in soluble -form, and .that the Yery means he had taken to hold tbem in the soil was the cause of successive disappointing crop results. Thanks to him, we now know that we might apply ton after ton of high grade fertilizera, and unless the elements of growth were in soluble form, or if there was not sufficient moisture in the soil to reo der them soluble, the plants would actually stan e to death, the elements of life within their reach, but entirely unavailable.
The department has used every means in its power, through the press and through its monthly seports, to disseminate such information as would benefit the farm er8, but until the interest in these questions i,s more widespread I feel that much of the labor is lost. The department has also contributed somew here near three-fourths of a million of dollars to the public school fund of the State, and this brings me to the se~oud branch of my subject, viz.,
AGRICULTURAL EDUCAT!O~.
"The Relations of Agriculture to the youth of our land and the importance of its being-taught in our public schools."
For my treatment of this subject I am indebted to a recent very interesting bulletin from the Canada Department of Agriculture, and from this I havtaken the liberty of quoting at length. The comparative statements I bavt collected most carefully, and their evidence is to my mind a very strong argument on the affirmative side of this most important and far-reaching question. In discussing the subject it naturally resol\es itself into three heads -
Should agriculture be taught in our public schools? Can it be taught? How can it be taught? 1st. Should it be taught? Among the foremost of the reasons for an affi rmative anSIYer and view of this question is that the large per cent, of our people who are engaged in agriculture are dependent upon it, either directly or indirectly. Kearly 80 per cent, of the people of Georgia are farmers, or are obtaining their living either directly or indirectly from the soi l, and four-fifths of the public school population beloug to the farms and l'illages. In studying this phase of the subject we must note one fa ct, that i tbl) movement citywarcls of our rural population. The farmer ' sons and daugh-

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MARCH.

57

ters are each year being drawn towards the towns, and as time moves on the changes produced by this tend~ncy are becoming more and more marked and, if not checked, will seriously affect our prosperity. Various reason' have been adduced to account for this fact, which is also true of nearly every other country, except, perhaps, France, but among the most plausible is this that the fault lies in the defective systems of education. The sy terns of edu: cation may not be the direct cause, but perhaps through them something may be done to check the exodus from the country to the towns. This tenden c~ must eventually affect our social and political life, because, as a rule, it i.s taking from the country its best element-those from twenty to forty years of age-and leaYing on the farms the old and infirm and the young and immature.
In the United States the rural population, which was, in 1790, 95.65 per cent. of the whole, was, in 1890, only 70.8q per cent. In Georgia, from 1 80 to 1890, the increase in cities of over 8,000 inhabitants amounted to over 3 per cent. of the whole population, and, i we include towns of 500 inhabitants and upwards, the increase in urban population amounts to over 10~ per cent., with an almost corresponding decrease in rural population. We can thus realize the loss to our rural districts, which becomes a subject for serious con5ideration when one remembers that we have lands to which we wish to direct immigration, and that ours is first and foremost an agricultural country.
.A gain, in!ltruction in agriculture should be given because of the large amount of capital invested in it, and because other industries are largely dependent on it, both for a market and for sources of supply. The more carefully we study t his question, the more will we be convinced that success in agriculture underlies success in manufacture, in trade and in commerce; that according to the number of persons engaged in and directly dependent on agriculture, the capital invested in it and the wealth which it adds to the country every year, agriculture stands way above any other industry in importance; and that anything done to develop agriculture, to help those now engaged in it or who are soon to engage in it, should receive every encouragement. That there is certainly a possibility of enormous improvement in crop production in Georgia, comparison with many of the other countries, such as England, France and Germany, will p rove.
From the foregoing it will be seen : 1st, that the large majority of our people are intimately associated with farm work; 2d, that the tendency is for the best element to remove from this work ; and, 3d, that the wealth and commerce of the country are greatly dependent on agriculture; three strong reasons why agriculture should be taught if it can. To answer the second question, viz: "Can agriculture be taught in our public schools?" we have only to point to France as the most progressive and advanced of all civilized nations in the matter of a~ricultural education. France has a population of 38,095,156, h er farm s are the best cultivated in Europe, and her produce per head has increased by one-half in the last quarter of a century. Let it be noted that it is within that period that agricultural edueation has become compulsory in the (her) public schools.
There are also in each of the eighty-six departments of France, besides the public schools, farm schools, apprentice schools, agricultural orphanages and other institutions devoted to agriculture alone, and in this number (!)

ss

DEPARH\IENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

we do not include the Agricultural U niversity at Paris, famous the world over for its investigations, nor the three national schools of agriculture, one of horticulture, one of dairying, three of veterinary science, two of forestry and two shepherds' schools.
It was in 18/9 that in France a law was passed compelling every normal school within six years to provide agricultural instructions for the teachers in training, and requiring the primary schools within three years to make agriculture a compulsory subject of study.
The work, it will be seen, began with the training of teachers, a step certainly in the right direction. This instruction is given by professors of agriculture, whose duties are three-fold : to instruct teachers in training, to hold conferences with the farmers, and to carry out investigations suggested by the government.
Let us examine some of the results of this system . In an interesting article on "Village Life in France and England," Rev . W. Tuckwell, an Englishman, says: " In these small farms, as in all the other holdings, we had seen the farming was extraordinarily ski!Hul. Not only was the land
far cleaner than most farms in England, * :t * but we were arrested by
the dextrous economy in laying out crops, the unexpected rotations, the use of c!:!emical manures . Thus was due, we are told, to the government agricultural college."
He concludes with the following remarkable statement, showing some of the results of the French system: "In England the owners of estates above one acre in size are about 300,000. In F1ance they are 7,000,000 . In England the average extent of a single farm is 390 acres. In France ten acres-!,000,000 owners holding properties of two acres, while farms of 200 acres are
so few that they can be counted on the fingers. * '* * In 1890 France ex-
ported about $120,000,000 worth of food; England imported $360,000,000. In sixty years 8,500,000 emigrants have left England; less than 500,000 have left France. In England the rural population is 33 per cent. of th.e whole; in France upwards of 75 per cent. In England, finally, the peasant is miserably housed, underpaid, servile, despairing; in Frr.nce he is decent, well to do , independent, hopeful."
In the French Post-office Savings Bank there are $600,000,000 in 6,500,000 deposits, an average of less than $100 for each depositor. The conclusions to be derived from a study of this question are:
1. France has found it advisable to supplement the work of her agricultural colleges by introducing agriculture as a special study into her g~neral schoo l system.
2. The work has been begun by training the teachers first, and while general methods have been prescribed, the system is sufficiently elastic to meet the varying abilities of teachers and pupils.
3. The work is, as yet, in only the first stage of development, and although all the rural children of France have not yet been reached , and the end aimed at has not yet been attained, the sucr.ess achieved is very encouraging and worthy the imitation of other nations.
C. C. James, Deputy )Iinister of Agriculture for Ontario, Canada, to whose

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MARCH.

59

yaluable paper I am indebted for much of the information on the subject,

8ays: "It may not be advisable to follow the lead of France in all particulars

but her experience certainly warrants the conclusion that the educa:

tion of the rural classes in their own work is very beneficial. The impart-

ing of a little agricultural information in public schools would doubtless have

a good effe1-t upon the attendance of our agricultural colleges, and posoiblv

create a necessity for increasing such facilities.



The agricultural colleges have, in all countries, to do too much begging for

for students, while at the.. same time school~ of law, medicine, dentistry,

pharmacy, technology, have been soon crowdea. TheUnited States schools

of agriculture are also schools for . training teachers and for giving instruc-

tions in manual arts and in commercial courses. Many of these institutions,

to obtain students for their agricultural departments, have been compelled to

rely almost entirely upon short courses of siK months/'

In proof of this last I have only to mention the winter's course of two

months now being taug~t in our State College of Agriculture at Athens. And

now we come to the thi rd questiou.

How can agriculture be taught in our public schools? pon this question

hangs the whole difficulty, and here I borrow again language from Mr.

James's paper :

" All are now agreed that agriculture should be taught if it can, and manv who have studied this question are quite satisfied that it can be taught i~

some form, but when we come to the question of how it is to be taught, mnrh

difficulty arises from the variety of conflicts of opinion. But one or two con-

clusions ard indispensable, and first and foremost is this, that all or nearly

all depends upon the teacher. Second, that too much shouhi not be attempted

at first. The work should be introduceJ gradually, and the understanding at

the outset should be very definite that by teaching agriculture in the public

schools it is not intended to teach how to plow, how to harvest or how to feed

stock, but rather the why and wherefore, and to arouse an interest iu agri

cultural operations. Third, that the principal aim and object of this instruc-

tion in our public schools should be the creation of a sentiment in favor of

agricultural work: the arousing of a noble ambition in young minds to be-

c.>me progressive and successful agriculturists: the spreading abroad of the

idea that the.industrious, thoughtful, honest farmer is thtl most yaluable citi

zen in this land of ours-a man to be respected, appreciated and honored by

every member of the community."

Professor Cah-in Thomas says: ''Very little can be done by common shools to
('hec'.: the drift toward the cities. "' : . * Whatever tends to improYe the

economic status of the farm industry and to elevate the plane of the farmer's

life, will tend to correct this evil."

ln other words, let us insist on "showing the farmer boy a world at home,

full of interest, of beauty, of thought, of study, of doing." It may be that

the condition of the rural school has been a repelling forc e in sending many

a boy to the town and city.

In arithmetic, in reading, in drawing, in history, subjects now included in

our public school curriculum, a turn could be given toward and applications

6o

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

made to agriculture. If the purpose of such instruction be carefully kept in mind, viz., to interest the pupils in matters pertaining to agriculture and to instruct them in the use of their eyes to see what lies on all sides of them, and to see correctly, it matters little what part of the immense field of agriculture be selected, the roads .upon which they come to school, or which so often keep them from school ; the weeds by the roadside and in the fence corners, the flowers, shrubs and trees beyond the fences, the soil of the fields and the different crops growing upon that soil; the insects and the birds, which are in some cases so necessary, in others so destructive to the crops, the fruits and veget&bles. These and other subjects will suggest that the instruction must be confined to but a small part of what is probably the widest and most comprehensive science known to man-the science of agriculture.
Professor Huxley says: "The farmer mus~ be made by thorough farm work.
* ,;, ,;, Nevertheless, I believe that practical people wGuld be all the better
for scientific knowledge. It would keep them from hopeless experiments and enable them to take advantage of the innumerable hints which Dame Nature
gives to those who live in direct contact with things. * * * If I were
called upon to frame a course of elementary instruction, preparatory to agriculture, I am not sure that I would adopt chemistry, or botany, or physiology,
or geology as such. * * * The history oi a bean, of a grain of wheat, of
a turnip, of a sheep, of a pig, of a cow, properly treated, with tl:e introduction of the elements of chemistry, physiology and so on, as they come in, would give all the elementary science which is needed for the comprehension of the processes of agriculture, and in a form easily assimilated by the youthful mind."
Again I quote from ::'llr. James: "In conclusion I would say that these suggestions do not involve any upsetting or overturning of the present system of education, but rather an adaptation to agriculture as far as possible of sub jectsnow upon the curriculum. If nothing more be done than to start our rural pupils to thinking; to give them an impetus or a turn in the right direc tion; to develop in them a taste fo r agricultural study and investigation; to arouse in them a desire to know more and read more about agricultural affairs, and especially to increase in them a respect fo r their work and a pride in their calling, then the most important end of their education will have been attained."
COTTON ACREAGE.
The monthly talk of the Commissioner closes with an appeal for self-sustaining farms and a reduction of the-cotton acreage. Through all the pnblications of this department we have endeavored to emphasize this appeal. From the Co mmissioner of Texas comes a circular letter setting forth our former disaster and the loss that will again attend over-production ; also a private letter requesting the co-operation of this department. The Commissioner stands ready to do all in his power to prevent an increase in acreage. will our farmer!! not heed any of these warnings, with a disastrous experience yet fresh in their minds? We have confidence in the good sense of our agricultural classes, and trust that they will.

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION- APRIL.
The following extracts from a letter of a leading and successful farmer presents in a concise way the benefits that will accrue from a small crop and the low price and loss that comes fro'm productions beyond the demands of consumption:
"It is generally admitted that w,ith meat at eight cents per pound and corn at seventy-five cents per bushel, the average price of producing a pound of cotton is eight cents. With those admitted facts before the cotton growers their policy should be to still further reduce the acreage and plant the Ameri~ can crop as near as possible to a 7,000,000 bale basis, thus insuring ten cents 1t pound for cotton, or a profit to the farmer of at least two cents on the pound, but if to the contrary they return to an increased acreage, and an increased use of fertilizers, and produce a 9,000,000 or 10,000,000 bale crop, Yalues will be reduced below seven cents, .and every pound of cotton will be bold at a net loss of one cent or more per pound. Which will the farmer choose, a decrease o{ labor and plenty of home supplies at a handsome profit, or an increase of labor with smoke-houses and corn-cribs i n the 'Vest, and ruinou~ loss on the production of their cotton crop? Can any sane man hesitate? A 7,000,000 bale crop will bring ten cents, or in round numbers, *350,000,000; while a 9,000,000 bale crop will bring not over seven cents, or say ~315,000,000. a loss of revenue of $35,000,000, and how about the cost of production ? 'l'o raise a 7,000,000 bale crop Itt eight cents per pound will cost *280,000,000, which, if sold at ten cents will net the farmer a ptofit, over and above cost of production, of $70,000,000; on the other h~tnd, to raise a 9,000,000 bale crop at eight cents per pound will cost $360,000,000, which, if sold at as much aR seven cents a pound, would only bring $315,000,00, or a net loss to the producers of $45,000,000, showing a difference in favor of the lesser crop of $115,000,000, and that with plenty of home supplies for the next crop."
THOUGHTS OF COMMISSIONER NESBITT FOR APRIL.
EXPERDJ EN TSIN FAR :IIING , RENOVATION AND ROTAT!0:-1 1 SUCCESS I:-1 COTTOX P!.\NT-
IX G 1 FERT!I, IZERS, ORCHARD AND GARDEX .
DEPAR1':UEN1' OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, GA., Aprill, l "94.
The absorbing work for this month is the preparation for and planting of the cotton crop . This work is doubly important because of the skill and judg ment involved, and because now one must come to the final decision as to what part of our lands shall be devoted to this crop. It is well for the farmer to pause and cllrefully ponder o,er this important subj ect in all itR bearings . To a.id such reflection, and to suggest several points, which be might otherwise overlook, I have prepared an article for the Soutlwn Cultivator for April, a part of which I repeat here, t hat it may be, if possible, more widely circulated, and thus reach many who might otherwise give these points little thought.
It has been conclusively shown that, out;;iJe the cotton grown and consumed in other countries, that is, in Asia, Africa, Sonth America and Mexi co, the

62

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

United States furnishes seventy-five per cent. of the cotton of commerce. In other words. the world is dependent on the Southern farmers for three-fourths of the cotton which it uses and which c.mnot he produced elsewhere. From this simple statement it" ill be seen what a power we hold among the nations of the world, and what a lever to lift ourselves and our section into prosperity. But without h ome supplies of food and forage, we lose the immense advantage which this monopoly gives us. Abundant home raised provisions must be the fulcrum on which our lever rests.
When our cotton crop is made we can neither eat it nor wear it until it passes into other bands, and if our necessities in these points are such that we are obliged to part with it, we are compelled to take whatever price the;dealer offers. H ence,the crowding of the cotton crop to market as soon as it is gath. ered, though the pr.ice be below the ~ost of _production, and though the new year finds us with only the paper receipts to show for our twelve months' labor. If a man bas plenty of home supplies he can afford to wait. The world is obliged to have his cotton. During the civil war the enforced suspens ion of cotton production caused the price to reach the fabulous figure of $2.85 per pound.
THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE.
Knowing these facts, if the farmers generally are fortified with ample provisions for family and stock, they can quietly await a remunerati,e price for their cotton. It will not do for a man here and there to adopt this policy-it must be uniYersal, and when our barns and cribs and smoke-houses are full we can afford to look calmly on while the dealer endeavor:! to secure our cotton f,>r less than it cost us to produce it. Is not this the situation in a nutshell? Does it not comprehend reduction of the acreage, lpssening the cost of production, the prosperity of our agriculture, the very existence of our state and section as a healthy portion of the body politic ? What more powerful appeal can be made to the interest, the common sense, the patriotism of our Southern farmers? And the uecision rests with them. Unlike the agriculturists of many other countries, there is no power which can dictate their course. They must decide whether they will still further risk the bondage of a large cotton c rop and possible, nay probable, debt, or less cotton, ample provisions and certain independence.
These " thoughts " are suggested and emphasized by the fact that the final decision must now be reached , as to what portion of our crops shall be planted in cotton
In deciding this question let us remember that it isnotthe number of bales, out the profit in these bales which most nearly concerns our welfare. Let us also keep in mind that with the same labor we can, by judicious selection of land and manuring, nearly double the yield, while all other expenses, except picking and ginning, re main about the same. Remember, too, that the better the land, the more manure it will bear, hence it follows, that we can, in a measure, substitute fertilization for labor. We can manure good land wit h less risk, and by em ploying, as far us possible, improved and laborsaving implements of that most uncertain factor in the fann problem. Again, let it be repeated, don't waste labor and manure on dead poor land. 'Vhere there

SUGGESTIONS AND IXFORMATION- APRJL.
is so much to choose from we can conceutrate both on the best spots. Lea,-e the rest, either to be reclaimed by judicious treatment, or by kindly mother nature.
It is indeed a ruin ous system, which spends large urns to make an expen ..ive crop, and then uses this to buy others that can just a easily be raised at home, and paying for them much more than they would cost u if pro luce 1on our own farms.
The rai. ing of corn , oats hogs, mules, horses and cows belongs to the duties of the 'outhern farmer, and with our soil and cl imate can be accomplished just a ea~i l y. and at as li ttle cost, as in sections of the Xorthwest, where each y ear there ha been a steady flow of money from the ;:;outh to purchase these upplie. . Let u. rather appropriate the amount of capital whi ch we ha,e thus beeu expending to building up these industries at home. The man who bas no back debts hanging o,er him, and raises his own stock and provisions, i indeed au autocrat- " Lord of all he surveys"-supremely indifferent to money panics, and inde1 enclent of the fluctuation s of the markets.
In selecting the cotton land, leave all bottom or low, clamp land for the corn. Again let me call attention to the fact that i11 our climate, the tendency is to too much stalk and foliage . BJttomlands encourage this tendency; the bolls open later, do not develop well , and th e general results are unsatisfactory.

mu t be decided by everal different circumstances-elevation above the sea le,el, character of the land, exposure, etc. But take Middle Georgia as the basis, where killing frosts rarely occur later than the middle of April, and allowing from ten days to two weeks for the seed to come up, we consider from the tenth to the fifteenth of -\.pril as perhaps the be-t time- earlier in the so uthern, later [in the northern portion of the State. H the weather and other conditions encourage the plant to grow off rapidly and stretch up a long "shank," the first working can be accomplished much more rapidly and successfully. To promote this condition, a good plan is to mix a highly ammoniated fertilizer with seed in the drill, about fifty pounds to the acre.
Some of the advantages gained by early planting and pushing .the crop forward are: t.he early matured cotton, as a rule, fruits better; in the more southern portion of the 'tate a part, at least, of the bolls mature before the caterpillar can destroy them; the dreaded drouth of July and August can work less injury; in the more northern pertion of the State the major part of the crop escapes the early frosts .
The most serious objection to late plantincr is that dry weather often prevents a perfect "stand." It is well, howe\er, not to "put all the eggs in one ba~ket. ' Where it is possible, two phmting.-, one early, the other later, give the farmer an additional chance, and then the whole crop will not be pressing

for work at the same time.

Plu\NTI~G .

If a man has been able to put out the manure aud list on it, two furrows now will put the bed in condition for planting. If the continued bad weather ha. so delayed work that nothing has been done in the cotton land, there is now no time to lose; every moment must be made to count.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGI A.
Four furrows thrown on the opening furrow will, in the absence of the better plan, answer for the present, and the small middle left can be plowed out after the cotton is planted. Or, list on the opening furrow and complete the bed just ahead of the planter.
A good plan is to put a part, say one hundred pounds, of the fertilizer in with the seed, and the rest can be put in the siding furrows; or if a larger quantity is applied, it can be broadcast before the plows, between the rows. But this should be done early enough for its effects to be felt on the roots in time to influence the fruiting. It is now generally conceded that the best use of fertilizers is by broadcasting as much as one can afford, using only a small quantity in the drill. We soon reach the danger line, when we put ferti lizers in the drill, for if we use a large amount here, unless we have rains just at the time and in:the quantity that we wish, our crops are inevitably ruined. In view of the continued drawback of heavy rains, I would suggest that on light lands where nothing has been done towards cotton preparation, one might open on the old.furrow, put in a little fertilizer with the seed, and the rest can be put in as above. In pursuing this plan remember that even if heavy applications were made the previous year, the ammonia has all been exhausted, only part of the phosphate remains, and in fertilizing for the present season we should supply more ammonia in proportion to the phosphate used. If the planting is greatly delayed, several days may be gained by soaking the seed until they are nearly ready to sprout. They may be rolled or not, as circumstances dictate; and if the ground be dry plant deep and knock off afterwards. If guano is used in the rolling do not risk high grade acid phosphate , as it injures the germ.
Select large, well matured seed, the larger the seed, the more food for the germ in the earlier growth, for inclosed in each little shell is a store of the three necessary elements, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, on which the tender plant .feeds until able to take hold of what it finds in the soil. If the seed have been well ginned, rolling is not necessary. If a planting machine is to be used, and operated by an ordinary farm hand, I prefer one without the covering attachment. In the hands of the owner or of a careful laborer, it is very desirable, but otherwise too risky. I have seen repeated gaps of several yards, left by a careless, shiftless hand, and of course undiscovered until" the entire crop was up, and then causing no end of troutle and vexation. If high priced seed are used, rolling is advisable, as a saving of nearly one-half ean thus be effected. Most planters have a wheel in front of the seed dropper, but I think one following and pressing the seed into the ground is even more desirable; this is especially the case where the beds have not had time to become firm. The openiug furrow should be broad and flat, rather than deep, and the seed covered about one inch.
The double foot for covering is perhaps best, as leaving a little ridge over the seed, which is less apt to break after a rain than a flat surface, and leaves land in condition for the use ot the harrow just as the cotton is growing up. This harrowing is almost equal to a working-it kills any grass which may have sprouted, does not materially injure the cotton, breaks any crust which may have formed, and puts the land in beautiful condition for the subsequent heavier business of cultivation. A!ter the planting oi the crop comes the
l

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-APRIL.

FIRST PLOWING OF CORN,

but before we begin this, it ie important to replant and thic out, where neces-

sary. If the planting has been carefully done and good seed used, there should

not be much replanting. Soaking the seed in water for twenty-four hours

will cause quicker germination. The stalks should be thinned, leaving one to

every three feet. If the ground is soft and mellow and the crop was plantetl

in the water furrow the sweep will do beautiful work; it will throw just

enough dirt to the young plants and leave.-the roots undisturbed. If the land

is rough or badly prepared, or has become packed l>y the heavy rains, it will

be necessary to run two deep furrows, one on each side, close to the plante.

While no amount of subsequent cultivation can entirely atone for careless or

insufficient preparation , we must conduct the cultivation in such a manner as

to remedy the defect as far as possible. After the corn attains any size, the

little feeding roots will be found within four inches of the surface, and it has

been repeatedly demonstrated that these roots will extend over a circle, the

diameter of which is twelve feet. It is important then, that any deep plowing

should be done in the first stages of the crop, before there is danger of cutting

these roots, and now is the time to do it ; later the plowing must be shallow, if

, we

wo"u)<j. get

.a.n,

y
, .;

adequate

return

in well formed,

full ears

of

grain.

On

rough land as mentiOned, plow out the beds close and deep, and as soon as the

plants have attained sufficient size. As a rule, if the ground is clean, nothing

is gained by plowing corn too early , and care should be exercised in not

throwing, too much dirt to the young plants, and by all means do not prac-

tice the old mistaken method of " hi!ling up the corn." If the plowing is prop-

erly conducted the hoe:can be entirely discarded in the cultivation of the corn

crop. Corn, unlike cotton, is a rapidly maturing crop. We have just so much

time, and that not any too long, to do the necessary cultivation-which should

be frequent and thorough-not more than two weeks being allowed to inter-

vene between each working. When the cultivator can be used it greatly fa-

cilitates the work and can be so managed that two trips to each corn ro\\" and

one in a four-foot cotton row will be sufficient.

FOR&GI,: CROP.
Cattail millet is an excellent crop for early use and very easy of growth. Planted on rich or well manured land, it matures rapidly, and while not so nutritious as sorghum, is valuable because it comes easily and quickly.
It can alflo be planted for syrup or feed. 1f for syrup, it is advisable to select a late mat"uring variety, orange or red top, that the work of gathering, grinding, etc., may not conflict with other pressing work of the busy season. If for feed, the early amber Northern grown seed are best. This will come on in July and mixed with some dry feed is excellent for mules. It is much relished by all stock, which will readily eat stem, leaves and seed, and it will give the hogs a fine start. It is hardy, does not require very rich land, though it should not be planted on the poorest; as it withstands drouth in a remarkable degree, is considered almost a certain crop. The evaporatord have improved the syrup so markedly that it has become quite an addition to our farm supplies, and many farm laborers prefer it to the best quality of refined golden drip-sorghum.

