C 1 THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA DDate Due CrA X 3mmmmmmmmmmmmw ii PUBLICATIONS GEORCxIA STATE Department of Agriculture For the Year 1895 Volume XXI R T NESBITT COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE THE GENERAL LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF STATE LIBRARY GIFT 1938 ATLANTA GA Geo W Harrison State Prill Franklin Prtg Pub Co 1800 rt THE GENERAL LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA ATHENS GEORGIA MAR 6 1945PREFACE In accord with the established custom of the Department of Agriculture we present this the Twentyfirst Annual Compilation of the Publications of the Department We trust it merits the consideration of our farmers and all interested in agricultural pur suits We have endeavored through the features introduced last year in the monthly issue and which have been continued through the present year to embody such scientific and practical informa tion as will be useful on the farm and to those engaged in Horti culture Dairying etc As a book of reference upon such ques tions as are almost daily suggested to the thinking farmer who is seeking knowledge and improvement we trust it will prove of value The volume does not include all publications and therefore is not illustrative of the work accomplished Bulletins which are issued from time to time and which are included in a final issue have been omitted thus avoiding repetition We hope through its contents the volume will be found worthy of preservation THE GENERAL LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA STATE LIBRARY GIFT 1938 THE GENERAL LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA ATHENS GEORGIAINDEX About manures 8 Atlantas exposition 1 i Ammonia actual and potential 29 April letter of Commissioner 53 April question box 59 Ammoniated copper carbonate 89 August letter of Commissioner 122 August questions answered 26 August crop conditions 35 A fruit bonbon 170 Anthrax 181 Answers to inquiries 713 3435 4517 5968 8692 106121 126135 143152 164172 178186 195197 B Bermuda 25 Beats cheap cotton a talk with Atlanta commission merchants 30 Butter making 32 Bordeaux mixture 89 Burning off land 113 C Corn fertilizer 23 Clover 24 Canning factories 27 Cotton 32 Cost of production of cotton 58 Crop statistics 60 Copper sulphate solution 90 Crop conditions Curing corn fodder 101 Crop conditions 102 Cotton seed and hogs 106 Cost of canning outfit 107 Cheat or chess in wheat 116 Cutting corn fodder 119 Celery 129 Curing sorghum hay 134 Condition of crops in September 153 Cottonseed meal for swine Ill Cabbage bug 17S Condition of crops in November 186 Crimson clover 196 Cottonseed meal 208 Chemists report 212 Cottonseed hulls 234 Composts 210 D Dairy farms 25 Dr Cook on glanders 74 KB VI INDEX Duty of a farmer ifj Decortication of ramie 177 December letter of Commissioner 190 Domestic fertilizers 23 E Eczema H5 Ensilage 120 Extracts from Fertilizer Bulletin 201 Kllington bill 210 F Farmers Institutes 10 February letter of Commissioner is Feeding borses 47 Forage crops 54 Farm models for exposition 57 Fivedollar fertilizers 62 Frauds in fertilizers 6i Fruit drying 83 Formula for groundpeas 109 Fertilizing without nitrogen 113 Fruit preserving solution 11 Fertilizer for wheat 1154 Fattening hogs 172 Fertilizer Bulletin extracts 202 Fertilizers from the farmers standpoint 218 G Glanders ieorgia crop table 84 Ground bonedissolved bone 127 General summary of August crops 135 General crop summary 139 Give the crops a chance 197 H Home manures or commercial fertilizer 7 Horses and mules 2i Hogs 41 Hog cholera 42 Hollow horn 46 Home fertilizers 4s Hellebore 90 Harnessing mules 179 Herds grass 1 I Irish potatoes 33 Irish potatoes and starch factories 40 Irish potato growing 50 Inspection cottonseed meal 59 Irrigation 147 Inquiries answered for April 19S Injurious insects 248 January letter of Commissioner 1 January questions answered 7 June letter of Commissioner 70INDEX VII June queries answered Si July letter of Commissioner 93 J uly crop conditions 99 July questions answered 106 K Keep your money at home 27 Kerosene emulsion 91 Keystone corn husker 143 Kerosene emulsion for destroying plant lice 200 L Law in regard to selling formulas 42 London purple 9q Liverpool men and American cotton 97 Lucerne 28 Law governing inspection of fertilizers l02 M Mutton and wool 25 March letter from the Commissioner 36 March questions answered 45 Mechanical effect of potash 64 May letter from Commissioner 70 Meat packing and cold storage 73 Muck analysis 117 Mulessick 118 N New farm industries 24 No poorer paying crop than cotton 41 Natural plant food 59 O Our money sent abroad 28 Onions 32 Oat sowing 47 Ox warble or bot fly 67 Oxen epidemic 60 Oats fertilizer for 134 October letter of Commissioner 156 October crop summary 159 October question box Ki4 P Patent formula 11 Paris green 90 Potato beetle 114 Q Question box forJanuary 7 Question box for March 45 Question box for April 59 Question box for June Question box for July jog Question box for August 12i Question box for September 143 Question box for October 164 Question box for November 178 Question box for December 195Alll INDEX E Report adopted by Cotton Convention 22 Raising for market 34 Hoots of corn 34 Red water jqj Reducing the cotton acreage Y 10 Rotation of crops for Georgia lib Rabbits gnawing young apple trees 114 Rye Fertilizer for 134 Remarks on Ellington bill 211 Report of chemist 9j Report of the Commissioner to the Governor 977 Some resolutions 14 Supplemental crops 35 Starch factories 44 Swine plague Sweet potatoes Stable manure Spraying operations 67 Spraying apparatus gg Spraying 88 Saccaline jay Soda and salt on clover 140 Something about ensilage and silos 167 182 Smut in wheat Sprouting crab grass 94 Sea Island cottonseed meal 227 Selections from proceedings of Georgia Horticultural Society 251 The swine plague g To destroy Bermuda ri The bot fly r Timothy ij Terracing 7v Turnips Fertilizer for 134 Turning under peavines jko The duty of a farmer 176 The law governing fertilizer inspections 202 r I pland rice Undesirable fertilizer formula 221 Veterinary surgeon Aaluations 60 214 W Water in green crops 101 Wheat Fertilizer for 14 AVild carrot 178 Weevils in corn 184 Wholesale cash prices for fertilizer material 215JANUARY REGULAR MONTHLY LETTER OF THE COMMIS SIONER THE EXPOSITION AND THE PEOPLETHE USE OF MANURES AND FERTILIZERSTHE DEPTH OF PLOWING AND LENGTH OF CORN ROOTSFARMERS INSTITUTES AND OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST SUGGESTEDMATTERS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE Department of Agriculture Atlanta January 1 1895 With the close of 1894 and the beginning of 1895 the farmer finds himself confronted by conditions tfhich have been gradually approaching for years but which he has until the present time failed to fully perceive or appreciate and now that the hard real ity with all its depressing influences has come we find bim almost overwhelmed by the difficulties surrounding him An overstocked cotton market starvation prices financial depression general stag nation such are the main points of the situation But notwithstand ing this discouraging outlook conditions are not hopeless It is not yet too late to retrieve our past errors One most hopeful sign is the fact that farmers as a rule are more fully alive to these past mis takes and are more anxiously seeking for the proper remedies than any time since the high prices of cotton allured us into false methods Another fact which tempers the present hard reality is that ex cept in rare cases farmers have bread and meat for another year and the price of those necessaries which they have to buy is also correspondingly low Let us therefore take courage and work out our agricultural emancipation Fortified with home supplies and2 Department of AgricultureGeorgia with the light of experience to warn us away from past quicksands and pitfalls there is no reason why we should again fall into them or why we should not free ourselves once and for all time from an agricultural policy which has brought us to the verge of ruin It is not by any very sudden or radical reforms that we hope to do this Over a very large area cotton must remain the chief money crop to abandou its culture would be the height of folly But we must adapt ourselves to changed conditions We must no longer allow cotton to occupy the pivotal point around which all the other ope rations of the farm revolve Let home supplies take that place and cotton will naturally fall into line at the head of perhaps half a dozen other sources from which one may reasonably expect to re alize a good interest Elsewhere in this report is published by request the set of resolu tions introduced by the committee on agriculture and passed by a unanimous vote of the present house of representatives of the Geor gia legislature It is an appeal not only to the farmers but to bus iness men of all classes and has met with almost universal indorse ment These resolutions also furnish a practical guide for farm op erations for the coming year and emphasize with peculiar force the advice so often given through this department to plant largely of all food crops in field and garden to keep our money at home by trading among ourselves the merchants and townspeople encourag ing the raising of home supplies by buying from us rather than sending outside the State for such things as they need and which we have for sale the manufacture not only of our cotton but of our wagons buggies farm implements shoes and furniture for all of which we have the raw material with water powers and climate un rivaled In other words to practice diversity of industries in town as well as on the farm As to the use of COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS we repeat what we have said in the Southern Cultivator I have recently been much interested in an investigation which I have been carefully conducting in order to find out the average yield per acre of the various staple crops raised in Georgia and also to ascertain whether in the use of commercial fertilizers we haveAnnual Publication for 1895 been permanently building up our lauds or have only been sup plying food for the immediate demands of the crops leaving the fu ture to take care of itself This question is one of deep interest involving as it does the very foundation of our agricultural pros perity In England and on the continent the system of agriculture adopted not only prevents deterioration and exhaustion but keeps steadily in view the improvement of the land and the increase in the yield That this is reasonable agriculture is evidenced by more than one fact and sustained by the united experience of her whole farming population Foremost among the reasons in its favor is the fact that a large yield eutails scarcely more labor than a small yield In our section where lands are so cheap and where labor is the principal item of expense this is a most importantconsideration In the investigation just referred to I have had access to the best compilation of statistics obtainable and I regret to say that these statistics show no material improvement in the general aver ages throughout the State This is not as it should be Georgia lands are noted for their susceptibility to improvement and excep tional cases of intensive farming but prove this to be true We have used commercial fertilizers with lavish prodigality but that their use has not been tempered by judgement these re sults undoubtedly show On which the Southern Planter commenting says How strongly confirmatory is the foregoing of what Mr Bell wood said in our last issue upon the same subject and of what we have been saying for so long There can be no permanent improv ident of land and no retained and enhanced fertility without live stock and the liberal use of all the farmyard manure which can be made Given this first then commercial fertilizers may be profita bly used but never to the exclusion of farmyard manure We have always maintained that the wonderful power of com mercial fertilizers is but faintly comprehended by those whose mis fortune it has been to misapply them A thoughtful man cannot expect to improve his land with commercial fertilizers alone The common practice of drilling in a hundred or two pounds to the acre on land destitute of humus is a mistake and has proved a4 Department of AgricultureGeorgia curse rather than a blessing But fill the land with humus by turning under vegetable matter by careful rotation by making and conserving all home manure possible and the profitable use of com mercial fertilizers will be limited only by the amount we are able to buy The intelligent use of these fertilizers enables one to plow deep to plant renovating crops to raise and improve stock and keep more of it to make a hundred per cent more of home ma nures and to double the producing capacity of labor now our most expensive item Injudicious and careless methods are worse than useless Unless intelligent care marks its use it entirely fails to feed either the crop or the land and nothing is more dangerous to the crops and more depleting to the farmers pocket than heavy amounts of commercial fertilizer purchased and indiscriminately ap plied to the worn and exhausted soils PLANNING FOR ANOTHER YEAR Dont make your plans on the supposition of a short crop and higher priceswhich are subject to a score of deciding influences of which we have no knowledge Treat this subject from a purely business standpoint and by care and foresight place your forming operations on a firm basis Consider what have been your profits or losses in the past what under favorable crop seasons would be a fair yield and then take on yourself only such obligations as under average conditions will give you a fair margin of profit WORK FOR THE MONTH The farmer should see clearly all that lies before him that is he should lay his plans for the year with careful forethought not over rating advantages or underestimating difficulties and having mapped out hs work he is prepared to take advantage of every favorable opportunity to push it forward SOWING OATS If the requisite amount was not put in during the fall sow anv favorable spell between this and February according to locality If the seasons hit very fine crops often result and if the oats are killed the land is still left in fine condition for other succeedingAnnual Publication foe 1895 crops Let the plows turn over any stubble or weed or stiff land remembering the precaution to turn each furrow only partly over which plan allows for the frost to act more directly upon the vege table matter and other elements and when the subsequent plowing is done this vegetable mould becomes more thoroughly mixed with the soil instead of remaining in a layer at the bottom of the furrow The importance of good PLOWING cannot be overestimated By good plowing is meant that which will best subserve the ends which we have in view among others to lay up a store of moisture for future use to secure better drain age to prevent washing to promote the action of the atmosphere on the vegetable and mineral matters in the soil It will thus be understood that different qualities of land require different treat ment and also that situation and environment must exercise a de ciding influence as to the time of plowing the kind of plow and the depth to be broken On ordinary land the plowing may go on as long as the weather per mits and if a subsoiler follow each plow we are taking long odds against injury from drouth next summer It is only by producing larger crops from smaller better prepared and better cultivated areas that we can hope for agricultural success When we have learned this and also to work up these products into higher formsmilk butter beef pork chickens eggs etc thus carrying off as little fertility as possible we will begin to real ize that farming pays COMPOST HEAPS Gather up all the manure and scrapings of stable and yard and compost with the utmost care The greatest fault of the farmer is procrastination These and other important matters are delayed until they have to be hurriedly and carelessly accomplished and the farmer loses the opportunity of successfully pushing his work for when he finds it pushing him it is then too late to consider de tails When the weather does not permit the plows to run the teams cannot be better employed than in gathering up these fertil izing materials Unfortunately on many farms their hidden powerDepartment of AgricultureGeorgia of making money has not been fully appreciated Often the ma nure is allowed to accumulate in the stables until it becomes a menace to the health of the animals which are compelled to breathe its poisonous fumes and then it is thrown in a heap at the door to have its best elements washed away by the water from the roof And yet farmers lament that they need more manure and spend thousands in commercial fertilizers In another part of this report is an article containing several good reasons why commercial fertil izers and barn yard manure should be mixed the one supplement ing the other as it were There are also formulas for mixing fer tilizers at home which for several reasons is the wisest plan Among the most important reasons in favor of home mixing as stated by the United States Department of Agriculture are reduc tion in expense a definite knowledge of the nature of the plant food employed the preparation of mixtures suited to special needs of soil or crop the indirect educational advantages because it will lead farmers to study and apply the results of agricultural researchAnnual Publication foe 1895 QUESTIONS ANSWERED FOR JANUARY RELATIVE VALUES OF HOME MANURES ANDFERTILIZERS BOTH ARE STRONGLY SUPPORTEDTHE INSUFFICIENCY OF THE HOME PRODUCT FORCES MANY TO USE THE OTHERDAIRYING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF JUDICIOUS FEEDINGTHE VERY BEST PLAN FOR SAVING AND PRO TECTING THE MANURES Department of Agriculture Atlanta January 1 1895 QUESTION 1 Which pays best fertilizing with home manures or with commer cial fertilizers ANSWER 1 The advocates of both systems bring forward very strong reasons to support their respective positions but the deciding of this ques tion like so many others in farming depends in a large degree on individual conditions and environment Undoubtedly where both have to be bought commercial fertilizers yield a better return on the same amount than the home manure but if a farmer is so sit uated that he can feed his stock for milk butter cheese and beef he can at the same time produce manures of the highest value and thus utilize every product of the farm to the very best advantage It is on the same principle that the small merchant by selling on a strictly cash basis is enabled to turn his capital over and over and realize a larger interest on a smaller investment than his more wealthy neighbor who takes the risks of long time and doubtful col lections We have always maintained that the use of farmyard manure and fertilizers should go hand in hand In confirmation of this position the following from Professor Brooks of Amhurst Agricultural College is pertinent and complete The whole ques tion is most interesting as well as important and farmers should lose no opportunity of gaining information from every source which may shed light upon it Professor Brooks says We sometimes read or hear language which would lead one to think that in the minds of some there exists a notion that thereDepartment of AgricultureGeorgia is something of a conflict between manures far from ray idea upon tins question It is clearly the part of wis dom first to make the utmost of home resource The e may be crops or there may be soils or fields for which under eerta n cir umS ances it is preferable to use fertile rather than ZZ and of course when one must purchase the elements of fertility i an important question whether they can be more cheaply bned f thXor trtilirrand T believe the deoisi i W of thekte but these facts really indicate no necessary conflic between the two classes of materials There is clearly room enough ThyZo7tyofrfarmSthe f maDUreS is iDSufficie LrthTT7 S Se Sme fertUizer Jt is orally wise h oX T T f the fe t0 in connection wit each other rather than separately The physical effect of the ma errif deSibIe 3nd Can0t f tertihzers It prevents in a manure the cohesion of the particles heavy c ay and thus lessens the probability of baking and crack mot tu re Th t0inCreaSe the f the U for moisture The constituents of manure are also in many cases less promptly available than in fertilizers It is desirable to e y tt latter to give the crop a quick start And finally the manifrei more complete in its composition than the fertilizer ThTm nure Tfz ir int7the socamasiica crops while most fertihzers do not We may it is true raise crops for many years by supplying the three elements ni rogen Phosphoric acid and potash incidentally lime is applied wiZhe theame Td GUbert haVe ralSed Wh6at C0SeCUtive ars on Po a 1 d It T amm0UaSaltS Perphosphate and sulphate of potash and at the present time the yield is nearly as great on this land as on that which has received fourteen tons yearlofImyarf z srelength of time but the faS To 11LtTs w a eudeacy t0 fal1 offand there be doubt that the more complete composition of the manure is prov ing an advantage Of course in such materials as common saltfsul Phate of magnesm etc we may replace if considered desirable theAnnual Publication for 1895 9 soda magnesia etc carried off in the crops but even such re placement would leave us without the physical effect of manure an effect which we may it is true in part secure by turning in a green crop Under many systems of cropping however green manuring is inexpedient QUESTION 2 In view of the present interest in dairying I would like to ask how much manure can be expected from each cow From careful reading on this subject I conclude that the main profit is in the manure which if properly haudled goes to increase the fertility of the farm ANSWER 2 Recent experiments have shown that a mediumsized wellfed cow will produce 14431 pounds of solid and 6454 pounds liquid manure in a year or about twelve and a half tons This does not include the weight of any absorbent which may be used to better preseve the manure Wheu the farmer realizes that this twelve and a half tons contains 80 per cent of the fertilizing value of the food consumed the importance of judicious feeding and of saving this manure so as to put back on this land as much as possible of this SO per cent of plant food is clearly seen QUESTION 3 What is the very best plan for saving and protecting manure ANSWER 3 In general terms a rainproof shelter with a perfectly tight floor is the best The utmost care shonld govern the selection of a site for the manure pile The bottom should be so arranged that the liquid can neither leach nor drain away and if the whole is cov ered we have as perfect a receptacle as can be made and such an investment pays for its cost several times over in the saving of ele ments otherwise wasted In our own experience we have found that a pit which we had dug just back of the stable the clay floor made perfectly hard and sheltered by a close roof answers every purpose Into this pit the manure is easily thrown through the back stable door and if carefully and closely packed and on each10 Department of AgricultureGeorgia layer a little kainit phosphate or poster be sprinkled a eornpara elv mall amount certainly not mre than 5 to 10 per cent f the fertihzmg properties will escape P QUESTION1 4 What of our farmers institutes and do you think tW 1 done any good or will be of any benefit to te Wrs ANSWER 1 The question of formers institutes doe not seem to hove 1 very firm hold he agricuitl mi h conducted the ca be n0 f J j o det St lhey LWoVn t the procession Just so with the farmer a Lullt7 Hi COmnTrCial f6atUreS f yUr 11 rne cultural Having determined what crops to raise olan fn se them most economically yet by modern impro m h ds as such are invariably cheaper in the end In many States an elaborate system of institute work is laid out a d h m descrbe ther alt r cLTrr8 f the Agricuiurai cu tific a X at tn P0Ut ThUS thG PraCtiCal ad the 8ciAnnual Publication for 1895 11 victual farmermay benefit by the experience of those more successful than himself We hope readers will shake off feelings of indif ference attend these meetings inquire concerning points of interest not clearly understood and enthuse some of the dull minds into a reality as to the pleasures beauties and profits of the noblest occu pation of man If institutes are not held in the county we earnestly recommend each reader to write to the director of the State Agricultural Ex periment Station of his State and secure free the annual reports and bulletins of the station These are sent free when applied for to eachresident of the State where the station is located With fewer hours of labor during the winter season no better use can be made of mind body and time than to make oneself better informed as to the needs and requirements of his chosen occupation PATENT FORMULA In the last report an inquiry relative to a patent formula being sold over the State was announced in which the farmers were ad vised not to purchase such formulas but to apply to the depart ments instituted for the purpose of furnishing such information on agriculture and fertilization The following by the State Chemist in reply to a similar query corroborates what we have previously said on the subject and in this connection will be found especially interesting S 0 H Vistory Ga Dear Sir Yours of December 14 at hand The formula you send reads as follows Formula for HomeMade Guano 1894 Ammonia pounds Phosphoric acid 2 Nitrate potassium 5 Saltpetre 10 Sulphur 5 Potash 10 Lime 50 Ashes 10 Dirt 1800 Department op AgricultureGeorgia DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING Mix all the ingredients thoroughly then mix with the dirt Morten with water lightly and mix thoroughlv Put in I Ltrt Threrefbefore ueeded piJr0 uhtLd scatter m a guano distributor Good mnck is best for the body of the guano but any earth that is free from gravel will answer if you w7sh7 T 1igh fertiHzer L intity 1500 grad ThiS frmUa wiH cost i than cnemiX tdS f T P De f chemIStry and not famihar with the materials named in the for tmmon I be ry Ammonia s a gas and if put into a fertilizer without an acid to fix it only a small portion of it will remain If sulnhn f ftfpImmKl Mltpetre are the same tlie Sull intended If in u mte f Ptash was Pbably to secure 5 Land f fouk wish secure 5 pounds ammonia you could use 20 pounds sulnhate nf xrja r5ds phrric acidyou cJd Ip pound n t ate o8 mtrate f Potas you could use 15 pound k ni LTTv 10 PUndS PtaSh Cld 80 ate of 1 im 100 T yU CUl1 10 Pnd cbon ae otJime 100 pounds ashes you could use 100 pounds ashes cbrt ks to make a ton you could use 1665 pounds dirt The formula is cheap simply because it is so weak Pt ggested so that you will not lose the virtuesopartof formula will only give you goods with the Ammonia 12 of 1 per cent Phosphoric acid 18 of 1 percentAnnual Publication for 1895 13 Potash 2 per cent Lime 2 12 per cent It is incorrectly called a guano and high grade fertilizer by the seller of the formula Is is simply a compost The suggestion to use good muck in place of the dirt is a good one If you will write what material you have accessible or wish to use a formula can be readily constructed for their success ful use To purchase such formula as the one you send is waste of money The Department of Agriculture is always glad to furnish formulas free of cost for any intelligent line of fertilization There are a number of ammoniates which can be used and their selection depends both upon the ease of securing them and the crop for which they are intended The following are the most frequently used Cottonseed meal blood tankage sulphate of ammonia nitrate of soda and fishscrap Phosphoric acid is usually furnished by acid phosphate and potash by kainit or muriate of potash The compost heap becomes more and more valuable and profi table as accessible fertilizing material is best taken advantage of This will vary upon each farm according to the conditions sur rounding it and convenient local material which can be rendered available as plant food It is well to remember that a cheap fertilizer may prove to be a very profitable experiment or a very unprofitable one depending largely upon whether you have obtained a lot of actual plant food cheaply or whether you have secured a material which seems low priced when its weight is considered but is yet very high priced when its small content of plant food is estimated Respectfully George F Payne State ChemistDepartment of AgeicultueeGeorgia SOME RESOLUTIONS THE EXPENSE ACCOUNT GREATER THAN THE INCmrr REMEDY SUGGESTErl INCOME A Passed unanimously by the house of representatives Recognizing and deploring the depressed cnnrlV in this State and desirous olUeZtZZo lowing remedy as the sense of this committee W W e will waste no time in discussing the cause Th V upon us being felt in every farmhouse in cZ W the center of every town O USe n Georgla soon to reach than our income ST aCCUnt enue or meet banllSL TT cotton as our source of revenue it is i u klg t0 income by increased produII Tp tsST f than a small one Therefore w w A T T ng less wheat and rye in abun InJe aTle 0 T f CWn if possible if 2 SpT well and sow on good land with n January I repare of cutting hay affer J lg the same or of your land for corn groundpe fi T threefllrths and manure corn I wil noH TjT Plant vegetables sugarc e potal e t VT acres of cotton to the plow plaDt Ver 1 Do not use any commercial fertilizers clean out th t fc8 A fixed tiff dCrStMd I with guano but be Lr L 1 7 a th 000000 b be8e rr rrhrAnnual Publication foe 1895 15 table to buy guano and pay for it with o cent cotton even with a good crop with a poor crop it would simply mean destruction Buy no wagons no buggies no mules nor horses unless you are out of debt and can pay cash economize in every way The above plan will bring more hogs more beef more milk and butter more chickens and eggs more colts would require less labor less expense less anxiety less risk It will bring more money pay back debts bring peace prosperity and independence to the farmers of Georgia and the South We would ask our fellowcitizens of every calling to aid us in our honest efforts for relief We would ask merchants and bankers to be as lenient as possible The cotton has come and gone the bales were there but the price was lacking through no fault of merchant or farmer we therefore would counsel forbearance from creditor to debtor for the farmers of Georgia are an honest debtpaying people and while many are now unable to pay it is not due to a lack of disposition We would ask our townspeople to buy all their supplies possible from their customers In many sections we have bread meat beef lard corn hay and provisions of all kindsenough for country and townand we would ask our merchants to encourage farmers to produce these things by buying from them instead of importing the same In other words let our people live among themselves as much as posible We have made the money but sent it away from home never to return until we change our methods On this line we would say that our cotton should be spun at home our wagons made buggies shoes furniture etc so that money produced in Georgia would stay in Georgia We would also advocate any policy on the part of our State that would tend to the upbuilding and support of factories of all kinds in our midst Their employees would furnish consumers of our products and add value to every acre of farm land in Georgia We believe that pack ing houses established in our largest cities would pay Let them be established and we will furnish the beef and pork By following the above suggestions we believe that we can escape from the slough of despond and the clutches of poverty and ere long stand upon the high ground of contentment and prosperity16 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Our country is peculiarly adapted to diversified agriculture un vvariety of its prodicts r growth We have water powers and raw materials Our climate nvites all who would do field or factory work The opport i are with us and it is with us as to whether we use th m o We think we are on the right direction with our technological schools our common schools and colleges Our towns will yet In ZmyZtZZ uder the direfon of 0luown bo ad l7 We have an abiding faith in the possibilities and the future de velopment of our country We would hasten the day when con ntment would prevail in the hearts and prosperity would rtgZ L tlrpeopleLet thereforerkiLo believing in the resources at our command and an abiding faith in the wisdom and justice of an allwise God In order to carry these ideas into execution and have them dis 7etutrng VTwe ask ever ei wou d I P re1UeSt that Sme Patri0tic ct zen would call a mass meeting at every county seat regardless of party or color and advocate the principles herein set forth ATLANTAS EXPOSITION THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE DISCUSSES THE BIG FAIR datfbifatf h Vegi8laUre maldng a WPtion for a Geor gia exhibit at what promises to be perhaps the greatest exposition ever witnessed at the South the Commissioner of AgHcZ z er er ofhboard of directrs s ists of the Governor and Statehouse officers the Governor beine luurman In the original bill the Commission of AgriciZre waf fie aPPiUteeVeQ Exposition Commissio ners from each congressional district but by some oversight in the In n confusion of the last days of the session this claifse was mRt rf It is however directed that each fertiliser and oil inspector shallAnnual Publication for 1895 17 assist under the direction of the Agricultural Commissioner in pro moting the successful collection of everything pertaining to Geor gias resources in the field garden orchard workshop manufactory every article from every source which will illustrate to the assem bled world that Georgia is the empire State of the South For be it remembered that this is to be an exhibit not only of the agri cultural resources of the State but also of her industrial progress in every other avenue of business and trade as well as her mag nificent natural resources in minerals ores and metals As yet we have formulated no settled plan of action but we would appeal to every citizen of Georgia irrespective of position or occupation to aid us in carrying this enterprise through to success With the limited means at our disposal it is a gigantic undertaking and we want not only the sympathy but the active help if possible of every man and woman in the State As soon as a positive course has been decided on the decision will be published and we will from time to time through the medium of the Agricultural Depart ment Reports notify the public of our progress and any important suggestions which may present themselves In the meantime any inquiries as to means and methods also as to quality and quantity of exhibits will be cheerfully answered and any suggesibtis will be gladly received R T Nesmtt iw f 2ag18 Department of AgricultureGeorg I A FEBRUARY REGULAR MONTHLY LETTER OF THE COMMISSIONER HE GIVES SOME TEACTICAL VIEWS THE FARMERS OF THE STATE SHOULD STUDY AREFtTTV t smmyszzz ir on OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST AND MPOBTANCE Department op Agriculture Atlanta February 1 1895 The painful lesson of the past year has taught us that then ain immutable laws of our calling which le Lnot without eventually paying the penalty For years we have pre sumed on the almost unbounded resources of our section and h apparently escaped some punishment but the timeTZ whei we cannot longer evade the issue And however difficult the task may be we must if i 1per be guided by the teachings osome 11 ZZ and so regulate our business that no matter what the flnTT or depression of the cotton market we are JVtTZ ndependent home living for ourselves and families To able to take this position it will become our duty not only to study everything in our reach pertaining to scientific and success ul ari as well t0 T T atteDti0D dS0 t0 y o Pdi fc as well as agricultural economy Of these the Pineal REDUCTION OF THE COTTON ACREAGE is just now perhaps the most important and the most pressing because each farmer must decide in the next few weeks i he h not already done so his individual resposibility in this mitt r Many have reahzed the error of our profitless onecrop and n at acre system and are laying the foundations broad and deepfo7a more intensive and reasonable plan of farm management1 Bu others are still hesitating the force of habit is strong nd th argue that if there is a general reduction of the area t f X g0d aml 1S S mUch to work on the accustomed 1Annual Publication foe 1895 19 than to venture on new and heretofore untried plans It is to these still unconvinced farmers that we will appeal for a careful consideration of this question not only as it may affect them indi vidually but as regards the general welfare of their State and section We would not be understood as advising them to run after new and untried crops far from it There are already many which the Southern farmer understands and which if he will give them the same care that he bestows on his cotton crop will pay him a fair profit The past year the profit on our individual hog crop was four or five times as large as that from our cotton and with far less expense and worry Let us turn our attention to the profitable cultivation not by the old careless indifferent methods of corn oats forage crops peas potatoes etc The cheapness with which we can produce all food crops for man and beast and our superior climatic conditions should forever set at rest the question of home supplies of beef mutton chickens eggs butter lard pork etc When we accomplish this we have entered on a system of reason able agriculture by which we not only produce our cotton at less cost but are returning to our lands in the form of home manures the larger part of the elements removed and are also laying the basis for that steady adjustment of supply and demand without which there can be no profitable agriculture of any duration We liave been sending vast sums to the North and West for meat bread butter cheese forage clothes furniture farm implements horses mules wagons buggies and so on through a long list of articles for which we have the material facilities here at home and which we could have raised and manufactured at less cost But when the annual cotton crop of Georgia was worth from 50000000 to 60 000000 it was possible to send off for these articles of every day use and still keep part of that large amount for home circulation Our mistaken policy of crowding the cotton market has reduced our income from that source to hardly 30000000 and when we would still import all these necessaries instead of raising them the cotton money is consumed and there is nothing left to keep the home wheels of commerce and trade moving the consequence is general distress At the recent convention of cotton growers held in Jackson Miss the following appeal was madeDepartment of AgricultureGeorgia The gravity of the conditions confronting th nn mended 50 per cent would be better TheT T T age houses are lf nuttee promises better times and higher priLTfor col f 0m ommendations are observed P U lf ltS rec 0TobeSoSrUobJeCtS f AtMta authority says o be prosperous the farmers of the South m i than they are doing the crop is enti ey too W T T ti ulc business is a decrcnp in i 186772 American av Foreign av 187378 3107000 2337000 187984 4771000 2022000 188590 6721000 2071000 189194 four years7659000 2269000 Weight of bales 400 pounds 9484000 2595000Annual Publication fok 1895 21 Showing that while the foreign increase has been about ten per cent American increase has been 200 per cent and if we include the crop now on the market 210 per cent Surely no sensible man can longer halt between two opinions In another column is published a synopsis of the resolutions adopted by the Jackson covention Col W A Broughton of Madison was appointed president of the Georgia association for the reduction of the cotton acreage and doubtless the planters in each county will hear from him before the time appointed for the next meeting The obligations are not binding unless 75 per cent of the cotton growers in 80 per cent of the cotton counties sign the agreement In regard to OTHER REMUNERATIVE CROPS we publish in another column extracts from exGovernor Northens wellconsidered article and also some facts obtained from prominent dealers and commission men of Atlanta who daily receive car loads of farm products There are at least thirty firms who do an average business of 500 a week each their sales being confined to fruits and the more important articles of table consumptioneggs butter chickens onions Irish potatoes cabbages celery turnips beans canned corn tomatoes etc The extracts referred to are taken from a recent issue of the Constitution Let Georgia farmers with convenient means of transportation demonstrate that they can be depended upon to produce these ar ticles of good quality and there will be no difficulty in finding a market But we would not advise a hasty or illconsidered plunge into a new and untried business Study the business and satisfy yourself that you can produce the crops But that is only half the battle Study the markets and perfect your arrangements for dis posing of your products ere they are ready to be marketed have all your arrangements complete leave nothing to chance WORK FOR THE MONTH The cold rains and snows have delayed farm work But something has been done by wide awake farmers in the way of repairs com posting and clearing land ready for the plow February is the best22 Department op AgrtcwlttikeGeorgia month for sowing spring oats but they will not do well on poor thin land The soil should be good or else made so by manures The farm should also be looked after the fences made good rub bish cleared off manure broad cast and when the ground is dry enough plowed in If a subsoiler is run in each furrow so much the better for a good crop of vegetables and immunity from drouth effects In the southern part of the State Irish potatoes green peas lettuce radishes cabbages indeed all the hardier vegetables can now be planted in the open air and the tenderer varieties in the hot bed or under glass The latter part of the month is safer in the upper part of the State Clover and grasses may also be sown and whenever the ground is dry enough the regular field plowing should go on Our inquiry columns this month cover many questions on these subjects R T Nesbitt Commissioner REPORT ADOPTED BY THE COTTON GROWERS CONVENTION WHICH MET AT JACKSON MISS JANUARY 9 The committee onorganization and bylaws submitted a long re port of which the following is a synopsis No one shall be a member who is not a legitimate grower The association is formed for one year and the executive committee is given power to continue it longer if good results The agreement to be sent to all counties in the cotton growing States for signatures is not to be binding till signed by threefourths of the cotton acre age in 80 per cent of the cotton growing counties said fact to be determined by the national committee Each member binds himself to pay two cents for each acre of cotton planted in 1894 half to be retained in the counties the bal ance to be paid into the treasury of the national committee for general purposes The county organizations are to be formed on the first Monday of March 1895 The national executive committee shall be composed of the naAnnual Publication for 1895 23 tional president who isea offieio chairman and each State is entitled to one member for every 100000 bales of cotton raised in 1890 as shown by the United States census All State organizations shall meet at the State capitals on the third Monday of March 1895 and the national committee at New Orleans the first Monday of April 1895 which shall ascertain whether the agreement is signed by the requisite number to make the same binding The presidents are charged with the duty of see ing the agreements properly distributed for signatures QUESTION 1 How much phosphoric acid potash and nitrogen does an average acre of corn take up and what is the best fertilizer for corn ANSWER 1 Phosphoric acid about seven pounds potash about seven pounds and nitrogen about 7 pounds This would indicate a fer tilizer with a large proportionate percentage of nitrogen But it has been found that it does not pay on laud of average fertility to buy a fertilizer with a large per cent of nitrogen for corn Whether the plant assimilates the nitrogen directly from the atmos phere or through the roots after the manner of clover we do not know The fact still remains that although it requires a large amount of nitrogen highly nitrogenous fertilizers do not pay The following is a good formula by per cents Nitrogen 2 per cent potash 7 per cent phosphoric acid 6 per cent24 Department of AgricultureGeorgia NEW FARM INDUSTRIES SCOPE OF GEORGIA IMMIGRATION AND INTESTMENT BU BEAUALL CLASSES SHOULD COOPEBATECLOVER DOES AS WELL IN GEORGIA AS OUB NATIVE GRASSESGEORGIA HAS A BONANZA IN BEBMUDA GRASS WHICH IS EQUAL TO THE BEST HAY IN THE MARKETSADVANTAGE OF GBASS AND CLOVER OVER COTTON We have had discussion and argument and appeal and entreaty about the reduction of the cotton acreage without avail until we have seen the South grow more cotton in twelve months than the world can consume in eighteen while we furnish the crop to con sumers below cost of production What we need now is not so much theoretical discussions but the record of what has been done on the hues or an object lesson Through these efforts we hope to bring numbers of farmers into Georgia who will for instance grow grass at a profit so Georgia farmers may actually see how it isdone We need to grow upon the same farms wheat and oats and other crops like them that demand no other work than to seed and save Let us have less cotton and more income General Toombs once said and said truly It takes thirteen months in the year to grow cotton It only takes a few days to sow grass and a few daysto save it I he money invested is at a minimum If grasses have as ood sale as cotton there is an immense amount saved in its production VV hy not It grows so vigorously in Georgia that it requires all the help in the neighborhood to kill it in June July and August The demand upon our farms has been the immense outlay ot money necessary to run them CLOVER Clover does fully as well in Georgia as our native grasses Colo nel George Scott of this city grew 10000 pounds of well cured clover hay upon one acre in one season in the adjoining county De aib Our former Commissioner of Agriculture Dr Janes grew quite as much on his farm in Greene Mr Baxter saved about half this amount from an acre on his farm in HancockAnnual Publication foe 1895 25 During my four years residence in this city I have seen much more hay carted upon the streets than cotton Grass seems to sell readily and for the cash There can be no difficulty about the sale The misfortune however is the money for the purchase goes to some other State and does not remain in Georgia BERMUDA Georgia has a bonanza so to speak in Bermuda grass It is equal to the best hay in the market It is perennial and requires no care or labor except to save and cure It grows in marvelous yield Upon one acre in Greene county there has been saved 13 955 pounds of well cured Bermuda hay Such abundant and prof itable crops it will be well to encourage among our own farmers and such others as we may induce to settle among us But we will be met promptly with the inquiry Suppose everybody abandons cotton and begins growing grass This is not at all necessary It would be folly We do not need to abandon cotton Indeed we must not abandon cotton but keep it as our standard crop Yes as the grass grows by itself we can at least afford to let it grow and save it if it will pay It will be further objected by those who do not want to be con vinced that there will under this farm policy soon be more grass upon the market than the State needs If so we can sell to other States or better turn the grass into other products that will pay more money than the grass itself Herein lies the difference be tween grass and cotton Grass can be readily converted into many other marketable products Cotton must be always put upon the market by farmers as cotton Meeting this view it will be the further plan of this bureau to encourage such industries as will utilize the possible surplus grass that cannot find market in this State or elsewhere DAIRY FARMS Why not turn some of our grass to money through dairy farms I have no means of knowing how much butter and cheese are shipped into this State from the outside The figures giving the amount in money estimate of sale I am quite sure would be simply enormous26 Department of AgricultureGeorgia The State of Wisconsin has over 2000 creameries This bureau is now introducing creameries into Georgia I am in correspondence with parties who are building such industries in this State at mod erate cost We now have creameries in Alpharetta just started up and just beginning at Elbertona few already running at other places When we get them in operation all over the State Georgia farmers will make standard butter and standard cheese while they utilize many forces that are now wasted on the farm This will be one profitable way to convert surplus grass into money HORSES AND MULES There is still more to come from the growth of grass Georgia now pays an average of3000000 annually for horses and mules It requires grass to make horses and mules Georgia grass ought to rase all the horses and mules the State needs and raise them also for other States that prefer to grow five cent cotton rather than grass This is especially true since the grass grows without care labor or concern MUTTON AND WOOL Again our surplus grass will make mutton and wool When our farmers get their consent to grow grass abundantly we will be come the meat market of the continent and furnish to other States the beef mutton and bacon that we now ourselves buy from the farmers who grow cattle sheep and hogs under disadvantages to which our people are absolutely strangers The admirable report submitted by Hon J P Brown chairman of the committee on agriculture from the house has not received the consideration at the hands of the press and the people that its sound common sense suggestions deserve Our people need to an swer for themselves why they have allowed the great packing houses of this country to be located where cattle and sheep and hogs must have thousands of pounds of food to generate sufficient animal heat to keep them alive during the winter when in Georgia practi cally every pound of food consumed makes it proper yield of flesh We never can grow more grass in Georgia than we can use at a profit Nobody need be alarmed at the prospect If it were proper I might discuss many other industries of thisAnnual Publication for 1895 27 kind that the bureau will encourage and endeavor to aid One is sufficient for the purpose It is enough simply to call attention to our wonderful possibilities in fruit growing and truck farming There is not a truck farm in Georgia that cannot grow enough fruit without any special hin drance to the cotton crop to furnish food and clothing to the entire family In these crops we practically have no competition These crops in the States at the North are so much behind ours in maturity and in reaching the markets that we can control prices and sell out before theirs come in The first marketings of such crops always bring the better prices and we therefore hold the profits in our own hands We have for the same reason the melon1 market of the continent All we need to understand in this crop is the best way of handling it CANNING FACTORIES Suppose there should be competition in fruit and vegetables It can be met by building canning factories and utilizing the surplus by holding until the markets demand the supply The farmer who doubts the profit of this policy has only to step into any country store near him and learn the enormous amount of canned goods sold in this Stateall of which came from the States outside This bureau representing the entire State and being in position therefore to communicate with manufacturers will always stand ready to furnish reliable information about these industries Fruit growing in Georgia like grass culture cannot be overdone KEEP YOUR MONEY AT HOME Above all these plans and others that I might discuss if I could ask space we need to do something to keep money in the State Think of it for a moment If a citizen of Georgia wants a cheese he must send to Wisconsin to buy it Georgia money goes to Wis consin and there it stops and circulates in Wisconsin while the cheese comes to Georgia and is consumed If a Georgia farmer wants a mule he sends to Kentucky for the mule The mule comes to Georgia but the money stays in Kentucky and circulates in Kentucky The farmer puts the mule into the hands of a thriftless28 Department of AgricultureGeorgia tenant who starves him in two years and then the Georgia farmer sends more money to circulate in Kentucky for another mule If a farmer wants a side of bacon his money goes to Cincinnati and circulates in Ohio and the bacon comes to Georgia and is con sumed Where is the difference to the people of this State whether the government issues 50 per capita or 10 if we send all the Geor gia per capita to other States to sustain industries that we might ourselves encourage and thereby keep our money circulating among ourselves More than that the humblest negro in Georgia who wants to buy a cotton shirt gathers his raw material bales it ships it to Massachusetts has it converted into cloth and returned to him at heavy costall this unnecessaay expense before a negro can get a shirt OUR PER CAPITA MONEY SENT ABROAD Enumerate the countless things our people buy from abroad and then remember the single crop they grow to meet their purchases and it is a matter of wonder that we have heretofore met these hard conditions If we had a factory in Georgia to manufacture trace chains trace chain per capita would circulate in Georgia If we had a factory in Georgia to manufacture plow stocks plow stock per capita would circulate in Georgia If we had a factory in Georgia to use our hard woods in the manufacture of wagons chairs bedsteads carriages buggies and road carts a large amount of per capita wouldstay and circulate in Georgia If we have many great cotton factories to manufacture our raw material what vast amounts of cotton per capita would remain in this State for the busi ness interests of our people Money goes and money stays and money circulates only where there are business interests to demand and control it Though the government might flood the country with its isues Georgia would be practically without currency until we establish such business conditions as will control it Herein lies very much of the wealth of the Northern and Eastern States as well as the cause for the poverty of the people at the South and West The money of this country is congested in the East Xo actionAnnual Publication for 1895 29 of the government will ever bring it this way as long as the pres ent industrial relations remain The time has come when a change is positively demanded Cot ton has been practically our only resource for money to make pur chases Its production now consumes all the money it brings and there is none left for our needs There is no resource now but change It is not a matter of choice of personal direction it is a burning necessity We must not only change our crops and fill up our unoccupied lands but we must build all sorts and kinds of in dustries to utilize our raw material give employment to the thous ands of unemployed who will create wealth that will become per manent to the State AMMONIA ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL QUESTION 2 I see in the law regulating the sale of fertilizers that each sack must have branded upon it the amount of ammonia actual and potential What I wish to know is what is actual and what is potential H A T Nashville ANSWER 2 Ammonia is composed of three parts of hydrogen and fourteen parts of nitrogen When the composition is already effected it is actual ammonia On the other hand if the nitrogen alone is pres ent it is calculated to a basis of ammonia 14 pounds of nitrogen being equivalent to 17 of ammonia For example dried blood does not contain any actual ammonia but if it contained 14 pounds of nitrogen it would be said to contain 7 pounds of potential am monia from the fact that by fermentation it is capable of yielding that amount30 Department of AgricultureGeorgia BEATS CHEAP COTTON ATLANTAS COMMISSION TRADE OFFERS SOME SUGGES TIONSIT IS SUPPLIED BY OTHER STATESNEW YORK VIRGINIA OHIO AND OTHER STATES FIND A MARKET HEREGEORGIA MIGHT WELL SUPPLY ITSOME FIGURES SHOWING THE ADVANTAGE IT WOULD BE TO THE FARM ERS TO RAISE GARDEN PRODUCTS My firm said Mr O L Stamps does an annual business in produce of 35000 The bulk of it is shipped to us from out of the State Louisiana Alabama Tennessee Virginia Ohio Michigan Indiana and New York find a splendid market among the commission men of the city These States sell us with a profit the produce of their soil New York ships to Atlanta thousands of barrels of Irish potatoes and receives a good price for them Tennessee also ships us large quantities of potatoes Cabbage comes to us at this season of the year from New Orleans and around Mobile Ala Early in the year we get cabbage from Virginia but the supply there is always exhausted by this time Later in the spring Flor ida will ship large quantities of cabbage to us Nearly all of our butter comes from East Tennessee as do our chickens and eggs North Georgia supplies the Atlanta market with a fair per cent of the last two items Onions we get from New York in the main Georgia pretty well supplies the market with sweet potatoes Lint Lovelace said Mr Doolittle their bookkeeper have a large trade in the various articles of country produce you have mentioned The amount of course varies during the year accord ing to the season I have been figuring for two days on the busi ness of about a year and a half and have here the figures of an average months business More than 75 per cent of the produce comes from other States than Georgia Nearly all of the butter and eggs we handle come from East Tennessee I calculate that in a month we handle 480 worth of chickens and 600 worth of eggs Irish potatoes are shipped to us from the North and East and we send away monthly at least 900 for that one item AVe handle but little butter but most of it comes from Tennessee IAnnual Publication for 1895 31 should say 80 a month would be a good average Onions are an important item in our trade and they are shipped to us from New York almost entirely We handle 1200 worth in a month The money for them goes to the East The sweet potatoes we handle wouldnt exceed 100 in a month Mr T A Murray of the Southern Produce Company said that out of an average weeks business of 350 nearly 90 per cent of the articles sold came from outside of the State North Georgia supplied some butter and eggs Virginia and New Orleans held the cabbage market and East Tennessee had a corner on butter except what was sold by the North Georgia farmers Warsaw Tenn said Mr E B Stanley one of the citys best known commission men furnishes many Atlanta merchants with butter and eggs and chickens This is a thriving town to judge from its daily shipments to the commission men of Atlanta My firm said Mr Petty of Petty Brothers did a business last vear of 35000 Nearly the whole of it was in articles of country produce We get butter from East Tennessee from Chi cago and from the mountain counties of Georgia Yes the Chi cago butter is fairly good if we get it in time It is creamery but ter We ship Irish potatoes from New York Cabbage comes from Mobile Ala Louisiana and Virginia Onions are shipped to us from Ohio Georgia supplies us with turnips and sweet po tatoes Practically the same story is told by all of the commission men Of course the aggregate amount of their monthly sales differ in amount but their sales represent the same percentage of demand for the products mentioned They are articles found upon every table The demand for them of course comes from the people through the retail grocery men whom the wholesale commission men supply These representative firms quoted give some idea of the volume of business done by the commission trade of the city As can be seen thousands of dollars pass through its channels weekly The bulk of the money goes out of the State If there is any practical suggestion in this commercial side light it is this that here a fine opportunity is offered to the productive class of Georgians32 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Here is a ready anxious profitable market for articles of pro duce that every Georgia farm can produce abundantly and success fully It is a splendid field right at the doors of Georgia farm ers and in this era of 5cent and 4cent cotton it is especially enticing COTTON I asked Mr O L Stamps why Georgia could not furnish the commission market of Atlanta with the articles spoken of I know of no reason said he except that the farmers are rooted and grounded in the cotton idea They have had it so long that they cant get rid of it Its an old tradition Why theres much more money in raising these articles that we have been talk ing of for which a ready market can be found all the year round than in raising cotton at even a better price than five cents a pound ONIONS To illustrate I know a farmer who lives less than twenty miles from Atlanta who determined to plant an acre in onions in stead of in cotton The result amazed him It is a fact that many of the commission men here know to be true that he sold in one year 500 worth of onions off that acre If anything the labor of cultivation was less The cost of getting the sets was probably a little greater than the cost of cotton seed but look at the result It is a good acre of land that will produce a bale of cotton It is the exception A bale of cotton isnt worth more than S30 This man with the very best results in cotton would have received 470 less profit on his one acre if he had put it in cotton The onions can be planted close together in rows and the rows may be put close together But thats just one item Cabbage could be raised here too Theres no better country than Georgia for Irish potatoes and the huge pile of money that goes out of the State tor Irish potatoes could be saved if the farmers would plant pota toes for the market BUTTER MAKING East Tennessee has every advantage over Georgia as a butter producing country because of the attention and care they give toAnnual Publication for 1895 33 the preparation of butter If we get a consignment of Georgia butter it is made up of a dozen colors of buttersome white some pale yellow some deep yellow A Tennessee shipment of butter is one color and for the reason that the Tennessee man has a pro cess of melting it all together What is the cost of shipping butter from Tennessee Well it comes by express and I should say that the express toll and the cost of canning would amount to about two cents a pound Mr J F Petty believes in Georgia as a producing State and says it could supply the market here if the farmers would only turn their energy and attention to it I have an uncle said he who lives just over the line of Fulton in Cobb county Last year he planted a quarter of an acre of ordinary farm land in onions I bought from him myself 48 worth of onions This merely illustrates what the Georgia farmers can do in this direction There is hardly an article sold by the commission men of the city said one of the best known commission men in Atlanta that the Georgia farmers could not furnish us Farmers from other States ship us the articles and make a great profit off of them and if they can do it why certainly in these days of cheap cotton the farmers of Georgia can do as well IRISH POTATOES As fine Irish potatoes as can be grown anywhere can be grown in Georgia soil Magnificent cabbage can be grown here and you would little think it but celery as good as we get from Michigan can be produced in Georgia All it requires is plenty of water Our Georgia truck farmers could produce it profitably The butter chickens eggs onions and other articles for which thousands of dollars go out of Atlanta to other States every week should be produced right around Atlanta Why if I had a farm situated conveniently to a shipping point I would not think of putting my land in cotton I would run the Northern and Eastern farmers out of the Atlanta market and get some of the benefit of it myself There are not 3ag34 Department of AgricultureGeorgia only some thirty or forty commission houses in Atlanta which are doing a thriving business but there are in Atlanta four or five brokers who represent big producers in the West North and East and sell to the commission men These brokers get a good profit on all their sales the commission man gets a good profit then add to that the cost of shipping and the profit to the producer and the article is somewhat necessarily expensive before it gets to the con sumer Theres profit all along the line Georgia farmers who are located convenient to a market should adopt this suggestion this year and instead of pinning their faith to cotton try this A good ready and profitable market can be found all the year round RAISING FOR MARKET The Georgia farmers who sell their products to the commission men are very few The few who do sell their products do not make a business of raising for the market but finding that they have more than is needed for home consumption they dispose of the surplus Within a short radius of the city there are a number of thriving and prosperous truck farms but they never deal with the commission men They have their own delivery wagons and sell direct to the consumer In nearly every instance they have thrived There is a progressive farmer near Moores mill eleven miles from Atlanta who three years ago gave up the planting of cotton for truck farming and made more in one year from the latter than he did in three from cotton He now has a paying line of customers in the city ROOTS OF CORN QUESTION 3 Please tell me to what depth the roots of corn penetrate and to what depth should one plow to produce the best crops ANSWER 3 This is a very farreaching question and covers an area which we cannot go over in a paragraph As to the first corn roots have been known to descend to the depth of nine feet This of course was under most favorable conditions but the fact is authentic TheAnnual Publication for 1895 35 answer to the second clause of your question is that the depth of plowing should vary according to the quality of the land and the distance of the subsoil from the surface It is bad policy to turn up large quantities of clay and therefore all characters of land cannot be plowed alike but where the soil is opened and pulver ized to the depth of ten or twelve inches the crop stands ten chances to one against injury from drought We have in mind a piece of very ordinary land in our own county the breaking of which was done last spring with a onehorse plow followed by a subsoiler It was manured heavily and the yield was 438 bushels on ten acres of land Wherever we see the twisted yellow leaves of corn during a drought the condition is due more tu shallow plowing than to xiry weather The beneficial effects of deep preparation are never more plainly marked than on a crop of corn during a drought I saw daily during the past summer a field of corn which fully illus trated the wisdom of deep plowing Side by side were the rows one green and vigorous the others twisted and yellow the first deeply plowed at the outset the second merely broken on the sur face according to our usual shortsighted system SUPPLEMENTAL CROPS QUESTION 4 Farmers are advised to supplement their cotton crop with other paying crops Will you mention some that Southern farmers can engage in profitably I dont mean castor beans or hops or any thing else with which we are unacquainted but something that we know suits our soil and will sell well ANSWER 4 We have had several questions on this line and for reply would refer our correspondents to the Commissioners regular talk for this month and also to the facts given in another place from ex Governor Northen and several different commission merchants of Atlanta THE GENERAL LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA ATHENS GEORGIA THE GENERAL LIBRARY TflE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGI STATE LIBRARY GIFT 193836 Department of AgeicultueeGeorgia MARCH REGULAR MONTHLY LETTER TO THE FARMERS OF GEORGIA THE CORN PLANTING SEASONNO POORER PAYING CROP THAN COTTON FOR THE FARMERSCOST OF RAISrNG WHEAT AND CORN OX ONE ACRE OF LANDPAY