66

DEPATMENT OF AGRRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

)IlLLO )1.\IZE, ICIFFIR .IND FO RA GE COR X
can all be planted on th e same plan. That i~, lay off the rows three or fom fee t apart and drop from four to six grains to the foot. Or they can be drilled and aitenmrds chopped out. Kaffir corn, if planted early, will mature one crop of grain, and develop another from th e shoots that spring out at the joints. :.\Iillo maize matures only from earl y plantings, and therefore should be sown as Eoon as practicable.
Wheil properly managed, furnishes a most nutritious and excellent quality of fo od . It comes next to oats in value. It should be cut just after it has passed the bloom and cured well. The latter part of April or first of l\Iay is the proper time to sow. The land should be well preparell. Sow two or three pecks per acre, harrow or brush in, and then roll.
POT.\TOES.
For early :_:>otatoes set out a few slips this month, but the main crop sho uld be planted in :Jlay or June, because the ea rl y planting~ make no more potatoes and req uire m ore work. The land should be tho roughly prepared and worked fi ne. Barnyard manure has been found best suited to potatoes; but if commercial fertilizers are used select that on which phosphoric acid and potash predominate . Though some growers still prefer tbe hills in the various experiments with potatoes, flat culture has been found most profita.ble. A farme r can scarcely have too many potatoes, for if he does not ca1 e to dig and bank them all , he h as only to turn the hogs in, and they will not only gather the crop, but thoroaghly work over the land . The number of bushels which can be raised on an acre has scarcely ye t been tested, but I know a man who has just sold eight hundred bushel , the product of four acres, at one dollar a bushel, and he says the unfavorable season last year considerably cut off th e y ie ld.
He plants no cotton, and every year his potatoes command the top of the market. They are carefull y selected and handled, beautifully preserved, and without a speck or blemish. As a general thing the great drawback to keeping this crop through the winter is careless handling and insufficient or mistn.ken methods of housing or protecting. Most farmers can make potatoes, but comparatively few save them in good order.
GROUNDPEAS.
Ap ril is perhaps the b est month in which to plant the groundpea crop. As a rule land which will produce well in potatoes will also bring ground pea.;. They require, however, a calcareous soil to produce best results. If this condiiton is lacking apply fifty bushels of lime or on e hundred and fifty bushels of marl with whatever fertilizer is used. The Spanish variety is very productive and easily handled, can be planted after wheat or oats, and as late as Jul y. All these forage crops as well as potatoes and groundpeas will add that much to the bacon and lard productive power of the South. Our Southern farmers should appropriate the privilege of raising food for our section to themselves, and not allow one pound of either to be bought outside our own boundaries . On the question of
SELECTISG SEED
there has been a too general indifference. To keep up his seed each

S GGESTIOI\"S AND L ' FORMATIOI\"- APRIL.
farmer should him elf pick out the best bolls from the most.de irable stal ks of (!Otton , and the largest. heaviest ears from the most prolific and be t developed stalks of corn . This will make the beginning for a seed patch, from which again onl y the best should be saved. If each year this is s.crupulousl~ 'attended to, though we plant not an additional acre of land nor add one dollar to our fertilizer bills, we will see the yield gradual!~ mount higher and hiaher. 'This imohes no increase of our inYestm ent for land, labor, mul es, or fertili.zers ; it only helps ns to u e these to the best advantage, and req uires in th e bPginning perhaps the first cost of th e best seed as a start, and after that only careful and skillful selection.
U ntil our summer fo od crops come on we sho ul d see that ou r
noc.
ha1e our most ca reful attention. E1ery Geo rgi a farm er must rejoice o1er the increase in our meat prod uct last year and take encourageme nt from the fact that a part of that product wa sold to Chicago. Cold storage right here in our midst will furnish the market, if the farmers will only raise the bogs. Th ey will find no trouble in disposing of their surplus at remunerati1e prices.
R. T . X E.'BITT.
ANSWERS TO IKQ IRIE GI VEN BY THE GEORGIA DEPART:.\IEKT OF AGRIC'GLT RE FOR THE _IQXTH OF APRIL.
O)!E KE\\'~ RELAT!:\G TO PAR)[[XG , GARDE:\!KG, DA!RY!XG, ,'TOCK-R A! !XG. ETC., 1\'fLICH 1\'fLJ, B E 1:\TERES'I'IX G TO TITE FAR)lER.
DEPAllniE:\1' OF AGR ICL'L'!TRE, ATLAKTA, GA. , Aprill , 1 !el-l.
\\'IX IJ-BROKEX.
Will you give me a remedy for heave \Yith horses? I haYe a mule that I think has heaves. Only ten days ago I noticed her breathing rather hard in piowing. I have been feeding h er on fora~e corn, and it is a little d irty. I think, perhaps, this is the canse, 1\S she has neYer bee n driven bard an d it o n!~ came on her in the last few clays. What is the ca use of th e hea,es?
W. J . C., ._ocial Circle, The heave or broken wind con8ists in the entrance of the air into the n atural or dilated cells of the lungs from whi ch it ca nnot be expelled without calling into play th e muscles of the chest. The unchanged a ir in the lungs bein11: a consta nt so urce of irritati on , there is a desire to <>et rid of th e surplu~. -causing two acts of respiration. It i prouuced by a severe gallop af ter a full meal sudden ly, or is of . low gro ll'th in consequence of a neglected chro ni c -cough. Only as an irritant to a co ugh could the fo rage ha1e aided the d eYelopment of the disease. There i. no cure for the disease, and the treatment cau only be palliatiYe. Th e animal should be carefull y dieted an d confined to slow work. Bleedin <> bas been found beneficial.

68

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

PEAR BLIGHT.
Recently the pear trees of Liberty county, hitherto free from all characteris-
tics of blight, were suddenly stricken with the disease. In order to secure accurate information on the various diseases known as blight, and to have a competent horticulturist visit the section, we requested the opinion of 11-fr. H . A. Starnes, Horticulturist of the Expertment Station, on an inquiry on this subject. We give a portion of his reply, as it is of interest to all fruit-growers :
"It is probable that the pear trees of which Mr. N. speaks, are affected by ' blight' of some kind . His description is meagre, however, and it is impossible, without either a personal examination or a fuller description to pronounce with any certainty.
"You know there are three kinds of blight affecting pears,-leaf, twig and zymotic. The first (leaf blight) is caused by th e puncture ot the byllopyrian insect. The second (twig blight) is also caused by an insect--oxylobokus pyriand; like twig blight, is not usually fatal. There is little, however, in the way of remedy for either except annual trimming and destruction of twigs so pruned. The third kind (zymotic blight) is mnch more serious, and is produced by a bacterium-micrococens amylovoius-and being a germ disease is much more insidious and fatal than either of the other kind.
" I am rather of the opinion that the Liberty county trees are affected by twig hlight, zymotic blight rarely attacking LeContes."
FUNGICIDES.
The destruction of fruit and fruit trees by fun gi and other parasites has not in our State received the attention it merits. The resultant disease and the cause where trees are attacked or affected is usually by spraying. To call the attention of our farmers to this subject in a recent number of the reports, we dealt with the subject gently, but as now is the proper time to use many of the receipts given, we give the most valuable, as found in the hand book of the Experiment Station.
The various preparations used in the treat ment of fungous diseases of plants are as a rule preventive remedies, and their successful use depends very largely on early and repeated applications. No fixed rule can be laid down as to when and how often fun gicides should be used. Many diseases are greatly checked by drenching and washing the trees, shrubs or vines before the buds begin to show, with a mixture of greater strength than that given in ordinary formulas. For this purpose formula one and two given below may be.used in double or triple strength . In some cases a second spraying should follow the falling of flowers. Rain falling soon after application of fungicideS is likely to wash them off. In such cases spray again as soon as possible after the rain . Care must be exercised not to use fungicide solutions which will infoliage.
In preparing fungi cides it must be remembered that ordinary commercial Chemicals vary in strength. For vegetables and animal plants in general the first spraying should be done after the plant is well up and in vigorous growth. The succeeding sprayings should be made at intervals of about two weeks throughout the season.
Particular courses of treatment are required for some diseases. The spray-

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-APRIL.
ing should be thoroughly done so as to reach the whole plant, but care should be taken not to wse too much of the fungicide. A small quantity thrown over a plant in the form of a very fine spray will do more good than a much greater amoull:t imperfectly applied. A gallon or a gallon and a half should spray a tree of average size. The disease must first be determined and the treatment fitted to the disease. The indiscriminate use of fungicides may do more harm than good.
Experience shows that bordeaux mixture or ammoniacal carbonate of copper solution.may be properly used for numerous diseases. An objection to bor deaux mixture, especially on fruits, is that it leaves quite a deposit of solid material. This may, however, be easily washed off from the fruit with a solution of vinegar, two quarts to ten gallons of water. All fungicides should be kept in wooden, glass, or earthenware, never in iron vessels. Formulre for more common fungicides, with brief directions for their preparations and use, are given below:
1. Simple Solution of Copper Sulphate: Copper sulphate (blue vitriol or blue stone), one pound; water (soft) twenty-two gallons. Dissolve the copper in the water. This solution will keep indefinitely. It will cost about onefourth of a cent per gallon. Paris green or London purple (two ounces to twenty-two gallons) may be added, and the mixture may be used as a. combined insecticide and fungicide.
2. Simple Iron Sulphate Solution: Iron sulphate (copperas), five pounds; soft water, twenty-two gallons. Dissolve the copperas and use at once. It costs about one-half cent per. gallon. Insecticides may be combined with this fungicide.
3. Bordeaux Mixture: Copper sulphate (blue vitriol), six pounds; unslakel lime, four pounds; water, twenty-two gallons. Dissolve the copper in sixteen gallons of water and slack the lime in tbe other six. Stir the lime well, and strain the thin whitewash into copper solution, stirring it well. Always observe this order of preparation, as it is said to spoil the mixture if the copper be poured into the lime. Keep well stirred and use at once. The _tendency this mixture bas to fill up the nozzle of the sprayer is its greatest drawback. Paris green or London purple (two ounces to twenty-two gallons) may be combined with this fungicide. It costs about one and one-third cents per gallon. In another formula four instead of six pounds of copper sulphate is used with about as good results.
4. Eau Celeste: Copper sulphate, one pound; ammonia (22) one and one-half pints; water, twenty-two gallons. Dissolve the copper in two ).(allons of hot water. When cool, add the ammonia and reduce to twenty-two gallons. This costs about one cent per gallon. Insecticides cannot be used with this.
7. Ammoniacal Copper Carbonate compound: Copper carbonate, three ounces; ammonia carbonate, one pound; water fifty gallons. Dissolve copper and ammonia carbonate in a half gallon of hot water. Dilute to fifty gallons and use at once. Insecticides cannot be used with this. Cost of this mixture about one-half cent per gallon.
Another formula for this solution is as follows : Copper carbonate, three

DEPART~IENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.
ounces; ammonia ( twenty-two degrees ) one quart; water, twenty-b1o gallon~. Dissohe copper in the water, add ammonia and use at once.
A third fo rmula is copper carbonate, one ounce; ammo nia carbonate, six ouncPs. Powder and mix thoroughly. This may be kept in a dry state in ai rtight Yessels for any length of time. " 1 hen needed for u~e dissolle in ten gallons of water all(\ use at once.
A fourth formula which is said to be equal to any of the others and a little cheaper, hut which has not been tested as much as the others is copper sulphate, one-half pound, ammonia carbonate, one pound; water. sixty-two gallons. The ammonia carbonate should be hard and transparent, otherwise one anrl a quarter pounds will be needed. Di ~sohe it in a pail of hot water. Wh en foamio o- ceases add copper and stir as long as there is any foaming. Dilute to sixty-two gallons and use at once.
These four formulas are practically the same, or nearly so, and the solu tio n formed i one of the most valuable with which to combat plant disease . Without the objectionable feature of the bordeaux mixture it probably rank_ n ext to that in efficiency. However, insecticide can not be use d with any of these as they can IYith the bordeaux mixture.
In none of the solution containing ammonia or carbonates in an~ form should Paris green or London purple eYer be u eel , unless a quantity of lime is added as the chemical compound then formed are injuriou. to foliage.
OT'fOX I'LAXTIXG.
Please give me some of your ideas as to cotton plant ing. How to prepare, how to cultivate, whether shallow or dee1, when to plant, etc.
I. B. K., Bolingbroke.
Deep and thorough preparation of the oil and a thorough pulverization are the first essentials to successful cotton plantin"'. ~ext in order is putting in the seed. This should be done with a cotton planter to vecure uniformity to facilitate ub-equent chopping. It also sa1es waste of seed, th e Yalue o[ which as a fertilizer and a food cannot be too highly appreciated. T he first plowing may be as deep and thorough as possible, but all ubsequent workings hould be as shallow as the charader of the land will permit. The implements ordinarily used are the scooter, scrape, the solid and buzzard lYing sweeps, th side barrow and numerous cul ti Yators . After heavy rains the soil should be stirred, and during a drouth a shallow implement run just deep eno ugh to break the continuity of the pores of the soil and to form an upper layer. Grass should ne,er be permitted, if possible to prel'ent, to take possession of the field. 'The use of the hoe is expen i1e and in cotton cultme, as 11ell as in other crops, it should be u eel as little as possible. The root system of th e cotton plant, as 'rell a experience, testifies that hallow culti1ation should b e the rul e with this plant, and through a large ~eries of experiments conducted at the various experiment farms, only on exceptional occasions was deep culti"l'ation given a~ good results as shallow cnlture. The t:me to plant will depend somewhat on the character of the soil, \l'hich should be warm enough to germinate the seed . usually in April. When late planting is necessary, the seed should be covered rather Jeeply and lightly rolled to secure more rapid germination.

SUGGESTIOK AKD l ' FORMATlOK-APR!L.

7I

DI 'TANC'E TO G l\"E COTTON.

What is the proper distance to gi 1e cotton?

H . A. l\1. , Trickum.

1\fr. DaYid Dickson, Georgia' great cotton planter, 1m of the opinion that cot-

ton needed eli -tauce only one way. If the rows were wide, it could be cro\\ded

in the drill and Yice 1ersa. No uni1ersal rule, however, can be given and

m uch depen ds upon the fertility of the soil and the rain supply. Thin plant-

ing can better with tand a drought. On fai rly ri ch land properly fertilized,

rows fo ur feet apart 11ith plants from one to two feet, is about the proper dis-

tance. When greltt distan ce is ginn early planting is rlesirable, as the crop Oll

accou nt of the large 11eed will fruit later in the season and therefore be G:ore

subject to damage fr om frost. The dist:ince will also on this acc0unt be found to

go1ern largely th e yield from different pickin <>s. When the planting- is thick
th e yield from the firs t pickings '"ill be heavy and the late light, 11hile th e

reverse is true when the planting is thin.

)lUCK.
What does muck or s1mmp litter contain? H ow sho ul d it be u eel '? J. A. B. , i\Ionroe.
31uck contains . mall percentages of nitrogen , phosphoric acid and potash. It varies very greatly, but ahmys contains a large per cent. of organic matter. I t does well compo ted anrl alone i a benefit to land.

A LF.\Ll' .\ .

P:ease tell me bow to plant alfalfa , or luoeru. What kind of soil is best,

etc? Is it a legumini ?

K. G. F. , Hart"ell.

Alfalfa is a leguminous plant, and, like clover an l peas, bas the power oi collecting nitrogen from the air. It has the power of withstanding the drought much better than common clover, and for thut reason is especiall y adapted to dry climates. It flouishes best on a ligh t sanely or loamy soil, with a s;;.bsoil through 11hicb its long taproot can penetrate. Once a stand is secured th e <:haracter of the subsoil i of more iruportance than the surface soil.
'I borough preparation should precede sowing. We prefer sowing in th e d rill , which req nires about fifteen pound of seed; sown lnoadcast, twenty poun ls is necessary. While in the north spring seeding is ad1isable; in our

climate the fall is preferable, ti.tough spri ng sown will, under favorable circumstances, do well.

Bl' R CLO I' ER,
What is yo ur opinion of b urr clover and what is the 1 roper time to plant '? H. T. L. , H<~mpto n.
Individually we haYe bad no experi ence suft:icient to form au accumte judg ment of the merits of the plant. The follow ing from The Southern Cultivator gives the esteem in which it is held by others:
Burr clover is a native of the Meditenanean region, \\hich bas been naturalized i::l most warm climate~. It is wi lely distributed in California, wh ere it is considered of great value. It was firet introduced into the . outhern 'tates by the late Bi hop George F. Piecre iu 1 67 an l planted at his home

72

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

in Hancock county, Ga. In Mississippi it has been grown by Edwin C. Reed, of Meridian, who states that it is all that could be desired as a winter and sprin~ pasture. With stock it is an acquired tllSte, and they will not eat it when more palatable plants are offered. It is a good renovator, and while an annual, reseeds itself, if not pastured too late and too close. The burs make it very objeetionable as a pasture for sheep. To sow, prepare as for common clover, and sow twenty pounds of clover seed to the acre early in the autumn.
GRASS FOR SUMMER PASTURE.
What grasses do you consider best for summer pasture ? L. I. N., Hamilton county.
We consider Bermuda and crab ~rass the best for summer pasture. The former makes an excellent, permanent summer pasture. It has been treatl!d by many as a pest, but should not be so regarded, and none should be debarred from planting it for this reason. In the Commissioner's report for last month an easy method of destroying it is given.
POTASH FOR COTTON.
What is the best form of potash to use for cotton? A. I. R., Franklin. The work of the Experiment Station and experience shows no superiority for either of the three forms of potash used, su1phate, muriate and kainit, and therefore the matter of price should be the governing factor. There are those who contend, not without reason, that where a small per cent. is of potash to be used, kainit is the best form, as it conserves moisture and can be more easily distributed .

SUGGESTIONS OF COMMISSIONER FOR MAY.

DEPl.RTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,~

ATL~NTA, May 1, Ul94.

5

THE RECENT HEAVY FREEZE WHIC H PARTIALL Y DESTROYED THI> WHEAT AND
OAT CROPS MEANS HI G HER PRICES FOR F OOD-PEACH CROP KILLED.
Up to the first of the past month no fairer prospect ever cheered the heart of the anxious farmer. The rains, it is true, had somewhat retarded work, but the genial, sunshiny days were atoning for the loss, and all nature was adorning herself in spring's own livery. The farmer, as he prepared for and planted his crops, felt the joyous influence, and being in better condition than usnal.to bear the strain of the year's O.Per.ations-was buoyant with hope. Alas, for human calculations! One night was sufficient to destroy this bright prospect, aud when Georgia farmers awoke on tbe morning of the heavy freeze it was to gaze upon blackened ruins where only the day before every tree and plant pointed to an early spring and a prosperous crop year. Though dismayed, they are not daunted, however, and the present date finds the crops rc planted and the farmers with fresh courage still looking forward and working for the fulfillment of their plans. The partial

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MAY.

73

DESTRUCTION OF THE WH],;AT AND 0.-\T CROPS
means higher prices for food. Before it is too late let us prepare against this contingency, and by planting the smaller food crops justify ourselves and our section against the possibility of a shortage. We should certainly raise enough for home consumption, with even a little to spare to our less fortunate neighbors, where, in all possibility, the short crops will cause a heavy draft on their sections.
As appropriate to this condition, and as offering an excellent plan, I would sugges~ the following. We think it would be a good idea for the farmers to try this plan for raising corn on a small scale this year: Subsoil an acre patch, broadcast with stable manure and 200 pounds of eommercial fertilizer, then harrow well both ways. About the second week in May a springtooth barrow will clean the ground of weeds and grass. Harrow again a week later, drill the corn in rows four feet apart, and then leave it till harvest time. Let me urge again that a full quota of
FORAGE CROPS
of an kinds be planted. Corn, German and cattail millet, milo maize, sorghum, Spanish groundpeas and field peas. While the latter must be our dependence as a storer of nitrogen, it is important to have some rapidly maturing summer crops to meet the needs of that season. These should be planted as soon as the rye or barley lots are ready for the plow, remembering that the later they are planted the more important is thorough preparation and high fertilization.
When these come off, this land, as well as the oat and wheat stubble, should certainly be sowed in peas. We thus get another crop of hay, and the roots, stems and fallen leaves furnish an important foundation for succeeding crops of grain or cotton. In the last month's "Talk" I dwelt at some length on the methods of preparation for and of planting these forage crops. In view of the probable shortage, I feel bound to again direct attention to the importance of this work. Besides the value of
SPANISH GROUNDPEAS
as a root crop, the vines make splendid stock feed, and the cost is, in comparison with their value, nominal. A peck at 25 cents will plant an acre. The cost of planting and cultivation will not exceed $3, and after the bogs have finished up the grain fields, if they are turned on the groundpeas, and from there to the field peas, returning again to the ground peas, there is no calculating the amount of meat that could be raised. In some sections, and indeed in all sections of the State, the cotton, during unfavorable seasons, is liable to die out in spots. In such missing places drop a few of these groundpeas, and after the cottonis gathered the hogs can be turned .in. In this case the cost of cultivation is really nothing, as the work goes on with that of the main crop. Where the missing spots were filled up the groundpea crop can be counted as just so much gain. Give the
HOGS
plenty of salt. Few farmers appreciate the importance of regular and ample salting. Furnish it to them in their slops, and let them have access to char-

74

DEPART~lEl\T OF AGR TC ULTURE-GEOR G!A.

coal, if possible-certainly to a~hes . This can be gi,en dry with th e . alt. A weekly dose of copperas is also most beneficial. And see that they are kept free from vermin by frequent applications of kerosene, mixed IYith lard or oil. To raise hogs successfully one must be on the alert; carele~ and indifferent methods will not s ucceed.
In view of this present e merge ncy, and of the importance of utilizin g every portion of that which is one of our most costly products, I copy in another column a part of an article which l prepared for the .\!arch numuer of the Southern Cultivator in regard to harvesting the corn crop. It is a question which deserves careful study, and the man or men who will bit upon the proper plan of f!uring and preserving the valuable materials whi ch are now about uni,e rsally wasted will confer a boon not only on his fello w-workers, hut on the country at large.
I refer to this qn estion this ea rly in order that farmers may consider, discu~. plans and methods befo re t!1e fodder pulling season, with its attendant duties, is upon us.
Cl:LTL \"AT I~ G CO R:\.
One g reat drawback occasioned by the recent freeze is that wlwre it wa necessary to plow up and repla nt co m , the cultiYa tion of the two crops, com and cotton, is thrown inconyeniently near eacb other, and the farmer is com pelled to exercise the nice_t judgment or else find himself o1ercrowded with work and in danger of baying his crops irredeemably injured. Here it is that the barrow can be used with telling effect and at great sa,iug of time and labor. Run rliagonally across the rows just as the plants are coming up; it breaks any crust th at rna~ ha,e formed and kills the young l!rass.
A second later harrowing in au opposite direction lemes the land in splendid condition and saYes at least hali in the expeusi,e hoe work.
wide cutting culti,ators furnish another means of . aving time and labor, and in t.be present urgent need for rapid and thorough work sl.wuld be em ployed where,er possible. Under ordinary circumstances the second plo wiu ~ of corn occurs in tliis month, and the fact that the plants are unusually ..mall should not deter us from going forward with the work rapidly and systemati cally, with a view to kill the gras , but more important still to keep the surface pulverized and the moisture eonsen ed, and also to pe-rmit tbe air and sunshine to do their work.
'l'bis surface cultivation shouid by all means be at a depth of less than four inches. It bas been conclusi,ely hown that corn r oots penetrate thE: soil to a distance of several feet in all directions, and at a depth of only four inches be. neath the surface. Any plOIY 'rbich goes deeper than that must cut these little feeders, and each injury to th em reduces in greater or le~<s proportion th e e1entual yield of co rn. At some of the e-xperimental stations care !Jas I een taken to make the exact estimate of this p roportionate injury, 11hich is found to decrease rapidly as the plowing becomes shallower.
If we will keep in mind that the main object in plowing at this season is uot so much to kill th e grass, as important as that is, nor to 0reak the {Zrouud deeply, as to keep in the moi tnre, whi ch is c.onstantly a cendiug toward the s urface, we \\ill make fe11 mistake in c ulti\ation. In OIrler to hold back this

_ UGG ESTIOI\S A~D INFOR~IATlON-MAY .

75

resen;e moi:ture which the winter rains ha\"e d~po ited, it is imporrant to keep the plows movin~. Whether there i gra s to be killed o1 not, every time a crust forms it ;:hould be broken..as soon and as shallow as pos ible. Once in eYery two weeks is none two often. The mellow oil acts a. a mulch to retain the moist nre, which i ~ needed for the hungry little roots, and which would otherwise be evaporated from the surface much more rapidly than it is dra1m up from the earth by the force of capillary attraction. Tl.iere may be long periods between rains; this, of course , is beyond our control, hut we can Bucces.Jully preYent the waste of the water, which the earth already holds, and all our plans should look to this impottant object.

I'LOW JXG COTTO!\.
If there is a good stand of cotton, and the laud is in proper condition, the barrow run obliquely across the rows just as the plants are coming up leaves them iu splendid " rowing condition, and if practicable, a second harrowing in an opposite direction, a few days late r, renders the subsequnt working cheaper and more satisfactory. This plan obviate th e necessity of the "blockinrt out" p rocess-always objectionable, because the cotton in the bunches is left too thick, and is apt to grow off weak an d spindling, and if there is any delay in the second hoeing, and the plants are left standing in this condition for any length of time, the ctop does not soon recover from the injurious effects. The use of the harrow presupposes the land i n good co ntlition, deeply prepared and smooth . On rough land, or where, from lack of humus and from beating rains, it has become hard and packed, it will be necessary to do the first plowin"' with a scooter or narrow showel. 'fhe sweep or scrape, which does beautiful work on or linary land , will not a nswer here. A.. feeder sho uld be usetl with the scooter so that it may run close to and yet no t cover up the cotton, and by having a wing on the side away from the cotton the middles can be covered at the same time that the cotton is closely sided.

POT A TOE.'.

This is the month to plant the main crop of potatoes. It is not good policy

to plant immediately-after a heavy rain, but if this is done, the plow or hoe

should follow in a few days. The slips grow off better when set out in iiesh

heels or lists thrown up as soon after a good rain as the land is dry enough to

plow. The proper fertilizers and method of cultivation were treateu inl!'st

month's "talk." Don't lay off too close or crowd in the rows.

The month of May not only includes the planting oE some of the minor crops,

but is perhaps the most impo rtant period in the cultivation of the two stand-

ard crops of corn and cotton. If the last day oi the month finds the farmer

with good stands and clean fie lds, he can look forward with confidence, be

ca n e he has fully performed his part oi the work.

R. T. NESBITT.

SHEEP-STOCK.

What animal returns to the soil in manure the largest percentage of th e

manurial value of the food consu med? Can I maintain the fertility of my

soil by using commercial fertilizer" only?

H. S. T., Elmore.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

Sheep, which, according to accurate experiments, return 95 per cent. of all the manurial elements of the food commmed in their manure, solid and liquid. With a view to the renovation of a worn out farm, sheep is the most profitable stock that could be kept. They pay a large return in mutton or fleece for the food consumed and the largest in manure.
It should be remembered that by simply using commercial fertilizers, no matter how abundanty applied, the fertility of the soil cannot be maintained, and exclusive dependence upon commercial fertilizers should never be attempted. Leguminous crops and stocks are essential to profitable crops, and the latter renders the farmer independent and becomes a source of profi.t.
In England sheep are used as the renovators of worn lands, and it is an old adage, "No cattle, no manure; no manure, no .crops."

I

.ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES GIVEr BY THE GEORGIA DEP.ARTMENT OF .AGRICULTURE FOR THE :MONTH OF MAY.

SO~IE NEWS REI;ATING TO FARMING, GABDENING, DAIRYfNG, STOCK RAISING,

\

ETC., WHICH WILL BE INTERESTING TO THE FAR~IERS.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, )
ATLANTA, May 1, 1894.f

MANURE.

Which is the best manure, stable or commercial fertilizer? H. T. L., Valdosta.

Upon certain kinds of land stable manure has greatly the advantage of commercial fertilizers, because it improves the physical condition of the soil. By plowing the crops of peas and clover in conjunction with commercial fertilizers, we get the same result as by ~~sing stable manure. These leguminous crops gather much nitrogen from the air, and some phosphoric acid and potash from below, and leave the land in a more friable condition, saving manure as well as labor.

SAVING STABLE MANURJ!:.

What is the best plan to save stable manure and prevent the waste of its

valuable element?

L. M. I.

.A good deal of nitrogen and humus matter is lost when the manure lies in large piles exposed to the air for any length of time. This can be prevented by spreading gypsum or kainit upon the pile, and the manure becomes more valuable for light soils when potash and a slow working of the manure is needed. Stable manure mixed with superphosphate is better adapted to heavy soils.
FERTILIZER FOR SWA:IIP.

What is the best fertilizer for a swampy, peaty soil.?
This soil contains a great deal of humus, and as a rule does not require stable manure or nitrogen. It contains but little lime, potash or phosphoric acid , and these are the materials to apply for the best results.

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MAY.

77

POTATOES.

What kind of soil is best for sweet potatoes? What for Irish potatoes?

When should the former be set out?

H. A. L., Martin's, Ga.

The sweet potatoe flourishes best in a light, sandy or loamy, warm oil. In any warm, light land with southern exposure it can be cultivated with advantage. They should be planted as early as frost will permit. The Irish potato does best on a cool, northern exposure, with a thick mulch and a loamy, rather heavy, soil.
WHAT BECOl!ES OF FERTILIZERS?
What becomes of fertilizers whE'!n applied to land; that is, will they be lost if not taken up by plants by leaching, or will they remain in the soil?
H. 0. P. , Irwington.
Whether a fertilizer will remain in the soil or be leached out by the rain will depend entirely upon the character of the fertilizers and the material out of which it js manufactured. Phosphoric acid, a chief constituent of all fertilizers, is notlost to any extent by leaching. When applied to the soil the soluble assumes the form of reverted pho phoric acid, in which form it cannot be separated from the soil by the solvent action of water. The various forms of potash are water soluble, and subject perhaps to more loss by leaching than any other fertilizer material except nitrogen when supplied by nitrate of soda. Nitrogen supplied by cotton-seed meal is sttbject to \"irtually no lo s, while ammonia supplied by blood is so much loss.