AS YOU GOA FEW HINTS ON HOME MIXING OF FERTILIZERS ETC Department of Agriculture Atlanta March 1 1895 As I glance toward the outside world as far as the eye can reach I see nothing but bare brown trees with here and there a green pine and snow everywherestretching like a thick white mantle over the fields piled up in high drifts against the buildings and fences completely hiding the face of Mother Earth and inflicting much suffering on man and beast As I turn from the contempla tion of this most unusual Southern scene I realize that before this heavy layer of snow can melt and the laud be ready for the plow another week must pass which will leave only a few more days in February in which to complete the preparations for the usual March plantings As on many farms the first furrow has yet to be run for the crops of 1895 these plantings must necessarily be much delayed This is not altogether due to the unfavorable weather for since Christmas there have been several days when plowing could have been done with both dispatch and profit But the majority of farmers have fallen into the habit of allowing the first part of January to slip by before any decided start is made on the years workone reason perhaps being that throughout the South farm labor is more or less demoralized after the Christmas holidays Since the rains set in about the middle of January we have had an uninterrupted succession of snows rains sleets and freezes finallv culminating in the almost unprecedented cold during the first of February Where the laud was properly plowed during the fall or early in January the extreme cold preceding the heavy fall of snow willAnnual Publication foe 1895 37 put it in splendid condition disintegrating and breaking up the par ticles of soil and thus increasing their power both of absorbing and retaining moisture Old farmers predict a phenomenal crop year Amid the general gloom this is cheering indeed there is some comfort to be extracted even from the present hard conditions In addition to the benefit to the land the freeze was the death blow to many troublesome and destructive insects Fruit trees were not sufficiently advanced to be injured and the check just now will pre vent a too rapid rise of sap their budding will be retarded and we stand a better chance for an abundant fruit crop The intense cold in the upper portions of the cotton belt running below zero and further south almost uuprecedentedly near that point has destroyed myriads of insect eggs and also arrested the injury from blight both so destructive to the interests of fruit growers While only this latter class can lay claim to all these advantages the average farmer can appropriate his share and though harrassed by low priced eotton delayed work and general uncertainty and indecision need not despair Let him gird himself for the coming contest let him look ahead and with clear brain and unerring judgment lay his plans for assured success In a recent report of the State Committee on Analytical and Ap plied Chemistry in Virginia occurs the following which coincides so exactly with the views we have always promulgated and is so forcibly expressed that we would like to quote at length but have only room tor some of the leading features When we consider the fact that the market value of our lands and all the products of agriculture have materially declined during the past few years that the average decline in the prices of our staple crops to which fertilizers are applied amounts to fully 50 per cent and that it is questionable whether any crop can be grown at a profit under existing conditions is it remarkable that our far mers are at their wits end to know how to proceed and what to plant if by chance they may make both ends meet In support of this position permit me to quote from the statis tician of the Agricultural Department Washington D C March 1893 At that date wheat was selling at 57 cents and corn at 36 cents in Chicago To ascertain what the farmers were doing he sent out38 Department of AgricultureGeorgia circulars broadcast Eeplies were received from 25000 practical farmers in case of wheat and 28000 in case of corn These were revised and corrected by 4000 replies from expertsi e graduates at colleges etc engaged iu farming with the following RESULT Cost of raising an acre of wheat 1169 Cost of raising an acre of corn j 71 The statisticians report for December 1893 showing the aver age value of wheat and corn per acre on the farm was For wheat 616 for corn 821 which shows a virtual loss of 205 on every acre cultivated in wheat and 350 per acre of corn in 1893 leaving out the straw chaff and stalks Shall we draw what consolation we can from this unprofitable condition of agriculture in the country at large and throw up the sponge Or shall we address ourselves gravely to the situation and see what can be done to ameliorate this condition of things To meet this discouraging situation the committee recom mends that 1 In the opinion of your committee the expenditure of 4500 000 for artificial fertilizers by the farmers of this State is unwise and improper under existing conditions We are forced to this conclusion because we believe that fully onehalf of this outlay is a total loss 2 The second question is Can this board do anything to dimin ish this expenditure of 4500000 for fertilizers and at the same time increase the profits of agriculture without injury to any other interest We think it can But it involves a total change of system We believe that fully onehalf of this large sum can be saved to the farmers of this State that the fertility of their lauds can be augmented at the same time and the balance changed from the debit to the credit side of the ledger If our reasoning up to this point has been sound then the first thing to do is to stop this unwise and reckless expenditure curtail the amount to be spent this year to 2000000 as follows 1 Pay cash for everything 2 Reduce acreage to be cultivated in money crops to onehalfAnnual Publication foe 1895 39 3 Cooperate buying and mixing of fertilizer ingredients 4 Collecting and grinding of bones 5 The increased use of lime 6 Manufacture your own nitrogen at home 7 More attention to homemade manures The first item is the most difficult of accomplishment and while John Randolph may have discovered the philosophers stone to be Pay as you go only those can avail themselves of it who have something with which to pay Take the matter of oats for ins tance many farmers have met with a heavy loss in the destruction of both the first and second plantings and are left without means to again buy seed To such the lines have indeed fallen in hard places and in cases like this we would advise that the land be planted in early maturing corn and forage cropsmilllet sorghum peas all of which will help to tide over the difficultyand if the millet is manured highly and forced forward it will of course be ready to cut much earlier The secoud with our preconceived ideas of farming will be a hard undertaking but a strict adherence to its recommendations would do much to set us on our feet again The third we have repeatedly urged as offering the best solu tion of the fertilizer question The fourth if carried out would reduce the cost of this valuable fertilizer at least 50 per cent The fifth but follows the lead of that eminent scientist George Ville who classes lime along with nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash in forming a complete fertilizer Where lime is deficient in the soil it is very important that it be supplied The sixth refers to the fact that in leguminous plants the far mer has a certain aud comparatively cheap method of supplying not only the most expensive element of nitrogen but potash and phosphoric acid also for he can remove the top crop and still leave in the roots aud stubble a large amount of fertilizing material The seventh sounds the keynote of all successful farming As is briefly said home manure performs on the farm the same office40 Department of AgricultureGeorgia that mouey does in commerce It develops utilizes and brings into healthy action all the dormant resources of the soil TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS IN LAST REPORT There were two serious typographical errors in last months report In the answer to the inquiry as to how much of nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash that an average acre of corn withdraws from the soil should read about 2177 instead of 777 as stated The second error was in the reply as to Actual and Potential Ammonia It should have read Fourteen pounds of nitrogen would be said to contain seventeen pounds of potential ammonia not seven pounds from the fact that by fermentation it is capable of yielding that amount IRISH POTATOES AND STARCH FACTORIES There appears in this issue two articles that were crowded out of our last report One a reply to an inquiry as to the preparation planting and saving of Irish potatoes both the spring and fall crops and the other on establishing starch factories in the South The subjects are allied and pertinent to Southern industrial development The cotton factories for the manufacture of a finer grade of goods are in a measure dependent on starch factories and these three in dustries are more intimately connected than a careless glance would reveal The cotton factories will need the starch the starch factories will need the potatoes and if our farmers can learn to produce at remunerative figures the proper kind of potato which suitably depends more on quality than on size we have another money crop to which our climate is peculiarly suited Elsewhere I give Jeff Welborns plan for raising three crops two of Irish po tatoes one of peas on the same land and also an article from Dr Payne on starch I have had several letters from parties anxious to establish these starch factories They are bound to come when the cotton factories do and before another twelvemonth there will be a demand for the manufacturing material The question is will our farmers informAnnual Publication for 1895 41 themselves on this business and manage it in such a way as to clear money on it The truth is that at present prices NO POORER PAYING CROP THAN COTTON can be found and the farmer who trusts to a large crop to meet the pressing needs of his situation is risking bankruptcy The present mouth must decide this momentous question Before an other monthly report is issued from this offce the decision as to the REDUCTION OF THE COTTON ACREAGE throughout the State will have to be made and the crop of 1895 will be virtually launched on the sea of futurity I do not assume to dictate as to how much each man shall plant I only reiterate what I have so often repeated which is secure ample home sup plies by planting a full provision crop making due allowance for unfavorable seasons and perfect arrangements as far as possible to raise HOGS Regard this with much careful thought and plan for it with as much skill and judgment as is bestowed on other farm operations Provide a succession of crops for them Do not trust their develop ment to a few nubbins thrown hastily into their filthy feeding quarters and then leave them to slake their thirst at the first stag nant pool See that they are provided with clean comfortable quarters that they have pure water to drink The hog is natur ally a healthy animal and it is much easier to prevent the few ma lignant diseases to which he is subject than to stamp out the germs once they obtain lodgement In the inquiry column will be found a remedy for cholera which was sent us by a friend with the urgent request that we have it published We also give the remedy publishsd by the United States Department of Agriculture We as yet have had no means of testing the efficacy of either one but would like to hear from any and all who should have occasion to use them If their claims are sustained and we can thus be secured against the fearful ravages of this disease the meat question is settled in our favor for all time to come42 Department of AgricultureGeorgia SWEET POTATOES Will soon require bedding For particulars as to selection bedding cultivation preserving etc I refer to a most full and explicit bulletin recently published by the Georgia Experiment fetation Every farmer who expects to raise potatoes should possess this bulletin Number 25 which can be had by sending application with your address to Director Redding Experiment5 Spaldmg county Ga In planting all crops be careful to SELECT GOOD SEED In corn this should be done before the crop is gathered taking from the finest stalks the best matured ears and ere planting reflecting the best developed ears from the pile In another col umn full formulas are given for fertilizers for different crops LAW IN REGARD TO SELLING FORMULAS I must call attention to the fact that no formula for making fer tilizers can be sold in this State unless first submitted to the Department for examination Violation of this law subjects the party to punishment for misdemeanor under a section of the code of Georgia We will esteem it a favor if such cases are reported to this Department R T Xesbitt HOG CHOLERA PRESCRIPTION AND DIRECTIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL TREAT MENT OF THE DISEASE Dr T J Dodge of Hamilton Illinois writes as follows to the Iowa Homestead on the subject of hog cholera As the price of hogs is sufficiently high to pay the farmer to use every means of protecting them from the ravages of the cholera I deem it my duty to give to the public free my recipe for the cure of what is termed hog cholera I have used this remedy for thirtyfive years and raised hogs on my ranche in Nebraska and never lost a hog I have experimented by placing one well hog with a lot of sickAnnual Publication for 1895 43 ones and keeping it well by the use of this remedy You will confer a great favor upon the farmers of our country by publishing this recipe in full I am now engaged in other business and have been for sixteen years and am willing to let others prosper by the long years of experience of mine with a remedy I discovered myself for the cure of this dreadful disease The prescription and directions ar2 as follows Arsenic onehalf pound cape aloes onehalf pound blue vitriol onefourth of a pound black antimony one ounce Grind and mix well the remedy before using The following are the directions for using 1 Sick hogs in all cases to be separated from the well ones and placed in dry pens with only five large hogs or eight in each pen 2 Feed nothing but dry food but no water only the slop con taining the remedy until cured 3 When hogs refuse to eat turn them on their backs and then with a longhandled spoon put the dry medicine down their throats 4 Dose for large hogs One teaspoonful three times a day for three days then miss one day and repeat amount until cured Shoats or pigs onehalf the amount As a preventative one teaspoonful once a week will keep your hogs in a healthy condition to take on fat I can place one well hog in a pen with one hundred sick ones and with this remedy keep him well 6 Let no other stock but hogs have access to this remedy as it is to them a deadly poison Dr Dodge adds for many years he sold his recipe for 5 and treated hogs at the rate of 1 per head paying the owner 10 cents a pound for all that died after treatment began44 Department of AgricultureGeorgia STAECH FACTORIES CAN OUR FARMERS SUPPLY THE MATERIAL ASKS DR PAVNE Dr George F Payne our wellknown State Chemist is corre sponding with some parties who are desirous of locating a starch factory in the South Starch is largely used in cotton cloth manu facture and Georgia is rich in starch producing materials Dr Payne is desirous of getting information and requests the farmers attention to the matter 1 Factories in the West and North secure Irish potatoes at 15 cents per bushel of sixtysix pounds and at 20 cents per bushel for sweet potatoes sixtysix pounds to the bushel giving 1 cent a bushel for each per cent of starch found in the material Can Georgia farmers raise Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes at a profit when taken immediately in large quantities at these prices 2 Would Georgia farmers like to take stock in such a factory and pay for their stock in potatoes 3 Has cassava been raised successfully in Georgia to any great extent or can it be done It grows well in Florida 4 What is the lowest price at which rice polish can be con tracted for in large continuous supplies Louisiana is very desirous of securing this factory and has offered it 5000 a year for three years and freedom from State and city taxes for ten years To offset this however Georgia has far more cotton mills and so has the adjacent States which will furnish a better market for the sstarchAnnual Publication foe 1895 45 MARCH INFORMATION GIVEN ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTSREME DIES FOR HOLLOW HORNKAINIT IS THE PROPER FORM OF POTASH FOR SANDY SOILS AND MURIATE AND SUL PHATE OF POTASH FOR STIFF SOILSSOME OTHER VERY INTERESTING NEWS WHICH WILL BE WORTH READING Department of Agriculture Atlanta March 1 1895 QUESTION 1 I notice that you advise farmers in mixing fertilizers at home to avoid putting together ingredients that act injuriously on each other Please give me a few hints as a guide in home mixing ANSWER 1 The following are some of the main points Potash salts can be mixed with all fertilizers but if large amounts are mixed with some mineral manures as floats the mixture may cake if allowed to stand too long This can be avoided by adding a small quantity of woods earth muck or saw dust when the mixture is made Acid phosphates should not be mixed with lime marl ashes floats bone meal or anything that contains carbonate of lime or caustic lime Ammonia salts or organic nitrogen compounds as blood tankage or fish should not be mixed with caustic substances such as building lime or wood ashes Nor is it well unless we wish to hasten decomposition to mix these nitrogen compounds with carbonate of lime floats or marl If we wish to compost these substances together we should cover the heap with woods earth which will prevent the escape of the ammonia Acid phosphates can be mixed with orgauic matter and are especially fitted for preventing the loss of ammonia in compost heaps unless the heaps contain a large quantity of lime when they should not be used Nitrate of soda can be mixed with all other materials but when mixed with highly dissolved phosphates and nitrates and organic46 Department of AgricultureGeorgia matter the mixture should be kept dry or loss of nitrogen will occur In composting it is of the greatest importance that the ammo nia does not escape Acid phosphates as mentioned above help to conserve the ammonia The compost heaps should be kept covered with earth and under shelter Large amounts of potash salts mixed with compost are desirable only where decomposition is to be retarded Nitrogen is the most costly element of plant food and to its injudicious and extravagant use can be traced much of the loss from the use of fertilizers By planting clover and peas which have the power of absorbing nitrogen from the air the expense may be much reduced Phosphoric acid and potash must be added to our soils if a full crop is expected It is true that they are present in all soils but are insoluble and therefore unavailable Small quantities only are dissolved by the soil water and plant acids It is best to apply both phosphoric acid and potash some time before the crop is planted As there is little danger from leach ing they should be plowed under Sandy and limestone soils nearly always need potash Clay soils sometimes but not always contain a sufficient quantity This can only be determined by ex periment Kainit is the proper form of potash for sandy soils muriate and sulphate of potash for stiff soils Potash is especially valuable for fruits and vegstables of all kinds tobacco and potatoes Nitrogen should be applied at the time most needed by the plants during the growing season as a top dressing otherwise it will leach out with the soil water QUESTION 2 What is the proper treatment for hollow horn ANSWER 2 This is a much misunderstood subject The old plan of boring the horns and pouring in turpentine should not be thought of Examine the animal for other derangements of the system The horn is to a certain extent naturally hollow and this is no indicaAnnual Publication for 1895 47 tion of disease An experienced cattleman says that the tongue is the seat of the disease and in nine cases out of ten when an ani mal is supposed to be suffering from hollow horn if the tongue is pulled out over the under lip it will be found to be filled with little black heads and flesh worms which will rise above the sur face Take a dull knife and scrape these off gently then put on salt and black peper mixed this will bring up the saliva and in a few hours the trouble will be over He says he has uever known the remedy to fail Of course the animals head must be secured to a tree or post before it can be treated A great many cattle owners advocate dehorning not to prevent hollow horn but to reduce the number of injuries from goring among the herds as well as to the persons having charge of them QUESTION 4 Would you advise the sowing of a third crop of oats at this season the first two plantings having been killed by the cold weather QUESTION 3 We answer unequivocally yes even as late as the middle of March But there are several points to be considered and met in the late sowing which do not apply with equal force to the fall and eariler spring crops In the first place a quickly maturing seed should be selected the land should be good the preparations and manuring thorough the seeding heavy The importance of each of these points will be appreciated when we realize that the plants have only a short time in which to develop or to hunt for food and therefore every aid should be given to hasten and per fect their maturity The land on which the former crops were killed is if it was well prepared in splendid condition to receive the third sowing which with the fertilizer should be put in at QUESTION 4 In feeding horses will the results as a food pay for cutting it up instead of feeding it uncut B F L Emmerson ANSWER 4 We are often very direlict in our duty to our work animals and48 Department of AgricultureGeorgia thus incur absolute loss This is true not only in regard to pro viding proper shelter but largely to our methods of feeding In the North and West almost the universal custom is to feed cut hay and the small amount of labor required is more than compensated for by the effect upon the animal As an illustration of this the experiment station in Utah from the 10th of August to the 21st of December fed ad libitum two lots of work horses cut and uncut hayT reducing the lots in the middle of the period The result was that in the first period the lot fed on cut hay gained 99 pounds and that on the uncut 62 pounds in the second period the lot on cut hay gained 75 pounds and that on uncut lost 5 pounds At no time in our history has the study and adoption of proper methods been more imperative Let us adopt every detail of farm economy that husbands the strength of our farm animals or improves the condition of our soil HOME FERTILIZERS THE FORMLA FOR MIXING AS GIVEN BY THE GEORGIA STATE CHEMIST It has always been the policy of the Department to encourage the purchase of fertilizer material and mixing at home By this policy not only does the farmer make a fertilizer adapted to his soil if as he should he studies its needs but also develops the economy of carfully saving the manure of the farm Compelled to save at every quarter if we wish even comparative success let all endeavor to adopt the least expensive method of fertilizing and improving his land In this connection the fol lowing reply by Dr George F Payne the State Chemist to an inquiry for formula and as to the cost of material will be found of interest Farmers can save money by clubbing together and buying acid phosphate in bulk for cash and making their own fertilizers It is difficult to farm successfully in most sections of Georgia without the use of fertilizers but it is all important to secure the best fer tilizers at as close figures as possible Acid phosphate can now be bought in bulk for cash at 850 aAnnual Publication for 1895 49 ton Cottonseed meal can now be bought in bulk for cash at 15 a ton Muriate of potash can now be bought in 12ton lots for cash at 4200 a ton At these figures the materials for an average fertilizer of the market will be 1400 pounds acid phosphate containing 14 per cent available phosphoric acid at 850 a ton 595 520 pounds cottonseed meal containing nitrogen equivalent to 8J per cent ammonia at 1500 a ton 390 80 pounds muriate of potash containing 51J per cent of potash at 4200 a ton 168 Making a total of 2000 pounds at a cost of 1125 containing the following percentage of plant food per ton Available phos phoric acid 980 per cent ammonia 221 per cent potash 206 per cent If you desire a full strength goods the following formula will prove satisfactory being made of the materials you wish to use Acid phosphate 1200 poundscost about 780 840 per cent available phosphoric acid Nitrate of soda 250 pounds cost about 500 equivalent to 237 per cent ammonia Kainit 300 pounds cost about 180 180 per cent potash Mix marl or rotten leaves 250 pounds Total pounds 2000 Total cost 1460 If you wish a cheaper fertilizer add more of the last ingredient If you desire a stronger one leave out the last ingredient Muriate of potash is a more concentrated form of potash than kainit and costs less for freight and for the actual potash in it Kainit con tains about 12 per cent of potash and muriate about 50 per cent To estimate the full cost the freight on the acid phosphate and muriate of potash should be added to this the freight will vary according to the length of the haul and also the labor required to mix the fertilizer The mixing is best done by spreading out the materials in layers on top of each other and cutting through the layers with a hoe and mixing as the compound is cut down The use of a bricklayers sand screen enables one to make a better mixture So many local dealers are reported as not in tending to handle fertilizers this season that some such plan may be necessary in some sections Very respectfully George F Payne State Chemist50 Department of AgricultureGeorgia IRISH POTATO GROWING WHAT CAN BE REALIZED BY PLANTING THEM ON AN ACRE OF LAND Jeff Welborn has the following on Irish potatoes I have found out that I can grow as much feed upon an acre of early peas as I can of corn or oats and harvest the crop in time for a fall crop of Irish potatoes and that the land will be in the finest condition for the potato crop when the peas are taken off also two crops of potatoes and one of peas on the same land I have also solved the problem of growing in field culture a much superior potato for the table or seed for spring garden to any that can be brought from the North and this at nominal cost and more certain if properly managed than a cotton crop My last crop which was the eighth crop in four years without change of seed was finer than any previous crop both in quality and quantity yielding at the rate of 160 bushel per acre without manure or fertilizer of any kind on common hill land that would not make over 1000 pounds of seed cotton per acre Now that we can grow them much cheaper than they can be grown in the North and of much better quality and the demand at our doors why not We do not need the immense frost proof bins In fact in the South the fall crop is very little trouble They do not sweat and rot like the yam They will keep perfectly in a room where the thermometer does not run below 30 degrees above zero Anything that grows in the fall is superior to the spring grown The fall Irish potato is as far superior to spring grown potatoes as fall turnips are superior to spring turnips Our potatoes have increased in size quality and quantity per acre each season since we commenced planting them here Seed from the fall crop planted next spring will come on much earlier than the earliest and most Northern grown While there will not beAnnual Publication for 1895 51 so many in numbers on the vine they will be twice as large and far superior in every way The seed once obtained need never be renewed for the fall grow ing improves them continually The peas mentioned are the early maturing variety planted after the spring crop of Irish potatoes and taken off in time for the fall crop To those who wish to adopt the valuable suggestions of Mr Welborn we give the following concise advice by Mr Massey of the North Carolina station which has frequently appeared in more elaborate form in these reports 1 Bed the seed in soil until planting time This gets rid of those too immature to grow and which if planted would leave gaps in the rows 2 Plant about 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 Never cut the potatoes for the late crop 5 Gradually fill in the soil to the plants as they grow and culti vate the crop perfectly flat THE SWINE PLAGUE DR SALMON TELLS OF THIS FATAL DISEASE AMONG THE HOGS Dr Salmon the Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry has just issued a bulletin on this subject which ought to be in the hands of every hog keeper and can be obtained on application to the Department of Agriculture Washington D C Dr Salmon sajs whilst no absolutely certain cure can be found for any disease and certainly not for hog cholera yet that as the result of a long series of experiments the following has been found to be a most efficacious52 Department of AgricultureGeorgia formula in most cases of this disease aud is valuable as a preven tative lbs Wood charcoal1 Sulphur1 Sodium chloride 2 Sodium bicarbonate2 Sodium hyposulphite2 Sodium sulphate 1 Antimony sulphide Pulverize and thoroughly mix and give a large tablespoonful for each 200 pounds weight of hogs once a day Feed on soft food made of bran and shipstuff or bran and corn meal mixed in hot water and stir in the proper quantity of the medicine Animals too sick to eat should be drenched with the medicine mixed in water In drenching a hog never throw him on his back or rope him and force him to take the medicine The chances are that if you do you will choke him Pull out the side of his cheek from his teeth and thus make a pouch in which pour the medicine and it will run into his mouth and be swallowed or take an old shoe and cut off a small part of the toe so as to make a hole through and put this in his mouth He will generally commence to chew the shoethen pour the medicine into the shoe and it will find its way slowly into the mouth and be swallowed We have drenched hogs in this way when we could succceed in no other way Keep the sick hogs dry warm and clean or it is very little use giving medicineAnnual Publication foe 1895 53 APRIL REGULAR MONTHLY LETTER OF THE COMMIS SIONER ENCOURAGEMENT OFFERED ALLSUGGESTIONS CONCERN ING THE CROPS OF THIS YEAR THAT SHOULD BE WELL CONSIDERED AND CAREFULLY DIGGSTEDTHE FOUNDA TION FOR SUCCESSFUL FARMINGINTERESTING TOPICS DISCUSSED Department of Agriculture Atlanta April 1 1895 At this writing March 20 the prospect for the preparation and planting of the crop of 1895 seems most discouraging The few bright days during the first part of the month have been suc ceeded by almost uninterrupted rain and farmers who were begin ning to see light ahead are again overtaken by despondency and gloom The cases are exceptional where any material progress has been made in farm work But with a few bright days hope that blessed boon to struggling humauity will spring into life again and all through the State will be heard the cheerful hum of busy preparation the laud will once more respond to the invigorating touch of the plow and hoe and all nature will awake to life under the influence of the warm spring sunshine Incredible as it may eem there have been spring seasons just as disappointing as this iperhaps more so At any rate bemoaning our sad condition will aot mend matters The only remedy is contained in the aphor ism which applies with force to farm as well as other matters Turn to the right then go forward However much we may differ as regards what is the right each individual has let us bope decided conscientiously and it is useless now to speculate as to the probable effect of this decision on our future We have chosen our path and from this time until our crops are all gath ered we must go forward Whether we have planted much cotton or little the duty is the same We must steadily press on to the completion of the years work54 Department of AgricultureGeorgia It is now too late to sow oats which fact falls with heavy force on the man who is short of corn and who has been prevented by all these drawbacks from getting the oat crop under way But there are other early maturing crops which can in a measure be made to do duty in this important matter of stock feed SORGHUM MILLET PEAS FORAGE CORN and other forage crops if planted early the ground being thor oughly manured in order to increase the yield and hasten maturity will be found a wonderful help in the late spring and summer when feed runs short On this subject the Louisiana experiment station has the follow ing Pearl or cattail millet as it is sometimes called is used as a soiling crop A few rows planted in rich soil will afford suffi cient green feed in the spring for several head of horses It grows rapidly after being cut and is one of the best early green feeds of its kind The nonsaccharine sorghums make excellent forage and may be used as soil crops or cured as hay The bushels of graiu they yield per acre make them valuable adjuncts to the grain producing crops Jerusalem corn has large compact drooping heads of white grair The stalk is low stout and stocky and not so good as the four following Yellow and white milo maize grow large and tall makiug large tonnage of forage large straight heads of yellow and white grain yielding in favorable years many bushels per acre Large African millet is very much like the white milo maize except it grows much larger both in stalk and green heads It is equally as valuable for forage and soiling possessing the advantage over all of greater tonnage and more bushels of grain per acre It will certainly produce more forage per acre than any forage crop ever grown at the station The Kaffir corn is low growing but produces many heads of white grain as well as a fair tonnage of forage The seeds are excellent poultry feedAnnual