KAI=-IT.

Does kainit contain other ingredients of value to plants besides potash? H. A.M., Adairsville.

The only ingredient in kainit of any considerable value as a plant food is the sulphate of potash.

OYSTER SHELL

Do oyster shells contain any of the valuable elements of plant food, and if

ground are they beneficial to the son; and how?

0. G. T., Howard's.

Ground oyster shells contain a very small quantity of phosphoric acid, about .Oi of 1 per cent. They are valuable for the carbonate of lime which they

contain, it being an important constituent of iertile soils.

PEAS FOR HAY.
To cut for bay what time and what quantity of peas should be sown on land that will produce ten bushels of corn to the acre?
H. F. P., Plainville.
If the land is in good condition, and the seed well put in, a bushel to the acre. From the middle of Mav to the first of June is the best time to sow, but it may be done in June. Yo"ur land should be fertilized if you expect good results. Use some acid phosphate with potash.

ORCHARD CROPS .

What can I plant in a young orchard without injuring it? Do hogs injure

an orchard;?

0. C. D., Falls Creek.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIC U LTU RE- GEORGIA.

rntil your orchard comes into bearing you can cultivate it wi tho ut injury in ucb crops as potatoes, peas, beans and turnip. The man~ue applie l to the:e crops will "'iYe vi,.or to th e young trees. Corn or small grams sho uld never be u _ecJ. A.f~r the ~rchard comes into bearing, cultivation oi other crops should cea_e. It may th e n be set in orchard grass, a nd a-ftE'r a good sod is formed, calve and so w anrl pigs n:;ay be pastured on it. Gro1vn cattl e and hor"es or
mnles Fhould never be allowed to e nter.

GRAFT!:\ ; IY.~X -

Please gi1e me a recipe for grafting wax.

H . 0. T. , Cloundale.

'fak e equal par ts of rosin, beeswax and tallow a ud melt them together. Half the quantity of lin eed oil may be nsed instead of th e tall ow. When th e mi:'l: ture is cool it should be pulled to give tough ness.

T.O~T CCD.
I ha1e a ow that has "lost her cud"-what must I do for her? H. 0. ~ -.Blu ffton .
I t is a m ista ke n idea to suppose that a co w loses her cud, and one must be ubstituted. And we tak e it that you u. e this exp ression to indicate that the animal is sick and does n ot remasticate her food. Where remastication, popularly kn own as chewing th e cud, is suspen<le l, the following treatment bas been highly recommended ancl fou nd very bendicial: Give as a laxative one-half poun l each of co mmon salt and Epsom salts in a quart of water and three times daily a table poo ninl of ca rbo nate of iron, p uherized ge nt ian , pul verized fe ni o-ree k, each four ounces. Also mix with the food three tablespoonfuls of po wde red charcoaL

N!TROGEX.

What am ount of plant f.ood o r ammonia is con tai ned in tbefollowing ferti l-

izer m a terial: Blood dried, nitrate of soda and cotton-~eed meal? H ow

much does cotton seed co ntain ?

H. B., Hampton, Ga.

The percentages vary . Blood rnns usually from 1-t to 18 per cent., nitrate of . ocla, from 15 to 20 per cent. ; cotton-seed meal, from to 9 per cen t.; an d cotton-seed, from 2 to 3.

\I'EET POT :I'fO C 'JJJ' RE .

Please give me what you consider the best method of planting and cultivat-

ing sweet potatoes?

A. "i\I. H ., Social Circle.

We are pleased to note you r interest in the cultivation of the sweet potato. The late Gustave Speth, of the State Experiment tation, introduced an article on its cul ture with these words :
" There are few crop at home in our 'outhern , tates that have been more neglected and whose value and usefulness have been less appreciated than th e sweet potato."
That it merits more attention cannot be questioned, and is strongly evidenced by its value to the market gardener in dollars and ce nts and ior home consumption on every farn1.

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MAY.

79

PREPARATION.
For the sweet potat<;> the land should be thoroughly prepared, well pulverized and subsoiled. The plant requires considerable moisture and thus can be best conserved by deep plo1;ing and subsoiling. The ordinary custom of setting the plants on a bed and in the process of cultivation hilling up the beds we believe will be found best ou wet land or in a rainy season, but consider the method of many of the experiments at the State station of fiat culture as advantageous on dry land, and when the season is a dry one, the slips should be set two feet apart in rows three and a half or four feet apart, two to the hill, and care shoul<l. be taken to have a good stand by replanting wherever a slip fails to grow, and this replanting should be done at the earliest po::sible time. The cultivation of the crop should be rapid and tborough until the vines become so large as to become injured. As a fertilizer, like the Irish potato, the sweet potato requires one in which potash is the dominant.

CORN.
In cultivating corn wh ich do you prefer, hallow or deep culture? 0. L. C., Bartow.
We believe in thorough preparation and shallow cultivation. Experiments have sufficiently demonstrated that in nearly every instance shallow culture . will give au increased yield. The increase i not very marked, but, when considered in connection with the increased cost attend ing deep cultivation, forms a potent reason why this system should be adopted.

)!ANURING TUE ORCHARD.

Would it do well to give my orchard a dressing with stable manure at this

season of the year?

M. T. 0., White Plains.

Stable manure should have been applied in the autumn if used, but in our

opinion it is not the best dressing, especially for young or bards, for when ap-

plied too liberally it is likely to force an undesirable growth, allll experiments

indicate that it does not contain phosphoric aci<l in sufficient proportions to

balance the amount of nitrogen lt contains. A <l.rP.ssing of ground bone or of

acid phosphate is, therefore, beneficial in conjun~tion. At this time of the

year it is best to apply a quick acting high grade commercial fertilizer.

DISTANCE TO PLANT.

What do you consider the best distance to plant corn, and what cotton? L. M. T., Mt. Vernon .
'fbe distance to plant either corn or cotton depends on the character of the soil,.and the farmer must be governed by this, as no certain rules can be given. Again, the rules goveming the two aFe diametrically opposee to each other. Thuson richsoil we plant corn close, while we giv.e cotton more distance. On less fertile land the reverse is the case; that is, corn is given more distance and cotton planted closer.

IRISH POTATOF.S.
What do you consider the best form of pota~h for tbe Irish potato, muria~

or sulphate?

J.P. F., Canton, Ga.

For the potato crop, sulphate is thought to be better than muriate,.and is

said to give a larger yield and a better quality.

'

:

So

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

GEORGIA CROP ImPORT, filHOWING AREAS PLANTED, CONDITION OF GROWING CROPS, ETC.

DEPART~I ENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, May 1, 1894.
A report on crop conditions and acreage compiled by the first of May is in many respects incomplete, yet contains sufficient information to be of ben-efit in arriving at more accurate data later in the season.
It is the intention of the department, as provided by law under this branch of the report, to secure statistic l of our agricultu raJ products for later compilation . With this end in view we reqnest the reporters who have so efficiently served the department to make their inquiries as extended as possible witt. the purpose of getting statistics that will be practically correct.

COTTON .

In regard to our staple crop of cotton it is gratifying to note that a small reduction in acreage is reported. While it would have been pleasing torecord a marked decrease in acreage, yet the fact that the steps taken in the last few years to make cotton an independent money crop have not been retraced is cause for congratulation. It will be seen from the tabulated statement that

the condition and prospect compared to .an average of five years for the State i:~ !} per cent. below the average, and that this decrease in prospect is most marked in Southwest Georgia, while Middle Georgia shows a condition nearly ~qual to the average of the last five years. Throughout the State the crop is from ten to fifteen days late, and where the plant is up many imperfect stands are reported.
CORN.

Sevf'ral years have marked an increase in the acreage dP.voted to the corn crop, and we trust the future will see no retrogr~!i'sion in this respect, and that the self-sustaining farmer may be eoon found air over Georgia. The condition of

the crop, owing to the cold weather the latter part of March and the first of April, is about 6 per cent. below an average of the last several years. Owing to the advanced condition of the crop i.n .Southwestern Georgia the decrease in condition from the ('Old weather is gfeater in' that than in any other section

of the State.

WHEAT.

As with corn, an increase in the acreage devoted to this cereal is shown. In the cor.reflpondiug report for last season we were pleased to note an increase in acreage in the same crop and to state that the previous falling off in acreage promises to he recovered. All North Georgia and much of Middle Georgia is well adapted to this cereal and more care should be taken in its cultivation; present prices are not remunerative, but in 11: li'Otation of crop looking to the up-building and preservation of the land, it can very properly find a place. During the year in the reports of the department we have on several occasions called attention to the best methods of fertilizing and of cultiv~ting this crop, which we hope has received the attention of our farmers.

OATS.
No change in the acreaQ:"e devoted to this crop for the entire State is shown. Southwe-st, Middle and East Georgia show a slight gain, which is lost in the

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MAY.

8t

other sections of the State. .For the entire State the condit.ion and prospect may be regarded as poor.
FRUIT .
Our rapidly developing horticultural interest has suffered this spring the greatest disaster of this character perhaps that the State has ever passed through. Certain it is that there bas never been such a wholesale destruction of the fruit crop since this interest developed beyond the orchard for home use. While the destruction has been so great and the loss so heavy, yet those engaged in the business are not disheartened, as they recognize the fact that so severe a freeze i~ indeed a rare occurrence in Georgia.
In eome localities a few peaches will be m'ade, and a moderate gathering of apples may be expected.

GRASSES.
The meadow lands throughout the State are in fine condition, and interest in forage crops is developing.

LABOR. Labor conditions remain about the same, with no scarcity repO!'ted.
TABULATED STATE~INET. The following table gives a compr'ehensive view of the condition and prospect with the acreage of the most importantcrops:

-
NoRTH GEowu ........ . ........

~~ I O;:l 0:.,..

So. ~~

.,..::"o'

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ot:l

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<-o <~>..,
'<l0
"ID'"'O' "IJ'"I.,~'..

'<l "i'O~
='8
='0
....
(I)
0..

99t 391

0
0...
_..::l
"0"I~ I>

'.0..
~::E
'Ot:r
......<I> (I)
t:b ~ ::0

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(I)~

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o
8

'10..0.

(I)

<l
(!)

0 ~

'(<1l)~9t:0l.

!"e; co
-1

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,... Q.

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0

1U4i 85

~
=.,.."0"(1t:)r
-:=
~II> '<lG
(!)(!)
!OlD
='~
~
0
8
'0
~
(I)

'0
~ac
tt:~ g.

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(]) ""='
0~~
-8
~e:
C> ~g.

s '<
(I)

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s

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103~ 99

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- - MIDDLE GEORGIA .................
SOUTHWEST GEORGIA .......... SouTHEAST GEORGIA........... ...

97! 98 100 87! 103! 101!

97i

- -ss-t

-10-2

70
--

100~
100

lOll 95t

Si! 88 88

EAST GEORGIA ..... ... . ...... ........ 95t ST~'fK. .................. . ... ... ...... ... 198

92~ lOst 91 103

73 79

106 103

102! 100

83!
Mt

WKEVILS IN CORN-A REMEDY GIVEN BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Give n:e some remedy for weevils in corn.

J . E. W ., Fort Gaines.

How can I keep weevils from beans?

J . J . M. I., Buchanna.

The bisulphid~t of carbon bas been very highly recommended for the de-
struction of weevils. On this subject we take the following, by Mr. H. E . Weed, of the Agricultur~l College of Mississippi, from the Southern Pla,nter:
I

82

DEPARTMENT OF- AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

In the February number of the Planter is an article under the above head, which treats of the method of destroying weevils by means of bisulpbide of carbon. The article in question, however, hardly gives the best method of the application of the bisulphide, nor where best obtained. The bisulphide is very useful as a remedy for any insects which may work within stored seeds or grain of any kind. It is ,best applied to the grain by simply pouring a quantity ever the top of the grain to be treated.
When corn is harvested it should be carefully examined for the grain . in sects, and if they are present, as they generally are, the corn should receive treatment by means of the bisulphide remedy. It is best to have a tight bin fo!' this treatment, but this item is not essential to success, although the tighter the bin the less amount of bisulphide it will take for the treatment. In the case of corn, also, if it is husked it will take less of the bisulphide for the treatment.
There is no danger in the use of the bisulphide if only care is taken to keep fire of any kind away from it. While it can be obtained from the drug stores at a cost of from 20 to 40 cents per pound, it is best obtained from the manufacturer, Edward R. Taylor, of Cleveland, Ohio, who sells it in 50pound lots at 10 cents per pound. It will pay every farmer to get a 50-pound can,, for it is one of the things essential to successful agriculture, and is something which should be kept on hand at all times. The bisulphide obtained from Mr. Tay Jor is .a better. product than that generally .to be obtained rom the drug stores, as his "fuma" bisulphide is prepared especially for the treatment of grain pests.
Let me here call attention to the fact that a little labor spent in the spring in gathering up the weevils which often swarm in empty grainaries at this season will greatly lessen the number of weevils which will attack the grain the following autumn. The weevils in the empty or nearly empty grainaries should be swept up into a shovel .and killed by placing in a pail containing kerosene.

INFORMATION ON SPURRY.

, Will )'On-kindly give me some information in regard to spurry as a forage

J,lant, bow to plant, etc.?

T. W. W., Hamilton.

' Elaborate experiments h!)ve been conducted at the Michigan Experiment

Station with spurry, from wl;lich we take the following, as compi led by an agri-

cultural paper, which will give a succinct answer to your inquiry:

This is a new plant to Michigan and probably to most other States, but is

an old plant in some sections of the world. In Scotland it is called yarr and

in Norway pickpurse; in Germany it is sown among the stubble as a food for

sheep during winter. In France the yield of spurry is estimated to be about

equal to a crop of clover or 7,700 pounds per acre. The seeds arc fed to cattle

and horses and supposed to be equal to rape cake in value. In five or six

weeks it reaches a height of 12 to 14 inches and is said to be a valuable food

fo1 cows, as it improves the quantity and quality of the butter.



Sown April 25 at the rate of 15 to 24 pounds per acre, it matures the last of

May and a second crop rnay be raised. It has been called the clover of sandy

soils. J)r E:ed;~ifl, who experimented vith it on light sand at Grayling, Mich.,

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION-MAY.
says that when partially ripened and plowed under with a very shallow furrow, it is self-seeding and bears an abundant nop. Its value as a manurial plant on these light sands is pronounced. When plowed under it enriches the Foil the most rapidly of any other plant he has used. It is a valuable fodder plant, being eaten readily by cows or sheep; it is a plant of great value for bringing sandy lands into productive fields; especially is this true of the jack pine barrens of that State.
The soil for spurry requireE> the same preparation as that for clover, the seed being sown and harrowed in the same; the seed is smaller thP.n clover seed; hence there are more in number per pound. In harvesting three to 12 bushels of seed per acre are obtained. Thick seeding gives an even field of fine pasture and a heavy swarth when cut for hay. If the weather is warm and moist, the field will begin to show green the third day from the time of seeding; it is ready for mowing for bay in about six weeks and will ripen the seed in about two months; for pasturing it may be used in from four to six weeks.
The introduction of spurry as a forage crop alone will prove of immense benefit, but its use as a manurial crop is of much greater value. In an experiment more wheat was produced following spurry than where 300 pounds of phosphate was used per acre. At Grayling experiment farm, 10 acres were broken in the spring and sown with spurry, which was plowed under in A-.1gust and the land sown with wheat. The land beside it was planted with wheat following clover, and one beside that following timothy, which bad been fairly well covered with barnyard manure. The wheat on the spurry field went into winter looking stronger than either of the other fields. Spurry is also valuable plowed under as a fertilizer in the orchards.

/

SUGGESTIONS A D I FORMATIO
BY TH E
Georgia Department of Agriculture.
MONTHLY 'TALK 'WITU THE l!'AR:\IER.'.
0
~1R. NE BITT S L~TTER.
HI MO otTHLY TALK 'fO THE FARMER, OF 'fBE STA'rE OF GEORGIA.
THE WATI;;Ri\IEioON GRO\V'J'H-'1' IS A PAYING CROP .ro 'l'HE FARi\JER' OF 'l'H8 STA'l'J;; - 'l'HF. ){AR 'J-l FREEZ1::- C01"1'0N DA)[AGED BADLYOTHER }' ARMING NEWS. DEPARTMEN'l' OF AGHICl.'LT RE, A.rLANTA, June 1, 1 94. 'l'HE ~lARCH FHEEZE. 'fhroughout the State the disa.strous eftllct of the i\Iarch freeze was felt,
in some cases necessitating the entire replanting of cotton, and, in the more northern portions, even the young corn, which was just coming up, or had commenced to g row off, had to be plowed up and planted over again. But by the iddle of May these crops had almost recovered from the temporary backset.
THE FRUIT CROI 1 however, peaches, pea rs, and, to some extent, apples and small fruits, not excepting the hardy blackberries, had suffered, too, severely. In almost every section the peaches and pears were entirely cut ott; and, in some instances, the trees were injured beyond remedy. One pre-eminent misfortune of this lan(,i is the destruction of a beautiful spring orchard on Kennesaw mountain. The trees were unusually handsome and healthy, and would have come into full bearing next year. I am told that not one was spared. The fact that a. freeze like this comes perhaps about once in twenty or thirty years contains little comfort for the loser. Its rarity can only encourage those who contemplate setting out young orchards, and whose hope are in the future.


86

DEP.A.RDfE~T OF AGRIC LTURE- GEORGI A.

In one or two favored sections the injury to the orchards was not material, but the fact cannot be di01puted that fruit of all kinds will be at a premium. In filling this b iatus the
GEORGIA WATERJIIELON
comes prominently forward. 'l'he early plantings were of course injured more or less, but the replant is making steady progress, and, though the weather has contin ued most unfavorable, the season to melon growers bids fair to be an unusually profitable one.
While crops generally were still sufferiug from the freeze, the
BLIZZARD JN THE JIIIDDLE OF MAY.
came upon us, and it is disheartening to again chronicle the severe injury sustained by the young plants scarcely yet recovered from the previous disaster. In Nortbel'b Georgia more especially, the heavy winds and unexpected cold wrought sad havoc with tender vegetation. 'rhe corn, though much whipped and twisted by the severity of the wind , can with-stand a degree of cold before which the delicate young cotto n must suc-cumb, and the corn fields are now taking on a vi o-orous growth, but the plants in the devastated cotton fields look almost as if they would never bold up their beads again. where the crop bad been brought to a" stand" the injury was of course propQrtionately greater. In some cases those plants which were able to resist the first effects of the trying weather finally died from the secondary "sore shins" and the depredations of lice, always worse when the mornings and evenings are chilly. Where the crop bas been tined over this critical period, the yield may yet reach a fair average.
In cases where the first injury, combine(! with the chilly days and parching winds of the last of May, have suceeeded in killing out the" stand," it is now too late to remedy the evil. Cotton, once well started, will resist a degree of back treatment which corn, in its shorter period of development, will resent, but the cotton , in order to develop successfully, must be in good growing condition by the first of June. As stated last month if, as a rule, the first of June finds the farmer with good stands and clean fields, he can hopefully enter on the work of that busy month. But this is an exceptional year. '!'hough the farmer may have prosecuted his work with judgment and well directed energy, he may have the mi.fortune to witness the destruction of his best laid plans, ann this by agencies entirely beyond his control. I fear that in some localities the cotton has been too badly damaged to recover. Although it is now too late to replant, let us uot resign ourselves to supine regret. We cannot afford to plow up the plants that remain if even half a. stand is left. 'rhe cultivation must go on, and in order that
liiJSSING SPACES
may be made to pay something for the work which they, in common with the cotton, must receive, it would be well to drop a few Spanish ground peas or whippoorwill peas in the long gaps. The mistake so often made in planting peas with another crop, is that the variety chosen is of too lux-



S GGE TION ' AND INFOR [A'l'IOK-JUNE. i

:roJ. uriant growth, and finally overruns and chokes out the less vi
This is true of all the running kinds, but iF the whippoorwill ~~ou h to bunch rather than spread out, is used, we obviate this dim ~e a t
Ground peas, vines, and nuts, pulled up and cured toget~u ty. k splendid forage, and those who h'l.ve triE'd it know the value orer, m~ e

hay. In and thus

trheceea.ivfteedr ocurobplewbeenaelsfoit,stfoor.rewuepcnaintra,opgpernopinriathtee

soil all t

h"aotrrwuetPut.lra'leln.vUc!Munt!e,'

and still the roots and stems rema.m to per.orm their important omce

nitrogen gatherers.

88

Unfortunately there are cases where the

COT'l'ON J. KILLED
out, or there are only a few plants left standing, and the e separate! by long, lank intervals. If the farmer does not wish to plant the preparerl land in peas or ground peas, it is not yet too late to plant it In corn. 1 have known a full crop to be made in this way where the seasons prove suitable. If the cotton rows are four feet check the corn rows aero five or six fee~, giving greater or less d istance, 'according to the middle of rows and strength of land. By this method we have the option of plowing the crop both ways, which hastens the cultivation and reduces the hoe work.
In looking over the records of 1893 [am reminded that the . pring waH most unfavorable, and yet the average crop year, except in Northern Georg ia, proved exceptionally good. Let us take courage from our pa~tt experience, a nd though the present outlook is most disheartening, let us steadily go forward with the work which crowds upon us in this busy mouth.
The fact that the crops are unusually backward and unpromising point~ to eveR more urgent necessity for careful a nd rapid work. Each time that the soil is stirred the little plants are encouraged 'by fresh mol ture, air, and warmth, and we should neglect no means of giving the e In w full measure as possible.

THE CUJ.f.I.'IVATION OF '.I.'HE 'ORN AND COTTOX .
On a large area in the State the corn crop will be ready to " lay up" before the first of July. At the last workir:rg, which, though l'hallow, should be thorough, so w peas, either broadcast or in the center of the furrow. In the very careful experiments at our experiment tatiou, as to the best method of utilizing the vines, the co nclusion is that more is gained by -cutting and curing for hay than by gathering the peas or turning under the crop. 'rhe cotton being unusually small req uires most careful work. 'l'he warm days of June will, we hope, revive th e drooping plants. 'rhis is essentially a sun crop, and it is astonishing to witness its powers of recuperation under the influence of heat and light.

'l'H E HARVESTING OF '.I.'HE GRAIN AND CJ..OVER
comE's at a very inconvenient time on a cotton farm . If pofsible the work should be done with the farm bands, and, in the present backward condi tion of other crops, this is comparatively an ea. y undertaking. To avoid unnecessary waste in harvesting the clover do not allow it to remain exposed too long to tile weather, otherwise the loss in both blooms and

88

DEPART:\IENT OF AGRIC LT RE- ~EORGIA .

leaves is considerable. After cutting, leave for a few hours, until thoroughly wilted, then gather into h eaps, and, as soon as cured, haul t:r shelter.
The grain intended for feeding can be cut earlier than that inten ded for seed or to be"ground into flour. As soon as t.he grain is off sow peas broadcast, a bushel to the acre, using about two hundred pounds of superphosphote. If the laud is bard or the season dry, it becomes necEssary to use the ordinary turn plows, scooter, or shovel.
SOWING OF l\liLLE1'1 SORGH(J]I 1
and other forage crops can still go on, always remembering that the later the sowing the richer the land should be used.
PO'l'ATOES
also can b(Jllanted all through June with great success. Indeed, some experiment farms maintain that slips and vines put out in June make as many potatoes, which a re smoother and req uire less work than the earlier plantings. H the slips are ready and the land well broken, a rain is not at. all necessary . If water is accessible put plenty in the bole, press in the slip, and cover with dry dirt. In nineca.c:;es out of ten they succeed as well ,. .and som(ltinies better, than if planted after a heavy rain.
The follo"wing from the March number of the Southern Cultivator was crowded out oflast month 's '"l'alk." 'fhe term "fodder," as used in th e station:report h ere, means the s ta lk, leaves, .and shuclt all cured together.
HARVESTING THE "O.RN ' ROP. PULLING FODDER.
It seems rather premature to refer to this question at this season, but it is of as much importance to the farmer to save the stalks and fodder as to save the:corn, and we introduce it here to call attention to tbe tremendouswaste in the usua l me~bod of pulling the blades and leaving the standing stalks, which, when preparations for another crop begin, are either piled and burned- a dead loss, or cut and plowed under, a m ethod of questionable utility and little present benetit. In Virginia it has been proven, by actual experiment., that in this one item tbe fa rmers of that State waste every year more money than would pay their tate taxation.
As we stated before, corn "is a costly crop and every part of the plant ha. drawn tribute from our time and labor and mon ey. W'hy should we retain only a part, and throw away the othe r, mad e at equal expense and just as valuable? No doubt the statement that every part of the cornstalk is of equal nutritive value, and that the whole is of more value than theears grown upon it is an astounding revelation to the generality of farmers bu t such is the fact, which bas been established not only by laboratory experiment, but by actual tests with stock in feeding, and we feel bound tocall attention to it. The following is a summary of results published by the Maryland station after careful tests :
1. All parts of the corn plant contain valuable food materials, the dry matter having nearly the same compo~ition.
2. The corn stubble and husks conta in sixty per cent. of the digestiblematter produced by the plant, and the blades only eleven per cent. of thetotal digestible matter.

SUGGE~TIO. ' AXD INFORlllATlOK- JUKE.

9

3. ()orn husks or shucks contain seventy-two per cent. of digestible matter.
4. Corn stubble or butts eontain 66.5 per cent. of digestible matter. 5. ('orn blades or leaves contain 64.2 per cent. of digestible matter. 6. Topped corn fodder (stover) contai ns 55 per cent. of digestible matter. 7. 'rbere is more digestible matter contained in the corn fodder from .one acre than in the corn ears from one acre. 8. The corn fodder , or stover, from one acre yields as much digestible matter as two tons of timothy bay. 9. 'rhere is enough digestible matter produced by the corn fodd er grown io the Southern States to winter all the live stock existing in those States, if it was properly prepared in a p:~.latable form. 10. By cutting and crushing the cornstalks cattle will eat and utili7.e nearly all of them. 11. Corn forage (stover ) furnishes a food rich in digestible c~rbohydrates . 12. Corn fodder, when fed alone, will nea rly maintain cattle, but should be supplemented with some food rich in nitrogen when feeding for the production of growth, flesh, or milk. In view of the above, does it not seem almost beyond lJelief that some -certain method of preserving the stalk entire bas not yet been decided" upon , and that farmers still go on with the arne old expensive method of " pulling fodder' ' and le.wing the other parts of the stalk to be wasted? {)ur object iQ referring thus early t.o this question is to induce each fa~mer, if pos3ible, to try a little experimentation on a small scale. "In a multitude of counselors there is wisdom," anrl by three practical tests we may anive at the best and surest method of utilizing what has heretofore been merely a "waste product." We know that it is well worth saving; the -q uestion is, how to accoJ.Opli!:!b this with our surroundings. In a higher latitude it i a comparatively simple matter. Let ell.CU farmer resolve to try a few rows at least. As a general guide the following. taken from an exchange, is worth trying: ''Have the crop cut down at the roots as soon as the corn is well glazed and before the fodder is all dead and wasted. Set the shocks up in large well built form. Tie them round the top with binder twine, and if well set they will stand firmly until well cured and fit for storing in the bun or shed after tbe ears have been pulled. You will find an immense economy iu time and labor in thus handling the crop, besides securing the whole of the feeding value of the fodder." 'l'be practical knowledge of experienced farmers may suggest improvem-ents on the above. Let them make the tests and let us hear from them.
R. T. NESBITT.