Publication for 1895 55 German millet is too well known to mention any of its charac teristics It is a valuable forage and soiling crop and should be more extensively planted French millet bears a long drooping head of red grain and bids fair to outrival the German variety in production Soja bean is a leguminous plant and aside from its qualities as a forage plant like others of the leguminous family it renovates worn land It resembles the bean grows treelike eighteen inches to two feet high and bears a heavy crop of short pods well filled with small round white berries resembling very much the sweet pea of the garden If cut just as the pods begin to ripen it cures into a good hay These crops or whatever are neeessary to supplement the short age in feed stuffs being arranged for we must turn our attention to the principal crops of the farm Perhaps we have never had more forcibly illustrated the importance of fall plowing than is just now being brought home to our understanding The almost un precedented cold the longcontinued rains the late season all com bine to crowd into one month the work of two or more and on the fall plowed lands particularly if subsoiled even where it has been packed by the winter rains the work is found lighter more rapid and more satisfactory than in the fields which have remained un plowed since the crops were gathered and which have been in many casesbeaten hard by the tramping of cattle The question of proper and welldirected plowing lies at the very foundation of our success in farming yet how few farmers study it beyond the mere breaking and bedding absolutely neees sary in the ordinary preparation for planting a crop For some crops it is important to plow much deeper than for others but on how many farms do we see any variation in the depth of plowing all crops being prepared for alike An ignorant or indifferent plowman has no idea of the importance of his work Crooked or uneven furrows varying as to the width and depth make the work hard on the man and hard on the mule while a failure to ascer tain on this point the requirements of the different crops to be planted often entails much unnecessary work with painfully inad equate returns Good plowing not only requires practice but ob56 Depaetment of AgeicultureGeorgia servation as well the close scrutiny which will enable the farmer to profit by error as well as by success In their eagerness to push on the work farmers often under present urgent conditions are tempted to plow the laud when too wet No greater mistake was ever made for while something may be gained in present speed the end is no amount of bother and worry Land once plowed too wet does not recover during that crop season and often its disastrous effects extend into the following year A mistake of almost equal gravity is to allow the unplowed fields to stand after a rain until a hard crust is formed If possible run a heavy harrow over the surface before it becomes too dry This will prevent the crust from forming prevents evap oration and keeps the land in good condition until the regular plow comes along Another importaut point is to remember that at this season it is of no benefit to turn any quantity of the subsoil to the surface that should have been done in the fall It is too late now for it to be acted upon by sun and air and rain that it may furnish ad ditional plant food for this years crop For corn plow deep but instead of bringing the subsoil to the surface use a subsoil plow or follow the ordinary turning plow with a long scooter in the same furrow thus leaving the subsoil broken but in the bottom of the furrow This may seem slow work when one is pressed for time but thorough work in preparation pays the biggest returns It has been repeatedly demonstrated that half the area with proper and careful attention to details yields a greater profit and with less hard work than twice the number of acres poorly prepared insuf ficiently manured and hastily and carelessly cultivated With the low prices which now prevail for all varieties of farm produce we should direct our energies more than ever to increasing the yield of each acre for the cost of production can be decreased more effectually in this way than in any other Let us glance for a moment at some of the advantages of this plan First less horse power and consequently a smaller plow and blacksmith bill Second the improvement to the land which in stead of becoming poorer and poorer each year is steadily building up under the heavier application of manure and the more judiciousAnnual Publication foe 1895 57 management Again a smaller outlay in the matter of labor just now a very heavy and risky item also the ability to select better land and better labor having the privilege of choice In the sub stitution of manure and improved machinery and implements for labor much can also be done In other words the true policy on the ordinary farm lands of Georgia is to select the best and con centrate on them the effort and the manure which we have been in the habit of spreading over twice the area The time for planting all crops has been of course greatly de layed but after our experience of last spring we should not be dis couraged In many sections of the state the corn is not yet planted in others this work is finished and the cotton land now claims at tention SWEET POTATOES should not be set out too early though the slips may be ready the latter part of this month It is better to put out the main crop in May and June The labor of cultivation is less the yield is equally as good and the tubers keep better We can hardly over estimate the value of this crop and even with the risk from loss in keeping we would advise a heavy crop Hogs will gather and fatten on them and there is nothing that makes cheaper and sweeter pork than sweet potatoes Again I would call attention to bulletin No 25 on Sweet Po tatoes from the Georgia Experiment Station which can be secured on application to Director R J Redding Experiment Ga HOGS Dont forget the crops for the hogs A pasture of Bermuda grass cannot be excelled then the sorghum roasting ears Spanish ground peas field peas etc R T Nesbitt Com FARM MODELS FOR THE COTTON STATES AND IN TERNATIONAL EXPOSITION The Department of Agriculture would call attention to the val uable object lesson contained in the following which we hope thousands of farmers will study58 Department of AgricultureGeorgia One of the most interesting and instructive features of the gov ernment display in the forestry building at the Cotton States and International Exposition will be a set of three models the one to represent a 160acre farm in the hill lands of the south which by bad management and especially by improper cutting of the forest has become gullied furrowed and silted over such as one can see almost in every State The next model will show how with bush dams with ditching proper drainage with terracing with sodding and replanting the lost ground may be recovered while the third model representing the same 160 acres is to show how finally the farm should look ideally with the fields and meadows and forest growth properly disposed in good condition the roads ruuuing at proper levels in stead of up and down the fences reduced to the smallest extent practicable It is hoped that this object lesson will be studied by every farmer and stimulate him to improved methods Cost of Peoduction of CottonIt is a fact not generally realized that production and manufacture of cotton employs more labor and capital and more intelligence and energy than any other known cropAnnual Publication foe 1895 59 INQUIRIES ANSWERED FOR APRIL SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS INSPECTING COTTONSEED MEALUPLAND RICE CAN BE MADE VERY PROFITABLE AS FORAGE FOODHOW TO DE STROY BERMUDA GRASSPROTECTION FOR FARMERS IN FRAUDULENT FERTILIZERSCROP STATISTICS AND OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST Department of Agriculture Atlanta April 1 1895 NATURAL PLANT FOOD QUESTION 1 There is a fertilizer being offered for sale iu the State under the name of Natural Plant Food Please tell us something of it its constituents and if it is what it claims to be answer 1 The Natural Plant Food is masquerading under false colors The name is most misleading and if the goods is still kept on the market will render the parties selling liable to prosecution for misdemeanor The goods is a Florida soft phosphate which claims 1 per cent of potash and 2160 per cent of insoluble phosphoric acid But careful analysis reveals the fact that it has no potash and about 237 per cent only of available phosphoric acid The Department has already notified the manufacturers that they cannot legally sell it under its present name If they put it on the market in its true character with correct analysis and farmers choose to buy it as such there can be no objection urged INSPECTION OF COTTONSEED MEAL QUESTION 2 Does not the law require that all cottonseed meal sold in this State shall be inspected analyzed and tagged with a printed guar antee of ammonia on each sack answer 2 Yes Inspectors have been instructed to exercise great vigi lance in order to detect violations of the law and have discovered60 Department of AgricultureGeorgia that attempts are being made to ship meal into this State from Texas and in order to avoid the 10 cents inspection fee efforts are being made to sell this meal without inspection or guarantee It is to the interests of farmers to report all such cases as the meal varies in ammonia The law requires first grade 8 12 per cent of ammonia second grade 7 12 percent but in some seasons the meal runs below this standard and instances of adulterations are also reported VETERINARY SURGEON QUESTION 3 Has the State a veterinary surgeon in its employ We wish to know because our stock are suffering from some unknown disease and we want information and direction as to treatment etc answer 3 No provision is specifically made for a veterinary surgeon but under the terms of the law the Commissioner is empowered to investigate all such diseases and will when called upon use funds from the Department to send a competent surgeon who will exam ine and prescribe and report results to the Department CROP STATISTICS QUESTION 4 Can you give me the latest crop statistics for this State answer 4 The crop statistics for 1893 tell in an eloquent way the story of its agricultural possibilities and show the wide diversity of its pro ductions and are as follows Wheat bushels 1733000 corn 33678000 oats 7847987 rye 131194 potatoes 483886 haytons 224117 peanuts bushels 624528 cotton bales 1191 846 It has 105984 horses 161024 mules 873926 neat cattle 411169 sheep and 1794567 hogs The wool clip was 831141 pounds the butter product 148483323 pounds honey 1056034 and 48935 pounds of beeswax The poultry stock numbered 7357934 and the egg product was 11522788 dozens of eggs The rice product was 14556432 pounds and of tobacco 263752 poundsAnnual Publication foe 1895 61 These figures show better than any mere words that Georgia is well adapted to all branches of husbandry and further comment as to its agricultural possibilities is superfluous UPLAND RICE QUESTION 5 Can you tell me something of the culture of upland rice There will no doubt be a good deal of rice planted in this section of Geor gia as we have a good rice huller and mill answer 5 The following is the successful plan pursued by a South Carolina planter who says I consider upland rice a fine and profitable grain to growthe grain for the table and forage for the cattle I select the stiffest land on my farm for rice culture It would grow equally as well if not better on swamp land I break up my laud very thoroughly then run off rows three feet wide bedding the land as if for cotton and using about 200 pounds commercial or other fertilizer to the acre I then open the bed with a small plow and drill the rice seed in the drill using only about half a peck to the acre Then putting a board on my plowstock I draw it over the furrow cov ering the seed about 1 12 inches deep I plant from April 1 to April 15 I cultivate with a sweep as with cottou I hull it for table use in an oldfashion wooden beater or huller or I send it to Charleston to be hulled T make from 25 to 30 bushels per acre I have been planting rice for three years and have been successful in making a good crop each year A gentleman near Kidge Springs S C showed not long since what seemed to be a very small plat of ground yet he grew on it a two years supply of rice for his family Another at Sparta Ga grows upland rice solely as a forage crop He plants it quite thickly cuts it like oats heads and all afterward feeding the sheaves He makes at least forty bushels per acre of seed His cattle are more fond of it than oats He considers the rice a better food and he can make more of it than of oats In the March number of the Southern Cultivator is a most excel lent article on the culture of upland rice in Southwest Georgia62 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Before the war and several years after when we planted in that section of the State the industrious negroes on the various planta tions had their patches of rice from which they not only added to itheir own family stores but had a surplus for sale and the old fashioned mortar and pestle by which the hull was separated from the grain was not at all an unusual sight FIVE DOLLAR FERTILIZERS QUESTION 6 The following is a reply to a letter received at the State Agricul tural Department asking for information as to 500 combination fertilizers answer 6 Dear Sir Yours of the 30th at hand You can buy kainit muriate of potash and other chemicals from Wilcox Gibbs Co Savannah Ga Kainit contains about twelve per cent of potash Muriate of potash contains about fifty per cent of potash or about four times as strong as kainit If you wish cheap hauling you should buy the concentiated fertilizing chemicals You can buy muriate of potash at about forty dollars a ton prob ably a little higher in less lots than a ton As a fivedollar combination of fertilizers I suggest the follow ing No 1Muriate of potash containing 50 per cent of potash 37 lbs at 40 a ton 5 74 High grade acid phosphate containing 18 per cent of phosphoric acid 280 lbs at45 a ton 2 10 Nitrate of soda sometimes called Chili saltpetre con taining nitrogen equivalent to 19 per cent of ammonia 95 lbs at 45 a ton 2 14 Muck or woods earth or marl1588 lbs 00 2000 lbs 4 98 If you wish an ammoniate not quite so quick as nitrate of soda and less likely to fire on shallow soils you might use the fol lowingAnnual Publication for 1895 63 No 2Muriate of potash 37 lbs 74 High grade acid phosphate 280 lbs 2 10 Dried blood 112 lbs 2 15 Muck woods earth or marl1571 lbs 00 2000 lbs 4 99 If you desire to use sulphate of ammonia as an ammoniate the following formula will answer No 3Muriate of potash 37 lbs High grade acid phosphate 280 lbs Sulphate of ammonia at 80 a ton 54 lbs Muck woods earth or marl1629 ibs 74 2 10 2 16 00 5 00 2000 lbs No 1 will give you from the chemicals alone Potash 92J percent Available phospho acid 252 per cent Ammonia 90 per cent No 2 will give you from the chemicals alone Potash 92i percent Available phospho acid 252 percent Ammonia 89J per cent No 3 will give you from the chemicals alone Potash 92J percent Available phospho acid 252 percent Ammonia 87 j per cent The filler which you use whether of muck woods earth or marl will add something to this if well selected The sulphate of ammonia is a more expensive ammonia than cither blood or nitrate of soda You write that you will have to pay eight cents a pound for it This is a very high price If you find any of the chemicals higher priced than figures given above use about seventyfive cents worth of your potash compound about one dollar and ten cents worth of your acid phosphate and about two dollars and fifteen cents worth of your ammoniate and then use your muck woods earth or marl to make up the balance of the ton and you will strike about the proper proportions for your five dollar a ton fertilizer64 Department of AgricultureGeorgia MECHANICAL EFFECT OF POTASH QUESTION 7 I see in your reports that you lay stress on the mechanical con dition of the soil Do any of the ordinary ingredients of a fertil izer phosphoric acid ammonia and potash have a mechanical ef fect answer 7 Aside from the organic matter which is supplied with some forms of ammonia potash by combining chemically with the sand of the soil acts as a mechanical manure By the combination the surface of the particles of sand is roughened in which condition the soil is less liable to be compacted by rain This mechanical effect is not however of very great importance for the reason that it is only produced when the potash is applied in the caustic form The usual commercial fertilizer is supplied with potash iu the form of kainit or muriate which does not produce the mechanical effect All potash salts are beneficial as conservators of moisture STABLE MANURE QUESTION 8 What do you consider the most economic method of saving stable manure ANSWER 8 There is no better way to avoid loss than by plowing manure directly into the soil Where the manuring is very heavy especially on clay soils a benefit arises from its fermentation in the soil a me chanical effect being produced by the chemical action Composting properly also requires more labor and more expensive accommoda tions and if decomposition takes place without proper precaution the most valuable part of the manure will be lost It must be re membered however that it is only after the manure is decomposed and the nitrogen converted into ammonia that it becomes available for plants Where an immediate effect is desired therefore such as in the case of intercultural fertilizing it is essential that the manure be composted Barnyard manure is the subject of investigation of a practicalAnnual Publication for 1895 65 character that will interest our readers Farmers Bulletin 21 Experiment Station Department of Agriculture Washington D C will explain all Write for if it will be sent to you free of charge Contents Manure as a farm resource amount value and compo sition of manure produced by different animals comparative value of solid and liquid parts influence of age and kind of animal influence of quality aud kind of food influence of the nature and proportion of litter management of manure use of manure com bining barnyard manure with other fertilizing materials lasting or cumulating effect of barnyard manure summary GLANDERS QUESTION 9 Is it true that a person can contract glanders from an infected animal ANSWER 9 The veterinarian of the Michigan State board of health in his last annual report thus speaks of glanders It is a caution well worth consideration Glanders is one of the most loathsome infectious and fatal dis eases which infect the equine race And yet no well animal kept or worked with one having the disease is more liable to contract it than the owner or person who feeds grooms aud drives him unless he has knowledge of the disease and care necessary to be used in handling the animal The person who unconsciously takes care of and drives a horse affected with glanders takes his life in his own hauds every time he feeds grooms or adjusts a bridle The virus from the horses nose ejected by coughing or sneezing and striking in the eye or falling upon a scratch or pimple in the skin will perform the fatal inoculation Matter from eruptions from the legs and other parts of the animals body caused by its kindred disease farcy will produce the disease with equal certainty Reports of more than a score of men and several women who have lost their lives by this disease within the past few years in this State have come to our commission the doctors attending almost invariably calling the disease blood poisoning Is there not a 5ag66 Department of AgricultureGeorgia field open here for useful study and investigation Is it not possi ble that if practitioners better understood the nature and most ap proved treatment of the disease some valuable lives might be saved TO DESTROY BERMUDA GRASS QUESTION 10 Can you give me an effectual method of destroying Bermuda grass answer 10 The following taken from bulletin 25 of the Arkansas Experi ment Station is said to be entirely successful Break close with scooter bull tongue crossplow with 14 inch heelsweep and harrow thoroughly A few days later harrow in rye or barley in the fall and oats in the spring Cut grain for hay and remove from the ground Break again with scooter and heelsweep as before and harrow in dry weather If grass is not all killed plant peas whippoorwill or unknown cowpeas thick in two and a half or three feet rows and cultivate frequently with heelsweep until peas lap across rows If grass still remains which is very im probable cut peavines and plow and harow again The plowing in all cases should be thorough no unbroken places being left By this treatment the Bermuda will be destroyed and the labor employed for its destruction will have produced two crops in one year on the same soil either of which will pay for the labor expended for the production of both and the Bermuda killed incidentally and with out cost FRAUDS IN FERTILIZERS QUESTION 11 We are afraid we have been imposed upon in the purchase of our fertilizers How can we protect ourselves and obtain redress answer 11 Keep one of the sacks unbroken and place it under shelter so tbafthe analysis on the bag will not become blurred or effaced then notify the Department and a sworn inspector will be sent who will draw a sample and forward the same to the Department whereAnnual Publication for 1895 67 it will be thoroughly analyzed without cost to the farmer The law is very strict and if there is evidence of fraud the penalty is heavy and the farmer is not compelled to pay for the goods If farmers would only acquaint themselves with the law and avail themselves of its provisions it furnishes them ample protection SPRAYING OPERATIONS QUESTION 12 Can you give some general directions for spraying fruit trees vines etc ANSWER 12 From valuable Experiment Station bulletins we find that spraying operations for this month will include the spraying of apple pear and plum trees with Bordeaux mixture half strength with Paris green one pound in 150 gallons just before the blossoms open and again after the blossoms have fallen Grapevines should be sprayed before the leaf buds open with a strong solution of copper sulphate Just before the flowers open with Bordeaux mixture and Paris green 1 pound to 100 gallons Raspberry and blackberry bushes should be sprayed with Bor deaux mixture half strength just before the blossoms open Strawberry vines should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture half strength and Paris green 1 pound to 100 gallons as early as possi ble the Bordeaux mixture without Paris green to be used just be fore the flowers open Spray again after the fruit is picked if the bed is to be kept over using both Paris green and Bordeaux mix ture The foliage of the peach is very susceptible to injury from cop per solutions which should be applied at onethird to onefourth the strength as used for apples or pears The peach buds may be protected by bending the limbs toward the ground THE OX WARBLE OR BOT FLY QUESTION 13 Can you tell me anything about themaggots which are found along the backs of our cattle the young ones more especially What causes them and is there any prevention 68 Department of AgricultureGeorgia answer 13 We have frequently been annoyed by the pests to which you re fer and while they seem to occasion little pain to the animal they certainly decrease the amount and quality of the flesh and lessen the value of the hides at least one third As to their causes habits and prevention we extract the follow ing information from the North Carolina Experiment Station The fly which causes this damage is about the size and very much resembles a honey bee It deposits its eggs in the spring during the period of shedding of hair on the legs tail and belly of the cattle preferably yearlings By licking these parts the eggs are taken into the animals gullet where the maggots hatch and cling to the walls It soon bores into tissues and eventually during the succeeding fall or winterfinds its way to the animals back where it forms a tumor just beneath the skin Here it rests for some time and completes its growth as a maggot Each tumor if closely examined will show a small pore through which the maggot obtains air When full grown the maggot enlarges this pore and through it comes out and drops to the ground into which it enters and remains dormant as a pupa for about six weeks It then comes forth as a perfect fly to lay its eggs as before REMEDIES During the period of hair shedding horned cattle should have the tail belly and legsespecially the parts just above the hoofsrubbed two or three times a week with a mixture of kero sene or fish oil and powdered sulphur In January and February the backs of cattle should be carefully examined for the tumors which are readily seen or felt just beneath the skin and the enclosed maggot squeezed out and killed A lit tle crude carbolic acid or mercurial ointment should be then rubbed on the spot If the maggot cannot be squeezed out the oil or ointment should be well rubbed in so as to close up the breathing pore in the tumor thus smothering the maggot The warble fly is not a great traveler and if all the maggots in festing cattle on any farm are killed in January or February that farm will be nearly or quite free from the parasite for some yearsAnnual Publication for 1895 69 unless introduced with new stock Killing the maggots in the tu mors is the surest and easiest way of getting rid of this expensive intruder OXEN EPIDEMIC REPORT OF THE VETERINARY SURGEON ON A DESTRUCTIVE DISEASE IN DOOLY COUNTY The following is the report of the veterinary surgeon seut by the Department of Agriculture to investigate and prescribe for an epidemic among the oxen 60 in number working at the lumber wood of Messrs ONeal Gross in Dooley county Atlanta March 25 Hon R T Nesbitt Commissioner of Agriculture Dear SirAt your request I visited the lumberwood of Messrs ONeal Gross at Penia Dooly county Ga on the nineteenth to investigate a disease among their work oxen Five were dead and buried when I arrived and four sick in the lot in Penia We went out on a tram car four miles in the woods where the oxen worked The overseer reported about 30 more sick From a hasty exami nation I was satisfied that there was an epidemic that would go through the entire herd and I advised them jto be sent into Penia where they could be put under proper treatment The following morning I went through the entire herd and found all affected I took the temperature of each one and many going as high as 103 and 103f The disease is a welldefined epidemic of red water hsenew al bominveria characterized by emissions of red colored urine the discharge from the bowels were tinged with blood and mucous the pulse was quick and breathing horrible The causes of this outbreak I think are due to impure water from a well the oxen were watered from Owing to the low flat situation the surface water from the lot was washed into it I consider the epidemic a mild form that readily responded to treatment which we gave first by purgatives followed by antiseptic and alterative medicines Respectfully J N Cook Veterinary Surgeon70 Department of AgricultureGeorgia MAY COMMISSIONER NESBITTS REGULAR MONTHLY LETTER CORN IS THE ITEM TO CONSIDERNECESSARY TO PLANT FOR A BIG CROP IN VIEW OF THE SHORT SUPPLY OF THAT CEREAL NOW IN THE MARKETWHEAT COMES IN FOR NO TICE AS WELL AS THE PROPER CARE OF LAND From all parts of the State the agricultural indications are more encouraging than at this date last monththough the heavy rains iu the early part of the month somewhat retarded work and the cool nights and unusually low general temperature have delayed vegeta tion We have all things considered a backward spring which is somewhat discouraging to general farm work yet hope is again in the ascendency farmers are busy farm work is assuming definite shape and the retarding of vegetation has proven such an advan tage to our fruit crops that the prospect for abundant yields of all kinds is most flattering Corn is well up in some sections growing off vigorously and the Ibulk of the cotton crop is planted The indications are that the acreage has been reduced and that the grain crops are correspond ingly increased While fall oats were a failure the spring crop is promising and the vivid green of the wheat fields attests the healthy and vigorous condition of the crop Farmers have all over the State profited by the sunshiny working days which have predominated in the month of April and the truck gardener as well as the fruit grower and general farmer are throwing off the depression of the last few weeks and looking forward hopefully to a year of hard work and bountiful harvests That there has been a reduction of the cotton area for the State there can be no doubt exactly how much we are not just now pre pared to state but the falling off of 100000 tons in the purchase of fertilizers by the farmers of Georgia is almost an uneering indica tion of reduced acreage It is true that much more attention has been given to the making and saving of home manure but it isAnnual Publication foe 1895 71 equally true that much more commercial fertilizer than usual has been used under the small grain and corn cropstwo propositions which practically counterbalance each other and leave the reduction of the cotton crop an unchallenged fact In view of the present short supply of corn in the markets of the world the increase in the area of our corn crops is important and it is equally important that a full supply of food crops of all kinds be assured The reports from different sections of the State indi cate that a heavy crop of corn has been planted The farmers have taken no chances for a short market and with the blessings of Prov idence we may meet a decline in the price of cotton without experi encing the deadly chill which that fact has so often carried to our hearts I quote the following from the Manufacturers Record to if possible bring home to the minds of our farmers the importance of this subject and to emphasize the necessity of planting and saving every pound possible of hay forage peas peavines ensilage and of putting in green crops for summer feeding besides grouudpeas and chufas to start the fattening hogs in the fall The total production of corn in the United States in 1894 was 1212000000 bushels a decrease of over 400000000 bushels as compared with 1893 and a decrease of 850000000 bushels as com pared with 1891 Fortunately theSouth had a large crop this year or otherwise it would have had to purchase its corn at a very high figure because of this great shortage As the average crop of the United States for some years has been about 1750000000 bushels the production of the last two years is over 500000000 bushels short of the average The country will therefore enter upon the next crop year with a very small stock of corn on handso small indeed that even should we have another 2000000000 bushel crop as in 1891 it would require all of this enormous yield to make up for the deficiency of the last two years Even should such a crop as this be produced prices would probably still be high because of the decrease in 1894 Another small crop following the one of last year would necessarily mean exorbitant prices for corn Because of these facts it becomes more imperative than ever be fore that the South should increase its corn acreage The Souths large crop last year was due more to a heavy yield per acre than to72 Department of AgricultureGeorgia a large increase in acreage If this section is to maintain its inde pendence of the West so far as corn is concerned every effort should be made to urge upon farmers the importance of planting a larger acreage than ever before With a big corn crop the South is bet ter prepared to stand low priced cotton than it could in any other way It behooves every trade organization in the South and every business man individually as well as the press to persistently exert all possible influence to encourage an increase of acreage iu corn and other food supples If the vigorous work of the press is supplemented in this direc tion by the personal cooperation of bankers business men and all others who deal with farmers it will be possible to secure an in crease of 25 or more per cent in the acreage devoted to corn and foodstuffs compared with last year The vital interest which the entire South has in the increase of its grain production which also means an increase in the supply of provisions prompts the Manufacturers Record to press this mat ter upon the attention of every man in the South To these rather startling figures may be added the following equally important facts as to the present wheat supply The value of the wheat crop 610000000 bushels is returned for 1894 at 226000000 About eighteen or twenty years ago the value of one wheat crop which mainly helped to extricate us from a similar depression of business and which was principally sold abroad was nearly 700000000 It will take such another piece of good luck to set the farmers again on their feet and to give a solid foundation to that confidence the loss of which is so often de plored No comment here can make these facts more forcible and I can only express the wish that Georgia farmers may fully realize their meaning The reduction of 100000 tons in the use of fertilizers does not indicate that less manure is being used Though there are individ ual instances in which farmers have expressed a determination to abandon everything to unassisted nature giving only the necessary lowing and hoeing to keep the crops from being smothered byAnnual Publication for 1895 73 weeds and grass the great body of thinking farmers realize that if they would keep their lands in productive condition they must put into the soil more than the growing crop will take off and in greater or less quantity according to their enlightened judgment and financial ability It is encouraging to witness the general in terest in this subject of judicious management of manure We are on the threshold of a new and I trust more prosperous era of Southern development at the foundation of which lies our more comprehensive application of this whole subject Another subject of great importance to the farmer is MEAT PACKING AND COLD STORAGE We can think of no enterprise that would bring more benefit to the people of the South The fact that the meat could be fattened and cured the year round would introduce a paying crop second only to cotton besides furnishing a certain home market for all our surplus corn The increase in freights would benefit the railroads and thus one industry started as is so often the case would quicken many others into life The main crop of sweet potatoes is generally planted in May and forage crops of various kinds can still be put in besides which the farmer must give his most judicious work to the cultivation of the main crops If he can push forward steadily having his work thoroughly in hand by the first of June with no grassy fields and his crops in regular and vigorous condition he can reasonably with fair seasons count on a paying yield In bearing the heat and burden of this busy month dont forget the hogs Give them regularly salt with a little ashes mixed with it and about once a week a tablespoolful of powdered coperas mixed with the food Dont allow their growth to be checked for want of proper food and plenty of it A pig stunted now rarely recovers the loss R T Nesbitt Commissioner of Agriculture74 Department of AgricultureGeorgia DR COOK ON GLANDERS REPORT OP THE VETERINARY SURGEON SENT TO INVESTI GATE THIS DISEASE Dublin Ga April 4 Hon R T Nesbitt Commissioner of Agriculture Dear SirAt your request I visited the plantation of Mr Ross Stinson two miles west of Dublin Laurens county to investigate a disease among his mules supposed to be glanders A good deal of interest was manifested in the ease by the citizens of Dublin from the well known fatal nature of glanders I found one grey mule suffering from glanders in the chronic form The common and characteristic symptoms of this form of the disease were too well defined to leave the slightest possibility of doubt The discharge from both nostrils of a white gluey nature in earlier stages having been streaked with blood The ulcerated patches ou the mucous membrane in each nostril had eaten through the septum nasi the characteristic swellings of the submasillary glands were about the size of a hens egg These glands are situated in the space under the lower jaw where the abscess of distemper strangles comes but unlike strangles these never break and run and they are larger at times than others and again get very small but never disappear The animal seldom if ever coughs as in distemper but snorts or sneezes a good deal and in that way throws out a good deal of the accumulated virus Mr Stinsons other stock some five or six have been exposed to it though at present showing no signs of the disease The mule was purchased by Mr Stinson about the fifteenth of January past and had a discharge from the nose then which was supposed to be a shipping cold This is a form of disease most to be feared be cause there is no urgent symptoms The true nature of the disease may be overlooked by the ordinary observer There is only one safe thing to do that is to at once kill and bury the animals affected deep burn up all the feedboxes and water troughs and all other places where the animal could possibly leave the germ of this disease disinfect thoroughly with one quart carbolicAnnual Publication foe 1895 75 acid crude form to each bucket of whitewash in all the stalls and lots This I ordered done in Laurens county Respectfully J N Cook Veterinary Surgeon ANOTHER REPORT DR COOK THE VETERINARY SURGEON INVESTIGATES SUP POSED GLANDERS NEAR BUFORD Bufoed Ga April 4 Hon R T Nesbitt Commisioner of Agriculture Deae SieAt your request I visited the farm of John M Johnson four miles west of Buford to investigate a disease affect ing a young horse supposed to be glanders From a careful ex amination I could find no symptoms of glanders but a severe case of colt strangles commonly called distemper This case was made worse by improper treatment This disease is characterized by sore throat high pulse rapid loss of flesh heavy breathing profuse discharge of thick mucous from both nostrils and swelling of sub maxillary glands The case described above can be easily restored to health by proper treatment which we prescribed A good deal of uneasiness was aroused in the neighborhood of Mr Johnson from the fear of the case being glanders I am glad to say it has all quieted down Respectfully J N Cook Veterinary Surgeon76 Department of AgricultureGeorgia JUNE REGULAR LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONER THE COWPEA AS A FERTILIZERRESULTS OF SOME RECENT EXPERIMENTS MADE AT HOME AND ACCOUNTS OF TESTS ABROAD WHICH ARE OF INTEREST TO EVERY TILLER OF THE SOILHINTS ABOUT WHAT TO DO THIS MONTH The cool weather during the second and third weeks in May and more especially the high winds have somewhat retarded progress in working out the young corn and cotton but the escape from a killing frost enables us to bear the lesser evil with impunity the more so when we realize the total destruction of every green and tender plant farther north The fruit in higher latitudes is reported as entirely lost and truck gardeners are again bemoaning the destruc tion of their hopes In Georgia the fruit and truck crops are still intact and while there may be some loss from falling off of the fruit this owing to the very heavy crop may not be considered as altogether a disad vantage Throughout the State the crops as a rule are if somewhat backward in good condition aud we are encouraged by the hope of a bountiful harvest Owing to unusual conditions June has come upou us almost unawares It is in this month that the critical work on the corn crop must be completed the small grain crops harvested the earlier planting of various minor crops potatoes peas Spanish ground peas and forage crops given proper cultivation the cotton kept clean and the laterplanted crops of the several varieties granted an encouraging beginning The work on the main area in CORN will be finished up this month After this it matters not what our mistakes in cultivation may have been they cannot be remedied The man who has given time and care to thorough preparation has now a comparatively easy task in laying by his corn crop The plants will be growing rapidly and whatever plowing is necesAnnual Publication for 1895 77 sary can be done with a shallow plow thereby leaving the roots undisturbed and killing only the grass and weeds which may have sprung up At this season the corn is bunching and between this and the tasselling period the last plowing should be given unless the hard dry nature of the land makes a later plowing an absolute neces sity This should however not be deferred later than the ap pearance of the tassels as any disturbance after that time means injury to the crop and diminution in the yield If the corn crop is dismissed the last of June in a clean condition any subsequent growth of weeds or grass will not materially injure the forming ears but as this growth will inevitably occupy the intermediate spaces why not keep it down by broadcasting peas They take very little more of the food and moisture than the spontaneous growth would and return full measure and more for everything which they appropriate About a bushel to the acre broadcast at the last plowing will distribute the peas evenly over the land and thus the nitrogen and humus of which most of our land stands so much in need and which the peas furnish in such abundant meas ure are more uniformly distributed thau if a single row is planted in the middles Some low growing variety which will not run up on the stalks of corn is to be preferred If the corn was planted in the water furrow and during the cultivation the dirt has grad ually been thrown towards the stalks it can now be laid by per fectly flat thus exposing less surface for evaporation the brace roots will have taken a deeper hold and when the peas begin to shade the ground the crop is left in the very best condition to resist all the variations of wind and weather PEAS This crop as a renovator of worn soils and as furnishing stock food of the very highest value may well be termed the agricultural hope of the South It is not exacting in its demands neither very nice preparation nor very rich laud is called for With the help of a little phosphate and potash it will grow a remunerative crop on land which will scarcely pay for the seed and cultivation of any other crop and besides leave in the soil a residuum of nitrogen and78 Department of AgeicultueeGeoegia humus by which other aud succeeding crops can be successfully built up There has been issued from the Georgia Experiment Station through the horticulturist Mr H N Starnes a most valuable bul letin on fertilizer and variety tests of cowpeas No 27 which should be in the hands of every intelligent farmer Write to Captain R J Redding Experiment Spalding county for a free copy From Mr Starnes report we quote the following trusting that it may reach and influence those farmers who have not received or applied for the bulletin The experiments by Professor Hellriegel at Bernberg Germany have thrown a flood of light upon the subject The discovery has there been made of a definite relation subsisting between certain microorganisms and the acquisition of nitrogen by legumes By a series of carefully planned and skillfully executed tests with ster ilized sand Professor Hellriegel has established almost beyond ques tion that the rootgalls or tubercles affecting the roots of the legume family are the product of microbes or bacteria through whose instrumentality and operation atmospheric nitrogen is acquired and stored This function of the microorganisms forming the root galls is beyond dispute whether these organisms are bacteria or not Their mode of obtaining and transferring the nitrogen however is as yet unrevealed The fact has been definitely established also by the tests alluded to that wherever these bacteria or microbes are presentand they exist in nearly all cultivated soilthe legume is practically inde pendent of a supply of nitrogen either in the soil or administered as a manure In sterilized sand supplied of course with all the other elements of plaut food except nitrogen the young plant will germinate and grow vigorously until it has exhausted all of the nitrogen in the seed when the growth is checked or suspended for awhile until the rootgalls or tubercles have an opportunity to form and the microorganisms begin to get in their work when the plant at once commences to change color and again grows vigorously to maturity even where the sand is sterilized by a heat of 318 degrees F In this treatment no attempt is made to exclude the bacteriaAnnual Publication for 1895 79 Where the apparatus is so arranged as to prevent their access the plant droops and dies The fact being thus established that the legumes are capable of de riving their supply of nitrogen from the air fourfifths of which con sists of this element chemically uncombined it should materially en courage the agriculturist With some 38000 tons of pure nitro gen resting on every acre of his farm never diminishing or changing and renewable as fast as used he has thus presented ready to hand a supply so exhaustless that the Chilian nitre beds sink into utter insignificance beside it He need no longer dread the ultimate ex haustion of his pitiful subsoil reservoir but rest calmly in the faith that as long as the heavens endure his chief and costliest element of fertility is secure Nor is this all Formerly it was supposed that by far the greater portion of the manurial legumes especially of the cowpea was con tained in the vines and only a relatively small proportion remained in the roots and stubble It was hence deemed necessary to return the vines directly to the land in order to secure a maximum bene fit their value as feeding stuff being thereby lost This misconception however has now been cpuite effectually cor rected by observations and experiments conducted by both the Con necticut Storrs Experiment Station and the Georgia Experiment Station The former station has shown that a much larger pro portion of nitrogen than was at first supposed is contained in the roots and stubble and that the vines may be used for forage with economy provided the stubble is plowed under This being the case the mission of the cowpea broadens and its value and importance increase proportionally That it stands to day at the head of all soil renovatorsat least for the Southis beyond question Its preeminence over clover and other legumes is due mainly to the fact that it will grow and thrive on the poorest soils which clover will not do When land at the South will grow clover successfully it doesnt need renovation it is the wornout thin galled land of course that most requires manuring Clover would undoubtedly build up such land if it could be induced to grow there but it will not grow there Cowpeas willSO Department op AgricultureGeorgia 1 The best disposition of a crop of cowpeas is to convert the vines into hay or ensilage 2 The next best is to permit the peas to ripen and gather or pasture them 3 Mowing the vines and permitting them to lie on the surface and plowing under in November was decidedly better than turning the vines under in August 4 Turning the vines under green gave the poorest economical results 1 It is money thrown away to apply any form of nitrogenous fertilizer to the cowpea It is possible however that a very light top dressing of nitrate of soda may prove an exception if seasonably applied at the period of suspended growth 2 The use of potash salts in large quantities is unprofitable and even in small quantities will not pay in the oak and hickory region of the South On other than oak and hickory lands small doses may prove profitable in conjunction with acid phosphate and the longer the land has been in cultivation the greater becomes this probability even in the oak and hickory belt 3 Heavy applications of any form or combination of fertilizers are unprofitable 4 Moderate use of uncombined phosphates appears still to return the best results from an economical standpoint 5 As between superphosphate acid phosphate and Florida soft phosphate uuacidulated ground rock results indicate decided pref erence for the former so far as the growth of vines is concerned 6 There is less difference observable between the two in the formation of peas though superphosphate still appears to be prel erable 7 The finely pulverized condition of soft phosphate is a great objection to its use rendering it extremely difficult to handle with out loss 8 There is not a sufficient difference in price between the two forms of phosphate to render soft phosphate at present an active competitor to acid phosphate unless the ascertained results were more emphatic in its favor Their comparative availability musAnnual Publication foe 1895 81 be for the present considered an open question to be definitely settled only by further experimentation 9 The quantity of acid phosphate which may be safely depended upon differs of course with the character of the land The better the soil in its mechanical composition as well as in its chemical contents the greater the amount that may be profitably used A range of from 200 to 400 pounds per acre will probably cover all contingencies 1 The earliest cowpea and hence the variety best adapted to high latitudes is the New Era this matures in a little more than sixty days from the time of planting Other very early varieties are Congo White Giant Chocolate and Vacuum 2 The heaviest yielder of vines is Red Ripper followed closely by Forage or Shinny Black and Unknown 3 Heaviest producers of peas are Unknown Calico Clay and White Brown Hull 4 Yield of peas as a rule though not invariably parallels the yield of vines 5 For hay the erect varieties are preferable to those of a re cumbent habit since the mower cuts them all The best of the erect varieties are the Unknown Clay and Whippoorwill 6 Where a dense mass of vines is wanted to remain all win ter on the ground Calico Gourd Black and Constitution are pref erable 7 The best table peas are Sugar Crowder White Crowder Mush Large Lady Small Lady and Rice 8 The best stock pea for field grazing of either cattle or hogs is the Black It will remain in ground all winter without injury Everlasting Red and Red Ripper are also good 9 For an all purpose pea the Unknown leads the list Clay however closely contests first place Unknown and Wonderful are identical Do not these facts and does not our own experience where we have tested this crop teach us that the pea is of sufficient import ance not only to be sown in the corn as a secondary crop but to 6ag82 Department of AgricultureGeorgia demand a place of its own as a distinct and separately cultivated source of profit After the small grain is harvested the land can be utilized with great advantage in a crop of peas sown either broadcast or in three foot rows By the latter plan sometimes one and always two plow ings with a sweep will do the necessary work If the peas are broadcast and plowed in the crop of crab grass hay which comes simultaneously with the pea crop detracts nothing from its value for hay and renders its successful curing a matter of less difficulty The same may be said of any field unoccupied by other crops SPANISH GKOTJND PEAS CANE ETC should be planted by June 1 but a good crop is often made when planted as late as the middle of the month Amber cane planted now will be ready for feeding in September and recent experiments show its high food value not only for hogs but for dairy cows Horses and mules are also very fond of it but it should not be grown in too great abundance Mixed with some dry food it can not injure Forage corn can still be planted and will be ready in time for the silo Too little attention has heretofore been given to ensilage but with the increasing interest in stockraising and dairy ing it will not be long before almost every farm will have its quota of wellcured and cut green food for winter feeding ORCHARDS too should be looked after and not allowed to grow up in rank grass and tall weeds that take up a large part of the fertility in the soil The orchards should be cultivated as well as the other fields and the latter part of this month a crop of peas broadcast will not only keep down all other foreign growth but prove a wonderful renovator In the fall the hogs can be turned in to gather the crop or the vines may be allowed to decay on the land and when turned under later will furnish a store of humus and nitrogen which will gladden our eyes and palates in the abundant fruit crop of the succeeding year COTTON This crop should be growing apace Frequent and shallow plow ings will now promote rapid growth Two trips to the row withAnnual Publication for 1895 83 a 20inch scrape or one with an expanding cultivator or 22inch scrape will do the work very effectively When the fruit begins to form the intervals between plowings can be lengthened because we want the plant to throw all its strength into squares and bolls and redundant foliage for rapid growth is not desired Even after the fruit begins to form if the cotton is too much crowded dont hesitate to thin it In the usual summer drouth the crowded cotton always suffers most Our inquiry columns this month cover a large variety of subjects each of interest to the man who digs his living from the ground R T Nesbitt Commissioner FRUIT DRYING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUBMITS A PLAN FOR A HOMEMADE DRYER The fruit crop of the State being very large and many requests reaching the department for a homemade fruit dryer I herewith give a description of one by the use of which a large quantity of fruit berries and vegetables can be dried regardless of weather This arrangement is simply a hogshead with a small stove in it and a box of drawers or sliding shelves above it Saw a door in the side of the hogshead to admit the stove and fuel for feeding it cut a hole in the rear top for the pipe carrying the pipe up above the box Saw an 18iuch square hole to the front of the stove pipe Now take a dry goods or any other kind of a box knock one end out nail slats to the sides for the perforated drawers or shelves to rest on convert the top of the box into a door with a button or strap to fasten it put in your perforated shelves for holding the fruit and you have your dryer complete Coal or wood may be used and a very hot fire is not desirable The door in the hogs head should be left open to provide air for the stove The color and flavor of the fruit will be improved by keeping a dish or pan of water on the back part of the stove to furnish moist ure to the heated air The box need not be tight A few auger holes should be bored in the top of the box to produce a current of hot air up through the trays or shelves of fruit84 Department op AgricultureGeokgia PREPARATION OF THE FRUIT Apples must be pared cored quartered or sliced For drying by artificial heat they are usually sliced Peaches must be peeled halved and pitted Peeling is sometimes omitted though the peeled peaches generally sell for two or three cents a pound more than the unpeeled Plums and small pears are dried whole Grapes and the berries are steamed and dried whole after careful picking over If a farmer has no hogshead he can easily with a few boards make a substitute for it GEORGIA CROP TABLE RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS DURING THE PAST MONTH BY THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT COTTON CLOVER GRASSES POTATOES PEANUTS MELONS TOBACCO 13 O S 13 0 E a Y 6B 8 S ft a o j3 B o 10 0 5 o Si a o S 13 f z te a c a T3 h f Q O J a S 2 g a a o u Is u a o a c c 3 a o y s o c 213 is a S o 5 1 B 5 o 2 11 IP i c j g o H Q O u T o to a B O a o CD S o a 4 1 85 82 8K 92 884 ill 94 99 9H 92 95 97 Kin 93 102 103 91 9tij 90 92 4 85 8834 97 90 Sli 40 b2VT 78 86 89 95 9oy2 96 90 89 95 95 98 97 108 98 101 94 102 95J 89 81V 84 90 89 46 COTTON Stand and cultivation throughout the State only fair the exces sive rains and cool weather during May having worked some in jury to the plants The stand is materially injured on the gray land where it was worked before the recent cool weather Let us hope however that a few hot days will bring about a great im provement in this crop Condition compared to an average 83 CORN Corn is small for the season throughout the State but the standsAnnual Publication for 1895 85 and condition are good The cool weather during May has given it a yellow color but it only needs some warm sunshine to give it the proper color and start it to growing If the State should be blessed with seasonable rains for the next two months Georgia will raise the largest crop of corn in her history Condition com pared to an average 94 POTATOES Potatoes both Irish and sweet are promising fine yields The former of these crops is already maturing and furnishing whole some and palatable food for our people The prospective yield of Irish potatoes is 95 per cent The acreage in sweet potatoes com pared to an average is 95J MELONS The acreage is nearly the same as last year The condition is not so good as they have been retarded in their growth by cool weather and in some cases injured by bugs PEANUTS A large crop of these nuts has been planted the acreage being above that of last year TOBACCO The acreage is not quite as large as last year The condition compared to an average is 89 per cent 46 per cent transplanted HOGS AND CATTLE There are some reports of diseases among the stock throughout the State especially cholera among the hogs but as yet it is not general or very fatal FRUIT The prospect throughout the State is still very good for a fine fruit crop with the exception of pears The blight has attacked nearly all the pear orchards in the lower part of the State and to some extent in Middle Georgia The effects have been very serious and unless the disease can be checked the pear industry is doomed to destruction Some blight on the apple trees also in the same section but not so serious as with the pears Some yellows on the peach trees in all sections of the State but not many trees affected as yet86 Department of AgricultureGeorgia QUERIES ANSWERED WHAT GEORGIA FARMERS WANTED INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMISSIONER REPLIESSPRAYING IS PROVEN TO BE A NECESSITYSOME OF THE BEST SOLUTIONSPEAMEAL AS A PLANT FOODBURNING OFF LANDS IS A BAD PRAC TICEPOINTS ABOUT FERTILIZERS AND OTHER MATTERS LOSS OF NITROGEN WHEN PEA VINES ARE TURNED UNDER QUESTION 1 Suppose I wish to turn peavines under for fertilizing how shall I prevent the loss of the nitrogen which the peas have furnished If left during the winter we know that this must inevitably happen answer 1 As you will notice from the Commissioners letter for this month to turn an entire pea crop under is not the most remunerative plan of utilizing its benefits A far better paying method is to cut the vines for hay and sow either rye or Crimson clover on the stubble Or you might sow wheat or winter oats and by using some form of potash 200 pounds per acre of kainit is good you could expect with ordinary seasons a paying yield For these crops the land should be thoroughly plowed and harrowed SPRAYING APPARATUS QUESTION 2 The development of fungus diseases and the increase of insect pests are becoming such sources of worry and loss to the vegetable and fruit grower that I can but agree with your views on the sub ject of preventives spraying etc With this end in view I would like to know something of the proper apparatus to be used and the probable cost answer 2 We have recently seen in operation a small sprayer which can be attached to the side of any vessel barrel tub or bucket and for a small garden or orchard will answer every purpose It can beAnnual Publication for 1895 87 easily handled throws the spray with sufficient force and costs 550 For larger orchards or market gardens the following from Sec retary Morton United States Commissioner of Agriculture covers the ground Spraying to control various insect pests particularly those of the orchard and garden has reached so satisfactory and inexpensive a basis that it is recognized by every progressive farmer as a necessary feature of the years operations and in the case of the apple pear and plum crops the omission of such treatment means serious loss The consequent demand for spraying apparatus has been met by all the leading pump manufacturers of this country and ready fitted apparatus consisting of pump spray tank or barrel and noz zle with hose are on the market in numerous styles at prices rang ing from 20 upward The cost of a spraying outfit for orchard work may however be considerably reduced by purchasing merely the pump and fixtures and mounting them at home on a strong barrel An apparatus of this sort has proven very satisfactory in practical experience It is merely a strong pump with an air chamber to give a steady stream provided with two discharge hose pipes One of these enters the barrel and keeps the water agitated and the poison thoroughly intermixed and the other and longer one is the spraying hose and terminates in the nozzle The spraying hose should be about twenty feet long and may be fastened to alight pole preferably of bamboo to assist in direct ing the spray The nozzle should be capable of breaking the water up into a fine mist spray so as to wet the plant completely with the least possible expenditure of liquid The two more satisfactory noz zles are those of the Nixon and Vermorel type A suitable pump with nozzle and hose may be obtained of any pump manufacturer or hardware dealer at a cost of from 13 to 15 If one with brass fittings be secured it will serve for the application of fungicides The outfit outlined above may be mounted on a cart or wagon the additional elevation secured in this way facilitates the spraying of trees or for more extended operations the pump may be mounted on a large watertankDepartment of AgricultureGeorgia SPRAYING QUESTION 3 I notice remedies for spraying in your last report Is it neces sary to spray Cannot a good crop of fruit be raised without this trouble and expense If not give some specific directions answer 3 This question of spraying is no longer a matter of choice but of necessity The presence of fungous diseases and insect pests is the main cause of disappointment in our fruit crops and also of the early decay of orchards which should continue in bearing for an in definite period The value of these spraying remedies has been so clearly demonstrated by the experiment stations and by individual tests of large fruit growers that we can no longer doubt their expe diency or economy In fighting these pests the warfare must be ag gressive as well as defensive and should have been inaugurated earlier in the season but it is not yet too late to use some of the remedies which I give below Apple scab codling moth and bud mothWhen blossoms have fallen bordeaux and arsenitesthe same eightto twelve days later ten to fourteen days later bordeaux again ten to fourteen days later bordeaux again Cherry rot aphis slugWhen fruit has set bordeaux If slugs appear dust leaves with airslaked lime Hellebore Grape fungous diseases flea beetle When leaves are 1TL inches in diameter bordeaux Paris green for larva of flea beetle When flowers have fallen bordeaux and paris green as before 10 to 14 days later bordeaux 10 to 14 days later if any disease ap pears bordeaux 10 to 14 days later ammoniacal copper carbonate Apply again later if necessary Peach rot mildewWhen fruit has set bordeaux when fruit is nearly grown ammoniacal copper carbonate 5 to 10 days later the same and 5 to 10 days later repeat if necessary Pear leaf blight scab psylla codling mothAfter blossoms have fallen bordeaux and arsenites kerosene emulsion if necessary 8 to 12 days later repeat these 10 to 14 days later bordeauxAnnual Publication for 1895 89 kerosene emulsion forcibly for psylla 10 to 14 days later repeat if necessary Raspberry Blackberry Dewberry anthracnose rustDuring summer if rust appears on leaves bordeaux If orange or red rust appears it is best to destroy the plants Strawberry rustAs first fruits are setting bordeaux as first fruits are ripening ammoniacal copper carbonate When last fruit is gathered bordeaux to be repeated if rust appears Young plants not in bearing may be treated throughout the fruiting season Tomato rot blightAt first appearance of blight or rot bordeaux to be repeated as necessary during the season The above extracts with the following formulas are from care ful tests at the Cornell Experiment Station As to the manner of application and other details we have not space to particularize A sprayer of course is necessary and you might write to Cornell for explicit directions BORDEAUX MIXTURE Copper sulphate 6 pounds Quick lime 4 pounds Water 40 to 50 gallons Dissolve the copper sulphate by putting it in a bag of coarse cloth aud hanging this in a vessel holding at least 4 gallons so that it is just covered by the water Use an earthen or wooden vessel Shake the lime in an equal amount of water Then mix the two and add enough water to make 40 gallons It is then ready for immediate use but will keep indefinitely If the mixture is to be used on peach foliage it is advisable to add an extra pound of lime to the above formula When applied to such plants as carnations or cabbages it will adhere better if about a pound of hard soap be dissolved in hot water and added to the mixture For rots moulds mildews and all fungous diseases AMMONIATED COPPER CARBONATE Copper carbonate 1 ounce ammonia enough to dissolve the copper water 9 gallons The copper carbonate is best dissolved in large bottles where it90 Department of AgricultureGeorgia will keep indefinitely and it should be diluted with water as re quired For the same purpose as bordeaux mixture COPPER SULPHATE SOLUTION Copper sulphate 1 pound Water 15 gallons Dissolve tbe copper sulphate in the water when it is ready for use This should never be applied to foliage but must be used be fore the buds break For peaches and nectarines use 25 gallons of water For fungous diseases PARIS GREEN Paris green 1 pound Water 200 or 300 gallons If this mixture is to be used on peach trees 1 pound of quick lime should be added Repeated applications will iujure most foliage unless lime is added Paris green and bordeaux mixture can be applied together with perfect safety Use at the rate of 4 ounces of the arsenites to 50 gallons of the mixture The action of neither is weakened and the paris green loses all caustic prop erties For insects which chew LONDON PURPLE This is used in the same proportion as paris green but as it is more caustic it should be applied with two or three times its weight of lime or with the bordeaux mixture The composition of lon don purple is exceedingly variable and unless good reasons exist for supposing that it contains as much arsenic as paris green use the latter poison Do not use london purple on peach or plum trees unless considerable lime is added For insects which chew HELLEBORE Fresh white hellebore 1 ounce Water 3 gallons Apply when thoroughly mixed This poison is not so energetic as the arsenites and may be used a short time before the sprayed portions mature For insects which chewAnnual Publication for 1895 91 KEROSENE EMULSION Hard soap pound Boiling water 1 gallon Kerosene 2 gallons Dissolve the soap in the water add the kerosene and churn with a pump for 510 minutes Dilute 10 to 25 times before applying Use strong emulsion for all scale insects For insects which suck as plant lice mealy bugs red spider thirps bark lice or scale Cabbage worms currant worms and all insects which have soft bodies can also be successfully treated question 4 I have been using in my compost about 350 pounds of pea meal Does it supply any ammonia Could it be supplied by acid seed or common salt If mixed with green seed acid or kainit would it prevent the seed from coming up answer 4 Peameal supplies all three of the essential elements of plant foodpotash phosphoric acid and nitrogen or ammonia but its use as a fertilizer is too expensive You can supply these ele ments in much cheaper form Acid phosphate does not supply ammonia but phosphoric acid Common salt would only have a mechanical effect and add nothing in plant food By the use of kainit you supply a sufficient quantity of potash The cotton seed is your source of ammonia and an additional quantity would increase that element If from lack of vigor in the plants under which you have used your compost it is apparent that a very large amount of ammonia is demanded in order not to reduce the other material too much you might add dried blood or cotton seed meal as they supply ammonia