GENERAL REMARKS.
We regret to record that since our last report the weather conditions have been such as to materially damage the prospect of our great staple crop. cotton, while other crops have also suffered from the cold weather prevailing the latter part of the month.

90

DEPARTME IT OF AGRIC1JLTUHE-GEORGIA.

COTTON.
Throughout North Georgia the damage to the cotton crop is very great. This damage is of such a character that it cannot at this time be fully estimated. Not alone where the injury is.apparent by the death of the plant will the damage be felt, but the debilitated condition of the plaJ;Jt is such as to render it more liable to disease, and ore shin and other diseases to which the plant is subject will further impair the already imperfect stand. On the lowlands of the northern portion of the State the direct injury wa so great as to necessitate plowing up in many instances, and from this cause there is, in this section of the State, an appreciable reduction in the acreage while th e condition and prospect are fifte~n per cant. less than, that of last year. Next to North Georgia, .l\Iiddle Georgia has suffered most. Compared with the last report from this department, the condition aud prospect bas fallen off' nine per cent.
'ORN.
Less liable to injury the corn crop ba not been materially damaged, while the slow growth of the plant evidences, especially inN orth Georgia, the effect of the cold weather of th e Ia tter part of the month. In the State as a whole, it is apparent in a redu ction of one per cent. in condition and prospect. In orth Georgia an increased acreage is shown from plowing up of cotton and replanting in corn.
WHEA'l' AND OATS.
The indicated yield, as given by the correspondents of the department, is not so great as we would wish, andthe damage of the severe weather of the early spring is apparent . Harvesting is now in progress, and we hope in our next report to give data of a more certain character as to the yield per acre throughout the State.
FRUJ'l' .
Grea t injury to the fruit crop generally throughout the State has long been apparent. 'rhe dropping of immature apples, many of whi ch were supposed to have been set, has greatly reduced the prospects of a yield of this fruit, and only a very small cr.:>p may be expected.

NOTES ABOUT GOOD ROAD, .

In ~11 the States of the Union good roads are essential to progress and

the spread of intelligence.

Th e people are able to get the products of the farm to market when good .

roads are provided, and the value of agricultural Ian 1 is proportionately

increased .

The farmers in New Jeraey, where they once with a team drew a ton,

with new roads are able to draw six tons.



Bad roads rob good horses and vehicles of much of their actual value.

besides tending to shorten their terms of usefulness.

UGGESTIONS A~D INFORMATION-J . NE.

91

The q uestion of good roads is essentially a q uestion of public and individual well-being.
The farmers of this section of the country are being gradually brought to understand that good roads bring them nearer the market, and will enable them to easily draw with their teams double the loads they now carry;
As one who was raised as a f11rmer boy, and who, in common with others, worked the roads to no a vail, I am now unreservedly committed to all honest ende:1vor that will lead tu better roads, and shall work and teach to that end.-Profe .o1 L . H igpin.s.

AN WERS TO I QUIRTE .
GIVEN BY 'rHF GE ORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRWULTURE FOR 'l'HE MO~TH OF J NE.
SO;\lE NEWS RF:LA'l'ING '1'0 PAR~IIN(; 1 GARD E NING , DAIRYING, 'TOCK R A I SING, ETC., Wl:liC S: Wli>L BE INTERE."'l'lr\G TO 'l 'HE FARJ\lEHS.
D EPAR'l';\J E ' T OF AGlUCULTUHE,
A'I'L AN'l'A, June 1, 1894.
CO LORADO POTA'l'O BEETLE.
Inclosed I send you a small striped bug that is doing great damage to my potatoes. What is it, and what is the remedy ?
R. G. C., Dallas, Ga. The inclosed bug is the Colorado potato beetle which, (in many sections of the country, has been very destructive in the potato fields. It has only in recent years made its appearance in - orth Alabama !l.nd "orth Georgia, and East and Middle Tennessee. Paris green or London purple, both being arsenites, are regarded as the best remedies. se in the dry form, mixed in the proportion of one pound of poison to five of flour, and two of dry dust, fine ashes, or air-slacked lime ; apply with a sifter or perforated pan. If sprayed or sprinkled over the v ines in liquid form, use a small tea. poonful to two gallons of water, or even three gallons. Be careful in handling Paris green or London purple, as it is a deadly poison.
CUT CL OVER .
When is the best tirue to cut cloYer for hay? P. 0 . P ., Crawfish S prings.
In our opinion the best hay is made by cutting the clover when it is in full bloom, before the seeds have formed. Experiments on this subject coincide with this view.

92

DEPAR'l'ME:KT OF AGRIC LTU RE-GEORGIA.

THE HORK FL Y.

'l'hrough a large portion of 'outhern Geo rgia this pest bas proven very

annoying to cattle, and while we h ave previously answered as to life habits

of the fly a nd the remedies suggested by the department at W ashington,

yet, o wing to the large number of inq uiries that continue to be made, we

give the following valu able suggestions from the work of the "Mississipp i

Experiment Station :

'l' he remedies for the b orn fly consist of (1) various applications to the

animals to keep the flies off'; (2) applications to the animals to kill the flie s,

and (3) applications to the dung to kill the larvre.

During the past two seasons we have experimented with many substances

which have been applied to keep the flies from the animals, most of which

have proved of but little value, as they evaporate so rapidly. The foll owing,

however, have been fairly satisfactory, as they keep the cattle free from

flies from a week to ten days.

Crude cotton-seed oil or fish oil and p ine tar mixed, about two parts of

the former to one of the latter. The two mix readily, and are very ea~ily

applied to the animals at milking time by means of a large paint brush

Applied in this manner it takes but a half minute to a cow, making the

coot of the appli cation but a s mall item. W e have treated 350 bead at a

time with the crude cotton -seed oil a nd tar in this way, using but four

gallons of th e oil and Jess than two gallons of the pine tar. 'l'be cost of tb e

oil is 30 cen ts per gallon, and of the tar about 50 cents, making the total

cost of the application to 350 b ead about 2.20, or about three-fourths of a

cent per head .

A preparation known as "gnat oil ," which is largely used in some loca l-

ities for buffa lo gnats, as its name im plies, h as given about the same suc-

cess as the above. It is made as follows:

C rude carbolic acid . . . . . . . . . .

. . . 1 ounce

Penny royal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. ~ to 1 ounce
. .. 1 pound

Crude cotton-seed oil . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . 1 gallon

This was applied to the animals in the same manner as was the first

preparation , and we were una ble to see a ny difference in the animals

treated with the gnat oil and those treated with the crude cotton-seed oil

and pine tar mixture. Both are preparations k eeping the animals fre e

from the flies from a week to ten days, depE.>nding to some extent upon

bow numerous the flies were at the time.

The best application to kill the flies is kerosene emulsion. In 1892 we

experimented q uite successfully in this lin e. The milk emulsion was

used, made by mixing thoroughly one p~rt of slig h t ly sour milk with two

parts of kerosene, and tben diluting this with twelve to fifteen parts of

water. 'l' IJ.e emulsion was applied to t he animals at milking time by means

of a kna psack sprayer, d irecting the spray directly upon the flies as

much as possible. After three applications in as many days the flies

were killed o ut, so that they were not again numerous until nearly three

weeks later. In 1893 the emulsiou remedy was again tried, but not with

SUGGESTIO::\' A::\D IKFORM.A.TION -JU~E.

.as f~vorable results. Tae crude cotton-seed oil and tar mixture, being so -cheap and so ea>ily applied, we have adopted this method of treatment as the best.
Some writers have recommended the application of lime or plaster to the cow clung in the field to kill the larvre, as being the best;metbod of lessening the numbers of the born flies. 'rhe con ditions as to the pasturage -of the animals throughout the South, however, are such that this method of treatment is not practicable.
Application to the animals of substances to keep the flies off is the best treatment for the born fly. Of the many substances used for this purpose two parts of crude cotton-seed oil mixed with one part of pine tar, we consider the best, cheapest, and the most easily applied. It should be applied to the animals at milking time "Yith a large paint brush, the cost being but threefourtbs of a cent per cow. If the crude cotton-seed oil cannot be readily obtained, fish oil or any other cheap oil may be used in its stead.

TO PRESERVE E GGS.

P lease give me a method to preserve eggs.

A. L. 'r., Woodlawn.

The following from an exchange will give you an excellent method of preserving eggs, with the causes tlut lead to egg spoiling.
''The egg shell is perforated by a myriad of small pores which can only be perceived by the aid of a microscope. Their effect is evident, because, it is by them that day by day the albumen evaporates and giveA place to air. When the egg is completely full, a fluid passes constantly toward the pores, and it is the principal agent of corruption; this corrup ion is manifest-ed more rapidly in warm than in co 'd weather. An egg absolutely fresh is

.abso:utely and proverbially full, but in the stale eggs there i3 a proportionally empty place caused .by the loss of albumen by evaporation. If the tongue is applied to the end of a fresh egg, it is felt to be completely <Cool; if applied to a stale egg, it is found to be warm, because the albumen of the new egg, being in contact with the shell, absorbs thl;l heat of the tongue more rapidly than the air contained in the shell of the stale egg. By intercepting the air and preventing it from penetrating the shell, so as

not to kill the germ and prevent its hatching, the egg can be preserved longer than in any other way. There have been ot>tained, says a French writer, chickens hatched from eggs kept for two years in varnish (glaze). This, he states, may be thus prepared: Diswlve some gu rn-lac in a sufficient quantity of alcohol to make a slight glaze; put in each egg, and when all the eggs are completely dry, pack them in bran, wood or sawd ust, taking -care to place the large end upwards, and preventing them from damage or rolling about. When the eggs are wanted, carefully remove the glaze with some alcohol, and they will be found in the same state as when they were enveloped, that is to say, good to eat or to batch. This method is said to be t be be3t and the surest that has ever been tried.

LATE POTATOES.

Please give me what you consider a good method of raising late pota-

toes.

J. N . C., Jonesboro.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIC LTURE-GEORGIA.
It previou3 reports from this department you will find this subj ect dealt with at length. '.rhese reports we send you, and add the following suggestions from a report of the North C11.rolina Experiment Station:
"While in this climate billing is of great advantage with the early crops, we are satisfied that fiat culture is essential with the late onP, and fiat culture can only be well done with deeply planted potatoe!'. The result of roy experience, then, may be summed up in the following recommendations. for the late crop :
" '.rhe general practice is to use the cull!', or small potatoes which are not ,fit for shipping, for planting the second crop. Some claim that this. practice leads to dFgeneration and soon compels a renewal from Northern seed; while others claim that the culls are as good as any. Our own experiments in this line have not been CO!Jtinued long enough for me to give an opinion . My practice is to take _potatoes of the early crop and spread tilem in shade of a tree, or other out-door screen, until they are we 11 greened by the light. They are then bedded in a single layer as sweet potatoes are bedded, but of course no manure or bot bed is used, and covered with about two inches of sandy soil. Here they remain until Augtut. Anyo"time after th e first week in August up to the twentieth of the month, will do well in this latitude for planting the crop. W e theu use for planting only those that have started to sprout, and always plant them who~ e. Many failure3 in getting a stand are due to cutting the potatoes at this season.''
"But the most important matter is the preparation of the ground and the mode of planting. I prefer for the late crops a piece of ground upon which a crop of field peas has been grown and mown for bay. This can usually be had, even wh en we use the same land upon which the eatly crop grew ; for if we sow peas at once upon the la ud as soon as the early crop is off, they can be mowed by the second week in August, and the stubble at once turned for the second crop.
" No matter how thoroughly the laud was manured for the early crop. it will be best to use a liberal supply of fertilizer for the late one. If put upon a pea stubble there will be no need for further purchase of nitrogen, as was essential with the early crop; but it will always pay to use 600. pounds of acid phosphate and 200 pound of k a init broadcast for this crop. " In planting lay off tile furrows three feet apart., run twice or three times in a furrow, and clean it out with a shovel if not uniformly deep and regular. Prepare, plant, and cover one row at a time while the soil is fresh . Plant at the bottom of the deep furrow, but cover very lightly. '.rhe covering we do with a hoe, and let the man who covers tramp over the row after covuing, so as to press the soil tightly to the seed. When planting on a large scale, a machine similar to one used in some sections for cover ing corn may be used . This consists of au ordinary plow beam and handles, with a cross bar in front, to which are attached two spike teeth a foot apart and behind these a narrow roller. The two spike3 will pull in plenty of soil from the sides of the trench, and the rollers will com pact it.

S GGE 1'IONS AN D lN FOR~'fATlON-J UN E.

95-

" Such a cover can easily be made at home. Potatoes, properly sprouted,

planted in this way, will all be certain to grow, and a good stand is easy to

get. As the potatoes grow the soil is pulled in around them by running

the cultivator through, until finally the trench is level. Do all the culture

with the ordinary one-horse cultivator, and do not bill up. The potatoes

will then form in th e deep bed of mellow soil, the deep furrow will tend

to retain the moisture, and the crop will be larger than if grown in bills

and ridges.

"The important points to observe, we t.bink, are:

"l. Bed the seed in the soil until planting time. This gets rid of those

too immature to grow, and which, ifplanted, would leave gaps in the row.

" 2. Plant about the second week in August, if possible, and use only

those potatoes that are sprouted_.

" 3. Plant in a deep furrow, but cover very lightly, and pack the soil to

the seed.

"4. X ever cut the potatoes for the late crop under any circumsta nces,

whether large or small.



"5. Gradually fill the soil to the plants as they grow, and cultivate the

crop perfectly flat.

"When grown on a small scale and in dry land, after the tops are deadt

clean them oft and throw a ridge of soil over the row by throwing a furrow

on each side. Cover the ridges with pine straw and the potatoes will keep

there during the winter as well as an y where, can be dug as wanted for the

table during the winter, and will be found in better condition for planting

at the usual time than if dug in tb e fall. This plan cannot be well prac-

ticed except on well drained soil."

_

The wholesome supply of food that we can obtain for the winter months,

without depending upon the Northern market, and the price3 we can

obtain in our local market, commend a home raised supply of late pota-

toes to every Georgia fa rmer. That the day is not fa r oft when all our

farm ers will avail themselves of the p(lssibilities offered by this crop there

is little doubt.

P EAN 'l'S .

What is the best soil for peanuts ? 'fo what kind of plants does it belong?

R. I. J ., Rocky F1.1.ce.

'fhe peanut requires a calcareousor lime soil. Where there is not suffi cient lime in the soil, it should be supplied at the rate of from 20 to 4Qbusbels to the acre. It should also be well m a nured. The plant is a l e g u m i n e.
SHEEP J, TCE .
Will you kindly give me a remedy for lice in sheep ? A. D. H ., Camilla.

If your sheep are dipped regularly once a year as a rule, they will be free from lice. Pyrethrum or Persian insect powder, if it comes in contact with the lice, is sure death to them. 'l'he lice are generally found on the inner part of the thighs and fore-le gs, and on the sides and neck. Two ounces of sulphur, mixed with a pound of lard, to which has been added 20 drops of creosote, will also kill the lice.

DEPARTME "T OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.
STRINGHALT.
I have a horse that is stringbaltetl . Can yo u g ive me a remedy? What is the cause of thi.s d isea3e or trou ble?
I. A . M., Social Circle. We know of no treatment that would benefit stringhalt. It bas been said that the affection depends, or rather is the result of some obscure dis ease of the sciatic nerve. It is, however, very doubtful whether this is the t rue explan ation of the trouble. In some cases there is evidence that t he hock itself is affected.
Roads are at once a fa ctor in t he development of civilized society and .an evidence of attain ments.

.'UGGE l'ION' AND INFOK\JATIO~-J T1 .

!l7

MR. NESBITT'S LETTER.

HIS MO~THLY TALK TO THE FARMER ' OF THE TATE 01<
GEORG IA.
REYIEW OF 'l' EIE CROP -CORN AND OATS BADLY DA:'\fA GED FOR WAN'l OF RAIN- WHEAT DUING FAIHLY WELL-COTTON SOi\lRWHA'J' LA.'l'EO'l'HER FAJDII:\G NEWS.
DEl'Alt'l':IIENT OF A GRICUL'l'URE,
ATLANTA, J ul y 1, 1894.
GENERAl, REVIEW OF ROPS A 'D CONDITIONS.
Up to the middle of June the belated crops over the entire State, already retarded by the unprecedented cold, were suffering and drying up for want of rain, and the parching winds, which prevailed over a large area, but added to the gloominess of the situation. Had this condition been confined to one section there would have been less reason for apprehension . but the cry of distres from all quarters gave rise to the most anxious forebodings. The refreshing rains, unaccompanied by the destructive storms so widely predicted and expected, commenced about the middle of June, and though at first very partial, we hope they are not too late to save a large part of the corn crop in the southern part of the 'tate, and certainly in time to rescue that crop in the middle and northern sections. Cotton. with its almost marvelous powers of recuperation, may recover from tlle varied di a ters to whi h it has been subjected, and, with propitious seasons, a fair crop may be realized.
The small grain c rops a re much injured. Fall oats, which were at on e time mo t promising, have been 'seriously cut oft: The spring crop is practically a failure, and the yield from wheat is much reduced. In some exceptional cases the preparation wa!:l very thorough. On such lands these crops show comparatively little effect of the long dro,; uth, and the yield is all that could be expected. I have in mind a field of corn which, th rough a drouth of several weeks' duration, has scarcely shown a twisted blade, and has maintained a healthy growth and color which, in comparison with adjacent fields, seemed most remarkable. On inquiry I find that the preparation of this land was exceptionally thorough, and during the long d1outh:the roots, instead of dry ing up too near the surface, have gone as deep sa possible into the mellow bed, thus obtaining the requisite food and moisture .for the rapidly growing plants. This is but another confirmation of David Dick on's assertion, that, with thorough preparation and manuring, a corn crop can be made with one good rain . 'fhe corn in question has not had a soaking rain since it came out of the groung until the splendid season of the middle of Jun e, which places it beyond the possibility of ordinary disaster. The general corn crop is backward, especially to the north of a line drawn eas(and west through the center of the l:itate, but

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIC LTURE-GEORGIA.

CORN

must be laid by this ruonth. Unlike cotton it must mature in a certain period; failing in this, we have no means of remedying the defect, and the result is disappointment in the yi eld.
Just now all theenergie3 of the plant are directed to the development of the ear, and should not be diverted to the repair of useless and ill-judged l'Oot cutting. The plow should cut evenly a nd smoothly, not more than two inches below the surface, leaving the roots undisturbed to perform their perfect fun ctions.
Where commercia l fertilizers were used the long drouth bas been peculiarly injurious, for without suficie nt moisture, this prepared plant food is unavailable, and in many cases the corn bad passed the critical period of development befo1e the rains came to unlock the stores, of which it stood so much in n eed . In cases where the fertilizer was used with composts of different kinds, t he beneficial effect of tbt moisture absorbing humus can be plainly seen, and , indeed, if we desire to secure the full benefit of any commercial fertilizer, t he safest plan is to use it in conjunction with composts. By this plan a small a mount of the fertili zer can be made to do double duty, and with far more certainty, than if applied alone.
It would make a wonderful difference on the cred it side of our yearly accounts if not one pouud of fertilizer was applied except by composting. . 'l'o prepare for th is it is neces a ry to begin now. July marks a pause in the agricultural rush of the past several weeki', and before the heavy duties ~f gathering, and housing the made crops, and preparing and eeding for the fall grain begins, we can look around and take the initial steps towards accumulating
MA'l'ERIAL :F'OR COlllPOSTING .

During wet spells or at odd times, when other work is not pressing,

much can be done in this important branch of our industry. Where this

work runs all through the year, it is astonish ing, no t only how much is

saved, but bow much is actually gai ned fromlthe ordinary "waste prod-

ucts' ' of the farm . Of course if it is left to the last moment or receives

only careless or spasmodic attention, we canno t expect certain or encour-

aging results, but if a settled and intelligent plan is followed, with a steady

aim in view, the universal:testimonyis t hat it pays better than any other

investment on the farm.



The lot an d stalls should be well littered with leaves and woods earth,

which,in turn, should not be thrown out loosely to the injurious action of all

weathers, but thrown into compact, well built heaps, or better still, put un-

der shelter of some kind. If well managed the compost heap is indeed the

farmer's gold mine, from which be can ex pect much more certain return

than is ordinarily vouchsafed to the bona fide gold digger. We, as farm-

ers, should study this question of manures in all its phases: of feeding to

produce manures of highest quality, of composting, of protectinga nd pre-

.serving, of applying for greatest yields.

A farmer can so manage that after be bas succeeded in producing com-

posts of the highest quality, their most valuable constituents are lost,

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORUATIO.N-JULY.

-either by improper methods of handling or by mistaken modes of application. Experiments, at the various stations, notably at New York, show -some very thorough and interesting work in this line, which throws much

light on questions which we have ueitber time nor means to elucidate for

-ourselves.

COTTO '

has greatly improved. The hot suns and the opportune rains during the last days of June have revived the sickly, drooping plants. and though in -some exposed situations the frost, combined with the subsequent heavy winds anu protracted drouth, almost destroyed t.he "stand," the plant s that remain are, in the majority of cases, in a healthy, vigorous condition. All that is necessary now is to keep the upper soil constantly stirr~d . Never allow a crust to remain on the ~urface . The crop being so much later than usual, the object of present cultivation should be not to encourage weed growth. A good plan is to plow every alternate row, using a sweep, heel scrape, or extended cultivator; thin after a few d~;~ys return and plow the rows which were left. This practically stirs the entire surface, and gets a

double benefit from a given amount of work.

CROPS WHICH CAN BE PLANTED THIS ~lONTH- COR '
It is too late to plant corn on poor upland; but on rich upland, or on .damp bottom land, by using an early maturing variety, we can plant up to the middle of July. If intended for forage, the seed can be put in as late as July 20, and with ordinary seasons, the rewlts will be satisfactory.

POTATOES

<Jan be set out all through the month . 'l'he late planted slips make smoother

potatoes and of better keeping qualities than those planted earlier. The

main care, after the vines begin to cover the ground, is to prevent them

from taking root between the rows, and this is especially important with

the late planted slips.

RUTA-BAGAS.

Where desirable, and the seasons are suitable, it is well to prepare this <Jrop during the present month, the land being put in fine tilth aud highly manured. Phosphates are required more especially, with a smaller proportion of nitrogen and potash. The early sowing can begin duTing the latter part of the mouth, and as soon as the plants are up dust with dry ashes to

prevent the depredations of theirinsect enemies.

SORGHU M.

for forage can still be planted. Cows, mules, and hogs are fond of it, and

it is a cheap and healthful food. For seed the early amber is best, because,

on account of its smaller stem, the whole plant-stem, leaves, and seed-

can be utilized.

PEAS.

So much has been said and written as to the value of the pea crop, not

only as feed for our stock, but as a renovator to our lands, that it seems

scarcely neceesary to revert to this subject, but it is of such vital importance

that I must be pardoned for presenting a few additional facts, and for again

100

DEP.-\RTMEKT OF AGRICULT RE-GEORGIA.

urging farmers to p ut in as large a crop as possible. A peck or a half

bushel to the acre, sown broadcast in the corn, and covered by the la-! t

plowing, will , with ordinary seasons, give a fair stand, and if planted before

the m iddle of the month will usually mature seed. For forage, the plant-

ings can continue until the last day.

Where practicable, the oatland wheat stubble should be turned and the

peas harrowed in. Experiments at our station show that the gain is great-

est where the crop is harvested and cured for hay, and the stubble, with

its accumu lated nitrogen, turned undet-. As a preparation for the fall

grain crops nothing has been fou od to be as valuable as a crop of peas sown

broadcast-the bay taken off and the stubble turned under. If in combina-

tion with this fertilizer is used the yield from both crops, peas and grain, is

very materially increased. The following from a serie3 of experiments for

four years, at the North Carolina station, shows the value of peas as a ferti-

liz.:lr for wheat. The figures show the gain per acre in each case. Mark the

fact that with cotton seed meal the yield was diminished rather than in-

creased. The increase of the crop from :

increase.

Peav-iues.

Bu bel .

Wi t h no fertilizers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.6

With 300 pounds kainit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.45

With 300 pounds acid phosphate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.81.

With 175 pounds acid phosphate, 87.6 pounds cotton seed meal, 37.5

pounds kainit . . . . . . . .

. 14.67

with 300 pounds cotton seed meal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. 3

Push the fattening

][008

as far as possible, let them have the ruu of the grain fields before the peas are so wn. When taken from the3e see that they have p lenty of succulent food. The loss of the fruit crop is a seri ous in conven ience, but the Deed of this wholesome food ' can be, in a great measure, supplied by refuse vegetables, sorghum, and other forage crop .

PLA!\ '1'1::-.'G FOR FALL CR OP S .
Land now unoccupied , intended for fall cro ps, has a spontaneous growth of grass and weeds. 'fo get it in satisfactory cond iti on for clover or gra~s plant peas in the drill and cu ltivate. 'l'his will exterminate the weeds, and the peas will furnish both hay and manure. Turn under the stubble early enough to barrow a nd roll the land in time for the clover and grass, and we have a seed bed in which it will tlourish.

FA LJ. OA1.'8.
Don' t put off sowing oats until spring, the risk is too great, but begin in time to prepare for the m uch more certain fall crop and resolve to sow early. The fields from which the peavine hay bas been taken will be ready, and September is noue too early to begin the mowing.
'l'o sow in the cotton fi-eld is also a good p lan. The Appler variety is among the best, resists rust, is early and productive. Secure seed in time and begin at the first practicable moment.

,'UGGE.'TIO:X. ' .AND INFORMATIO -JULY.

101

FALL IRJ.'JI POTATOES.
'l'his crop is attracting attention from the fact that the potatoes can be left in the ground all the winter and dug as needed, and the southern grown fall rop furnishes eveu better tubers for spring planting than the ea tern grown seed, which have so long monopolized the market. My attention was attractfd to this fact last year, and I determined to try the ex_ periment. The seed potatoes were selected at the time of gathering our spring grown crop in July, those of the smaller med ium size being chosen. 'l'hese were allowed to dry in the shadE', and were then bedded exactly as we bed sweet potatoes in the spring, except that no heating manure was used . At the end of two weeks these potatoes were examined, and those which showed uo indication of sprouting were rt>jected. The others were planted wholE', in the same manner as spring potatoes, the I:Jed was mul ched with pines traw, and in a few weeks there was an almost pprfect stand . :Notwiths1anding the very severe winter, we had fresh potatoes from this bed until time to plant again in March. When the bed was plowed up for the spring planting, the medium potatoes were again selected, but, instead of drying, were planted immediately alongsiQ.e the eastern grown varieties. 'l'he home raised potatoes were planted whole. 'l'he eastern were cut as usual.
The protracted drought has greatly reduced the yield, but up to the time that it began ,to injuriously affect both plantings, the home-raised plan1 s kept pace in appearance and bearing qualiti es with their neighbors. At the present writing, though we have had refreshing rains, they came, too late to benefit the dried up plants.
It is .maintained by the advocates of this new indu stry that plants from southern grown seed can better withstand drouth . The present instance bas been a fair test of this statement, and a fair conclusion may be formed when the respective yields are measured. For planting this crop in tLe
field on a larger scale and for winter protection, there a re full directions in. last q~ontb's report in the inq uiry column.
R. '1'. N E SBI'l'T.

THE PO L'l'RY YARD.

P RIFY THE R U X S AND KEEP 'l'HE BlRDS HEAL1.' HY-METHODS OF PCRI FIC A1.'ION.