in a more concentrated form than the cotton seed A compost made of cotton seed stable ma nure acid phosphate and kainit properly cut down and forked over would prevent any danger of germination In composting care should be taken that the ammonia by heating is not allowed to escape A series of experiments conducted at the State station92 Department of AgricultureGeorgia shows that mixing in the furrow gives as good results as compost ing without the expense of handling and danger of loss If I had peameal I would most certainly use it for manure as it contains all the principal elements of plant food but I would not use it in the crude form I would feed it to my horses cows pigs etc let them work it up iuto the right condition to apply to my landAnnual Publication for 1895 93 JULY REGULAR MONTHLY LETTER OF THE COMMIS SIONER LAYING BY TIME NEAR AT HANDCORN SHOULD NOT BE PLANTED AFTER JULY 1 FOR FORAGE EVENPEAS AND AMBER OANE ARE MORE CERTAIN CROPS AT THIS LATE DATETHE IRISH POTATO CROP ABOUT READYTHE FALL CROPS On most farms laying by time is near at hand but we can not be bound by ironclad rules in this any more than in other de tails of farm work So much depends on wind and weather and the present condition of the growing crops For instance on those lands which produce a luxuriant growth of weed with late development of fruit the conditions indicate that early laying by will tend to establish the proper equilibrium between growth and fruit When we cease plowing we check this rapid growth which is unfavorable for the taking on of fruit Experience has demon strated this fact and also that as a rule when we stop the plow the growth is checked and the fruit begins to form Such cotton therefore as is developing foliage at the expense of fruit should be laid by very early and with care to take out every particle of grass The plow is so set as merely to shave off the surface any rootpruning now is almost fatal A twentyfourinch scraper with a very short scooter bolted on in front if the land is in good condition will do the work with one trip to the row If however the land is foul more heroic treatment is necessary and we will have to bear the consequent shedding and loss from the necessary disturbance of the roots Where there are no indications of this exuberant foliage growth that is where the development of fruit and foliage is wellbal anced and the cotton is in good growing condition it may be ad visable to continue the cultivation into August In this condition of the plant the growth and fruiting go on together and our ob ject is to encourage both by cultivation always very shallow at94 Department of AgricultureGeorgia this season As a rule squares formed from the first to the last of August stand a fair chance to develop bolls CORN It will be too late after the first part of July to plant corn for forage even If any is planted during that period either for grain or forage it should be on rich bottom laud At this late date peas and amber cane are a far more certain crop for forage as they can be planted up to the first of August and if the land is rich will mature excellent forage If preferred however corn may still be planted on the rich bottoms and if put in at once stands a rea sonable chance of maturing the grain Put in after the tenth or fifteenth we can expect only forage The main crop of upland corn is practically laid by and from all sections comes the cheering news that the farmers are appreciat ing the necessity of sowing peas broadcast or in the center furrow at the last plowing This practice will not only furnish food for our rapidlyincreasing dairy stock but will insure the allim portant HUMUS of which our worn lands stand so much in need I use the term worn advisedly for these same soils subjected to analysis show that they are very far from being exhausted It is only the top soil which has been deprived of its foodproducing elements Just underneath the first few inches lie vast deposits of subsoil nitro gen phosphoric acid and potash which heretofore the farmer ex cept in rare cases has utterly failed to appropriate because they were practically unavailable But science and experiment have demonstrated the truth and now we know both the importance of supplying humus to the soil and of plowing deep to expose these subsoil deposits to atmospheric influences As soon as we supply necessary humus the chemical action begins and in the course of decomposition those otherwise inert matters are set free and made available for our growing crops It has been demonstrated again and again that the most profitable form of supplying this humus is not by plowing under the renovating crop because that is a prod igal waste of most valuable animal food We throw away thatAnnual Publication for 1895 95 which would make meat milk and butter The most economical plan is to cut and save these crops turn under the stubble and by feeding the cured products to our live stock they thus become a source of double profit We sell the products of our stock and the manure solid and liquid properly preserved furnishes addi tional humus of the most valuable quality This subject is worthy of the most careful study Those men who have grasped this im portant truth and are acting upon it are rapidly forging to the front and are today our most successful farmers Practically none of the plant food has been abstracted from our subsoils Vast de posits lie there awaiting the processes which shall gradually release them and furnish material for the crops of succeeding generations As bearing directly on this interesting question and in confirma tion of the above statement I copy the following from the Ohio Experiment Station The clay soil in which wheat had been grown continually for six years past was analyzed with the result that the upper foot of soil showed nearly 20000 pounds of potash per acre and about 5000 pounds each of nitrogen and phosphoric acid Of course the quantity of these deposits varies with thesoil but all soils even the most unpromising have more of these elements than our crops will take up for many years to come The prob lem for the farmer is how is best and cheapest to appropriate them SWEET POTATOES may still be set out and if a rapidly maturing variety like the St Domingo is used the plantings may continue until August The IRISH POTATO CROP will be ready for gathering this month See that this is done early in the morning or late in the afternoon and gather up the potatoes before they are exposed to the direct rays of the sun In prepar ing for the fall crop now becoming a very important one to the South select the mediumsized smooth tubers for seed Spread these in the shade under a house if convenient is an excellent place until dry After drying bed these as we do sweet potatoes for slips except that no manure is used and the bed must be level Cover with96 Department of AgricultureGeorgia about two inches of soil and leave for about two weeks If the weather should be dry an occasional watering is an advantage At the end of two or three weeks those potatoes which have sprouted can be relied on to produce plants they should not be cut but planted whole Those which have not sprouted should be rejected but still can be used for the table In preparing the land run the furrows about two and a half or three feet apart broad and deep by going two or even three times in the same furrow If the land is rich no fertilizer is necessary If not use a commercial fertilizer in which potash and phosphoric acid predominate and mix thoroughly with the soil Very thor oughly decomposed stable manure will also answer but it should not come in contact with the potato Plant the potatoes in the bottom of the furrow and cover lightly gradually filling up the furrow during cultivation which should be such as to keep down all weeds and grass This for field culture the same for the garden plat except that after the potatoes are planted and covered the whole bed may be covered several inches deep in leaves chaff or pine straw FALL CROPS It is well to decide on our fall crops and prepare for them as far as possible If the land to be planted is now unoccupied nothing is more effectual than peas broadcast or cultivated for destroying all foreign growth and its valuable fertilizing properties make this crop a most important adjunct to all grass clover or grain crops After taking off the hay turn under the stubble harrow and roll to bring to as fine tilth as possible DESTROYING WEED SEEDS Another important office which this late planting of peas effects is the destruction of many troublesome and noxious fall weeds In allowing these weeds to perfect seed we lay the foundation for trouble not only the following year but for years to come for all weed seeds do not germinate the year after they fall Some are buried too deep and some too shallow and year after year they come to the right conditions for germination they spring up thus caus ing the farmer additional trouble and work The safest plan is to destroy them before they scatter their seeds for future weed cropsAnnual Publication for 1895 97 FALL OATS Dont put oft the sowing of oats until spring Make ready and resolve to sow in time We have found the Appier Rust Proof early and productive Begin now and have everything in readiness to put in a heavy fall crop September is none too early to begin FARMERS PRIZE CLUBS AND AGRICULTURAL FAIRS July is the farmers breathing spell coming as it does between the steady strain of preparation planting and cultivation and th gathering of all the crops and now we have opportunity to meet together and while enjoying the pleasant social gatherings discuss plans aud results and compare notes We note with pleasure the revival in many parts of the State of the oldtime county clubs and fairs None except those who have participated in them can form any conception of the pleasure and the profits to be derived They not only encourage the social element by bringing the members to gether but furnish subjects of common and general interest the practical results of which are better crops better and cheaper home raised meats and a general dissemination of the best aud most economical plans Let these clubs be formed in all sections of the State to meet once a month compare notes discuss developments as they rise and decide on plans for meeting them Let the discus sions include field garden orchard and vineyard crops with the products of the dairy poultry yard apiary aud any other industry which can be made profitable and thus add to our resources Prizes should be offered in every department The competition thus en gendered often results in valuable discoveries For instance in a recent experiment among club members in raising big hogs and in deciding on the cheapest food for hogs the cost varied from three to six cents A wide margin and a difference which could but result in valuable information to the higherpriced hog raiser DISCREDITABLE AND DISGRACEFUL IS WHAT LIVERPOOL MEN SAY OF AMERICAN COTTON PACKING Liverpool June 19The Cotton Association of this city pro tested to the Mersey Dock Board against excluding cotton from the reduction in charges recently made on the pretext of risks and 7ag98 Department of AgricultureGeorgia excessive expenses The board replied that Surat cotton did uot involve trouble or risk but American cotton besides its liability to fire was badly packed And the bales were needlessly bulky occupying a large space compared with other produce This was discreditable and disgraceful Nevertheless the finance committee of the board would consider whether reductions in the charges on cotton were possible I insert the above just as it was sent from Liverpool to show our farmers exactly what is thought of the condition of our cotton by the men on whom we are dependent for the fixing of the price It is to be hoped that the efforts now being made for smaller and more uniform size of bales and for more careful methods of pack ing and shipping will meet with ultimate success Ouce these reforms are accomplished we will no longer bear the reproach of shipping the most unsightly and ragged bales received in the markets of the world with the consequent loss in actual dollars and cents I must not close this article without referring to the BOUNTIFUL FRUIT CROP with which God has blessed our State It is stated that Fort Valley alone will ship over 2500 carloads of peaches not to mention the equally large number from other sections and the Plant System estimates that it will require from 10000 to 12000 cars to move the melon crop grown in Georgia along its lines These Georgia peaches and Georgia melons have a worldwide reputation and there is nothing in history that exceeds the rapid and wonder ful development of this fruit industry of our State While many of our own citizens have taken hold and pushed this work to suc cess a large number of industrious thrifty and practical Northern IMMIGRANTS have sought our more favorable climate and conditions and are helping us to build up the prosperity of our State The coming of such people not only brings additional wealth but infuses new energy and activity adds to the value of our lands opens new lines of enterprise gives us better opportunities for good schools lays the foundation for a lasting and substantial social structure and will eventually eliminate the race problem It is a duty which we asAnnual Publication for 1895 99 farmers more especially owe to our children to develop our coun try to such a point as to give them greater advantages than they can ever have in our at present sparsely settled regions In en couraging the immigration or these thrifty settlers we are advancing the best interests of our families our friends and our State In the parish of Calcasieu La the assessed value of property increased in ten years from 1500000 to 7500000 and at a meeting of its citizens some time in 1894 it was stated that this increase was due entirely to immigration from the West owing to the capital which they had brought with them and the impetus they had given to va rious enterprises R T Nesbitt CROP CONDITIONS SUMMARY OF REPORTS RECEIVED BY COMMISSIONER NESBITT DURING THE MONTH COTTON This the most important of all oiir crops has been much im proved by the sunshine and rains of the past month but is still short of an average crop in size of plant and date of blooming The condition throughout the State is good most of the fields being free from grass and well worked There has been some damage to the stand from cool weather and lice but on the whole the stand is fair There has been little complaint through the month of too much or too little rain and the inference is that every county in the State has so far been blessed with good cropmaking weather With every thing favorable during the rest of the season Georgia should make threefourths of last years crop CORN This valuable crop promises well all over the State and with a few more weeks of seasonable weather we will have enough to sup ply all our wants without buying from our sister States In the lower half of the State the crop as a rule is laid by and the last plowing will soon be given in Middle and Upper Georgia On the bottom lands the corn is still small but is growing off nicely and with a fine color100 Department of AgricultureGeorgia WHEAT While but little was planted wheat has done very well20 to 25 bushels per acre being made by many farmers Little or no rust and the grain well filled out and heavy Many dollars would be saved by the farmers of Middle and North Georgia if they would plant at least enough wheat to supply their home wants The crop has been harvested in good condition OATS Two sowings of fall and winter oats having been killed there was but a small crop planted in the spring by the discouraged farmers Those planted however have generally done well and a good crop now rewards those farmers who ventured on planting a sec ond and some even a third time The crop is being harvested POTATOES A larger area than usual has been planted in this valuable food crop and the prospect at present is good for a large yield It would be well if the Jarmers would take more care than heretofore in sav ing this crop through the cold weather The two essential points being to keep them dry and to keep them from freezing it seems that if they can be kept at an equable temperature they would never be lost except through neglect or carelessness PEAS SUGAR CANE SORGHUM GROUND PEAS The reports of these minor crops are almost universally favorable arguing well for a bountiful supply of these products FRUJT Every section of the State has shared in one of the most bounti ful fruit crops in the history of the State Berries of all kinds as well as other fruits have been abundant and of fine quality and cheap enough in price to be within the reach of all The only draw back in connection with the fruit crop has been the serious blight ing of the pear trees in South Georgia and the consequent serious injury to that fruit We hope that the pear growers will eventually discover the remedy and having learned to control and destroy the blight this industry will soon regain its recent magnitudeAnnual Publication for 1895 STOCK Most of the reports indicate a considerable increase in the num ber of hogs in the State with very little disease amongst them The Condition of stock of all kinds is very good with only here and there a reported case of cholera among hogs or red water among cattle CUTTING AND CURING FODDER CORN QUESTION 15 Please tell me how to cut and cure fodder corn answer 15 From the Farmer and Fruit Grower we take the following excel lent method Cut when it begins to silk and tassel Do this early in the morning if favorable and let it wilt in the sun till noon If it threatens to rain shock up and bind tightly around the top with corn stalks If favorable weather turn the fodder and let it lie till late in the afternoon and then shock and be sure to bind the top cr better if you have good shelter where you can stand it up and let it cure do so As little of the refuse stuff at the sawmills will cost it will pay anybody to and anybody can make one With a properly prepared rack an immense amount can be hauled at one load In cutting do not cut more than you can easily take care of each day102 Department ob AgricultureGeorgia O O O o O H 15 o B H K P u m 03 0 O M tn 05 u S Pm K P pa c Lx 1 jy H A H n P P H P O PS w M Q Oh n 1 c fc fcs 2 Soz CO O t X Oh C P Epa 0 OS Oh c 1 o P HJ P 11 PS 0 3h u P H a g P c ri n u y H H H x 5 o w n P P P x 03 P co co 03 O U I OOP P P1 Eh co HI H 00 W 13 Ph en pasn i9ztiijaj Diisaraop jo 93Bja9DJ9j Cl 61 tN CN CO CJ pasn oarcntf apuaS q3ii jo aSmnaMSd lei amoq IB apBtn siaziijjaj jo 9Sbju9Djoi iA C d CM Cl OS pui putt n no ui jo Addns iitj b jo aStU90jaj 1 j Q CO co i X i oc q uo njoo jo Xddns nnj b jo aijBuiaoiaj 31 X luvi uioo jo 90ud liparo H 5 0 topi uioo jo aoud qSBO Ol C O CJi CM ti JB3X JStt qiJAV poimimo S3iB it sSoq JO joqum 1 j zj o jffBj qiiM pajttdTnoo jjoois3jiom jo uoiupuoo i y iciCi O C O juov isb oa psjBdoioo daaqs jo noijipuoo i o z 01 cr r i 7 Ej 3 On v a o gjcz Oh sadoiy r io o o o SJB9J i o o t o 3 cocooc sajddv 3F O io 50 Ob saqoBaj Clf OON cciroor SJB8A g Ju 9SB i9ab ub oi p9JBdtaoo i09dsoad pun uopipuoo eo o oi cf c oi Ol t 5 3 o JB9A 18B qjIAV pOJBdlUOO 3BI3AV so OK co0 SUUIlBf3J0B led p9lX 9SBJ3AV GOOl 00 jtbbS 5Si hija paaBdraoD 93bsjoy CTCi 00 aoijl UBSA 1SB JO 5B111 oi paiBdaioo 83BDJDV o o o So 3J0B J9d P8IA aSsibAV c x OOfC Ol Ol Ol OJ r co o i rr o i o O 00 t oc oc 9JB9i q JO 8SBJ3AB UB 0 p8JBdUI00 piIBS JB9 SV qiJM p9JBdraOD 9SB9I0V iC t IjCS 1 XCOOO H r fH CM o H H 3 o eJB J9d pt8t 8SBJ9Ay paBs pooS b qiiAV peaBdaioo paBjg O Cl C C Ol GCXXXtl BUB9A tj jo 83b J9AB ub oi paiBduioD jDadsoad puB nopipaoQ Ol T O CN CO 00 CO I 00 X IB9A 1B qiTAV p9JBdraOD 8S8J9AV Q0 53 i O Q iXXICC a 9J0B J9d pI3I 9SBJ9AV 00O1 t oo p ci co tH ao l l x JB9X g jo 9b J9AB UB 01 p9JBdlIIO0 lOdsOJd pUB UOTlipuOf UB9A 1SB qilM p9JBdU0D 9SbJLBA ci to H to oi oi r co H O 9J0B J9d P9lA 93BJ9AV XlCCOHtD tlBJ JSB UAVOS dOiD JO 9SB1U9DJ9J Oi 1 X cs Ol Ol SJB9A g JO 9SB I9AB ub 04 paiBdmoo io9dsoad pB uoijipuoo OHtOiCX x o t l iB9i 5sbi qAV paiBdinoD aSsdJoy hh tM CO tO L 10 tt 1 I 55 O 8J9UJJBJ isaq joj 9J0B iad pjaiX aBjaAv X X lO to X siBaA q jo a3BJ9 ab nB oi pajBdtnoo padsoad pub uoiiipuoo CO CO CO O iO Ol OS Ol Ol O Ol 1 Tt iO Ol Ol O ii ii o JBai sb qijAv paJBdnioo aSBajov I 5 J5 o 1 6 O t a c scc CX cc Jr t3 ro Annual Publication for 1895 103 COTTON This important crop is not yet in a condition upon which tc predicate any estimate as to yield The planting however is from ten to twenty days late There is a reduction in round numbers of 100000 tous of guano in this State alone compared to last year The falling off in acreage compared to last year is fully 20 per cent These facts holding good in a greater or less degree in all the cotton States east of the Mississippi river warrant the conclu sion that we may expect at least only a moderate crop of cotton this year and consequently the farmers may hope for better prices than they received for the last crop CORN Corn although planted late is generally up and looking well all over the State The acreage as reported by a large number of correspondents is 11J per cent greater than last year with land well prepared and stands good I cannot too often urge upon farmers the importance and the absolute necessity of giving this crop especial attention through all stages of its growth Corn will not like cotton stand neglect and still reward the farmer with a good crop It must be well cultivated from the start or a good crop need not be expected OATS Little that is favorable can be said of this important grain which is of so much value as a food crop for stock The severe cold of the past winter totally destroyed two plantings of the crop and the lateness of the season with the difficulty of obtaining seed deterred a great many from planting the third time Those that did plant have a good stand and the crop is looking well though a heavy yield can scarcely be expected from such late planting The reported average decrease in the acreage is 29 per cent WHEAT Wheat is planted only in the upper portion of the State and the acreage is reported at 4 per cent less than last year While the crop was injured by the severe cold of the past winter it was not destroyed as was the oat crop and the prospect is fair for an av erage yield SUGAR CANE There is a slight decrease in the acreage of this crop compared with last year caused no doubt by much of the seed cane being killed by the cold The crop is up with fair stands and growing well104 Department of Agriculture Georgia RICE There is a falling off of 4 per cent in the acreage of lowland rice There are no reports on upland rice though from the large number of inquiries received by this department as to the best method of planting and cultivating it I have no doubt the acre age has been largely increased SORGHUM The increase in acreage for the State of this valuable plant amounts to 8 per cent with good stands and growing off well CLOVER AND OTHER GRASSES The acreage is reported as slightly greater than last year which is gratifying The increase however is not great enough There should be much more land put down to grass in this State than there is at present No farm should be without a good pasture and then the raising of more and better stock would naturally follow FRUIT All descriptions of fruit give promise of an abundant yield this year and if good prices are realized those engaged in raising fruit for the market will reap a bountiful harvest Not only will the large grower be benefited but on every farm throughout the State the blessing of a good fruit crop will be felt STOCK The reports on stock as a rule are favorable In some sections the cattle have been affected with red water and in others with murrain and at the request of the department the government at Washington has sent an expert to investigate the causes of these diseases with a view of prevention if possible iu the future There is a gratifying increase in the number of hogs which encourages the hope that our farmers are determined to raise their own meat in the future SUPPLIES It is very gratifying to note the large percentage of farmers who have a full supply of corn and hay now on hand Let us hope that this is an indication of the beginning of a new era in our good old State and that the day is near at hand when Georgia will cease to import food for man or beast from any other State in the UnionAnnual Publication for 1895 RED WATER 105 REPORT ON CASES AMONG CATTLE WITH REMEDIES FOR PREVENTION AND CURE Hon li T Nesbitt Commissioner of Agriculture Red water hoema albomonoric a disease affecting the bovine tribe common to all sections of Georgia and especially in the spring and summer monthsa disease very fatal in its ravages The re ports from different sections of Georgia during the last year would indicate that it has destroyed many entire herds of cattle with no signs of abatement In my recent visit to Cherokee county I found three cases suf fering with it A cow belonging to Mr Cole one of Mr Pitmans and one of Mr Davis Mr Roberts lost fourteen Mr Freeman lost four Mr Barnes lost seven Mr Field lost twelve and many others lost varying in number by the size of the herds The characteristic symptoms of the disease are loss of appetite standing sometimes with their back arched the coat looks roughand strong bowels may be constipated or the opposite very loose the dis charges sometimes covered with mucous and again streaked with blood the emissions of urine at times will be redcolored or coffee colored the pulse is quick and wiry with high temperature a good deal of nervous twitching in some cases The treatment should beChange the animals at once to another lot give a complete change in feed open the bowels with a quart cf lard mixed with one or two ounces of spirits turpentine give all the stock a tablespoonful hypophosphite of soda in feed morning and evening as an antiseptic measure one ounce chlorate of potash in a quart of water every four hours drench in quart of water give alternately with the potash every four hours a tablespoonful of sul phate of iron and powdered gentian Support the animals strength with flaxseed meal and half a dozen raw eggs every day pure water and anything the animal will eat This disease has been very fatal to successful raising of cattle in Georgia for many years particularly the last two years That it is due to a bacilli there is little if any doubt It certainly demands in the interest of all that a careful investigation should be made and the true cause located Respectfully J N Cook Veterinary Surgeon106 Department of AgricultureGeorgia QUESTIONS ANSWERED IMPORTANT SUBJECTS HANDLED BY COMMISSIONER NES BITTSACCALINE A NEW FORAGE PLANTIT IS NOT WELL ENOUGH KNOWN TO RISK TOO MUCH TAMPERING WITH THE REDUCTION OF COTTON ACREAGE AND THE TRUE RE SULTS OBTAINEDCOST OF A CANNING OUTFIT AND OTHER INTERESTING ITEMS SACCALINE QUESTION 1 I notice some very glowing descriptions of saccaline the new forage plant which is beginning to attract attention Do you in dorse all that is said of it answer 1 We as yet know absolutely nothing of the new plant which is said to be such a vigorous grower and which its advocates claim is perfectly hardy in any climate is not affected by drouth and wheu once planted will always grow without replanting We would therefore advise caution in experimenting with it until its qualities are thoroughly tested The fact of its rank growth and its entire possession of the land would iudicate that it might give trouble if not kept within bounds FEEDING COTTON SEED TO HOGS QUESTION 2 Can cotton seed or cottonseed meal be fed to hogs with impu nity I have heard that it is dangerous answer 2 Cottonseed meal is to the Southern farmers and stock breeders what corn is to the West It is rich in nutriment and fattening qualities and while it is a rich and valuable feed for cows the ex periment stations and breeders have found it dangerous to feed to hogs although they eat it heartily A North Carolina breeder writes the Breeders Gazette that after two years experimenting with cotton seed and cottonseed meal to hogs he finds that by soaking the seed in water until fermented andAnnual Publication foe 1895 107 the fermentation was over that the hogs had no further trouble from eating it and he fattened fifty hogs at first cautiously with corn and finally fed alone without losing a hog and his neighbors have been equally successful We have not tested this plan but if fermenting the seed removes the danger this discovery will be of incalculable value to the South The same principle is illustrated in the plan of an experienced hog raiser who says that in feeding his hogs on cotton seed he has found that by allowing them to stand in water for awhile the seed were equally relished by the hogs and were harmless His plan was to throw them into a mudhole and after a time allow the hogs ac cess to them FOR HOGS SUFFERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF COTTONSEEI FEED Wood charcoal 1 pound sublimed sulphur 1 pound common salt 2 pounds baking soda 2 pounds hyposulphite of soda 2 pounds Glauber salts 1 pound black antimony 1 pound Pul verize and mix thoroughly Dose One large tablespoonful for each 300 pounds weight of hogs given twice a day COST OF CANNING OUTFIT QUESTION 3 Can you give me some idea as to the amount of money necessary to start a small canning factory with scale of prices usually paid for labor and for fresh fruits and vegetables and the best varieties to can answer 3 The following is the average as near as can be determined Canning machinery capacity 2000 3pound or 2750 2pound cans per day is quoted for 100 cash f o b Baltimore prices for larger outputs proportionately higher Two thousand and five hundred brick would be required to set the kettles of the above machinery including chimney A building 20x30 feet would be suitable or a smaller building with shed We have not the quo tations on cans cases and labels The prices below as to remuneration of labor are taken from the statements of canners all over the country Of course these vary108 Department of AgricultureGeorgia somewhat in different sections but are considered a standard for skillful and prompt work Slow and unreliable labor should be dis pensed with as quickly as possible To operate the above machin ery at full capacity would require 12 Peelers averaging 37J cents per day 4 50 2 Packers 50 1 Wiper 25 1 Capper 2 00 1 Tipper 1 00 1 Processor 2 00 1 Labeller 50 1 Scalder 50 25 2 00 1 00 2 00 50 50 Total cost of labor on 2000 3pound cans1 75 Girls and women can do the work of peeling packing wiping and labelling The most popular canned goods are tomatoes corn peaches and peas Following these are beans sweet potatoes pumpkins squash apples pineapples pears plums and berries The first four are in general demand This is not always the case with the others and judgment must be used as to the selection The following as near as can be obtained are the usual prices paid for fruit and vegetables Peas 30 cents to 100 per bushel Tomatoes 18 to 30 cents per bushel Peaches 25 to 75 cents per bushel Apples 25 to 50 cents per bushel Pears 50 to 75 cents per bushel Lima beans 75 cents to 100 per bushel String beans 20 to 30 cents per bushel Blackberries 50 to 75 cents per bushel Okra 40 cents per bushel Plums 75 cents to 125 per bushel Strawberries 125 per bushel Sugar corn 700 to 800 per ton Squash 800 per tonAnnual Publication foe 1895 109 REDUCING THE COTTON ACREAGE QUESTION 4 What is your opinion as to the outcome of the cotton situation Do you think that if the cotton acreage is materially reduced the crop will command high prices next fall answer 4 We think that it is extremely doubtful whether the price of cot ton will be at once affected by the reduced acreage and therefore the man who regulates his farm operations on the hypothesis of high prices is risking serious loss if not utter ruin This is a mistaken view of the entire subject The main idea in reducing the cotton acreage is to devote more time to those crops which will make the farmer independent By producing those home supplies we dont expect to make more money but to have less need for spending it It is the farmer in debt on whom the hard times press so heavily because the prices of his commodities have gone on declining while the interest taxes etc remain at the same figure as when his corn oats cotton and wrheat were worth and would pay debts of three times their present value FORMULA FOR GROUND PEAS QUESTION 5 Please give mea good fertilizer for ground peas I wish to make the best crop of which the land is capable What proportion of oil do the ground peas contain and are there any accessible mills answer 5 Acid phosphate 1000 pounds Muriate potash 300 pounds Nitrate soda 200 pounds Sulphate of lime 500 pounds There is thirtyeight per cent of oil in ground peas As far as we can ascertain there are only two mills in this country one in St Louis and the other in Xew York Owing to the fact that other oils are now cheaper this industry has been almost abandoned During the war when we were cut off from other supplies there were a good many of these mills in the South Its uses are the same110 Department of AgricultureGeorgia as cottonseed oil and the cake is also used for stock feed The Spanish ground peas can be planted after the small grain crops are taken off and will mature fully before frost ROTATION OF CROPS SUITED TO GEORGIA QUESTION 6 Can you give me a good system of rotation for an ordinary Georgia farm I havent much experience but believe it the best method of reclaiming our worn lands answer 6 The following from the Georgia Experiment Station covers this question fully ROTATION This is based on what would be called a three years course but has been occasionally modified according to the exigencies which arise in the course of extensive field experimentation The main features of the system are chiefly applicable to the four lead ing crops on the average Georgia farmsmall grain cowpeas cotton and corn but the principle is also applicable to the smaller crops or those occupying relatively smaller areas The three years course in these main crops implies a division of the larger part of a farm into three approximately equal parts I will suppose that the system is to be applied to an ordinary private farm and a begin ning to be made say September 1 First YearOnethird of the land should be sown in small grain mainly oats devoting corn land to this The small grain should be liberally fertilized with a highly ammoniated fertilizer On the station no better variety of oats has been found than the Appier oat a strain of the Texas RustProof but the latter is nearly as good The only objection to the Appier as well as the Texas is the fact that it is not distinctively a winter oat it is liable to be killed by very severe freezes The Winter Turf is more hardy in this respect but not so proof against rust The oats should be followed immediately by cowpeas sown either in three to four feet drills or broadcast Our experiments indicate that planted in the drill and plowed once or twice cowAnnual Publication foe 1895 Ill peas will yield more peas as well as more hay But many prefer sowing broadcast because 1 it involves less labor but more seed and 2 the crab and other native grasses that spring up and mature with the peas make it easier to cure the hay If broadcast four to five pecks are sufficient to seed an acre The crop should re ceive a dose of about two hundred pounds of acid phosphate and one hundred pounds of kainit per acre Our experiments indicate that it is decidedly best to convert the peavines into hay mowing them when in full bloom and when there are a few grown pods The stubble may remain and a light second growth will be se cured before frost Just before or soon after a killing frost the pea stubble is turned under with a twohorse plow If conven ient to pasture cattle and hogs may be turned on successive por tions of the pea fields instead of converting the vines into hay or a portion of the peas may be picked Second YearThe same division should be liberally fertilized and planted in cotton using the very best seed obtainable In the fall of the year say in September it is suggested to sow the cotton fields in rye say onehalf bushel or less per acre or in Crimson clover This is especially recommended on land that is liable to wash and leach during the winter but the principal aim is to sup ply a growing crop that will appropriate and hold the soluble plant food left in the soil or that will become soluble during the winter Third YearThe land previously in cotton is the place for the corn crop During the latter part of January and by Febru ary 20 the ground should be thoroughly broken flush with a two horse plow On this station it has not been found expedient or profitable to fertilize the corn crop very lightly but it should rather follow a highly fertilized cotton crop Cowpeas should be planted in the middles between the cornrowsif wider than five feet or sown corn should be followed by small grain and cowpeas commencing again The above is a general outline of the system which is recom mended for general adoption throughout the cotton belt Of course it may be modified according to circumstances For instance in some sections tobacco may take the placein part or in whole112 Department of AgricultureGeorgia of cotton in the mountain region the oats may be found to suc ceed better if sown in the spring etc I have followed up only one of the three supposed divisions of the farm in the above outline of course the other two will rotate in the same order so that each year onethird shall be in small grain and peas onethird in cotton and onethird in corn These three principal divisions cover the main portion of the farm in cul tivation There may be another division equal in extent devoted to permanent pastures The minor crops of the farm including sweet potatoes truck patches forage for soil feeding orchards etc may have a rotation among themselves and together may cover an area nearly equal to one of the main crops so that in practical operation a farm of one hundred acres of open land may be divided somewhat as follows Small grain and peas 20 acres cotton 20 acres corn and peas 20 acres permanent pasture 20 acres orchards vineyards truck and garden forage crops pea nuts chufas potatoes melons etc 20 acresAnnual Publication fob 189 113 QUERIES ANSWERED COMMISSIONER NESBITTS QUESTION BOX FOR THE MONTH SOME SUGGESTIONS TO FARMERSTO STOP RABBITS FROM GNAWING FRUIT TREES USE MEAT SKINSA GOOD FRUIT PRESERVING SOLUTION IS GIVENREMEDY FOR ECZEMA AMONG MULESHOW TO EXTERMINATE CHEAT IX WHEAT BURNING OFF LAND QUESTION 1 Does burning off the land injure it ANSWEB 1 The following applies with such force to some sections of our own State that we give it space hoping it may serve as a warning where the practice of burning off the land is still in vogue The practice of burning the old and dry grass in unoccupied lands in order that a younger and more tender growth may give pasture to cattle is still common in some of our States and its re sults though of beuefit to few are disastrous to the general welfare Nor is it the grass alone that burns but fire communicates to the trees thousands of which yearly succumb Worse than all the humus in the sandy soil is burned out and the future wealth and re sources of the State are destroyed At this day and everywhere may be encountered tracts of utterly barren and worthless land in the midst of comparatively fertile whose fertility has thus been destroyed FERTILIZING WITHOUT NITROGEN QUESTION 2 Last year I fertilized a field well with acid phosphate aud kainit yet secured a very poor yield Will you please tell me the cause of the trouble answer 2 In fertilizing with acid phosphate and kainit without supplying nitrogen you failed to comply with a principle of plant growth It is a law of nature that in the absence of any important element of plant food though the others be present in abundance yet the Sag114 Department of AgricultureGeorgia plant cannot utilize them It is necessary for all to be present in a suitable condition to be taken up The following apt illustration has been used to exhibit how essential it is that everything that is required by the plant should be present in the soil If a farmer wishes to make a cart he prepares his wood and iron gets them all in proper condition and then can very readily put them together But if he has all the wood necessary and no iron he cannot make his cart because bolts nails and screws are required and their place cannot bs supplied with boards Nitrogen also is the great est element to produce growth BABBITS GNAWING YOUNG APPLE TEEES QUESTION 3 How can I prevent rabbits from gnawing my young apple trees answer 3 Bacon skin rubbed on the trees flesh side next the bark all the way up from the ground to about two feet on the body of each tree will keep the rabbits off This should be done every spring POTATO BEETLE QUESTION 4 How shall I fight the bugs of which I send specimen and which are said to be a serious enemy to the potato crop answer 4 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 North Alabama and North Georgia and East and Middle Tennessee Paris green or London purple both being arsenites are regarded as the best remedies In the dry form use mixed in the proportion of one pound of poison to five of flour and two of dry dust fine ashes or airslacked lime apply with a sifter or perforated pan If sprayed or sprink led over the vine in liquid form use a small teaspoonful to two or even three gallons of water Be very careful in handling Paris green or London purple as they are deadly poisonAnnual Publication for 1895 115 FRUIT PRESERVING SOLUTION QUESTION 5 4 Please give me a formula for preparing a fruit and vegetable preserving solution In view of the approaching Exposition and the fact that many of our finest specimens cannot be kept until the Exposition opens except by some process of this kind many grow ers are interested in this question answer 5 In the preparation of fruit and vegetablesthe bestpreserving fluid is 40 per cent alcohol 10 per cent glycerine and the balance fil tered rain water Of course this fluid renders the fruit unfit for use Each section of the State should appoint a committee either by the county commissioners or by a meeting of the citizens whose duty it shall be to awaken an interest as to the importance of this exhibition of our products at the Cotton States and International Exposition and the benefits that will probably result to their re spective sections ECZEMA QUESTION 6 I have a mare mule ten years old that is queerly affected Will you please inform me what is the trouble and how to cure it From the least touch or rub the hair comes off and first comes a white tetterlooking scale then in about twelve hours festers and runs She has now a sore from the ears to her tail on backbone and also where trace rubs and under shoulder and belly eats well will work well fifteen or twenty minutes and then seems to stagger like a person intoxictaed after starting her off in a furrow will go very well until end of row then you will have to lead her round to start again Any information will be kindly received answer 6 Powdered aloes 10 drachms Powdered gentian 1 drachm Give at one drench to start with Then give teaspoonful of the following every morning and evening in feed Sulphate of iron 4 ounces116 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Powdered nux vomica 2 ounces Nitrate of potash 2 ounces Mixed Externally wash the mule with warm water and carbolic soap over all affected parts first then use once a day rubbed into sores the following Creosote 2 ounces Raw linseed oil 12 ounces Liquid potash 4 ounces CHEAT OR CHESS IN WHEAT QUESTION 7 Do wheat or oats ever turn to cheat How can I get rid of cheat answer 7 This has long been a mooted question among farmers and there are some who still believe in this transmutation of one plant into another The following extracts from an article by one of the best authorities in the Union should settle this question This weed has been supposed by some to be produced from de generated wheat but the fact that it belongs to quite a distinct genus from wheat renders this impossible The seed of the cheat or chess are much smaller than of wheat and may be numerously scattered through seed wheat and repro duce the weed among the stubble unperceived to ordinary observa tion The seed being very hardy may remain at some depth in the soil unperceived and dormant until brought near the surface and subjected to the action of light air and moisture hen the young chess plants growing from this seed are shaded by a dense crop of wheat they grow only a few inches high sometimes not over two inches perfect their seed and are wholly unobserved but when the wheat is winter killed or otherwise destroyed they spread and grow upwards unchecked three feet high and often produce from 2000 to 3000 seed to a single root cover the whole surface and lead to the superficial conclusion that the wheat being killed was converted to chessAnnual Publication for 1895 117 The above quotations explain the matter The cheat seed are in the ground where you sow wheat or oats Should the wheat or oats grow though the cheat comes up and makes seed it is so small as to pass unnoticed being smothered as it were by the growing grain Should the wheat or oats however be winter killed or grazed by cattle too late in the spring then the cheat which is up and ready to grow off takes possession of the ground smothers out what little grain may be left grows two or three feet high and the careless observer comes to the conclusion that his wheat or oats has been changed to cheat a plant of an entirely different genus The process for getting rid of this grass or weed is simple namely Sow none but perfectly clean seed and also rotate the rops and it will gradually disappear from the land QUESTION 8 I send sample of muck which I would like to have analyzed Please let me know the constituents ANSWER 8 Your muck runs as follows Reaction neutral Moisture at 212 degrees F 2152 percent Organic matter 4257 per cent Nitrogen 84 per cent equivalent to 102 per cent ammonia Phosphoric acid 15 per cent Potash trace only Sand and undetermined 8194 per cent The amounts of phosphoric acid and potash present in the muck are too small to consider in judging the sample Its value lies in the nitrogen and organic matter These two added together give the total organic matter present as the nitrogen constitutes a part of the organic substances The nitrogen will become more quickly available if the muck is composted or fermented before using The organic matter when thus treated is converted into humus and becomes a powerful con servator of moisture which is so important to plant growth QUESTION 9 I have got a sick mule and want you to scud me word what to118 Department of AgricultureGeorgia give him The mules kidneys are out of order and he makes water all the time and that is about all I can see the matter Please give me a remedy answer 9 By Carues Carries veterinary surgeons diabetes Tincture of iodine 2 ounces tincture of iron 1 ounce water 5 ounces Mix and give 4 teaspoonfuls five times a day Feed well to keep up strength Dont work question 10 Some ten days ago I had a mare seven years old brought to the lot sick and upon investigation I found the mare affected with a strange trouble and in two oi three days she began to discharge at the nostrils a yellow greenish dischaige which was very offensive so much so that it was sickening I doctored her for distemper and lung fever but to no avail and after ten days she died When she coughed the discharge would come from her mouth and nostrils in quantities that would almost choke her Not knowing the cause of her death not ever having one affected like her I tried to think it distemper but at this time I find one of my oldest mules run ning at the nose in the same manner and character of discharge as the mare and I am forced to believe it is glanders and as I have six or seven other head on the place I would like to have the mat ter investigated and write you if you from my description wish to send a veterinary surgeon to examine my stock and prescribe for them if glanders Now I dont want to put the State to any unnecessary expense but as I have over 1000 worth of stock on the place and not knowing what to do myself would like to be assisted in getting at the trouble and save the loss of all if possible If the symptoms in the mule grow worse can I get aid in the above direction from you Please write me the law and plan to be pursued in such cases and oblige answer 10 Pronounced by the veterinary surgeons Carues Carnes to be strangles or distemper which is contagious but not necessarily fatal Recommended holding head over steam covering with bagAnnual Publication for 1895 119 to cause free discharge Also to rest from work protect from the weather pasture and give easily digested food question 11 I have a mule with stifle lameness He was lame to some ex tent all of last winter but got past work this spring His stifle joint is swollen and has the appearance of enlargement of the bone at present but walks better and we plow him some now Please refer it to Dr Cook and let him answer it as I am anxious to cure him No one here seems to understand the case I will say his hip is perishing away He is about eight or nine years old and a good mule If you can do anything for him I will appre ciate it very much I had to give up part of my crop answer 11 Blister and report results Shrinking of the hip from atrophy from want of use of muscles Cure the lameness and the atrophy will be at an end question 12 Can individual exhibits for the Georgia State Building at the Cotton States and International Exposition be entered as late as September 10 answer 12 Yes And I would urge upon every community in the State the importance of getting up these individual and collective dis plays The importance of fully representing every section of our State cannot be overestimated CUTTING CORN FODDER QUESTION 13 Is it best to feed corn fodder cut or uncut ANSWER 13 Professor Henry of the experiment station at Washington tested the value of cutting corn fodder by feeding one lot of cows upon whole fodder bright and sweet Another lot of equal milk ing qualities had fodder from the same mow cut into pieces a half120 Department of AgricultureGeorgia inch long He found that he obtained as much milk from 721 pounds of cut fodder as from 1133 pounds of uncut fodder Two tons of cut would be worth more than three tons of uncut ENSILAGE QUESTION 14 Please tell me something about ensilage 1 am interested in stock raising but have little experience in the management of en silage which is said by those who have tried it to be firstclass dairy stock food ANSWER 14 Ensilage has already passed its experimental stage and has been accepted and adopted by many dairymen and farmers Savs an ex change It provides succulent fooda great necessity especially for dairy stockduring the long winter cheaper than can be pro vided in any other way It is also of great importance in the fall as one of the laws of successful feeding is not to make sudden changes from green succulent feed to dry feed when cattle are taken from pastures Ensilage bears the same relation to dry fodder that canned fruit does to the dried Is it any wonder that cows prefer the succulent article or that the latter is the better substitute for juicy food and will produce more milk than an equal amount of dried cornstalks Any one who has tried it knows the difficulty of keeping up the flow of milk on dry feed Good care with early cut wellcured hay and corn fodder and a liberal grain ration will do a good deal but as the winter advances the cows will surely though slowly shrink in their flow while they lay on flesh in stead The use of roots will prevent this shrinkage of the milk flow but the cost of raising such food for stock is too great We must either go on in the old way drying off our cows in the most important season or else we must make ensilage The only bar to the universal use of succulent food is preju dice The odor from ensilage has caused many to declare that it tainted the milk thereby affecting the flavor of the butter So widespread is this belief that many of the large milk dealers stillAnnual Publication foe 1895 121 stipulate in their contracts with farmers that no ensilage shall be fed This idea doubtless arose from the fact that when ensilage was first introduced fifteen years ago ignorance of the proper method of building and filling the silos caused the production of damaged rotten ensilage The prejudice still lingers though the spread of knowledge has removed the cause That ensilage is a good healthful food is shown by the fact that cows will eat it eagerly and thrive upon it It is not in itself a complete ration Tt should be fed sprinkled with meal and bran This makes an excellent meal At other times hay should be fed or oats barley peas etc While ensilage should be the base it is desirable to feed a variety giving the cow the change she so much enjoys Ensilage is the cheapest and healthiest food for stock and it has come to stay122 Department of AgricultureGeorgia AUGUST COMMISSIONER NESBITTS REGULAR LETTER ABOUT CROPS WHICH IS VERY ENCOURAGING A MONTHLY RESUME OF THE WORK THAT HAS GONE ON IN THE STATE AND THE RESULTS OF LABOR AS REPORTED TO HIM BY HIS CORPS OF WIDEAWAKE CORRESPONDENTS IN GEORGIA COTTON Cotton being somewhat backward plowing may perhaps be con tinned longer than usual this year but even allowing for that the first weeks of August will find the farmer more at leisure than for six months past Such cultivation as the cotton may require can be accomplished by one wide furrow to each middle adjusting the plow so that it will not cut deeper than one inch Ou examination we will discover that the bed more or less elevated as our cultiva tion has been shallow or deep is filled with countless little fibrous roots each one performing its appointed office in sustaining the rapidly maturing plants If the crop is in a proper state of de velopment it should be taking on fruit without interruption and if the plow is plunged into the delicate network of roots below the ground the consequent tearing and mutilation there is followed by a corresponding injury to the young squares and bolls above At this critical period of blooming and fruiting we must exercise the utmost care All things considered it is better not to plow the cotton again even if it needs it than to run the risk of losiug most of the young fruit and squares already formed which is the inevi table consequence of one deep plowing now A very shallow fur row in the middle is what is needed and if this is impracticable let the cotton take the chances with what fruit is already developed rather than trust to its forming a later crop after this drops off As a rule most of the squares which are formed after the last of August do not mature into perfect bolls before a killing frost Realizing this fact we see how important it is to avoid any disturbance which would tend to injure the fruit already formed and formingAnnual Publication foe 1895 12J CORN The question of fodder pulling still confronts us as an unsolved problem Many experiments have been made and the results are still conflicting The present conclusion of the matter seems to be thateach farmer must use his own judgment Ifhe has made ample provision for forage from other sources he can afford to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of fodder pulling calmly and coolly and decide whether it is best to go into the laborious business of stripping the blades from the stalks If he has not made such provision and has to rely on this fodder to fill out his supply his decision can scarcely be considered an unbiased one as he has no alternative but to strip off the fodder even at the risk of injury to the grain Considered from an economical standpoint there is scarcely a more expensive operation on the farm than this fodder pulling While for roughness bright well cured fodder cannot be excelled it comes very high when we consider the cost of pull ing and curing each separate blade and the probable injury to the corn ears if they are not sufficiently matured before the fodder is taken off To those farmers who have tried it the plan of saving a suffi ciency of hay from other sources even using the uncultivated grasses for this purpose is far more remunerative as well as satis factory and with the increased and increasing care which is being given to saving ENSILAGE we need have little trouble in securing an abundant supply of the best winter foods This process of canning the green stuffs so to speak instead of drying them is with careful attention to one or two details practically certain It is also simple and commends itself from the fact that so many crops difficult of management when dry hay is the object are peculiarly suited to this process of green curingcorn sorghum peavines potato vines all so easy of productiongive us an almost unlimited supply for the silo and if the precautions of putting in not too large quantities at a time thoroughly packing and allowing this to stand before more is put in then topping and weighting the whole mass down are124 Department of AgricultureGeorgia carefully attended to there are few farmers that will not appreciate the value of the process On another page this whole question is covered in an answer to an inquiry as to crops for the silo methods of gathering curing etc Now is the time to look forward to the coining year and make such arrangements as are practicable for pasture and also for forage GRASS SEEDS of most varieties should be sown next month In the outset we must understand that we cannot make either grass or clover on poor land Of the clovers Red is best suited to red stiff lauds which should be either naturally rich or made so artificially The Crimson and Burr clovers are suited to sandy lands and if carefully pre pared for and fully manured furnish green winter food during the entire season and if the cutting or grazing is stopped in May suf ficient seed will mature for another crop When these fail the land can be planted in late corn or peas and when that crop is taken off in September the clover will again take possession Of the grasses orchard grass under ordinary circumstances gives the best results It will grow in sun or shade and is suited to most soils though the same requirements as for clover namely thorough pre paration and rich land are necessary for its successful cultivation Fall oat grasses for light and Herds grass for wet or low lands Barley and rye should also be sown in September and October the first date better than the second THE FALL OAT CROP is a very important one and unless sown early stands several chances of failure Oats or other small grain sown in a cotton field early in the fall are not onlv in a favorable situation to de velop a paying crop but protect the laud against the consequences of the heavy winter rains an important office when we consider that a large part of the fertility of our lands has been washed into the streams by our policy of clean culture and subsequent expo sure of the bare fields to the vicissitudes of wind and weather The grain can be sown either broadcast and plowed in with the cultivator or harrow or put in with a seed drill The latter planAnnual Publication foe 1895 125 is more economical of seed and also of labor The sowing and plowing should be done immediately in the wake of the pickers and will thus avoid waste of the open cotton In reply to an in quiry in another column will be found formulas of fertilizers for oats wheat and other grains If a full crop of sweet potatoes has been planted it is highly advisable to begin feeding them to the hogs They are highly nu tritious and fattening and if aided by Spanish ground peas and sorghum will produce a fine quality of cheap pork very little corn being required to complete the work In view of the usual diffi culty of keeping the potatoes in good condition through the winter it will be found most profitable to convert them into firstclass bacon and lard COTTON PICKING AND BALING Towards the latter part of the month in the southern part of the State cotton picking will begin Necessary precautions should be taken in gathering and baling the crop that the loud complaints against American cotton in the European markets be forever silenced THE COTTON STATES AND INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION Now that the heavy pressure of the busy season is somewhat lightened the farmer has more leisure to look around him and find out what is going on in the busy world In the last month there is an awakened and increasing interest in the Exposition to be opened at Atlanta and continued from the middle of September to the last of December In this Exposition Georgia has an opportunity for advertisement which she has never had before and which may not come again for many years In last months talk we touched on some of the advantages to be derived from immi gration but until we show to the people of the world our unri valed attractions of climate of fields of forests of orchards of gardens our unsurpassed waterpowers our vast deposits of coal iron granite marble in other words the numberless opportunities for obtaining comfort and independence we cannot expect the better class of settlers to pitch their tents within our borders In the Georgia State Building will be gathered something from all the different industries of the State and it is particularly de126 Department of AgricultureGeorgia sired that the agricultural exhibit shall be especially full aud com plete If therefore in any section of the State a farmer has any crop which is particularly fine we would be glad to have speci mens for exhibition They will be properly marked with the names of donors and the section from which they came and given conspicuous places in the general exhibit Fruits grains grasses vegetables all field garden aud orchard crops are included as well as manufactured products of the dairy vineyard and apiary We hope the farmers throughout the State will help us to illustrate Georgia in the grandest collection of her products ever yet shown to the world All packages addressed to R T Nesbitt Executive Officer State Exhibit Atlanta will come free of charge These should be plainly marked with the senders name and the name of the speci men The executive officer R T Nesbitt Atlanta should be notified by letter or postal card when the articles are shipped R T Nesbitt Commissioner QUERIES ANSWERED COMMISSIONER NESBITTS QUESTION BOX FOR THE MONTH SOME SUGGESTIONS TO FARMERSTHESE INCLUDE VALUABLE POINTS UPON SEVERAL SUBJECTS AND ARE TIMELY IN THEIR APPEARANCEFORMULAS FOR COMPOSING FERTILIZERS FOR THE VARIOUS CROPS ARE ALSO GIVEN IN THIS ISSUE TIMOTHY QUESTION 1 I see in Northern agricultural journals frequent references to tim othy as the standard grass Does this apply to the South and if so please tell me how to manage to secure a good crop on ordinary land ANSWER 1 Timothy is not so well adapted to the South as other grasses It does not stand the dry weather as well nor is it as well suited for grazing It does however yield very heavy crops under favorable conditions As for all grasses the preparation of the land should be very thorough and the surface well harrowed The manuringAnnual Publication for 1895 127 should be very heavy unless the land is naturally rich Stable manure composted with cottonseed meal and kainit or acid alone is good or if the land is in condition to respond to the application a highly ammoniated potash fertilizer will produce good crops Sow the seed in September or October February or March about fifteen pounds to the acre GROUND BONE DISSOLVED BONE QUESTION 2 What is the difference between ground bone and dissolved bone How should each be applied and to what crops answer 2 Finely ground bone when pure contains about 22 per cent of phosphoric acid and 4J per cent of ammonia It is worth per ton more than the dissolved bone because the sulphuric acid and water used to dissolve the bone also dilute it Either is a fine fertilizer for all fall sown grain and slow growing crops because the phos phoric acid at first not available becomes gradually soluble and is then taken up by the developing plants For the same reason it is excellent for grass grapevines or any perennial plants which all continue for an indefinite period to draw nourishment from the soil If applied to other crops some form of potash should be supplied particularly on sandy lands From the United States Experiment Station Record No 7 1895 we find that The results indicated that in soils not entirely devoid of phos phoric acid not of extremely abnormal qualities both steamed and unsteamed bone of proper fineness produced very favorable results even when applied in the spring provided the soil was not deficient in moisture In soils deficient in water very different results were obtained with all kinds of bone meal but it appeared that the re sults were more unsatisfactory the coarser the bone It can be further said of ground bone that it benefits all crops can be applied at all seasons of the year will not injure any tree or plant is lasting in its effects and is the cheapest form of fertilizer in proportion to the benefits it imparts that can be used128 Department of AgricultureGeorgia LUCEKN E QUESTION 3 How shall I prepare the land and when shall I sow lucerne What fertilizer is best ANSWER 3 The laud should be made very rich by well rotted stable manure or fertilizers and put in as fine tilth as for turnips if necessary plowing and harrowing repeatedly Sow in narrow drills in Sep tember or October and cultivate It is important to keep the crop free from weeds or grass Ten or twelve pounds of seed will plant one acre TERRACING QUESTION 4 I notice that you speak of terracing as all important in building up our worn lands Can you give me a few points as to how the work should be done Do not hillside ditches answer the same purpose answer 4 Hillside ditches have been very aptly termed highway robbers in that they have swept away much of the fertility of our lands which might otherwise have been preserved The main difference between terraces and ditches is that the first gather the washings from higher points and hold them with their accumulation of rich deposits while the latter gather and carry off During the first year or two after land is terraced the water will occasionally break over during heavy rains but if the foundation has been laid with a good onehorse or twohorse turning plow so as to measure about three feet across at the base and firmed up with hoes where necessary we can calculate ou eventually securing a compact firm terrace The breaks can be strengthened as they develop and once the terraces are well set all water that goes over the bank will flow in a thin broad sheet leaving its valuable burden of plant food on or above the terrace A good terracing level is absolutely essentialwithout it we cannot do accurate workand will cost from 500 to 1000 Full instructions for managing it can be obtained from the maker or sellerAnnual Publication for 1895 129 Begin at the highest part of the field and let the lines be level following of course the guidance of the instrument At each po sition of the tan gen set a peg avoiding as much as possible sharp curves Ruu a plow along the line of pegs to mark it and then drop down to the next terrace which should be eight feet losver in a perpendicular line than the first Where the land is hilly the terraces will of course be nearer together than on more level slopes Run the line and lay off as before Do not expect the terraces to be parallel as this rarely happeus Continue until the whole field is gone over When ready to make the terraces throw two furrows with a good twohorse plow on the lines already laid off going over the work with hoes to right up any breaks or places where the plow has not given a satisfactory bank As mentioned above this bank should measure three feet across at the bottom If the banks are enriched and sowed in grassorchard is the best varietyin two or three years they will become so compact that they cannot be broken For this permanent benefit we can afford to submit to the temporary inconvenience and annoyance of having to repair the breaks as they occur after each rain which inevitably happens dur ing the first years that a system of terracing is undertaken CELERY QUESTION 5 Please tell me something about the second crop of celeryhow to raise it for home or market answer 5 The market gardens around New York plant celery as a second crop following cabbages onions beets or potatoes And we may do the same in Georgia either in the market garden or private kitchen garden Manure the ground very heavily in the spring for onions cabbage or beets and as soon as they are removed plow or spade the ground and make it fine and mellow to