Many poultry men who keep their fowls confined to small yards clean

their poultry houses, but never seem to think :it necessary to purify the

yards. If sickness vi. its the fowl~, it is a mysteriou'l dispensation of

ProvidencE', for have they not kept their houses clean? '!'hey do not think

of the yards, whose soil bas been impregnated with the droppings of the

fowls, and upon which a green thiog is never permitted to grow. Follow-

ing are methods of purification recommended by the Ame1ican Agricul -

luri. t :

'

2

102

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE--GEORGIA.

I. Where it is possible to do so, seed the yard down to grass or clover and let it bear a crop a year, or raise upon it a crop. of vegetables. Of eourse, this necessitates two yards for the fowl!!, a plan that cannot always lbe pursued. Or one can, with a movable fence, cut off the fowls ftom the larger part of the yard and sow that to some quick growing crop, like oate, and when it has grown five or six inches high, let the fowls in upon it. Or one can spade the yard in section , sowing oats at each spading, and thus secure a little growth from them and a succession of growths of green food for the fowls. A growing crop for one season puts the soil in excellent :condition for the fowls, the crop removing just the elements that were injurious to tl:ie fowls.
2. Spading up _the yard every few weeks, either in sections or all at -once, turnin g up the soil to the action of the sun and air. A ir is the best -disinfectant we have, and plenty of it will help to rob the soil of the elements poisonous to the fowls. Spading will do for a few years, but after' awhile it will not be sufficient.
3. The removal and casting away of several inches of the soil and replacing it with fresh earth. It would pay a gardener to do this, as the soil removed is rich in fertilizing matter, but few have been fortunate enough to .find the gardener do this. But even if one has to go to the expen,se of the removal it pays better to do it than to have a lot of sick, and, therefore, unprofitable fowls.
4. Temporary relief can be had by sowing the yards w th land plastcl . 'l'his will hold the injurious emanations and keep the air in healthful con-
dition. 5. The soil can be disinfected by a thorough drenching with sulphate of
copper diluted in water, about one pound of the former to a hundred gallons of the latter. The soil should be thoroughly drenched. Of these methods the simplest is the best-raising a crop upon the yard.

JAPA :r PLUMS.
The Japan plums constitute a race as distinct. from our native varieties as is the Le Conte pear from the Bartlett. The trees resemble somewhat our vigorous varieties of the Chickasaw type, but the foliage is larger and quite distinct. Some are hardy as far north as where the wild goose suc ceeds, and for our Southern States they open a new era in plum culture. Nurserymen have fruited many varieties of this type and found a number of decided value fo1 both market and home use. 'l'be Botan type belongs to the hardier group, and has given good results in Northern and Western States. Botan, Burbank and Ogon a re familiar varieties of this type. Th e Kelsey type is less hardy, and is recommended for sections below the thirtyfourth degree of latitude north. The Kelsey, Satsuma and Masu are familiar varieties of this type.

SUGGESTIONS AND INFOR UTION-JULY.

103'

ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST.
Texas is the great sweet potato State of the Union. The holly is easily grown and makes excellent hedges. W. P. Mossey tells, in the Texas Fa1'1n and Ranch, that potash is the great remedy for cotton rus t.

ANSWERS TO I "QUIRIES
G IVE :r BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF A GRIC LT RE FOR THE MOXTH OF .J LY.
S OME NEW RELATING TO FARMING, GARDENING , DAIRYING, STOC K RAIS ING, ETC., WHICH WIJ..L BE IN 'l'ERESTING TO THE FAR~fERS.
DEPARTMENT OF A GRICULTURE,
ATLA!\TA 1 July 1, 1894.
ENGLISH ROTA'l' ION.
Can you give me some idea of the rotation of crops in England ? B. H. H., Butler, Ga.
Rotation of crops in England varies as in this country, and corn, as well as cotton, is almost excluded, being seldom planted. The following is a popular rotation in that country: Turnips or other root crops, barley,
dover, wheat, making afour years' rotation.
A COl\IPLETE FERTILIZER.
What is meant by a complete fertilizer, and what does it contain ? B. E . N., Dallas.
'l'he noted French writer, Professor V ille, calls a complete manure or fertilizer one that contains nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and lime. Lime, as a r ule, is found in our soils in sufficient quantities, so we denomi nate as a complete fertilizer one that contains phosphoric acid, potash, and nitrogen.
When lime is used as a fertilizer, it supplies one mineral constituted to plants, that is calcium oxide or lime. Usually in soils this element exists in sufficient quantity, and the valuable results frequently obtained by the use of lime ,are not attributable to the supply of this element itselt as a

104

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIC LT RE-GEORGU.

plant food , but to other important purposes which it serves. Acids, which sometimes are contained in the soil to an injurious extent, are neutralized by its alkaline properties ; stiff clays are rendered light and mellow, and it aids also in the decomposition of insoluble, in 01gani c compounds, as silicates, and it is in this manner, and not directly, that potash is supplied by the use of common lime, some of the agricultural limes containing in themselves a small supply of this mineral constituent. Sourness is corrected by the use of lime in the de~:;truction of the excess of vegetable matter.
Some plants, such as peanuts, demand an excess of lime, or rather lime much in exce~s of wh a t is d e manded by other plants, and in their cultivation it is very valuable as a direct plant food . You will note that the benefit you will rec eive from the use of lime will be principally in m echanical effects, thus aiding in proper distribution of the applied fertilizer. We should judge from your description of the condition of your soil that it is very much in need of organic matter. 'rhis is best supplied by the use of leguminous plants, which contributes a direct supply_of nitrogen in addition to organic matter.
STOP PLOWING.
when is the proper time to stop plowing cor11 ? G. 1\'l. R., Savannah.
Corn should not be plowed after the tassel begins to break. In a previous number of these reports we have given the root extent of the plaut, which is much greater than is commonly supposed. In the process of plowing, more or less root pruningo conseq uently e nsues. 'rhe nearer maturity and the larger and more vigorous the plant, the greater the pruning. It is therefore necessary, when fruiting begins, iu order to husband the resources of the pla nt, that the plane should have the full benefit of every rootlet, and that the process of cutting or disturbing them should cease. vVe should direct our efforts, as far as the weather will permit, to having our c rops in such condi tion , clea n of gras , weeds, etc., that when the plant arrives a t the stage indicated, further plowing will be unnecessary.
BEGGAR LICE.
I have beard that the weed lmown as beggar lice, or beggar tick, will benefit land; also that it is good for forage.
H. A . :M:., Keyton.
The pla nt known as beggar lice botanically belonga to the gums de~:;mo- dium, which belongs to the same family a~ the pea and clover, and therefore is rich in nutritious material. F rom those who . have tried it, the United States department bas received a number of favorable reports both as to its value as a feed, while green and cured for bay, and it is also commended as building up land. While the majority of those who have tried it testify to its value, othera have condemned it, however, without apparent reason.

S GGESTIONS AND INFOR JATIOK-JULY.

11)5

PEA. .

Could I sow peas now with the hope of receiving beneficial results- that

1s, in my corn'!

I. J.D., Woodlawn.

In these reports we have endeavored to impress on our farmers the benefits to be d~rived from sowing peas, and tv induce them to use this plant to supply organic matter and nitrogen, the cotton being the most expenive of all the elements of plant food. If your coro has not been hid by, by all means, at the last p lowing, sow the middle in peas; the improved mechanical condition of the soil and the addition to the fertility will amply com pensate you for the trouble and expense. 'l'he farmer's land is hi capital- not the land as a barren waste, but in its power to produce by virtue of its fertility. When he adds to its fertility, he adds to his capital, or when be permits it to be depleted of the elements to produce, be impairs his capital, and, while not vi. ible, is actually as much poorer as a merchant who, by bad management, each year finds himself with a smaller stock of goods and unable to do as large a business as he did the year before. 'rherefore we say, plant pea in your corn aud thus a id in
maintaining your capital.

NfTROGEN.

Do plants get any of their nitrogen from the air? H. C. B., Hampden.
While the air is cornposed largely of nitrogen, it is the opinion of -chemists that not one atom is directly appropriated . No plants appropriate this free nitrogen except leguminous plants, and these plants accomplish it through muriate bacteria found on the roots, that are actual living organisms. An effort is now being made by scientific students of ag ri culture to inoculate other plants with these organism!!, and thus en.cteavor to communicate to them the power of appropriating free nitrogen .

FOOD FOH STO 'K.

As food for stock how does wheat traw compare with hay? H. L . 'l'., Bartow county.

It will depend of course to some extent on the kind of bay. One pound

of common hay, in the quantity of nutriment contained is equal to four or

five pounds of wheat straw.



DE A YING TRF: I':.

How P-an I save trees that are beginning to decay from knot holes? H. A. V., Cartersville.

To save trees that are beginning to decay in the center from knot boles on the outside an English paper recommends to empty out the water as far as practicable with a pump, and then fill the holes with Portland cement formed into a running consistency with water. For economy, two rart!' of sharp sand or small gravel may be mixed with one part of cement which should be quite fresh. When the boles are filled with the cement, allow it to set. Then smooth over the crown with the same material,

106

DEPARTMEL'T OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGI.\..

rounded to throw off the wet, just having it level with the bark around each wound, and over this apply a coat of grafting clay so as to encourage the growth of the bark, which we have known to grow and close over thecement. The thing is to get the water out and keep it out in the future. Clay alone would not do that, but rather accelerate the decay by allowing water to enter.
SOUTHDOWN ',

I note that you recommend the Southdowns as good mutton sheep for

this section. Will you kindly give me some of the reasons why you

recommend this particular ?reed?

D. A . B., Hamilton.

Mr. W. W. Chapman, experienced in sheep-raisiug, thus give.s some of the reasons why be prefers this breed of sheep:
Because they of all sheep will produce more meat at less cost fro~ a given area thana ny other breed of sheep, for you can keep thirty of tbese-
outbdowns where only twenty of the larger breeds can be kept on the same food and area. They are small in siz~>, but great in value. They are big sheep in little room. '!'hey are sheep that produce the greatest weight where the best points are, for many of you may not be aware of the fact that bind-quarters of 'outhdowns are alwayil one to two pounds heavier than the forequarters.
This il'! a merit peculiar to them. They are producers of fine wool of the best q uality, and although the weight of the fleece is not so much as of some other breeds, taken as a whole, the figures would show a farmer received in cash more profit from the produce of lifty Southdowns than from any other breed, if an account of the cost of food and attendance v.ere propetly b:ept.
I prefer them becau e of their hardiness, freedom from disease and their ability to live and thrive in extremes of heat and cold, for they are to be found all over the world. On their native downs they have great extremes of climate to endure, from the beat of ummer to the almost A rctic cold of winter, aud their fine, thick wool and close fleece is most essen tial to their well-being, with which, being impervious to either wet or snow, they are able to put up with the greatest hardships, cold, and wet, without any ill eftects to their bodily health or to the tJ uality of their wool. 'fhus, not only do you by keeping a .flock of Southdowns, keep a sheep of the most valuable mutton breed, but you keep one whose wool is of the finest and be t quality and is not affected by the weather in the manner it affects othn breeds.
I prefer them because they will thrive and live as well where other sheep would almost starve because they are small eaters and rapid ratters and will come to maturity as early as any other sheep in the world; because of their small siz~, they produce just the joints that make the highest price in the market.

SHADE FOR FAR~I ANIMALS.

'!'he following valuable suggestion as to ti:J.e benefits to be derived from shade from one of our exchanges is worthy of consideration :

'UGGE,'TrOW A"XD JNFORMATI0~-JULY .

107

'''The merciful man is merciful to his beast.' Don't neglect, during the months of .July and August, to provide some shady place to which your cattle, and sheep especially, can resort to during the heat of the day.
"All stock are better for such a place, but especially should the ruminant animals have it provided. There, after feeding, they can retire and chew the cud in comfort and derive the full benefit of the food. If dark as well a simply shaded overhead, they will enjoy greater comfort, as the flies will not trouble them so much. An old shed or barn makes an excellent shelter, or if these be not available, put up a frame-work of poles and cover with brush or weeds, or both. Such a shelter will well rapay the cost ~of erection in the increased yield and better cond ition of the stock.

GENERAL REMARKS.
GREAT 'UFJ<'ERING Al\IONG 'HE CROP, DURING THE 1\IONTH OF .TUNE.
During the month, throughout the , tate, there is hardly a section that has not suffered for the want of rain to such an extent as to materially damage the growing crops.
The early part of the month brought a drouth, or rather a continuation of the drouth of the previous month, until all crops were parched and . withering for the want of ra in. When the rains came they were local in character, and suffi cient w<~.ter did not fall to giva th e land the thorough wetting demanded by vegetation.
A'! a result of the season, we reg ret to say that a reference to the tabulated statement shows the present condition and prospect as to both corn and cotton the most unf<~.vorabl e that has been prese nted in the S~ate in a number of years.
COTTO
The reports received for the month have been larger than usual in number. For the State they show th e condition and prospect as compared with an average of 77. This is 7 per cent. lower than any year for the last five years, and is due in a large .measure to the co nditions throughout North and Middle Georgia, which sections suffered mos t from the very cold weather late in the spring. 'rhe subsequent seasons have also been unpropitious for the recuperation and reco very of the plant frotn the injury previously ~utfered . In both sections the condition and prospect is lower than shown by any report for the past decade; in Middle Georgia it is 74 per cent. ,and in orth Georgia only 63 pet cent.
CORN.
Unlike cotton, corn shows the best condition in North Georgia, while owiug to the drouth, the crop in the southern sections of the State is very poor.

108

DEPARTMENT CF AGRIC ULTTJ RE-GEORGIA .

TABULATED STA.TE:\1ENT.

Korth Geurgia. .. ......... ... . ....... .. .. .. .... ...... .. ......... .. ..... .. ots !li (ii !JO

~~~~~~~~oG~~a;gi~... ...:..... :::: :::.:.:::::::: .::::: .:. :::::. ::: :::: :

iL 83

70 7-l

ill ~ 71 82-

<mtheast Georgia .............. ... .. . .. ... .. ........... ...... ..

1'6 77 .85

~; ~~~ East Georgia .. .. .. ... ... ... .. .. . .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... ... ... .
State ...... .. . .. ...

:: so

DE. '.rROYI)I' G WEEVIL,
Place the seed or grain in a tight bin, box, barrel, or hogshead, or if the room can be closed air-tight, pile it in a con ical heap on the floor. For each 100 pounds of seed allow an oun ce of carbon bisulphide. Pour this into a cup and sink the cup to the rim at the top of the heap. Now cover the heap with an old carpet or thick cloth of any kind to keep in the fumes. If the room is not very large and can be made qu ite tight, no covering of the heap will be neces ary, but one-guar er to one-half more carbon bisulphide must be used. Keep the cloth on or the room closed ior twenty-four hours; then expose freely to the a ir, and all traces of the carbon bi. ulphide will quickly disappear. The edible quality of the grain or its ability to sprout will be nowise injured by the treatment. Carbon bisulphide readily explodes in presenca of 1'il'e, and no fire or light must be brought into the room as long as the peculiar odor of the carbon bisulphide is perceptible.

POTATOES IN NORTH CAROLl.NA .
A Torth Carolinian writing to Country Gentlem an, says: We all of us adopt the two-crop system. Our firat crop is marketed in the great northern cities from J nne 1st to June 15th, and in July we plant the second crop, which matures in October. Our second crop has heretofore been used fm seed and home consumption exclusively, but th is year I shall be disappointed if we do not meet your northern growers on even terms in the city markets. I cannot see why it is not entirely feasi ble, or why, with potatoes at $1.00 a barrel, it will not be vastly more profitable us thau growing corn and e'otton.

i::>UGGESTlON .-\.ND INFORJIATION-A.UGUST.

109

At the Texas station millo maize grows well and resists drouth, but is not considered superior to other sorghums for forage.
Japan clover has been successfnlly grown at theN orth Carolina station, and is strongly recommeLded as a renovator of worn soils.
Governor Flower, of New York, is taking a great deal of interest in good roads, and is talking over the subject with New York farmers.
There is no known remedy for hog cholera, but whatever contributes to keeping them in healthy condition renders them lets liable to its attack .

MR. NESBLTT'S LETTER.
'!'HE COMMISSIONER OF AORTCUL'l'URE '0 THE GEORGIA FARMERS-
THE illO!'O'l'H OF JULY REVJF.WED- WITH THE EFFECTS OF A LATE
' PRING AND 'I'HE HEC EN'l' DROU'l'H, '.rO OVERCOME, 'l'HE FAR::IffiR.
HAVE :\fADE A SPLENDID SHOWING, AND C"HOI' PROSPE ''J'S ARE 'RRIO HT 1 RE0.:\0 'l'HE MO 'T S ANGL' INE E~PECTA'l'IOIS .
DEPARTJIIEN'.r OF AGRICUL'l' UHE,
ATLANTA, GA., August 1, 18!:.14.
The long deferred rains, which came in June and July, at first confined to favored loralitie , finally became general, and though in the southern part of the State the corn was too far advanced to be materially benefited, in the more northern section the marvelous recuperation of the crop is almost beyond belief. In that locality, plants which were twisted and almost lifeless, have taken on a new growth, and the prospect for a fine yield is now most encouraging. 'fhe advanced plantings in the southern part of tne State suffered in a greater degree because the drouth came just at the critical period of tasseling and earing, and was so long continued that the tun ted ears, or rather" nubbin s," were formed before the reviving rains descended to fill them with plump ht-althy grains.
With cotton, exactly tbe opposite conditions exist. In So uthern Georgia this crop suftered co rnpartively little from the April and May cold snaps, and the drouth o'f May and June found it in good growing condition, which it has been able to maintain even during the dry weather. But in Northern Georgia, from frost and continu ed chilly weather, suc-eeeded by parch ing winds and a drouth, in some localities lasting over two months, the prospects seemed almost hopeless. In many fields the little stalks had lost every leaf, only the tender buds at the top holding out hope against an utter destruction of the crop. But tbe life giving moisture has infused new strength to the drooping plants, and fields in which a month .ago one could scarcely detect the presen ce of any living plant, are to day striped with broad rows of vivid green, indicating an almost perfect stand -of healthy, vigorous stalks. Necessarily the development is somewhat -dilterent from the usual condition at this season, but cotton has exceptional power of recuperation, and the abundant rains here literally boomed

110

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL'L'URE- GEORGIA .

' the crop. The main drawback to a full yield is the rapid leaf development.
of the talk, which is not now taking on fruit to its full capacity.

THE CULTIVATION OF CO'L'TON

will perhaps extend beyon!l the usual period this year, on account of ther~tarded growth. But cultivation encourages greater plant development, and when that is checked, the tendency is then to take on more fruit. Ordinarily, squares that form after th e middle of August have not t ime to fully develop before frost comes to check their growth, therefore our plan should be to continue the cultivatiou up to a reasonable period, and then turn the crop loose to form and mature all the frui t possible in the given time. All work in cultivating afLer that time is but a waste of energy. For the last working, one wide furrow in the middle is all that is necessary the plow being adjusted so as to cut evenly throughout, and at a depth of not more than one inch. Deep plowing now is ruinous. I have often seen at this season promising fields, in one week after a deep plowing, with most of the bolls and forms on the grou(/d, instead of on the stalk.

CORN.
In the southern part of the S tate this crop is ''laid by, " but in the northern part there is perhap3 some upland and more bottom corn to receive its. last plowing. Where possible, put in peas at this plowing-in the drill or broadcast according to the number oE furrows-and see that the plow is adj usted, so that, if possible, not one feedin g root is disturbed . I have witnessed lately an apt illustration of the d isastrous eff~ct of deep plowing, even when only one furrow is put in the middle. This field of corn, a very promising one, had been entirely plowed out,. except a few rows, which for some reason the owner had fail ed to finish , the middles being left unplowed. After the rains commenced, the grass and weeds, a lready started in these middles, began to grow apace. For several days there was no perceptible difference between the corn in theserows and that in the rest of the field . All was vigorous, and to the eye of the experienced farmer the glassy, dark colored blades poke of future full ear.3. But a gradual and finally a marked change occu rred in the unworked rows.
The weeds, by this time rank and hungry, were robbing the corn of its. necessary food, the corn blades were losing their healthy color, and only a cursory glance was needed to mark the difference between these rows and the remainder of the field. Too late, the plow was started .
In order to tear up the heavy growth of weeds, the plowshare had to go in deep, and what was atone time a promising prospect is almost destrosed. 'be stalks appeared bard and round, the upper blades drooping, and the bottom ones yellow.
Had the farmer inteuded to furnish an illustration of the dire effect of deep plowing at this season, he CQuld not have given a more perfect one . The injured rows, just now in the critical stage of earing, may make something, but the crop materially cut off, will never recover its former tone. The rest of the field ploweJ earlier, aud before it was necessary to resort to.

SUGGE-3T[QK ~ AND INFOR~'I:ATW t -.AUGUST.

lll

the " heroic treatment," is a picture of agricultural beauty, the abundant ears and vivid color attesting its :vigorous condition.
Perhaps not one Georgia farmer in-one hundred has followed the experiments in corn culture which are being carefully conducted at our station, runnin_g through a series of ye&rs. Because of this too general indifferen ce I would call attention to the results and the conclusions reached by these experiments. It is proven by these most caref).ll tests that in comparison with a general manuring, fertilizers put only in the drill for corn, c..loes not pay. The increase in the crop does not make an adequate retu1n for the additional expense involved. On the otiJer band, where the corn has followed crops of small grain and peas, on which fertilizer was broadcast, the increase in yield in comparison with the expense is so marked as to leave no doubt as to its superior advantages, and a careful comparison of reults shows the more certain profits are to be gained by the latter plan.
In another part of the State I have recently seen th e S$me principal illustrated. The land on which this corn is planted is sandy, with a yellow clay sub-soil not very far below the surface. 'rhe owner told me that he excited the commiseration of- his neighbora, when he, in preparing, put his plow deep into the soil, bringing up an occasional modicum of the clay. He broadcast peas (of course with manure), following this crop with corn, which was highly manured in the drill , and when I saw this crop in the middle of July t-he rows stood four feet apart, the plants three feet in the drill, and a more beautiful prospect I never witnesseJ. By this plan the yield has heret:pfore been from thirty to forty bushels to the acre. 'rhe two points to be emphasized are the gain in the narrow rows, which saves both time and la bor, and the fact that this plan can only be ventured on when the preparation and manuring are very thoroughly and carefully executed.
As to how late corn should be cultured, the season itself must determine. During a drouth the roots run deep in search of moisture. During a wet season the feeding roots literally fill the space between the rows and are spread out very near the surface. The observant man will note these facts and guide the cultivation accordingly.
'l'HE F ALL C ROP OF IRISH P 0 1'A'l'OES1
now attr~cting so much attention, not only for home con s umption, but as furni shing asuperiot article for commerce, should be planted at once, if not already put in the ground. In previous reports full directions for obtaining a stand , for cultivation, etc., were given. At this writing our potatoes in the " sprouting bed" are ready for planting, and as only those which show the tiny sprout are used, we have no apprehension as to securin" a perfect stand.
WHF:A 'l.' .
In a recent conversation with an extensive wheat grower, I was shown that the earlier he land is turned, the finer the crop. Eve1i. in July it is not too early to begin. A long experience has proved that land turned in that month makes better wheat than that turned iu August, which again yields more abundantly than that turned in September, and so on.

112

DEPART.'.fENT OF .AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

REPAIRS.
While much of this month, and rightly so, is given up to social gatllerings aud the the interchange of thougnt and plans so important, perhaps more important to onr calling than to any otner, there are many necessary repair;~ which should not be neglected. This is the month to c ut down the heavy growtn of Wded;~ on terraces and ditches and in fence cotner;~, that the maturing seed may not attain the p0wer to add yet more to the heavy labors of the coming year.
Cotton picking will not, throughout the State. begin in earnest until next month, and there are many odd jobs in the way of repairs which have b en awaiting this slack season . Let us see to it that they are now attended to with promptnes~ and dispatch.
FODDER PULLING.
U ntil we settle on some forage substitute, the labJrious and expensive "fodder pulling'' must continue to take its usual place in the operations of the fann during the coming month . So far there is nothing which has superceded the bright, clean, home-cured blade as" roughage" for our farm animals, but we pay a high price for every pound and the question for some cheaper, yet equally nutritious substitute should engage our careful study. In doing this we will diacov.er that in older and further advanced agricul tural comm unities such an article as our Georgia raised fodder is entirely unknown, and yet the supply of forage is ample and along with other crops furnish ample home supplies.
THE RECEN'l' LABOR 'l' ROUBLES
should cause us more than ever to study this q uestion of home supplies. Had the strike been greatly prolonged, it i appalling to think of the almost universu suffering which would have resulted not only in the cities but ou the farm s, and these in a God favored country, where every variety of food for man and oea!lt c~n be procluced at a moderate cost. It is true that for the past few yearil more time and thought have been g iven to producing at home the supplies needed by our own people, and, as a rule, the farmers are in better condition in this respect than since the war, but we should not stop short of complete independence of all outside markets. There are two
I. ESSON FRO~[ THE S'l'RfKE
which we, as farmers, can take to heart, and wbich, if heeded, will prove both salutary and profitable. One is the imperative necessity of absolutely .abandoning the one crop system of raising wi thin our bnders all tbe supplies needed not only on our farms, but by our entire home population. We have had a sharp experience, and when with bated breath we waited for tidings from the storm canter, when in some of our larger cities scarcely a pound of bacon or a bu3hel of meal could be purchased, we realized in its full force the danger of our past policy.
'l'he second les>on lies in tbe fact tbat while the congested cities were suffering from tbe franti c struggles of their unemployed and unfed masses, in the country there was comparative immunity from unusual disturb-

GGESTIO~ AND INFORMATIOX-AVG- ~T.

ll 3:

ance. The reports of violence and bloodshed and starvation were only

heard as the mntterint;3 of a distant storm, which being of short duration

and limitless area, in no way atft!ct ed the even tenor of farm life. Had it

continued longer, doubtles. the farmers depenrling on the WeEt f<>r corn

and meat would have felt the agitation, but even bad the labor disturb

ances been lengthened into montbeo, the home s upply man was fortified.

It is true that the farm offers no glittering inducem e nts in the way of for-

tune, the renumeration for day:~ and months of labor is not large, but

the man who will honestly and faithfully perform its dulies need never

fear the dire misfortunes which so often threaten the laborers in other

callings. To him there is at least escape from the starvation and suffering

of the over-crowded cities.

R. T. NE Brt'T.

FOOD FOR MILCH COWS.

DAIRYING A:\D CHEESE MAJUN G ATTRACT!'\ , A'l'TENTIO .

SOlliE VALUABLE EXPERDIENTS-THE RELATIVE YA.J,UES OF :FOOD Wl'l'H COTTOX SEEJ? HULLS AND Wl'l'HOUT THE:U-COTTO ' EED FOOD NO'r GOOD WITHOU'l' O'l'HER FOOD 1\IIXED-CO'l'TON SF.ED l\IEAL VALUABLE AND CAN. BE SAFELY FED.

The posibilities of Georgia in dairying and cheese making are at the

present time exciting increased interest. A dairyman's association is now

contemplated, and with attention attracted to the subject we hope to see

great development and progress in this agricultural industry. Pertinent to

the question are the ruany inquiries relative to the proper ration for milch

cows. To the South, this presents its most important feature, as to tlie

extent and proper ration with the use of cotton seed meal and cotton seed

bulls. The farmer finds a ready consumption as a fertilizer, but if care is.

exercised it can be used both as a food and a fertilizer--the dropping losing

but little of the measured value of the food while the milk and food mak-

ing properties are utilized.

Cotton seed hulls, if utiliz~d, must find their place as a feed stufl'for the

maintenance of stock or the dairy.

Careful experiment is the best test as bow to utilize these two great pro-

ducts of the Southern oil mills, and we therefore give a synopsis of the

work of the Tennessee and Georgia stations on the proper and profitable

ration.

FRO)! THE 'l'ENNESSEE STA'l'ION.

SYNOPSIS.-An experiment with two lots of six cows each in substituting cotton seed bulls 101" a ration of corn silage and bay. The trial lasted three and a half months. Thirteen pounds of bulls were found Lo be-

lH

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTU RE-GEORGIA.

quivalent to a ration of fifteen pounds of silage and six pounds of bay,

.and to cost about ten per cent. less. The continued use of cotton seed bulls

and cotton seed meal with no other food was found to be unsafe.

An experiment is reported in substituting cotton seed bulls for corn

silage and bay in a ration for milch cows. Twelve cows of the station herd

were divided into two lots of six each . The trial lasted from December 15

to March 29. At the beginning of the trial, lot A was fed thirty pounds of

-corn silage, six pounds of hay, three pounds of cotton seed meal, and five

pounds oi wheat bran; and lot B was fed twenty~five pounds of cotton seed

hulls, four pounds of cotton seed meal, and four pounds of corn meal

After a few weeks feeding in this way cotton seed bulls were graduan;

substituted for the corn silage and bay in the case of lot A , and corn silage

and bay were gradually sub tituted for the cotton seed hulls in the ration

of lot B.

Finally the grain ration was also changed so that lot A received the

ration throughout which lot B bad been fed, and vice versa. In the last

period of twenty days both lots were brought back to a uniform ration of

fifteen pounds of corn silage, thirteen pounds of cotton seed bulls, three

pounds of cotton seed meal, and five pounds of wheat bran. Full data for

the experiment are tabulated for each animal. Most of the cows ate the

ration of bay and silage more eagerly than the cotton seed bulls.

It was found that the ration of cotton seed products fed alone, i. e., cotton

s eed hulls and cotton seed meal, could not long be safely continued.

The result shows that thirteen pounds of cotton seed hulls can be ad-

vantageously used to take the plaee of fifteen pounds of corn silage and six

pounds of hay in making up a ration with three pounds of cotton seed

meal and five pounds of wheat bran , while reducing the cost about ten

per cent.

We are thoroughly convinced that, properly used, cotton seed hulls,

from sound seed and free of extraneous matter, of such quality as those

furnished to us for this series of experiments, are a valuable addition to our

list of feed stuffs for milch cows. We can recommend as giving satisfactory

results the use of as much as fifteen pounds of cotten seed hulls in the

daily ration per 1,000 pounds live weight. A larger proportion has, with

our cows, caused a weakening of the digestive powers, evidenced in some

cases by a tendency to diarrhea, in others to constipation.

Cotton seed rueal is the most valuable of all the so-called waste products

used as feed stuff:;. It can be safely fed for long periods, as much as five

pounds per day per 1,000 pounds live weight, in the ration for milk cows.

For butter making it is not advisable to exceed three pounds daily . As the

cow approaches the time for calviug, the proportion of cotton seed meal

should not exceed three pounds daily.

Cotton seed meal and cotton seed hul13 should be far more extensively

used as cattle food . These products of the cotton fields of the South will

enable the farmers of Tennessee to maintain or to restore the fertility of

.

their lands at the least cost for man ures.

'UGGESTIOX AKD. INFORMATION--AUGUST.

115

FROM 'fHE GEORGIA STATION.
'l'o compare cotton seed hulls (ten pounds) w,ith sorghum silage (thirty lJOunds), eight cows were fed for a period of eight days on the one ration and then changed to the other for eight days longer. Wheat bran, cotton -seed meal, timothy hay were fed alike with both ration!!. The two pel'iods were separated by an intermediate periorl of one week.
The results are not particularly striking, chiefly for the reason that the -cows were fairly well sustained by the grain ration of eight pounds of bran and three pounds of cetton seed meal and two pounds of timothy hay. It indicate~, however, that ten pounds of cotton seed hulls are not equivalent to thirty pounds of sorghum silage. The cows could not be induced toeatmore than the ten pounds of hulls.
Another trial to compare corn silage with cotton seed hulls, each fed alone, was discontinued after eight days on account of the shrinkage in milk and in live weight of the cows fed on hulls alone. The lot fed on -silage neither gained nor lost in weight,'.but the milk yield shrunk nearly ten pounds.

GENERAL REMARKS.
THERE I S A GENERAL I1\l"PROVEMENT J ' CROPS THROUGHOU'r THE STATE.
We are pleased to be able to report a general improvement in all crops; bountiful rains have fallen all over the State, resulting in the rapid growth {)f all plants.
COT'rON.
The condition of cotton throughout the State has greatly improved, but not in such marked degree as that of other plants, for the reason that much moisture with this crop has a tendency to produce weed, without a corresponding production of fruit. However, for the State, over the report for last month, an improvement of five per cent. is shown.
CORN.
Our farmers are to be congratulated on the abundant yield of this great crop that is assured. Early in the season, and even later, the severe drouth apparently would reduce the crop to a very poor average. The rains, however, with the exception of that part of the State where the plant advanced to such a degree of maturity as to be beyond recuperation, have so improved the conditions that we are in many sections assured a very large yield, while for the whole State the average is good.

-

116

DEPARTMENT OF AGRl C LTURE-GEORGIA.

'AHOL A'ED S'l'ATEMENT.
'fhe following tabulated !!taternent presents the condition of the crops as
reported A ugu!'t 1 :

North Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . .

82

Middle Geo rgia . . ... .... . .. .

7

Southwest Geo rgia ........ . . ... . . .... . .. ... . .. ... . . .. ... . .

'~~~

F:ontb enst Georgin. . . . . . . . ... . . . . . ... . . . . .... . . . . . . .... .

9\:i

East Georgia .. .... ...... . . . ... ...... . ... .. ... . .......... . .

4

f'tate . ..... .... . .. .

93

STA'l'IST ICS.
In addition to the usual questions sent out, the department sent out the following:
It is the object of the department to compile as accurate statistics as possible in regard to the average yield per acre in cotton, corn and other leading crops, and therefore we request, and would appreciate it, if :you wou 'd make your answers as careful as possible. We recognize the fact that in regard to acreage estimates are ditTi cult, but hope from the views of all to obtain approxin,!l.tely correct figures. The questions relating to average yield, except when specified, apply to the general average, or usual crop, and to no particular year.
.A compilation of the inquiries sent under these heads shows a usu al yield or general average during a series of years for the entire State of 12! bushels of corn, 7f bushelsor wheat, H~- bushels of oats, 8 bushels of rye. sweet potatoes, 93t bushels bay; 2,127 pounds,; average yield of lint cotto~ per acre, 183. By sections it is shown by the following table:

North Georgia . ~ . .. Middle Georgia .. . ........ .
Southwest Georgia . .. . .. . .
Southeast Geo rgiR . . .. ...... East G11orgia .. ... .. . . . . . . .

I

ai

~

.<0..l>,

I .c..

<l>
..c:;

0
0

~

Ill
~ 0

.0..,:
0
0...

17 11
lOt

n7~ lot 86 16 76 7 13 97

13 7 132 117

11 . . . . .. 13 95

ai
I .sQ)
0:
0
p...

~ <l
~
<l

...,

s::

I I z Q)
"i:<'
00

>. 0

-,:
t:c

0
0

22.0(:) 190 7t

21 . 70 l 3

~

48 .94 176!, 7 47 .00 173 ~ 7

26 . 71 181 ... .

,..

R GGE -'TION A~D INFORMATJON-AUGU 'T.

11 7

A few years ago there arose a class of farmers who were ready to claim that tillage was manu:e, and for a year or two there was much discussion of the subject, and while the position of these men we speak of was not maintained, much good was done in directing attention, in a forcible manner, to the importance of good tillage. Tillage is not manure at any time nor under any circumstances, for it does not furnish anything to the soil that was not there before, but good tillage will make available much plant food that would have been locked up under other circumstan ces. If land is no t put in good tilth be fore the seed is planted , it is impos3ible to get the best results from it. Every little lump that is left in the soil is useles3 so fa r as the g rowing crop is co ncern ed, for the plant food in it is not available. Often a very good crop may be grown upon land that is run down a11d in bad shape if only perfect t illage is t h e r ule of t he husba ndman .-Th e Am e1iccm Fanne1 and Fmm Vew.s.:

When you sell a cow, sell the poorest one yo u have, but don'tswear t hat she is the best one. It is pretty h a rd to do thi , but it can be done, a nd yo u will not be on y for i t afterwards.
vVell fed is half bred," i a true say iug. N'o man ever tarved money out of li ve . tock .

Q ESTIO N WERED.
JNFOHMATJON' DRAWX 0 T BY LETTEHS OF INQ; IRY .
'l'HE C'O i\IMERCL\ L FEWl'lLJZERS- l'l' I. ' 11\I POSSIBLE TO !.'\DOH ' E ANY
SPECIA l~ AH'l'ICLE AS 'l'HJ:: BEST- !>'l'UU Y A.'ID EXPERIMENT, AJ,Or-:E, \\'fLT. RE \'EAJ, \\'H AT I, BEST 'U ITED '1'0 EACH PARTI ULA}{ CA. E-. 'OIL A='IAJ, YSlS- FOOD FOR "80);1 ET '.
DEP AR'I'!IIE '1' OF AGRIC L TURE, A rLANTA, August 1, 1894.
Wlla t is the best diet to make large bone in animals and men ? . M. B ., Lake Creek.
Bone in an ima ls or the brute creation and in man are best developed by food containing ph osphate of lime. With men Graham flour and oat meal i :~ the best diet. With horses, etc., oats. Phosphate of liii).e added to the water will be found beneficial. The water should not be made so strong of lime as to became injurious.
3

116

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

TA BUJ,A '.rED S'l'ATEi\IEN'l'.
'rhe following tabulated statement presents the condition of the crops as

reported A ugu11t 1 :

"'ac,e_::n-
. ;>t;

"o"";e.>.':n'.';<:;

"'
.o...

m0oQ).

'"Oi3..
aa ...0>'"0 ~
0o-::<.-oC--::::

.o...c""0.''.
"'"' '"...0'-
o:;'"O o.c
o8c"::'
'-' .0...

'"0
c-:C:o::
r... <.l
0
0

C::'"O .O. . <, 0l
0o"'

North Georo-ia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .

103

82

so Middle Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......... . .. .... . .......... . !,)?_ '~'.
Southwest Geo rgia ..... ... .. . . . .. . .. . . ..... ... ... . . . . Floutb east Ueorgia .. ...... ......... . ....... . .. . . ... .. .... . gz

7
d
9ti

East Georgia.... .......... . . . ...... .... .. . . . ....... ... .

96

8-!

State.... . ... .. . . . .

93

STATISTic..
In addition to the usual questions sent out, the department sent out the following:
It is the object of the department to compile as accurate statistics as possible in regard to the average yield per acre in cotto n, corn and other lead ing crops, and therefore we request, and would appreciate it, if you wou 'd make your answers as careful as possible. We recognize the filet that in regard to acreage estimates are difficult, but hope from the views of all to obtain approxinJIJ.tely correct figures. 'rhe questions relating to average yield, except when specified, apply to the general average, or usual crop, and to no particular year.
A compilation of the inquiries sent under these heads shows a usu 1 yield or general average during a series of years for the entire tate of 12~ bushels of corn, 7i bushels'of wheat, 14i bushels of oats, 8 bushels of rye. sweet potatoes, 93! bushels hay; 2,127 pounds,; average yield of lint cotto~ per acre, 183. By sections it is shown by the following table:

ai

.".c..'

ai

p0"..'.

..;
Q
;.:3 c

;:
0
0

-;
.."c:'
~

ai
~ 0

."0..,'
p."0....',.

...,
""!$'':
C/)

>. ....0c....

".M."..'

0
0

North Georgia ......

17

7i lot '(j 22 .06 190 7t

Middle Georgia . ..... .. ..... ll

7~ 16 76 21 .70 } 3 8~

outhwest Geor~ia . . . . . ... . J(lt 7 13 97 48 .94 J76;\- 7

Southeast Georg111 ... . . . .. . . 13

7 ]~ 117 47 .00 173~ 7

East GP.orgift . ... . . ... . .. .. . 11

13 95 26 .71 181

. GGE:;;TJON AXD INFOR\lATION- A GU "r.

I J7

A few years ago there arose a class of farmera who were ready to claim that tillage was manu:e, and for a year or two there was much discussion of the subject, and while the position of these men we speak of was not maintained, much good was done in directing attention, in a forcible manner, to the importan ce of good till11ge. Tillage is not manure at any tim EI nor under any circumstances, for it does not furnish anything to the soil that was not there before, but good tillage will make available much plan t food t hat would have been locked up under other circumstances. If land is no t put in good tilth be for e the seed is planted, it is impossible to get the best results from it. Every little lump that is left in the soil is useles3 so far as the grow ing crop is co ncerned, for the plant food in it is not available. Often a very good crop may be grown upon land that is run down and in bad shape if only perfect t illage is t h e rule of the husbandm an .- Th e Am 1ic m Fannu and Fa1m N ew. .:

When you sell a cow, sell the poorest one you have, but don ' tswear t hat she is the be tone. It is pretty b ard to do thi , bu t it can be done, and you will not be :o rry for it afterwards.

' Well fed is half bre d ," is a tru e say ing. No man ever starved money out of live tock.

QUE.'TION \..N , ., ERED.
lNEOHMA'l'JO ~ DHAWN 0 T BY LE'l'TER OF INQU IRY.
'J'HB ('O;IJMERC I A 1_, l"Ell'J'J LlZER - 1'1' I . I MPOSSIBLE TO J;> DOH g A:\'Y SPE IAL ART ICLE AS THE BE. 'J'-i;.'J' I)Y A~ D EXPERll\JEN'L', ALO~E, W ILT, RE \ "E AL WH A'J' IS BES'J' SU T'l'EJ> TO EACH PAR'J.'I CULAl{ CA. F.-SOIL ANALY. r. - FOOD FOR BOXE 1 ETC .
DEP AR'I'MEN'r OF AGRICUL'L'U RE,
ATLANTA, August 1, 1894.
What is the best diet to make large bon es in animals and men ? . M. B., Lake Creek.
Bone in a nimals o r the brute creation and in man a re best developed by food containing phosphate of lime. With men Graham flour and oat meal i3 the best diet. With horses, etc., oats. Phosphate of lime added to the water will be found beneficial. Th e water should not be made so strong of lime as to became injurious.
3

118

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA .

HOG MANGE-LICE ON CA'l'I'LE.
Some bogs dying with red mange. It is a difficult disease to mange. Whatis the cause and what is the best remedy? What is the surest and .quickest remedy for the black or sometimes called blue lice on cattle ?
G. A. R. B., Sulphur Springs.

Red mange is caused by a'l insect. To cure it, paint tile affected hogs with a mixture of one part of tar and four parts of sweet oil ; if you haven' t the sweet oil, lard can be substituted. Fgr lice ou cattle, dust the animals
will with Persian insect powder which you can secure at any drugstore. Kero-
sene oil also remove them.

.on, ANALYSIS.

I have a piece of bay land that is drained and is rich for some vegetables

and will not bring some others. Where can I get it analyzed ? H. J. S.

We have on several occasions reviewed the practical value of soil analy-

sis. Such analyses are expensive, and, from the small quantity of soil

determined and the variable character of the soil in different parts of

the field, may lead to erroneous deductions. ln the case you name, if you

will give us the crops that can be successfully grown and those tbat

cannot, from the dominants of these plants we think we -will be able to

give you a determination as to what is re_quired that will be comparatively

accurate.

PA 'T RAOF..

For pasturage for milch cows is it best to mix your seed or sow each sort

separately, and what are the best grasses for pasturage ?

J. I. 0., Santa Luca.

We would advise a mixture rather than so wing seed separately. For summer pasturage the best gras:es are Bermuda and crab grass. On upland Hmd's grass and white clover will give a fair summer pasturage. Red clover will furnish a good pa~turage in ~pring and autumn. For winter pasturage mixtures of the following grasses will make a good pasture meadow: Oat gras~, orchard, blue, and Terrell grass, or wild rye and red and white clover.
FER'l'ILIZER.

From general reports, what i the best commercial fertilizer to use in our

section ?

J. A. H., Senoia.

As we have before stated in these reports, empirical niles as to fertilization are dificult, and the farmer shows his skill by his ability, by study and experiment, to determine what is best for his particular soil. The ave-
rage commercial fertilizer is prepared on a basis of 8 per cent. phosphoric acid, 2 per cent. ammonia and 1 per cent. potash. As a general plant food for cotton and corn it has proven efficacious. There are, however, occasions and soils that demand a change from this formula; such, for example, as where cotton is subjected to rust., when more potash is demanded. '!'be farmer, by varying the formula used on different plots in his field, has at his command an excellent method of determining the needs of his soil and in what of the principal elements of fertility it is lacking. This, together

S GGEt;'l'ION. AND JNFOR~'lA'fiON-AUGU ''1'.

lHI

with a study of the plant food demanded by various crop~, will enable him to fertilize more intelligently and with better results. It should be borne in mind tb&t a large amount of chemical fertilizers cannot be profitably applied without a sufficient supply of humus or organic matter.

WORliiS ON MEJ"ONS.

What can we do to keep worms from injuring musk melons and canta-

loupes? They eat in to them, causing the melons to rot. l'lease give us a

remedy, or,. better a preventative, if possible.

A. H . W., Absalom.

We know of no absolute remedy for the melon borer. Change of ground will often be found beneficial for the next season, and care in selec1ing soil that does not become too moist, or rather retain too much moisture. Placing the melons before ripening commences on small chips or blocks of wood will often prevent the attacks of the worm on the melon so protected .
ROOT ROT TN COTTON.

We publish in full two letters received from .M;r. D. L. F. Peacock, as
they pertain to a question of vital interest to the South, i . e., root rot in
the cotton plant. ntil last season little was beard of this disease in Georgia, and its ravages were confined almost entirely to Texas and the
West. Last season in quiries came from Early county on this subject, a pub-
lished answer to which appeared in the Early County N ews and in the reports of the department. This season, in addition to the inquiry from Mr. Peacock, a number of inquirit>s from other sections have been receivt>d, which, in some instances, from the meager facts furnished and without the plant, we have been UI_Jable to determine. On account of the number of diseases of t hP. cottoiJ. plant, some confusion may arise and our farmers fail to correct the easily overcome difficulty, such as common rust, which is a physiological condition produced by the want of potash , and which is entirely counteracted by its use.
'rhe letters from Mr. Peacock are full and complete on the subject as descriptive of the manner in which the plant is affected.

J"ETTERS FRO?oi MR. PEA 'OCJC
I write you to inquire if you know anything about tbe disease in cotton; we will call it "blight.," as I know of no more appropria te name for it.
The leaves of the cotton comme nce to wither without any .apparent cause, and eventually the ~:~talk dries up ; sometimes a limb at a time only seems to be affected, but whenever a stalk is affected it generally goes all over it and finally kills it. I have examined it closely and can find no insect, and am at a loss to know what to do, for I have a fine patch of cotton near my horse lot affected in this way. It was affectd last year and it broke my stand so badly that I didn't make near the cotton I ought to have made on that account. This year I thought I would prevent it by using plenty of kainit, but find it equally as bad as last year, notwthstanding I used a good deal more kainit. I hear of a great many cotton field s in this section troubled with it. It is_not rust, for I have had experience

120

DEPAHTMENT OF AGRIC L LTL'RE-GEOR(j I A.

with that. I never saw any cotton affected like this until last year in t his patch I speak of. It can't be cau ed from planting the land repeated ly in

cotton, for mine wa never in cotton until last year, and then thi is the first time I ever saw cotton affected that way.
The fertiliz er I u ed this year on this patch was a compost of cotton seed

and lot manure, used libera lly in the furrow, and foll owed with 200 pound s per acre or acid and kainit, equally mixed.

Now please, if you can, tell me what is the matter with my cotton, a nd g ive m e a remedy, ami you will greatly oblige not only me, but n1an y of

my neighbors. I was at a friend'a house recently and be to k me out to his fi eld autl
showed me bow his fine otton was aff".!cted by Lbi s d isease. He called my

attention to a fine stalk of cotton wh ere it s. em ed the disease had just struck it, for we only found one leaf afl'ected. It was wilted , but no doubt that stalk wi ll go like others around it, !'Orne all dried up and others par-

tially, probably a limb or Lwo. It is certain ly a very strange di ease. D. L. F . P.
SECOND LETTEK

Your valued favor of the twenty-sixth to band, and in reply will .ay in

regard to the co tton that I find that when the root is affe ted it co mmences to show signs of decay ;about the time the leaves commence to

wilt. It is a very trange di ea e, and the .tran gest thing about it i that it don't affect the whole plant at the same time. Rometime only one-half is affected first, and then gradually from day to day it spreads

till the whole stalk is affected. Som etimes though the whole top of tl.l e plant is affected and the lower limb escape and matu re3 its fruit, but this

is not common, only occasionally so. It is still preading in my patch and I fear it will do me considerable damage. I eu close you the cotton roots. One is from a dead stalk and the other from one that is dying. Hope you

will examine them carefully and see if you can di cover the cause. I think it comes by insect.

'l'he leaves look perfecty healthy up to the time the stalk i stri cken by the disea~e; don't turn yellow or show any symptom of disease at a ll, but as soon as the leaves commence to wilt, if you will pull up the stalk you will

notice by cutting the root that it has a black appearance, and I suppose you might properly call it root rot or stalk rot. You will find not only

the root, but the stalk affected all the way up. I suppose, though, it must

commence at the root first.

Yours very truly, etc.,

D. L. F. PE t~ CO ' K.

When we replied to Mr. Peacoek we were of the opinion that the disea e

with which his cotton was affected was caused by ozonium, a fungus that produced the disease, commonly known as root rot. Since then we have received from the department at Washington a report indicating that the plants were affected probably by another fungus known as "Fusorium '' 'l'he question is one of much interest to our farm er3, and we hope in our

next issue to be able to definitely settle the identity of the organism producing the disease and to give some remedy of palative measure that th e

farmer may adopt.

S GGE 'TW~ AND INFORMATION-A GUST.

121

'omellody ha3 said, "You must feed your farm if you want it to feed you,'' and this is true. If you keep taking off your farm and never put anyth ing back, you are breeding poverty for your children.

Hard times are not made any better by brooding over them and whining abont them. It is better to smil e than to sigh any time. Half our evils are imaginary and most of the other half preventable.

If you make companions of your children, you are laying up a store of comfort for your old age, that will return a very large interest on the inve tment.
The man ho works a ll the week ought not to worry on unday . \Vorry i. the hardest kind of work.
Your home tell the stranger what you are. What kind of a reputation does it give you ?

122

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-GEORGIA.

COMl\HSSIONER'S TALK.
::\IR. NESBITT'S l'!ION'l'HLY ADDRESS '1'0 'J'HE GEORGIA FARMERS-BALING AND 1\lARKETING CO'l'TON-AN HIPOR'l'AN'l' SIJBJE 'l' DWELT PON AT JJENGTH BY THE COMl\USSIONEH OJ-' AGRICULT RE-THE 'l'REMENDOUS WASTE OUR CARELE S METHODS E ' TAIL-FERTILIZERS DI.'CUSSED.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUI1l'URE, ATLANTA, September 1, 1894.
A subject of vital importance to the farmer is the more careful handling and baling of our cotton for market. !have already more than once called attention to the careless methods of gathering, storing, ginning, baling, and then exposing to all weathers, after it is made ready for our h'lme market. It is true that the price is not fixed hy the home market ; that is done in Liverpool and Manchester, but the reckless methods of marketing our cotton art! so well known that in fixing tile price a liberal deduction basalways been made not only for bagging and ties, but for dirt, mixed sample and water, and this heavy per cent. amounting to millions of dollars ha. come out of the farmers' pockets. With the first four reductions we are familiar, but we know little of the tremendous waste which our careless methods entail, and what a large influence this has in reducing the price of our staple. Governor Northen, who has been investigating the subject has, in the August number of the Southeni Cullivat01, made the following quotati'lns from some of the consular reports, and he says he does not find a single report which speaks favorably of the con uition of American cotton as compared with that of India and Egypt. It is hoped that the attention of the farmers being once arrested, and their energies thoroughly aroused, the result will be the eventual saving of a heavy yearly loss, which they can ill afford to bear, and which seems the more unaccountable from the fact that the large leak could be stopped without one dollar of additional expense.
Mr. Mason, consul at Frankfort, says: "American cotton is, as hitherto, the wor!lt packed of all that comes to this part of Germany. It is generally easy to pick out American bales from any pile of cotton by their torn and bedraggled appearance. " The consul at Havre, says : "Much of the American cotton arrives here in very bad condition-tile iron bands broken, the bagging torn and otherwise mutilated, and often rotten from exposure to the elements.'' Mr. Munaghan, the consul at Chemnitz, remarks that " the packing of American raw cotton causes a deal of anxiety and complaint here. The jute cloth covering is so torn before the bales reach Chemnitz that the cotton is exposed to mud, water, fire and theft. Of the original six or eight iron bands, two, three, four and sometimes more are loose or broken ; the cotton bulges out, takes up dirt and dust, when in a. dry place; mud in the docks; sea. water, when in tha ships, rain water when on land or wha1ves, or in transmission by boat, raft or wagon. In transport, every_gust of wind tears away pieces of va.lu 'l.ble commodity. '!'be wharves, customhouse

F.ilJGGESTIONS A "D INFORMATION- .'EPTEMBER.

123

floori! and freight cars are usually covered with pieces torn or dropped from such bale~."
Mr. Crawford, consul at St. Petersburg, says: " In this particular, American cotton bales are compared very unfavorably with the Egyptian, which invariably arrive in excellent condition, and perfectly clean. The Egyptian bales are only about half the size of the American, and are wcapped in heavy linen covers and.securely bound with iron hoops. The number of hoops on a bale of Egyptian cotton is greater than that on an American bale, notwithstanding the differance in size. The Egyptian cotton has equally rough sea voyage and handling as American.'' Mr. Keal, consul at Liverpool, says: "Cotton is shipped to this district chiefly from the southern ports of the United States, and the bales are very often in a rough condition, because the coarse canvas covers are insufficient in weight and strength to stand the u3age to which the bales are subjected en route. B:1les of cotton are patched and mended in Liverpool, and Rent forward to consumers by rail or canal. The best material for outside covering is heavy, strong canva.", and the bales should be bound by ten iron bands instead of by seven, as at present. 'fhe most important matter .that requiTes the attention of shipper~ in the U nited States is the manner of loading nonliner steamers at some of the Southern ports, wh ere it is the practice to screw the bales into the vessels and cut off their ends to make them fit into the hold . A great deal of co tton is lost from the bales, owing to the tearing of the canvas in the process of screwing, and as the ship unloads, this loose cotton falls about the hold and the quaya, and is more or less damaged by being trampled upon and mixed with the dust and dirt on the floors. It is never fit to be put back into thA b!l.les, and conseq uently has to be sold at a greatly depreciated value. Much of it is never recovered at all , being swept up with the rub bish on the quay, a nd dispos~d of by the ship owners or dock authoritie~, who are bound to keep the ground clear of such inflammable material. "Nearly every vessel from the Southern ports of the nited States lands a quantity of loose cotton, equal to from one to eight bales of cotton , 'which does not include quantities given to make up broken bales. "In conclusion, the suggestions with reference to cotton are: The use of better canvas and more bands in making up a bale, the abolition of screwing cotton into a vessel, the prohibition of cutting ends off bale to make them fit in the ship's bold, and the adoption of a uniform size of bale throughout the Cotton States, which would do much to insu re better and more careful stowing on board ship." Elsewhere in this report will be seen an article explaining some points as to the "tare," about which most farmers have only a confused idea.. I have made these quotations at length to show the unvarying testimony from every quarter, and to emphasize the fact that this tremendous loss is expected and allowed for when the price of our commodity is fixed , and therefore does not fall on the buyer or shipper, but directly on the farmer . The suggestions as to better covering and more bands in making up a bale, as to the abolition of double pressing, screwing into the ship, cutting otr

12-l

DEPART}[ENT OF AGRI I LT ' RE-GEORGI.\ .

oaleends to make them fit better into the ship's hold, and al o of adopting a bale of uniform size throughout the outh, a re valuable to the farmer in so far as he takes measures to have them carried out. Let us begin a more careful policy at home ; let us see to it that our cotton is put ou the market in first- class condition, a.ud then, if improperly handled , the fault will not rest at our door.
FALL WORI<.
As cotton i , at pre3ent, almo tour only money crop, its gathering will necessarily occupy the greater part of our attention until all i eafely
housEd and made ready for market. It is the best policy to gather as fast
as it opens, for the combined injurious effects of wind, rain, trash , sand and dew, induced by too lon g standing in the field cau e a poor sample, a nd, though the proportion of such cotton in a bale be small , th e entire bale is classed by it., and not by the larger amo unt of good cotton, and the conseq uen e is a falling off'o[ several points in the price of every pound.
If, from storms, delay , or any other causes, the sample is injured, don' t mix this cotton in a bale with good cotton. Keep all such cotton separate, and pack it to it self. If put in a bale with good rotton it sim ply redu ces the price of the whole.
Another important item is the preading and drying of the cotto n before it is stored or carried to t he gin. Thi is e pecially impork'lnt for the earlier picking-~ which have more moisture-both in lint and seed-than later, when the plant is en tirely matured, and the drying and fallin g of the foliage leave the bolls exposed to the fu ll action of the suo.
'!'bough the aving of the cotton crop is the most ab sorbing work , there are intervals all during the gathering sea on when other farm dutie can be safely attended to. The t,houghtful farmer, even during ih e heavy pressure of cotton pickin g, will plan ahead, and when opportunity offers ruake needed repairs on terrace>', ditche , stab les, fen ces and houses, and al o get hi land in shape for the various fall crops. To s ucceed with

GRA SES1

the land should be put in as fine tilth and manured as highly as for tum ips.

In th e northern part of the cotton belt September is considered the best

time for sowing ; further outh it is safer to defer this work until October.

The fall sown grass stands a much better chance in the struggle for pos-

session with the native grasses when the spring comes on, because it has
attained such vigor as to easily hold its own against crab grass and other

annuals that germinate in the spring, and the weeds can be kept in che k

by succes ive mowings.



In previous reports the proper varieties and mixtures of seed h ave been

given. Bermnda., as a summer pasture grass, is all that cou ld be desired ,

but we need a perennial winter g tass, and according to the best authorities

the " Schrader" bids fair to take this place. This grass .hould not be con-

founded with the Rescue, which it somewhat resembles, but to which it i

much ,;uperior. 'l'hey belong to the same family, but the Schrader i a

perenn ial , growing v)gorously, the Rescue is small and an annual.

1'l G TF,'TIOXS A;;o TNFORMATLON- ' I!:PTE:'IIBER.

E :>

George D. 'fillmau, of S outh Carolina, who bas given the subj ect of gras. ultivation a great deal of study and experimeutation, says :
"Schrader is most lik~ ly one of the new grM es that will sho rtly force it elf upon the attention of the whole agricultural world, as neither beat nor cold affects it injuriou ly much. A number of my correspondents in the orthwest write that it resi>t their arcti c freeze3 as heroically as it does our long, parching droutbs at th e 'outb , and I am su re it is well adapted to t he tiff', damp rice. wamps of our southern seaCLast. A regznds th e fertile low-ground s that are subject to overflow by our up country water co urses, Sch rader, rightly utilized , would prove au inestimable bles ing, by making such lands t he mo. t ptofitable of any at the So uth.
"Schrader will not thrive on sandy soil , unle,; clay be near tho urface. U!'t it effect;; a rather compact gravel or clay, al thou g h it does remarkably w II on t he gray granite land of Edge field. 'l'hi s arises perhap from the fact that the gra s seem to need a good suppl y of pota b.
"The gro:os also does much better on s titJ, moist la nd , if not too wet, t han on dry soi l, yet it will tbrhe splendidl y on the latter, too, if it be fertile, and I never have seen any gras , not even the fa r-famed Kentu cky bluegrass, or the world-wide orchard gras , that flourishes in the bade of trees as brader doe . 'l'h ere is no u e sowiug S0brader on poor so il, unless it be highly manured, as t he gra .s yields ucb a large amount of forage a nd Reed that it is obliged to rapidly exhaust the laud, especially when the eed matures, as they are as large as oat . 'fh e seed can be harvested abo ut as easily as oats, and nearly every seed will come up wh en plowed in li ke oat. Eve11 whe n not plowed in the ,;eed have an aggressive tendency to take possf,.; ion of the land ; ill the gra can be a r ead ily exterm inated as oats, wheat, or any other small grain. During ten years' ob ervation I have never noti ced any indication of clisea e, and whenever the , ta nd be omes thin, one has only to let a crop of seed ripen, or scatter a few gathered seed , and then plow or rake th em in, to have a s tand again .
" All kinds of tock relish Sch rader as a hungry child does pound cake, and for all pu rposes of bay, pature or soilin g, it is superior to any crop, on fertile land, tb!lt I have een out of over 200 different kinds of forage plants, gra se , clovers, melilots, medic. , vetches, burnets, comfrey,;, etc., with which I have experimented for about thirty year: in an earnest search for the best winter grass for the South .''
.An experimental plat bas been given to this gra. at our station, and bould it prove all that is claimed for it, it will become a mo t importa nt agent in building up the material prosperity of our State and section. Once its supremacy is established the busine s of profitable
DAIRY F ARJ\UNG
for the first time in Georgia's agricultural history attracting considerable attention, will be much advanced. In the more southern part of this J tate, where the cattle range at will during the winter months, obtaining a good living from the rich canebrakes and bottom lands, the need for sowing winter pasture is not realized, bul in the more northern sections, if we would sustain the cheese factorie , which we hope wo~ to see iu suecessfu l

126

DEPARTMENT OF AG RICULTl RE-GEOROIA .

opeution , and make our cows yield a profitable return, we must plant crops for them. This question has been but little studied, but opens a wide field for judiciom; investment. One sowing of grass, if properly managed, will last several yeara, and saves the yearly preparation and seeding of the gr&ins. These grass lots, for convenience or grazing and manuring, should be as near the stable yards as possible, and should be divided so as to graze only a part at a time. To avoid unnecessary tramping, three or four hour a day is sufficient, and will give stock all the grazing that they need. As a fertiliz er, nothing supplies the place of good farmyard manure. While the sowing of grass may be deferred, it h important to sow
RYE AND BARLEY
lots at once. A rich lot of either is very desirable, and a farmer cannot do better than to secure this valuable addition to hi~ stock yard .

.F'ALL OA'l'. .
Again I would urge, don't be d eterred by fear of winter killing fro m sowing a good arEa in fall oats. If they succeed, they make at least twiceas much as the spring sown crop, are not more liable to winter killing than the spring oats are to detruction from drouth, and if they fail there is another chance for a crop, a. the arne land can be reseeded, or is in fine condition for a different crop.

FODDEH l:' ULLil'\ G
is another work which engages our attention during the latter days of August and September 1. I have, in this connection, more than once called attention to the wasteful practice of leaving the stalks to decay in the field~, as is the common practice with Southern farmers.
The following figures from a bulletin of the New Jersey experiment station show the constituents in

ONE 'l' ON 01:' CORN STALK

FOOD CONSTITL ENTS.

I FERTILIZING CON "J'I T ENTS.

I Fat.. ...... .. .. .... ... ......... .. .. .. ...17 lbs. Nitrogen .. ... .. ................ .15.7lbs.
Prote1u .... ... .. .. ... .. ...... ..... ...... 60 " Ph . acid .. .. ...... .. ...... .. ...... 5.20 "

N . fru. ex . and fi brt: .. .... ....... ..10.76. Potash .. ................ ... .. ....... .. 20.40.

By careiul aualysis, it is sh0wn by Professor A lwood , of the Maryland station, that, estimating the weight of stalks u'.!u!tlly left in the field at half a ton to the a cre, which is a fair average, we waste by adhering to this practice on each acre constituents to the value or 400 pounds or corn meal , or 6! bushels of corn, lJ,nd how often do we send to the West for supplies to make good thi~ loss!
Another a1vantage in utilizing the entire corn product, stalk, blade and ear, is that we clear our land for succeeding c rops, for if impossible to continue it in a cultivated crop, it is still important to cover it with something, peas, clover, rye, barley, grass, to prevent the washing and consequent wasting of the soil. It h'ls been proved by high authorities in England that poor, arable land , left bare, lose3 by washing each year nitrates to the

l GGE TlON . A~D I FOlUIATIO T _ 'EPTEi\IBER.

127

value of 224 pounds of sodium nitrate per acre. Japan clover oflilrs a hardy plant, which does well on poor land, and, besides holding and increasing the nitrogen, will furnish grazing and requires little care or attention.
GATHERING 'J'HE CORN
will soon demand attention. It should be gathered as soon as it can be safely stored in the crib. Every day that it is left in the field after that time, but increases the risk of loS!I and waste.
PEAS AND VINES
hould also be gathered and cured. In previous reports and in the bulletins from our experiment station, the directions as to the best time for cutting, and method of curing and storing, have been very full and explicit.

COi\IMERC'I.\L F'ER'l'ILJ?:ERS.
'Ihe use of commercial fertilizers has b~:come almost indispens!!.ble to our farm operations, and in the advocacy of the various brands and methods of preparing, much discussi0n bas arisen relative to the merits of high grade goods, reduced by the use of a" filler," as eompared with naturally low grade goods, in which the "filler" is already present, being supplied by nature. As there i3 some friction and misunderstanding, I will, in oruer to promote a clearer iusight into the matter, review this question as briefiy as po sible, and in doing this I will endeavor to carefully consider the claims of both farmer and manufactur r, and I trust will do injustice to neither chss of the large majority of our citizens who are interested, the one in manufacturing, the other in using these goods.
The Jaw states clearly that in each ton of fertilizer, that i to each 2,000 pound , there shall be at least a total of ten per cent. or 200 pounds of the following elements, which are known to be available and valuable:
Ammonia, available phosphoric acid and potash. 'fhe fir.>t and most costly, ammonia, i derived from cotton seed meal, tankage, fi sh scrap, dried blood, and also from nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia. The econd, pbo. pboric acid, is obtained by treating the natural pho phat~>s, and also bone with sulphuric acifl, and the third. potash, is derived from kainit and from sulphate and muriate of potash . Besides these there is usually in each ton about 200 pound s of moisture and party pounds of insoluble phosphoric acid, which in time becomes availab~e. We have now accounted for 440 pound . of the 2,000 pounds composing a ton, but what of the other 1,560 pounds ? Thi. 1,560 pounds is certainly a large bulk of comparatively inert material, if we compare it with the amount of the available constitutents in a ton of ommercial fertilizer. But what do we find in a ton of hurae or cow manure or cotton seed meal ? A ton ot horse manure contains only fortyfive pounds of the three fertilizin g elements; a ton of cow m,!lnure, fifty-five pounds; a ton of cotton seed meal, 253.8 pounds; a ton of commercial fertilizer never less than 200 pounds, sometimes more. In the horse and cow manure and cotton eed meal there are several hundred pounds of

12

DEPARTME.\'T OF A :TRICULT BE- GEORGIA.

matter, not directly available, but valuable as improv ing the mechanical condition of the land , and this may be said to represent the "filler" used in the commercial goods, with this d itte rence, that the commercia l "filler" has not as good a mechanical effect on the laud , though often containing mino r co nstituents and ser ving a vehicle to convey the fertilizing material in t he best form for distribution upon th e soi l.
'l'he true va lue of the fert ilizer is in the number of pounds and t he charac ter of plant food it contains: and, as in feeding, we can increase or le,.;sen t h e value of farm yard manures at g reater or less ex pense, so, in commercial fertilizers, we can use t he cheaper or higher priced goods, the ntlue of each depending on the amount and th e proportion: it contai s of the three most valuable elemPnts.
In usi ng a ton of rich stable yard manure, we know that we get on ly a li ltle over one-twen tieth of avai lable p lant food. In a ton of comm ercia l fertilizer we get one tenth and upward s of .- uch valuable material. When a " filler'' b used, this amount must be guaranteed by the manufact urer, and if, on analy is, any brand is found to run below t he law 's requirement , it ,.; sale i,.; forbidden . If ihe man ufactured furni : hes thi full amo unt, the law says nothing on the eubject of ' 'fi ller, " hence the department can not p rohibit i ts u e wb eu there is nothing in the "filler," wh ich m ight in -
.i ure the la nd or the crops, or prevent the plant food in the fertilizer from
being appropriated. 1t is t he utili zation of the variou form of fertili<dng materia ]:.; a nd their
different omb in at ions which create competition a nd teduce the commerci a l goods to their present pricP. The crud e materia l vary so g reatly in their price, by virtue of their greater or le amo unt of valuable ingredi ent~ that were no "fillers" allowed , there are some goods which wou ld be virtuall y excluded from the market, becau e their necessary price would be considerably beyond that of t ho e made from the lower grl!de material s.
I have often ad vi ed that the f&rmer buy the ingredients and mix at borne, thus avo iding the expense in curred by the inert material. It is a satisfaction to l>now exactly what one is using; but acc uracy and care are ab olutely e. entia! to obtain the best rpsultf'.
-nless there is some mi stake o t fra ud , t h e Commis ioner of Agricult ure bas no control over tb i matter, but under the law every I ower of th e department will be used for the full p rotection of the farm ers.
It bas been the poli cy of the department to encourage the use of high grade goods as being ac tually cheaper when their content of plant food is considered, there being a con siderable saving on hauling, sacking, freight and oth er expenses, on account of the much sm~ller weigh t of such m a te rial for a given number of pound of plant food. 1t would contribute greatly to our succes3 if, in add ition to a study of the most im portant elements of p lant food , we also study what m ight be ter med the minor con stituents, or uncomputed element , the various forms in wh ich t hey are upplied, and theii adaptability to plan ts and soils. The differen ce in the valu e of the various forms of fertilizing material is as varied as the purpo e,' for which it is required, t h e pla nt under which it is to be plaeed, the character of the soil and whether rapid or slow action is de. ired.

' GGE ..flO~:-;.\ \D J~FOlUUTIO~ -fS I ~PTE:\1 HEH.

1:?9

The law or Georgia, like that of other States, attaches no valuation to

the minor constituents, which are yet more or less valuable. For instan ce,

acid phoopbate, in addition to the phosphoric acid, recognized and com-

puted, contains a large per cent. of sulphate of lime or gypsum. Tb

gypsum in crea es in proportion to the phosphoric acid , and in the high

grade goods there are fewer of the impuritie., which, in the low grade take

the place of both the ~ulphate of lime and the phosphori c a cid. 'rbis lime,

which is therefore the principal minor con stituent of all acid phosphate,

bas a value on oils a a fertilizer and puts ve ry stiff' and very sandy oil

in better mech!l.ni cil condition.

In cottonseed meal, the minor constitu ent of value to the farmer is the

organic matter, and we should keep this fact in view in d e termining t he

ends to be obtained. In kainit, the substance of valu e 'outside of the pota~h i chloride of

sodium or common salt. David Dickson in all his formulas recognized a

specific value to salt as a conse rvator of moisture, and placed from 200 to

300 pounds in every ton of fertilir.er.

From th e foregoing it will be seen wllat a far-reach ing, and to th e pro-

gressive farm er, absorbing and intere tiug subj ect this i . The more we

tudy it, the wider the field is opened to our v ision, and ucb is th e o-en-

eral inte rest that, I trust, a few more year>~ will wi t ness a more enlightened

u e of these powerful agent " By judicious combination with green manur

ing, farmyard manures and rotation of crops, commercial fertil izers can ,

in the llands of the enlightened farm er, be made to double and treble the

p re ent produ ctive capacity of his land s.

R. 'I'. :IS'ESBIT'l',

Commissioner.

COLORADO BEETLE.

This year, for the first tim!', a small striped beetle was found upon my potato vine ; and wa s very des! ive. Can you tell me a remedy or the name of this insect?
J . W. I~., Dallas, Ga.

Last year, for the first time, the experiment :station of Alabama reported the appearance of the Colorado potato beetle, and this year tbe Departm ent of Agriculture has received reports from Korth Georg ia indicating that this beetle bad made its appearance in that section. rrhe destru ctive character of this insect render. it imperative that mea ures should be immediately taken to dstroy it.
A solution of a tablespoonful of Paris green or London purple t:> four gallons of water sprayed or sprinkled over the plant will be lound effi cacious.
HOG CHOLERA.

Is there any certain remedy for hog cholera?

G. A. S., Flowery Br~ncb .

130

DEPART~'IEN1 OF AGRlC LT RE-GEORGIA.

'!'he deputment at Washington has for several years been conducting a series of investigation. 1to di. cover whether by inoculation or other method , a perfect remedy for this disease could be found . So far, their efforts have proven alrnost absolutely futile. Dr. Salrnon bas found a remedy which , to a certain extent, is effective. This can be purchased at almost any drugstore of importance.

Q E TION A WERED.

'!'HE OMMI 'SIONER GIVE I FORMATION ON MANY S EJECTS.
MUCH ABO T OUR FERTILIZERS- '1' HE \' ALUE OF FERTILIZERS OU'1'SIOE 0}' 'l'HE THREE PHI!\ IPAJ., ELEl\IEN'l'S OF PLANT FOOD DISCUE EDWART ON HORSE ONLY EYESORE ' -THE TUR ' ING UNDER OF PEAVINE OR LET'l'ING THE~[ ROT ON TOP.
D EPARTMENT OF AGRICULTL'RE1 ATLANTA, September 1, 1894.
Can you give m e a remedy for rernoving warts on a horse ? W. B. McD., Gandu.
Warts are generally only to be considered as eyesores unless they appear on certain parts of the horse. They are very unsightly, and for this reason it is often desirable to remove them. This may be done by first cutting oft the rough outer surface so as to make them bleed, and then rubbing in yellow orpiment, wetted with a little water. D o this with a stiff' brush. It will at first create considerable inflam mation, but in a. few days the wart will drop off, leaving a healthy sore, which will soon heal. It sometimes happens that the whole wart does not come away with the first applica. tion, in which event a second 'application must be madt-. A common remedy often effective is to tie the wart with a. horse hair, which will , In many instances, cut throug h and cau e the wart to drop off.
GRASE' .
What kind of gra.'s will come nearest lasting all the yar on gray land ? A. Y. H., Boling.
You will not be able to find a grass that will last all the year. You can
get one that will answer for summer pasturage or for winter pasturage, but not for both. B ermuda would come nearer answering your purpose, though it is for summer pasture, and dies down in the winter. For winter pasturage, meadow, oat grasP, orchard, and wild rye grass are the best.

SUGGE "flONS AND INFORl\UTION-8EPTEi\fBER.

131

TO TURN PEAVINE.' ,

I have sown ten acres of bottom land in peas as early as my Jye was cut.

What will give the best result to enrich the land, cut the vines and turn tbe root~;~, turn vine and all, or leave the vines and let them rot on top of

the ground?

S. M. D., Johnstown.

By turning the entire vines under, or allowing them to remain on the ground, better re!lults are obtained than by cutting the vines for bay. If, however, you are in need of a. forage crop, would advise you to cut the vines and turn the stubble under, as the value of the bay would more than compensate for the loss to the land. When the whole vine is turned under it is our practice to turn them just as they come to maturity.
In experiments conducted at the State experiment farm, no difference in results were obtained where the vines were turned under and where they wue allowed to remain on the surface until you wished to use the land.
WHEA'l'.

Please give me a good formula for a fertilizer for wheat. . S. J . L., Fairmount..

wheat is a. plant requiring a great deal of nitrogen, and this should be the dominant of the fertilizer UEed, unless the land bas been sown in clover <>r peas. U this has been done, the fertilizer need not be so high in ammonia, as this will have been supplied by these plants. In the first instance, where the clover and peas have been used, the following formula will answer:
.Acid phosphate, 670. Nitrate of soda., 600. Kainit, 730. When the peas or clover have br en used, reduce the nitrate of soda 400 pounds, and in its stead put 400 pounds of acid phosphate; and while outside the scope of your question, we take this opportunity to call attention to the necessity of thorough preparation of the soil if a good yield is expected. As we have before stated in these reports, it is too often the case that the graiu crops that we sow are regarded entirely as side issue,., and little thought or care bestowed upon them. This should not be the case with any crop, and especially one of so much value to the farmer. Relative to the use of fertilizerP, we should say, as we have repeatedly ruentioned, that for grasses and grain crops there is nothing better than ground bone. 'fhis supplies pb'osphoric acid and ammonia, and will be <:omplete as a fertilizer on much of our land, especially our nd lands. On lands which evince the fact that they contain but little potash, an application of kainit also will be found adva.ntageou!!.

FER'l'ILIZERS.
Outside of the thr(e principal elements of plant focd, does the ordinary fertilizer contain any ingredient or material of value to land?
C. W . F ., Calhoun.

] <C>F-)

DEP .-~RT .IIEKT OF A.liRIC LTURE-G EOROB.

Besides phosphoric acid, ammon ia, and potash, whicll constitute the

th ree principal elements of plant food, the ordinary commmercial fer tili zer

contains other material which is n'>t recogniz~d or computed by the law,

because it is not to be compared in etfectivene'!s to the thre materials

named , and because they can be supplied o cheaply. Bow far and to what

extent they are a part of the ord ina ry commercial fertilizer, depends upon

what material th e fer tilizer is made of. 'rhese lllinor constituent" in some

i ustances are of sutTicien t worth to he comide red by the farmer in the pur .

chase of his fertilizer.

A cid phosphate, which is the ordinary miterial with which phosphori c

acid is supplied, in addition to the phosphori c ac id, co ntain a large p er

cent. of pbospate of lime which , to :;ome la11d , is very benefi cial.

Kainit, the most common materia l with which potash is supplied, con-

tains a large per cent. of ch lorid e of sodium or common salt. This is ef-

fective as a conservator of moisture, and is recog nized for it s va lue to land .

Cottonseed meal which is largely used as au ammona te, conta in a con-

siderable q uantity of oJganic matter. In fact, ou tsid e o f the th ree prin c i-

pal elewent..; of plant food which it contains, is alm os t entirely so con,.ti-

t uted. 'ru e farm er, iu the purchase of hi s fer lilizer , ough t to eon sider ou t

of what material it i made, and whether or not hi land demands any of

these minor constituents. Of cou rse, in fertiliz'ltion it is more impor tan t

to consider t he exact demauds of the crop under which th e fertili zer is

to be med. For example, in manuriug for potatoes, it becom e3 important

to consider in what form potash is ~; upplied, as neither muriate of potash or

kainit will give the same resu lt as sulphate of pota b. T he intelligent

farmer will consider the necessity of the plant he wishes to gl'Ow, the plant

food nece uy to its perfection, aud the cheapest form in whi ch it can

be supplied.

O A ' l '.S .

L!lst year I had a very t-ine fie ld of oats in which the head failed to

fill out. I manu fed th e patch with dropping:~ from cows fed on cottonseed

m eal. Ca n you tell me the cause of this ?

D . R. U. , Canton, Ga..

In the ordinary grain crops, such as wheat and oats, phosph oric acid is t he prin cipal element of the grain . Po ta.h gives strength to t he straw, while nitrogen growth to the plant. Cotton~:eed meal is constituted principally of ammonia, while in feedi ng cattle the food properties are taken up-more of the ammonia is utilized, it is therefore apparent that your oat were abundantly supplied with nitrogen , while the con s tituents that made up the grain were lackin g.

CABBAGE.
P lease tell me what would be a good ferti lizer for cabbages.

HA:I[.

The dominant of t he cabbage plant is nitrogen, and therefore a highly nitrogenous manure is req uired. 'rhe followin g formula on the ordinary lands in Georgia, sufficiently supplied with humus, would be a proper fertilizer to use : Blood . . . . .... . .................. . .... . ... . ..... ...... . .. . .... 800 pounds . Acid phosphate ... . . . ..... . .. . .. .. ......... . .'.. . . . . . . . .. ..... 800 pounds. S ulphate of potash ... . . . ...... . .. .... . . .. . . . ............ .... .llOO pound :;.

UGGE TJON, AND INFOR-'fATION-SEPTEMBER.

133

GE~BRAL HEMA RKS.

'l' HE CO'l"l'ON AND 'O RN YlELD WILL NOT BE AS GBEA'l' A S WA S ONCE EXPECTED.
'Ve regret to report that since our last issue, throughout the State as a whole the condition of our staple crops have deteriorated rather than improved. This is due to excessive rain in some sections, and in others rather to overestimates in the last report than to unfavorable conditions since, the estimates at this time being much more accurate on account of the advan ced condition of the crop~.
O'l"I'O .
'l'his crop shows a falling off .ince our last issue of nearly 2 per cent. At the beginning of the season the stand and prospect throughout North Georgia was the poorest reported to the department for a number of years under favorable seasons. Rapid recuperation and development bas taken place, and now in this section the crop is in better condition than in any portion of the tate. , outh west Georgia, on the contrary, gave promise of a good yield early in the season, whereas now, with the exception of East Georgia, the poorest condition and prospect ia reported than in any other section of the 'tate. 'l'be falling off through Southern and Middle Georgia is due to a development of weed uucler the influence of copious rains w ithout the plant properly. fruiting .
'ORN.
In the August report we were gratified to be able to show a magnificent promise of a large yield of corn, and we regret that at this time are not quite so favorable, showing a falling off of about 5 per cent. Notwithstanding this, the prospect may be regarded as fine, especially in -ortbGeorgia, which bas not fallen off:
Our farmers are to be congratulated on this, especially in view of the fact that at one time during the season tbe crop was very unpromiEing.
'l'here are other matters to which the present report is related, but which for lack of room, are omitted in this report.
CO Mi\IJSSWNER ' S 'l' ALK.
We wish to call special attention to tbe Commissioner's talk, as it relates to matters of vital importance to our farmera in regard to the important subject of fertilization.

134

DEP.'\,RTMENT OF AGRIC LT RE-G EORGIA.

TA BULATE D STATEMENT.

Corn co m- Cotton

pared tocomp'rd to

!iverage. average.

North Georgia ......... ............. ... .. ...... ......... . .. .. .. .. J 04

89

Middle Georgia. .... .. .. ..... .. . .. ......................... .. .. 98

87

Southwest Georgia ........... ...... .. ..... . ..... ......... . 96

83

N ortheaet Georgia ...................... ....... .. ....... ... .... .. 1 01

89

East Georgia.......... ..... ... ........... .. ..... ............. ... .. . 98

so

State............ .. .... .................... .. .. .... ... ... .... .. .. .. .. 99 2-5

85 3-5

DGGE 'TION ,' AND JNFOR~fATWN-OCTOBER .

J:.J5

MR. NESBITT'S LETTER.

'fHE COMMIS310 - ER OF AGRICULTURE TALKS TO FARMERS.

CONDI'l'IONS OF GEORGIA CROPS-'l'HE GEORfliA DAIRYMEN'S C'ONVEN'l'ION WLL DO J\1UCH GOOD- \" ALUABLE POlNTS DISCUSSED IN CONVENTION-
THE SOWING OF WHEAT TOUCHED PON-NOW'S THE TilliE TO DIG WEET POTATOF.S-SET.EC'l' SEED CORN.

D EPART!IIEN'l' OF AGRICUJJl'URE, t ATLANTA, Octobtr 1, 1894. )
'fhe meeting at Griffin, for the purpose of organizing the Dairymen's Association, bas set on foot a movement which is attracting a good deal of :attention among farmers and stock breeders, and will, it is hoped, result not only in the permanent improvement of both our lands and our stock, but will open a new source of revenue and stimulate that diversity of crops necessary to all successful farmers. A good part of our last month's talk was devoted to the discussion of commercial fertilizers, and while their judicious use is in their present condition essential to our farms, because the elements taken off in the different crops must be returned, unless we would see our lands become entirely unproductive and unprofitable, yet the exclusive use of the commercial goods is to be deprecated. They are expensive, and the history of agriculture shows that where the farmer persists in selling off' the first or raw products of his farm, and depends entirely on buying the elements of fertility removed by these crops, his business becomes unprofitable, .and if the raw product is cotton or tobacco, whose clean cultivation leaves little humus in the soil, his lands will at last refuse to respond satisfactorily, even under the stimulus of high priced commercial fertilizers. To make our business pay, it is important that we plant at least a porlion of our farms in crops which we ourselves can manufacture into higher and better paying forms. In an article in the current number or 1'he Southern Cultivator I have called attention to a care fully prepared table which shows that at the same value bay, that is 1,000 wortll of each, will remove from the soil 550 times as much fertility as butter, and that while fat cattle remove more than cheese and butter, they do not take off as much as wheat .and the other grains. A careful review of this suject furnishes additional evidence of what bas been so often asserted, namely, that the system which will pay best is that by which we take off the smallest amount of the ele menta of fertility and at the same time grow profitable crops. In other words, a judicious system of dairy farming will gradually restore even the most worn solls, because by feedin g our bogs peas, coton-seed meal, etc., we can sell meat and milk and at the same time retain in the manure plant,

] :)6

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULT RE-GEORGL\.

producing elements to the value of two-thirds of the food given, which . being returned to the soil in the very best form for future crops, continues. the manufacturing proces~. But the work must be practically carried on, and not the manure alon.., but every product of the fa rm-milk, m eat, butter, cheese must be utilized. If, in conjunction with this process of mancfacturiug the raw materials, we also plant luguminous crops, peas and clover, we can by that intelligent use of co mmercial fertilizers not only increase these crops that feed the land and a re of high value for feeding cattle, but we come to the point where we have g rasped the secret of successful and profitable farming. W e make not only a salable product in meat and milk, but we get materials to build up our la nds and make other and more productive money crops, all of which is accomplished by meth- ods less depleting to both land and pocket than the too prevalent plan of drilling in a little fertilizer to foree a crop from the soil, lea ving it afte each application more exhausted than before.
During the convention mentioned above, there was elicited mucb valuable information relating to dairying, and-as the generality of farmeJ s are practically barred from participating in such meetings, I propoEe to Jay before them, through the .medium of the department publications, some of the more important points diECussed and their relations to the industry from which we hope so much for Georgia.
First, as to the market for dairy products. In Atlanta, one firm alone imports during the season about four car loads of cheese, and throughout the State the whole amount imported is at least one hundred times a . much . The importation of butter is much greater, and all of this can be made within our own boundaries. Second, our means for supplying this. market. We already know what can be done with butter, and it has bet-n demonstrated at our experiment station that cheese-making in Georgia is not only practicable, but can be made profitable.
'l'he stock busines is one or the best in which any people can engage, and when it goes hand in hand with profitable dairying, there can be no q uestion of the propriety of the section which is so fortunate as to combine the two.
In order to realize our advantages for dairy farming, let us contrast Georgia with Wisconsin, for instan ce, whose weekly income from dairy products during the shipping season is $500,000, a nd her annual export to England of the one item of cheese is worth 2,000,000. Wisconsin is smaller in area and also in population than Georgia, her blizzards are severe and disastrous, and for at least six months in the year all nature is locl{ed in snow and icE'. In Georgia we have an eq uable climate, and there is not a month in the year in which it would be necessary to keep the cattlehoused. We can have green food all the year round, and as a summer .pasture the value of our native Bermuda is beyond computation.
In Ohio and N ew York-two States carrying on a. profitable dairy busiuess-windmilJs are necessary to pump up the water supply, which often. fails. The hundreds of creeks and small rivers in Georgia. furnish a neverfailing supply. ;Notwithstanding the disadvantages of some winters. blizzards, lack of water, and in many instances hundrds of miles distant.

S GGE "flO s AXD l~FORl\IATJO~-OCTOBER.

l

.. -
>1

from seaports, the dairy product of these 'tates exceeds in value the lumber, wheat and iron of the whole country combined.
In Georgia we have soil, climate, grass, water, and by properly util.izing tbe3e free gift~, it is pos3ible to bring to our State a trade of from $30,000,000 to S50,000,000 annually. For, unlik e Wisconsin, which is 1,500 mil e3 away from a seaport, we have our own ports-Savannah and Brunswick-right .at our doors.
'0 \\'I NG WHEA'l'.
Resides the gathering of the crops, the sowing of wheat is work now -calling for attention. A good rule as to time of spwing is to reg ulate this so as to have the crop come up about the time of the first killing frost. 'This will prevent the ravages of the fly, ofte n S<? d estructive, and th e wheat takes better root and grows oft more v igoro u,sly than in warm weather. The best situations for this crop are on the high knolls with a n o rthern exposure, and the quality of the land shou ld be heavy, close, and rich. Where these are not natural conditions, we should a lways imitate t hem as closely as possible, by artificial rueans. The plant does not like a loo e, open soil;; therefore after breaking, which should be very thorough ly -done by c ross p lowin'g , if needed, bring the roller and harrow into use, an d after the surface has b een brought to the finest tilth, sow the seed, which must p revio u3ly be soaked in bluestone, covering a bout two inches . Harrow, then finish with a heavy rolling, in order to compact the soil and bring up the seed evenly and uniformly. It should h a ve been emphasized that wheat exacts larger supplies of rich food, whi ch must be made en tirely available. It demands nitrogen especially, and a lso req uires a full proportion of phosphoric acid and potash.
As a previous crop peavines or clover are best, but if turned under should have sufficient time to thoroughly decompose, and will supply in great part the most costly element, nitrogen. \<Vhatever commercial fertilizer is used hould be applied at the time the seed is sown, a nd sh o uld be harrowed in with th e seed. Wh ile th ese conditions wo uld indicate that wheat is an expensive crop, it is yet good policy to plant enough for home use. 'J be bran and shorts being fed to stock are returned to the land, and the syaw is used for forage and bedding. A the bran and shorts contain the principal constituents which the grain takes from the soil, it follows t hat, if these are properly fed and applied, and the straw also, that the c ost of the crop is much reduced. 'l'he red seed of Mediterranean origin a re better sutted than the white va riet ies.
. WEE'!' POTA'l'OE '.
'l'owards th e last of the month select a dry spell and dig the sweet potat.oes. If the vine h ave been previously pastured off', th e ground bas a b etter opportunity t{) dry off', and it will lte found that the potatoes are a lso dryer, two mos t favorable co nditions for saving the crop s uccessfull y.
eparate those which a re c ut or bruised from t)le sound ones. 'l'his cannot be too C!l.refully attended to ; handle carefully, and dry as far as possib le beford ba nking. 'l'be methods for b.lnking have been very fully -discu ed in previous repor ts.

138

DEPART .\IE NT OF AGRICULTURE-GEOROIA.

GROUND PEAS.
At least a sufficient quantity for seed should be dug before the frost. loosens the roots from the vines. Before the frost kills the vines, it is. comparatively ea~y with a fork to loosen and lift the nuts and vines together. Lay them in rows, vines at the bottom, nuts on top. Allow them to cure, and it will be a much easier matter to gather the nuts, and the vines are good forage. 'l'his is a crop which pays well, if only to feeu to the porkers intended for killing this winter.

SEJ,ECT THE EED CORN.

X ow is the time to select your seed coru for the com ing year, before the crop is gathered, picking out the best developed stalks having.the largest and most perfect ears. Gather and see that it is well dried and stored where it will be free from injury. This is a good rule to apply to all seed intended for planting another crop. Select the best., and take care that they are well protected until needed at planting time. In cotton, the largest and earliest matured bolls should be seiE!cted from the be t developed. stocky plants.

TERRA ING.

'l'o what better use could we put any spare time of this season than in la.ying plans to prevent the washing away of our soils. \Ve know the importance of this que;tion, and there are many days too wet to pick cotton, which furnishes us the very opportunity that we need. Let us study the best methods of ditching and terracing, and combining these with our xperience, let us perfect our plans, and having carefully laid the foundation, let us steadily carry them out. 'l'b is work cannot be done hurriedly or imperfectly, and should be set on foot at once . It is too late when the big rainfalls begin to come. The terraces should be settled and compacted before these heavy spring rains. A good plan is to sow them in rye or wheat as soon as they are made.

FALL OATS.

It is not yet too late to sow a crop of fa ll oats. Let me again urge its im-

portance. It is encouraging to note that Georgia's barn3 are full to ove

flowing; that we have enough aud to spare to our less fortunate Western

brother<>, but let us not pause in the reform which we have so successfully

commenced. Let us put in a full crop of fall oats and make " as urance-

doubly sure."

R. T . NE.'BI'.rT, Colli missioner.

PEAVINES AND PEA STUBBLE.

About what difference does it make in the improvement of the land be-

tween plowing peavines under and cutti!Jg them off' for hay and plowing

under the stubble ?

H. 0. Y., Bremen.

A recent experiment at the experiment station of Arkansas gave a yield of 1,409 pounds Of seed cotton where the peas were picked and the vines turned under; 1,29-l where the vines were cut for hay and the stubble

S GGF 'TIOKS AND INFORMATION-OCTOBER.

U\9

turned under. A plat of the same land upon which no peas were planted g>~.ve a yield of 1,008 p:mnds of seed cotton. ft is evident from these yields that the land was compar>~.tivel y well supplied with organic matter, and, in our opinion, on poorer land the difierence at least in percentage of increase would be greater from the u e of the entire vine.

GENERAL REMARKS.
THE BOLL WOR~f J DAMAG fi'W THE COTTON CROP '1'0 A VERY GREA'l' EXTENT.
The lll.St month has brought but little change in the crop conditions throughout the State. Considered as a whole, the weather has been rather unfavorable than favorable, and both corn and cotton have suffered to some extent.
COTTON.
'fbe receipts of cotton at the interior towns verify the reports of the department that in many localities the crop is from ten to fifteen days late. The continued rains in North Georgia have added to the development of weed at the expense of the maturing of the crop, rendering it liable to greater damage from early frost.
In 8peciallocali ties great damage is reported from boll worms; indeed we are not aware of any occasion or year in which the crop has been injured to such an extent by this pest. The ravages of the worm are reported as amounting to a disaster in Jasper county, and the injury by them as unparalleled in Oconee and Oglethorpe counties.
It is with regret that WI') note the falling price of our staple crop, and that it now commands a price far below remunerative figures at which it can be produced. 'l'he Commis ion~>r in a recent monthly talk called special attention to tbe etl~ct that proper handling of the crop would have on the price it would command in the muket. We would emphasize thi and urge our farmers to exercise care in gathering and handling the crop. In the event a fa rmer should consider it desirable to bold his crop, or any part of it, let him ee to it that it is properly protected from the weather, and that no deterioration in grade take place by neglectful exposure on his part.. The lesson we should learn from the present ruinous prices are severely taught, but let. us, as far as possible, pro.fit by tllem and improve the cond ition and capacity of our land, diversify our crops and render ourselves indepeudent and our farms self-sustaining. It may riot be amiss to all attention to 'another matter in this connection, which bas been often touched upon in th e publications of the department, and that is the attention we should pay to the marketing of any side crop of which we ma y have a surplus. The filet that our money crop has always found ready bidder: for cash in city and village bas led to carelessness in the disposition of
/

H-0

DEPARTMENT OF AGRlC ' LTORE~GEORGIA .

the Emaller products of the farm, and many dollars have been lost by indifference in this matter. It behooves us to husband e\ery resource. In response to our inquiry the method of saving sweet potatoes, adopted by a thrifty farmer, which bas p10ven profitable to him, will be found in the in quiry column of this report. 'rbe profit to the farmer results from the difference in price between a glutted market and a market iu which a food product is scarce and the demand steady. Georgia is among the three first States in the production of sweet potatoes, and by exercising the sa me pains, taking the care adopted by the farmer we have mentioned, the crop could be marie the source of much greater profit.

COR
We note no substantial change in the corn crop since our report for Augu. t. With the failure of th e crops in the West, we are to be congratu lated on the prospective yield in Georgia.

PO'l'.A 'H,

Why is it that in the usual cbmmercial fertilizer so m uch less potash is

put than pbo pboric acid?

W. A. T., Columbus.

Asarule, the lands of America contain much more potash that is a available for plant food than they do of phosphoric acid. They also, in many case~>, contain gravel, which by gradual disintegration, is c<>nstantly contributing to the potash supply of the ~oil. As to tlle amount of the two elements' demand, it will depend entirely upon the character of the crop. Auother reason presents itself, in that the portion of the plant into which the phosporic acid entera is usually consumed and not returned to the soil, while that into which potash enters in the hands of the careful farmer find s its way b tck to the field . For example, phosphoric acid is the chief portion of wheat grain which is entirely removed from the oil while the potash enters principally into the straw, which is io part left on land or fed to s tocl;: ami returned in the form of manure. In animal consumption of grain, into which both elements enter, more of the phosporic acid i taken up by the body than the potash. Hence, it is easily seen that where a proper system of agriculture prevail!:! that more or the 1 otasb is returned to the soil in tbe form of manure.

CUT HAY.

In feeding bay to horses do you consider it best to feed tbe hay whole or

cut?

F. A . P ., Waynesboro.

It is much better to feed your horses cut hay than whole hay. Two horses subjected to the same amount of work, and one fed on cut bay and the other on whole hay, will show the former in a short time in much better condition than the latter. In the East and West it is the usual custom to run bay through a cutter before feeding, and as the condition and working capacity of our stock is essential to prosperity, it would be well for us to profit by tbi example.

'UGGE 'TIONS A~D INFOR.\IA'J'ION-OC'0BER.

1-11

I QUIRIES ANSvVERED.

YALUABLE I ' FOR\1A'l'ION PON THI!: FARM! TG 8 BJECT.
l"ERTILI:t.ERS RECJ-:tVE A'l"l'EN1'IOX-WHEHE TO GET YO R SEED CO'l'TON. UGCiESl'IONS LN REGARD '1'0 Bl RR CLOVER-}:11'; "1' WAY TO FEED CORN lEAL BRAX '1'0 HO(; '-THE UEP'l' II TO APPLY CO ~D[ERCIAJ. FER'l'ILIZER. ' ON J. AND::;.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIC LTURE1 } ATLANTA, October 11 1894.

l desire to manure my orchard with farmyard manure. What is the

proper time?

Y. A. T., Macon.

Farmyard manure is apt to create too vigorous a g rowth at .the expense -of your fruit. If used it s hould be distributed in tile fall so tllat the growth that takes place will be in the spring anc.l not in the summer months.

BOLL WORM.

We have been very much annoyed and great damage bas been done in

this section of the State by the boll worm. Is there any remedy.



.J. A. H., )!onticello.

As the depredations of the boll worm are within the boll, it is very ditti/ -cult to reach them, and nearly all remedies have proven of but little effect.
'be usual methods of contending with the common cotton worm or caterpillar have been found to some extent pallia-tive, such as the use of arsenical poisons antl the moth-trap lamp.
As a preventive, where land freezes to a considerable depth during the winter, fall plowing will be found very beneficial. A. rotation of crops, where the small grains can be used, is also beneficial. It must be remembered that the corn worm and the boll worm are the same.

BARLEY .
What sort of a crop for pasturage does barley make ? B. H . .J., Monticello.
It has been said that one acre of barley will furnish more grazing than one acre each of wheat, oats and rye combined. It makes an excellent pasturage and can be gra;r,ed in fall and winter and then give a good yield of grain. In California it is the great animal food crop and all stock thrive up0n it. It should be planted in very rich soil and it will be found useless to sow in auy other. It should also be own in soil well prepared.
As to cultivation, it is sown broadcast, and hence requires no hoeing, .and can be harvested with a mower.

1-!2

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIC LT RE- GEORGI A.

SPREADING 1\fANURE.
Would you advise s preading manure on land in fall and winter as haule~ from the stable, orcovering the heap and spreading in the spring?
L. C. A., Flutonia.
Like a great many questions of agriculture, this question shows the necessity of close study on the part of the farmer. The method best adapted to some soils and purposes is not best for other soils and other purposes. It is an admitted fa ct that barnyard manure in an open lot will, in a f~w mouths, lose much of its valuable salts, leaving little of value except the straw and undecomposed organic matter. This los takes place principally by leaching, though a portion of the volitile matter is evaporated by th'e wind and suo . It is evident, therefore, that the sooner the manure is placed on the land the better, in many cases, as nothing is lost by leaching, all there is of value being carried into the soiL Here it is, however, that the farmer can ex erci~e his judgment as to th e retentive power: and character of his soU, it being much better to apply early on the retentive soils we have mentioned, as they will hold the matter of value much better than the compo t heap. These soils are clay soils which are so tenacious of ammonia and other salts that fresh manure spread on them would lose little except carbonic acid gas and water. On the other hand, early applications would not be proper on silicious soils, as the very soluble salts would be leached by the rains through the soils to a depth to which the rootlets. of the crop would nut reach . In such cases a carefully managed compost heap, with a lat~ application, would afford more plant food than wh en applied on being hauled from the stable.
We take this occasion to call attention to the necessity of saving stable manure and studying its proper application if we desire to s ucceed. In England th~ land is continually enriched hy fee1ling animals on oil cake, rich in nitrogenous mattH, thus utilizing the fat properties of the cake as animal food, and at the same time losing little by careful saving of its fertilizing properties. The farmer should also bear in mind that the urine of the animals contains more of the elements of plant food than the droppings, atJd in the stable an absorbent should be provided, that it may be properly aved.
FER~'ILIZER.
What do you consider the proper depth to apply commercial fertilizers that is a complete fertilizer ?
A large numher of experiments have been conducted on this subject, and it is now usually said that phosphoric acid, ammonia and pota h would best serve the plant if applied at varying dep,ths, depending somewhat on the rsubstance from which they were derived. S uch applications, however, would not compensate for the time and labor expended in making separate applications. 'rbe complete fertilizer should be applied at a depth of from two to three inches and well mixed with the soiL
'OWl EAS TURNED NDER.
I noti ce that in your reports you strongly advocate the sowing of cow peas.

SUGG ESTIONS AND l JFORMATIOr - OCTOBER.

1-!3

to supply nitrogen. About how much cotton seed meal would an ordinuy crop be equal to '?
An ordinary c rop turned under would be eq ual to from 800 to 900 pounds of cottoose~d meal. It must be remember<ld also that in addition to the supply of nitrogen, a large quan tity of humus is contributed, greatly benefiting the m echanical condilioo of the soil and rendering it stuceptible to higher fertilization.

Sl\1 T I N WHEA'l'.
Please give me a remedy that will prevent smut in wheat. L. M. D.., 'l'ilton.
Soak the seed in a solution made by diss1lving one pound of commercial copper sulphate(bluestone) in twentyfour gallons of water for tw~fve hours, a fter which place the seed for five or ten 'minutes in o lime water made by slacking one pound of good lime in ten gallons of water. The Jansen or hot water treatment is very efftlctive. In using this treatment, immerse the seed in water at 142 degrees F . for fiv e minu es, afterward in water at 132 deg rees F. for teo min utes. See that every grain is thoroughly wilted . Do not cool with cold water, but spread out to dry. 'l'be same treatment will answer for oats,

ELEMEN 'l' ' FROM A~~li!OSPH ERE .

What part of plants is obtained from the atmosphere ?

K. T. T., Hamilton. Carbon , which constitut es a large portion of all plants, is obtained from

the atmosphere where it exists in the form of carbonic acid gas. The oxy-

gen and hydroge n of plan s come from the water and .nitrogen from orne

compound containing nitrogen, prin cipally ammonia.



ORGANIC i\IA'l'TEH.

Of what is decomposed organic matter chiefly co mposed, and in what

way does it benefit land ?

H. A. M., Lithonia.

Decomposed organic matter is chiefly composed of carbon. 'l'he beneficial effects of carbon do not depe nd on the fact that it enters in to the composition of plants, but bas bee n thus succ inctly expressed:
l. It makes the soil more retentive o f manures. 2. It catn1es it to appropriate larger quantities of the fertilizing gases of

the atmosphere. 3. It gives a g reatE'r power to absorb moisture. 4. It renders it warmer.

What will make agoC>d litter for the stable ?

.J. A . M., Perry, Ga.

The question of what is best as a litter to place under animals in the stable involves what will form a so ft and healthy bed to the animals, and also what will serve best as an absorbent. The latter is very important, as it relates to eaviug the mo;;t valuable portion;; of the manure. 'rhe absorbent powers of various material has been elaborately considered by Muuitz a nd G irard with numerous prepared tables. It is seen from these tables,

1-H

DEPAH.T.\1EN1' OF AGRWULTUitE-GEORGi t\. .

if with the straw of the litter peaty or humus earth is mixed, it would gre.Ltly reduce the loss of ammonia produced by the fermentation of the ex-crement. With us rich earth is the easiest obtainable, and if constituting a portion of the litter with wheatstraw would increase the absorbent powers of the litter more tban four times. Where spent tan bark can be had it forms an excellent absorbent.

SEED 'O'l'TOX.

I see you call attenLion to the care wh1ch the farmer should ex-

-erci~e in selecting his seed. I would like to know if there is any differen ce

in cotton as to the portion or part of the plant from which the seed are

taken- that is, will seed from the top of the plant or from the bottom give

.the best yield'!

A. D. P ., Emmerson .

It is far better to plant seed from the bottom bolls than from the top bolls. Not only will you secure a better yield, but your crop will be much -earlier. Seed from the bottom bolls, which a te generall y the best bolls on . the stalk, are also surer to germinate. A areful experiment conducted on this line gave from the uottom bolls a yield of 1,043 pounds of seed cotton per acre, and from the top boll. , 750. Such a radical _ditference as this is worth the care and attention of every farmer, and individual experiments should be made on this li ne.
NOT E.- While not embraced in the inquiry we call attention to the fact that Eeed saved from the middle of the watermelon will give better results -than from the ends. At the Alabama college sta tion seed from the end gave per acre 435 merchantable melons per acre, while those from the middle produced 507 per acre, wdighing over two tons more than tho>e from the ends.

H IDtR CJ,QVER.

Plea"'e give me some information in regud to Burr clover, when the

proper time to sow, etc.

8. I. T., Buford.

Burr clover is a native of the Mediterranean region. It was introduced into the South by the late Bbhop 'eorge F. Pierce on his farm in Hancock county in 1867. In 1he far West it is highly regarded. tock do not relish it at first, and with them it is an acquired taste. It is an annual, but if not pastured too late will reseed itself. It is a good renovator to sow. Prepare as for common clover, and sow early in the autumn. As a pasture, it will not answer for sheep on account of the burrs.

RED TOP.

Can I sow red top in October ? Will it grow on land too wet for corn'?

How much should I sow to the acre?

J . L., Calhoun.

You can sow red top this month, or in February and March. It will thrive on ,ery wet land that would not answer for corn. Sow two bushels to th-e acre.

S UGGESTION S A~D INFOIUIATT0~-0CTOBER.

'1' 0 KEEP PEAS.
Do peas kefp better to leave them in the bull or to clean them ? H. A. B., Adairsville.
It is better to leave the peas in the bulls until you need them, ~s they keep better in that form.

MARBLE.

Would marble dust be beneficial to land ?

P . M. , Ball Ground.

P ractically, your question is whether it would pay to apply marble dust to land as a fer1ilizer, as there are many substances that under peculiat conditions might be beneficial as they enter into vegetation, but which under ordinary conditions would not pay to apply. 'l'he lands of Georgia contain as a rule a sufficient supply of lime to enter into the composition of plants, so agriculturally it is not applied for that purpose, but for other purposes, such as to correct acidity, hasten the decomposition of organi c matter, cause disintegration of the mineral substances of the soil and prepare the constituents of the soil fot assimilation by plants. For these purposes calcium carbonate, which is the form in which lime is present in marble dust, is virtually uselese, being a very valuable form of lime, and the dust blow is disintegrating.
Again, when lime is demanded by a crop, it can be supplied so cheaply in litter and available forms, such as gypsum or the soft limestone, that it would be needless to undertake to fertilize with marble dust.

SAL'.r.

I see that you allude to the use of common salt by David Di ckeon in the-

preparation of fertilizers. Does ealt act as a direct fertilizer or are its bene-

fits indirect ?

B. A. B., Hancock.

By experiment it has been demonstrated that sodium compounds, common salt being chloride of sodium, are not essenti al to the life of agricultural plants. Notwithstandin~ this, it is evident that common salt by a roundabout way is at times beneficial. An eminent writer on ag ricultural chemistry bas thus explained it :
"It entiches the decomposition of substances already present in the soil,. and sets free from them eome things which are needed by plants. It is somewhat with salt as it is with gypsum, except that while gypsum pushe. out potash with especial ease as well as magnesia and ammonia from the hydrous double silicates. Common salt displaces lime firet of all, then magnesia, and potash (as well as some phosphoric acid) only to a subordinate extent. The discovery, however, even of this much, viz.: That salt acts indirectly to dissolve matters that are already in the soil and h as. served to clear up one of the most obscure points in the chemistry of agriculture.
"It can also be said that salt conserves moisture, and in that mauner may be beneficial to land. ' '

,

146

DEPARTMENT OF AGRIC LTURE-GEORGIA.

GRASS SEED PER ACRE.

In reply to a number of questions as to how much of various grass seeds

to sow per acre, for convenient reference we give the following table:



Lb3. seed No. seed

sown pr per eq.

Name.

acre.

foot.

\

Timothy . .... . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

490

Red top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30

2,850

Orchard grass . . ...... . . . . ..... . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

370

Kentucky blue grass ... . . . ... ........ .. .. . .. .... .. ..... . 40

2,000

Meadow foxtail ...... .. . . . . ... . . ..... .. . . . . . .. . . . .

40

915

Tall meadow oat grass .... .. .. .... .. .. ..... .. . . . . . . . . . . 40

140

Meadow fescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

190

Sheep's fescue ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

540

Sweet vernal grass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

440

Perennial rye grass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

335

Italian rye grass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

380

Medium red clover . .. . . .. . ........ .. . . ... . .. . .. . .. . .. . . . 10

85

Mammoth red clover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

75

A hike clover .. . .... . .. . . . ." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

150

White clover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

200

Alfalfa . . . .. .. . .. .... .... . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

56

SWEET POTATOES.

Can you give me a good method of stowing sweet potatoes ? B. H. L ., Herndon.

A farmer who has made his sweet potato crop a source of profit by reason of the price3 he has been able to obtain in the market when from scarcity the demand was great has successfully adopted the following method : In a well covered barn erect a double walled bin, having the two walls made of plank, about 12 to J8 inches apart. Two sides of the barn can be made to answer for a portion of the bin. Fill between the double sides or walls of the bin with dry sand.

In gathering your potatoes, exercise the care to which the Commissioner

bas called attention in his monthly talk, and place the potatoes carefully

in the bin, exercising care that no bruised or cut ones are put in.

..

When the weather becomes so cold that there is danger .from freezing,

take out the potatoes and cull them, removing any that indicate a tend-

ency to decay, replace the sound ones in layers, but filling the spaces

..

with dry sand. From the culling, many potatoes fit for market can be

fuund.



This requires considerab~e care, but it will compensate any farmer and

permit him to place his potatoes on the market when there is a good profit

in the price they will bring.