receive your cel ery plants Dont forget that it is a waste of time and labor to attempt to grow celery on poor or badly prepared soil The seed should be sown from the middle to the last of March in rich ground and in drills twelve inches apart Radish seed are130 Department of AgricultureGeorgia sometimes sown sparingly in the drills with the celery seed The radish will sprout in a few days showing the line of the rows and the hoe can then be used between the rows before the weeds and grass get a start When the plants are three or four inches high cut off the tops and repeat this a second time as the plants continue to grow this will cause a stocky growth and make them more uniform in size When you have dug your potatoes or housed or sold off your cab bage or onions prepare the land from which you took them for celery by deep plowing or spading first applying a liberal dose of wellrotted stable manure or commercial fertilizer Lay off rows from three to four feet apart and place a plant every six inches in the row In taking the plants from the seedbed try to get them of uniform size so that the growth afterward may be about the same Both roots and leaves should be trimmed before setting out leaving the roots about two and onehalf inches long and the leaves cut off even with the top of the heart It is best to set out plants during a wet cloudy spell and should the weather turn very hot and dry just after planting they should be protected from the sun for a few days During the early stages of growth the ground should be frequently workedby the plow in field culture and by the hoe or rake in garden culture When the leaves get twelve to fifteen inches long the earth on either side of therow should be loosened to the depth of two or three inches Then the work man gathering the leaves of each plant in one hand holds them in position while he presses the loosened earth around the stalk with the other When this is finished the earth is thrown from each side towards the celery with a plow In the family garden a hoe should be used for this purpose As fast as the celery grows the arth is drawn to the plants with hoes until the time of bleaching arrives From the first to the middle of October celery should be banked in order to bleach it To do this commence about a foot from the plants and throw up with a spade a bank of earth cover ing all the celery except a few inches of the ends of the longest leaves A few weeks in this condition will bleach it and it will then be ready for use This system is greatly preferred to the oldfashioned and troubleAnnual Publication for 1895 131 some plan of digging deep trenches and manuring these The larger and coarser varieties are almost entirely discarded at the South being grown mostly in the Northwest where they are crisp and solid For those who still prefer the large kinds the Mam moth Solid is perhaps best Of the smaller and more popular vari eties there are the Boston Market Golden Dwarf White Plume and others which can be procured at any firstclass seed store WATER IN GREEN CROPS QUESTION 6 Please tell me the amount of water in the following green crops Grass green corn rye and clover answer 6 Professor Stewart gives the following Grass just before blooming 75 Green corn 84 Green rye 76 Ked clover in blossom 60 question 7 Please give me the analysis of pea meal answer 7 We cannot give an analysis which will apply to all pea meal because its quality is according to the variety and the kind of soil on which it was grown About three to three and onehalf per cent nitrogen threefourths to one and onefourth phosphoric acid and one to one and threefourths potash will give a fair average of the plant food of ordinary pea meal QUESTION 8 What is the difference between fresh and wellrotted manure I mean how much more available is the latter answer 8 Thoroughly decomposed stable manure is about 20 per cent more soluble than fresh manurethe ammonia and phosphoric acid of132 Department of AgricultureGeorgia the former being especially available Another advantage is that in the process of decomposition and fermentation many weed seeds which otherwise would prove harmful are destroyed QUESTION 9 What do you think of cottonseed meal as a food for cows ANSWER 9 We have used cottonseed meal combined with hulls and other feed stuffs with the greatest advantage From a bulletin of the Tennessee Experiment Station we find that cottonseed meal is the most valuable of all the socalled waste products used as feed stuffs It can be safely fed for long periods as much as five pounds per day per 1000 pounds live weight in the ration for cows giving milk As the cow approaches the time of calving the proportion of cottonseed meal should not exceed three pounds daily We do not think it advisable to feed more than five pounds of cottonseed meal daily to milch cows For buttermaking it is not advisable to exceed three pounds daily Many years of close ob servation elsewhere as well as the results of recent experiments induce the writer to believe that it is not safe to feed cottonseed meal as the sole addition to the daily allowance of coarse fodders particularly during the three months preceding and the month after calving Cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls should be far more ex tensively used as cattle food These products of the cotton fields of the South will enable the farmers to maintain or to restore the fertility of their lands at the least cost for manures By their proper use it is easy to obtain the highest economic value of the coarse fodders which are too ofteu suffered to go entirely to waste or if used at all scarcely pay for the labor of hauling them The following are safe rations for a dairy cow of 1000 pounds live weight and are made up in great part of cottonseed products 1 Fifteen pounds cottonseed hulls five pounds cottonseed meal and six pounds corn meal 2 Fifteen pounds cottonseed hulls four pounds of cottonseed meal five pounds wheat bran two pounds of corn mealAnnual Publication for 1895 133 3 Fifteen pounds cotton seed eight pounds clover hay five pounds cottonseed meal two pounds corn meal 4 Fifteen pounds cottonseed hulls eight pounds corn fodder three pounds cottonseed meal three pounds wheat bran 5 Fifteen pounds cottonseed hulls eight pounds corn tops five pounds cottonseed meal 6 Fifteen pounds cottonseed hulls six pounds clover hay ten pounds of corn and oats equal weights of each mixed and ground together question 10 I have a young mule five years old that was until three weeks ago in a thrifty condition At that time her appetite began to fail and she seemed to be stiff all over She would raise her head like she was choking At present she is not so stiff but unable to swallow and is swollen under the throat and what she eats comes back through her nostrils it also runs a little mucous yellowish and inclined to be watery The mule has been with a horse that had something like distemper and the horse died from the disease and not knowing the symptoms of glanders decided to write you so please give me symptoms of glanders and if this is not glanders any information as to what it is ANSWER 10 From the description of said mule I think it is a case of dis temper caused from being in contact with other stock affected like wise being due to a germ and contagious The swelling under the throat will terminate into an abscess The treatment is poultice the swelling and when soft use the knife open up thoroughly and in a few days the mule will be all right The stiffness is only a symptom of the disease It might possibly be lockjaw but I think not Respectfully Carnes Carnes V Sj Per H G Carnes V S134 Department of AgricultureGeorgia FERTILIZERS FOR RYE TURNIPS AND OATS RYE Cottonseed meal 500 pounds acid phosphate 400 pounds muriate of potash 100 pounds Apply broadcast 200 to 400 pounds per acre TURNIPS 1 Acid phosphate 500 pounds nitrate of soda 200 pounds muriate of potash 165 pounds sulphate of lime 135 pounds 2 Cottonseed meal500 pounds acid phosphate 1000 pounds kainit 300 pounds sulphate of lime 100 pounds Broadcast stable manure with 500 pounds of either of the above turn under harrow until all lumps are broken Then apply in the drill either of the above at the rate of 500 pounds per acre OATS 1 Cottonseed meal 400 pounds acid phosphate 400 pounds muriate of potash 150 pounds land plaster 50 pounds 2 Acid phosphate 600 pounds cottonseed meal 300 pounds kainit 100 pounds Apply broadcast 200 to 500 pounds per acre FERTILIZER FOR WHEAT QUESTION 11 What fertilizers would you advise for wheat answer 11 The following are all good fertilizers for wheat 1 Cottonseed meal 500 pounds acid phosphate 350 pounds muriate of potash 150 pounds 2 Acid phosphate 350 pounds kainit 350 pounds nitrate of soda 300 pounds 3 Blood 330 pounds muriate of potash 165 pounds acid phosphate 335 pounds sulphate of lime 170 pounds Apply broadcast from 200 to 500 pounds per acre CURING SORGHUM HAY QUESTION 12 How shall I cure my sorghum for hay Annual Publication for 1895 135 ANSWER 12 The following taken from the Southern Stock Farm covers the entire process After mowing allow the sorghum to lie on the ground suffi ciently long to dry out at the end of the blades If the crop is thick it should be turned over on the ground to expose the bottom portion of the cutting to the sun for a short time Usually one days sun is required to dry it sufficiently to allow it to be put up iuto the cock The haycock may be five feet high and four feet in diameter or of the shape of an oldfashioned bee hive All the hay that is cocked in this manner should be well set tled as it is laid on the pile After having constructed it to its proper height rake the loose sorghum away from the sides leaving a neat pile of hay that will turn water in case it should rain Allow it to remain in this con dition for two or three days for fermentation to take place which is evidenced by the heating and the deposits of moisture upon the interior parts of the cock When thoroughly warm and before the hay loses its natural color open the cocks and expose the hay to four or six hours sun according to the weight of the crop to the acre and the size of the stalks Then the fodder is ready to haul to the barn or be placed im stacks where it may safely be expected to remain without molding or heating further GENERAL SUMMARY CONDITION OP THE DIFFERENT CROPS THROUGHOUT THE STATE CORN With one or two weeks more of seasonable weather in the north ern part of the State Georgia will harvest the largest corn crop ever made within her borders In almost every county in the State the crop is as good as the land can make The only disasters have been some local hail 136 Department of AgricultureGeorgia storms and the overflowing and destruction of some of the river and creek bottoms in different sections during the latter part of June and the first of July In South and Southeast Georgia many farmers have put the land from which the oat crop was taken into Mexican June corn which at this time promises a good yield This is a very white corn most excellent for bread and hominy and much liked by the people of that part of the State This large corn crop flanked and supported as it is by large crops of hay syrup meat fruits etc convinces me that Georgia farmers are at last beginning to travel the road that leads to prosperity independ ence and comfort Let us continue and increase our efforts in this direction striv ing harder and harder each year to cut loose from our thraldom to cotton until we raise everything that we consume within our own borders and thus achieve absolute independence Corn and meat for sale raised by Georgia farmers have ceased to be objects of curiosity on the streets of our towns and I hope by another year the importation of these articles will have entirely ceased COTTON There has been some gain in the condition of this crop since the last report though there is still much room for improvement The grass took such full possession and such strong hold during the late wet weather that it was with difficulty overcome and killed and in many cases the stand of cotton was injured while getting rid of the crass Until the last few davs there has been too much L rain for cotton especially on sandy lands and some cases of rust have been reported from South Georgia On the whole from the present outlook I see no reason to change my opinion on the prob able output of this crop viz threequarters of last years yield OATS Oats have been harvested in fair order all over the State and have turned out astonishingly well considering how late in the spring they were planted This most valuable food for all stock should be planted much more largely The acreage should be at least doubled and more pains should be taken in preparing the soil and plowing them inAnnual Publication for 1895 137 WHEAT The yield of wheat this year has not been as satisfactory as was hoped for a month ago The thinning out of the crop by the ex cessive cold of last winter made itself apparent when the grain was threshed out and measured In most cases the yield has been dis appointing and in addition there has been some loss since cutting by heavy and continuous rains RICE The reports from the rice crops are very flattering and there will be an unusual amount of upland rice raised throughout the State Many farmers besides supplying their own wants will have a sur plus for sale If small rice mills for cleaning the grain were put up in every county of Lower and Middle Goorgia it would lead to a large increase in the rice crop many persons being deterred from planting on account of having no mill for cleaning rice within reach A number of such mills are in operation and it is said that they pay well HAY MILLET SORGHUM CANE POTATOES These important though minor crops are all doing well through out the State with promise of excellent yields FIELD PEAS AND GROUND PEAS These crops upon which so much of our meat supply depends have been planted more largely than usual and at present the out look is good for an abundant yield of both FRUIT From Tybee to Tennessee the fruit trees and vines in this State are bending down with their loads of luscious fruit and the growers and railroads are working night and day to get some of the crop to less favored sections Long trainloads of watermelons grapes and peaches are daily going North on fast schedules to sup ply the people of the Northern cities The fruit industry is a grow ing one and would increase more rapidly if the railroads could give lower rates of freight which they probably will do before another crop is moved There are more canning and drying public plants than ever bep 138 Department of AgricultureGeorgia fore while every good wife in the State is busy preserving canning drying and turning into wine or vinegar all the fruit she can man age In spite of this much of the fruit crop will beed to hogs or go to waste There should be a canning or evaporating plant in every neigh borhood and fruits of every kind should all be saved The world wants our canned or dried fruits and is willing to pay a fair price for them but we seem very indifferent about the matter The prices for watermelons peaches grapes etc are much lower than in former years and the profits of the growers therefore will be much less than usual STOCK With the exception of a few reports of hog cholera the condi tion of stock is good all over the State and with no drawback this State will import but little meat next year There is no reason why we should import any Georgia should be a seller of meat and not a buyer and I believe the day is near at hand wheu such will be the case When raising her own meat and bread and manufacturing her own cotton crop in her own mills she will in deed and in truth merit her name of Empire State of the SouthAnnual Publication for 1895 139 SEPTEMBER COMMISSIONER NESBITTS REGULAR LETTER THE FARMERS CAMPAIGNPREPARATIONS FOR THE GRASSES AND GRAIN CROPS AGAIN URGEDTHE COTTON PICKING TIME AGAIN AT HAND AND THE COMMISSIONER PUTS IN A WORD FOR NEAT PACKINGFALL PLOWING IS IMPORTANT Department of Agriculture Atlanta Ga Sept 2 1895 The farmers fall campaign opens with the month of Septem ber After the comparative leisure of August he should start in with renewed energy and with brain and muscles nerved for the task he settles down to the steady work of gathering in the crops and getting the fall grain and grasses properly seeded GRAIN AND GRASSES The late August rains have greatly interfered with the work of preparation which is unforunate as this work has more in fluence on the yield of these crops than perhaps all other con ditions combined fertilization not excepted for without thorough and deep preparation no fertilizer can perform its full mission and much valuable and costly plant food is thus wasted Last month we dwelt somewhat at length on the preparation fertilization and sowing of these crops and we will only reiter ate here that on the earliness and thoroughness with which these details are attended to depends success or failure It is not yet too late to push this work of preparation and the recent rains have left the land in fine condition to do the work very effectively This is the best month for getting in the winter oats Grass and clover also should be sown Wheat can wait a little later In the cise of the grasses and clover the majority of Southern farmers have little experience but it has been proven that where judgment is exercised in the selec tion of situation and soil and careful methods of preparation140 Department of AgricultureGeorgia and fertilization obtain most gratifying results have followed These crops may be sown with the small grains but farmers who have tried both plans strongly recommend that they be sown alone Often not a sufficient quantity of seed is used In view of the fact that many of the seed do not germinate even in the best samples it is important to allow an ample margin in estimating the amount of seed for each acre German or Crimson clover for winter grazing and for feeding in the early spring is attracting widespread attention In Georgia it has scarcely yet attained popularity but in some other Southern States it is considered as heading the list of all crops intended for these purposes It gives good returns from land on which the common Red clover would not succeed and is of equal value for improving the land and for feed It can be seeded from the middle of August to the first of October from 12 to 15 pounds to the acre lightly brushed or harrowed in and after winter grazing and cutting if the stock are taken oft in March sufficient seed will mature to fully reseed the land which can then be prepared for late corn When the corn is gathered the clover comes on again Thus two crops can be obtained and the land instead of being exhausted is gradually being built up COTTON As the cotton opens the pickers should keep up with it Early picked and clean cotton commands a better price than where the sample is injured by beating rains or stained from the weather Attention has already been repeatedly called to the condition in which our American cotton reaches European ports The Eastern cotton growers set us an example in this respect which if we would imitate would mean thousands of dol lars to us The Indian and Egyptian grower sends his cotton to market in neat compact bales well covered ours is ragged and unsightly and often enough of the contents of each bale is wasted in transit to pay for any additional care and expense which might be necessary to put it up in better marketable shapeAnnual Publication for 1895 141 The actual percentage deducted because of our careless meth ods when the price of our staple is fixed in Liverpool would be an astonishing revelation to the majority of farmers WHEAT need no be sown until October and the time should be reeru ated as far as we can judge to about ten days before the first frost usually comes Wherever wheat is to be sown the use of lime cannot be too highly estimated Its office is to bring into available condition much of the mineral plant food locked up in the soil and otherwise unavailable It also sets free nitrogen by promoting the earlier decay of vegetable matter The growth of wheat is thus pushed forward more rapidly an important considerationbecause we wish it to be well started before the winter sets in The land for wheat should be plowed deeply and then allowed to settle before the surface is finely harrowed and the seed put in This should be done at a depth of three or four inches the soil being made as fine as possible FALL PLOWING We would again urge the importance of deep fail plowing on the stiff clay lands of the Stateof thoroughly breaking the subsoil and though not advisable to bring too much to the surface a little will not hurt In some experiments conducted in 1892 to 1898 to illustrate the benefits of subsoil plowing the seed soil and planting be ing the same for the subsoiled and unsubsoiled plats in each instance the following crops resulted The potato crop unsubsoiled was practically a failure on ac count of drouth subsoiled the yield was 125 bushels per acre Oats on land subsoiled in the fall of 1893 showed a yield of 30 to 35 bushels on adjoining land with ordinary plowing 10 bushels Rye subsoiled 30 bushels unsubsoiled 10 bushels Corn showed more than double yield for the subsoiled plat We have seen this year in Cobb count7 on land which a few years ago would scarcely sprout peas as fine a yield of corn as142 Department of AgricultureGeorgia is usually produced on our alluvial river lands the result of leguminous crops rotation and subsoiling We feel that we cannot serve the farmers better than by call ing attention to these possibilities of our longsuffering and hard run old fields Another important subject for study and experiment is the SAVING OF OUR CORN CROP Perhaps few farmers are aware that by our present wasteful plan of pulling the corn and fodder and leaving the stalks in the field 2370 or nearly onefourth the value of the entire product is wasted This has not only been proven by analysis but by experi ments in feeding The stalks are troublesome to handle and cannot be profitably used in their present shape for feed In the manure pile they decompose so slowly as to be very unde sirable for bedding therefore under ordinary conditions it is not surprising that the farmer leaves them standing in the field and if they prove very unmanageable when the crop prep aration begins they are often piled and burned It is not necessary to state that a waste of nearly onefourth the returns in any other business would swamp it in the first few years One and the principal reason that the stalks have not heretfore been more thoroughly utilized is that we have had no machine for overcoming the difficulties of handling the entire corn product to advantage But as is usually the case when the necessity arises the machinery is evolved from the ever active brain of the inventor and a machine is now on the market which cuts or shreds the stalk fodder and shuck in such a manner as to give the very best fodder and the waste forms a most desirable bedding which is easily converted into manure Those who have tested it pronounce it practical It therefore rests with the farmer to save his corn crop in such shape that the entire product stalk leaves shuck and grain can be util ized This is of course as yet a new departure in Southern farming If a farmer does not wish to subject his whole corn crop to an untried process let him give it a trial on at leastAnnual Publication for 1895 143 part of it Some farmers through the State are making a test with the present years crop Let each one resolve that another year he will make the experiment The corn should be cut oft at the root the stalks placed in wellbuilt shocks and tied around the top with binders twine After they are cured they are taken to the barn where if the shredding machine is used no part is wasted The problem for us to solve just now is as to the very best method of saving the corn by this process the machine will do the rest The outlook seems to be favorable to a better price for cot ton and if the crop can be marketed to meet the demands of the trade rather than the individual obligations of farmers no doubt the price can be sustained but if a farmers notes fall due he has no alternative and thus much cotton is often forced on the market at a time when it is not needed by the spinners and the consequence is lower prices There are so many qualifying conditions surrounding this whole question that it is difficult to advise intelligently at least each individual must carefully weigh every attendant circum stanca and decide for himself E T ISTesbitt Commissioner QUERIES ANSWERED COMMISSIONER NESBLTTS QUESTION BOX FOR THE MONTH MUCH ABOUT IRRIGATING LANDTHE COMMISSIONER REPRO DUCES SOME LETTERS FURNISHED THE CULTIVATOR FOR A MORE GENERAL CIRCULATIONTHE KEYSTONE CORN HUSKER USED ONLY FOR CORN THAT IS CURED ON THE STALK QUESTION 1 Can you tell me something of the practical working of the Keystone Corn Husker and Fodder Cutter which I have seen advertised as cutting and shredding the stalks as well as husking the corn answer 1 We have had no personal experience with the machine men144 Department of AgricultureGeorgia tioned but give the comments of competent persons who have tried it Of course you understand that the machine is used only for corn which has been cured entire that is stalk leaf shuck and ear in the shock as is done in the West The Breeders Gazette says By its use leaves stalks and ears if wanted are reduced to a homogeneous mass of soft fiber easily handled and eagerly eaten The fodder shredder is well named It simply tears info shreds all parts of the plant and reduces it to a pulpy form in which none will be rejected by the stock It is a general invention and the one which will best aid us in effecting a saving of the 37 per cent of value of the corn crop now largely lost It is altogether probable that the invention of this machine will open up a new market for corn fodder The shredded fodder baled can be handled like baled hay and is only a little less valu able as a food stuff for city horses than the best of hay It is only a question of time when baled shredded fodder will be quoted in city feed markets and its nutrients its palatility and its freedom from dust are bound to bring it into popularity as a horse feed The leftover portions in case of overfeed can be taken from the man ners and used as bedding and indeed it is not impossible that the poorer grade of shredded fodder such as lias been largely weather beaten of its nutriment maybe sold regularly for bedding Noth ing can be better for this purpose In ease of handling in soft ness and in absorptive qualities it meets the requirements of an ideal bedding Fodder thus treated can be used for bedding on the farm to advantage In the Commissioners talk for the month he calls attention to our wasteful policy of gathering the corn and fodder and leaving the stalk which contains nearly onefourth the value of the entire plant standing in the field One of these machines has been tested at the Agricultural Ex periment Station and Professor Xourse says of it Labor required maybe summed upas follows One feeder one engineer a man to place corn on table one to help load in the field another to unload husked corn and one or two men to put fodder in barn together with driver for each teamAnnual Publication foe 1895 145 Labor accomplished by machine and force above mentioned The corn is not only shucked but is brought from the field the ears are housed and fodder put in barn If buildings are well arranged one mau will store the fodder while the corn may be dropped directly into the crib By actual timing our machine medium size husked from 20 to 24 bushels of 70 pounds per hour The yield was not more than 25 bushels per acre Quality of work done Occasionally an ear will pass through the machine and the husks remain but if properly adjusted these will be few The appearance of the corn is better than when husked by hand A small amount of grain will be shelled by the screws although probably but little more than a husking pin And in any event the shelled kernels will drop into the fodder and be carried up with it to be afterward fed to the cattle As we have intimated before we value the machine particularly for the improved condition in which it leaves the fodder Cattle will eat a much larger amount than when it is prepared by the usual methods With us at least it doubles the value of this portion of the plant We know that some people have trouble in keeping the fodder passed through the machine but ours has come out in perfect con dition as fresh as when first put in This machine has been on the market but a short time and con sequently as is the case with most new machines some parts re quire adjusting Changes made during the past year have already greatly improved iti The farmers of ATirginia will in our opinion do well to watch these implements and by this or some other measure give corn fodder the care it deserves Our interests are with the farmers and we feel that we cannot serve them better than by calling attention at times to laborsaving machinery for upon lessening of cost of production and caring for their crops depends much of the success of the farmer Others who have tried curing the corn in this manner and then packing away in the barn after the husker and shredder has done its work say that it will keep well and come out fine feed in 10 ag146 Department of AgricultureGeorgia winter provided the crop is thoroughly cured iu the field and cut up when free from unusual moisture Of course there is always some moisture in the stalk even when well cured but those who have tried it say that if it is packed tightly in the barn and allowed to remain in the barn although it will heat considerably it will not be injured SODA AND SALT ON CLOVER QUESTION 2 A party staying with me over night informs me that he knows a good farmer in Ohio who thinks second crop clover better than the first cutting for horses when cut in the afternoon halfcured and put in the barn free from dew or rain He salts it when packing with a mixture of salt and bicarbon ate of soda but dont know the quantity of soda to a bushel of salt He also says this man salts his stock with salt and soda mixed and thinks it much better than salt alone He says the salt and soda destroy the salivating properties in the clover and do not slobber the stock Being anxious to try it as I am now cutting my second crop will you kindly submit this to your chemist and have him say how much soda he would advise used to a bushel of salt and what is the chemical effect of the mix tureand give his opinion in the matterand I will try it at once If there is anything in this it would be worth much to farmers in making use of the second crop which is often better than the first and heretofore has only been used for cattle You will greatly oblige me by an early reply ANSWER 2 The bicarbonate of soda is used to neutralize the acidity produced by fermentation and prevents it forming Have had no experience with these to prevent slobbering and dont know whether it would do it or not Would like to know the result of your experiment Use one gallon of soda to one bushel of salt No harm in the soda but too much would give an unpleasant tasteAnnual Publication foe 1895 147 QUESTION 3 I had a cow constipated for two days kidneys acting freely balance of her sickness bowels loose and discharge from kidneys scant No appetite thirsty restless Died in seven days What was the matter Give treatment Was it contagious 2 Another cow with symptoms very much like the first ex cept in last stages she became mad running at anything that came about her On cutting open found in stomach a hard ball of several pounds weight composed of rough feed ends of twigs etc What ailed her and treatment ANSWER 3 Your cow died of peritonitis which is caused by local injuries constipation diarrhea or irritation of any char acter It is not contagious TreatmentHot cloths to abdomen laudanum one drachm every hour for six hours 2 Your cow died from impaction or gastritis which by the accumulation of the poisonous gases generated by the undi gested food affects the nervous system and brain causing the animal to act like one mad This disease is generally caused by the food Treatment should be purgative with a change of diet Ceasing to chew the cud is only a symptom of arrested rumination The following answers were prepared by Commissioner Nesbitt in reply to some questions sent to the Southern Cultivator In view of the awakening interest in irrigation and the meeting of the National Irrigation Congress soon to convene in Atlanta he has considered it advisable to insert them here Through the courtesy of the Cultivator he is allowed to use them IRRIGATION QUESTION 97 I have a plat of ground which I desire to irrigate Can you not give a first lesson in irrigation for the benefit of the readers of the Cultivator 148 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Inclosed you will find plat of ground which I wish to irrigate If you can get any sense out of the drawing please mark on it with ink or colored pencil the place for the ditch and its dimensions also witli pencil the rows State what all the ditch and rows should have if any I can have four feet head How many inches per acre will be required a year I live one and a half miles from the depot With the said land properly irrigated what crop and fer tilizers would be best to plant taking into consideration the mar kets The line a b is on a level with bottom of pond the lines d run on a level ditch y 2x4 feet deep the fall from a b to x top of ditch 5 feet the tail from a b to c d is 7 feet the line 1 is on a level with a b to make a 2 b on a level with a b would require a ditch 3 feet deep at 2 the highest point on the line a 2 b the distance from t to c is about 600 feet and from b to x about 275 feet about four acres the lengths of d on east side of ditch will average about 50 feet Soil coarse gray sandy there are a few quartz and iron ore stones at 3 at the southeast corner granite crops out with an area of 200 square feet Thoroughly drained Cane extends 30 feet on each side of ditch y Subsoil yellow and blue clay south end crawfishy second growth pine and sweetgum principally One acre on the south end in cotton capacity about 1000 or 1200 pounds per acre A C M Zebulon GaAnnual Publication for 1895 149 ANSWER Direction as to your plat of ground which you wish to irrigate is at this distance too uncertain We would advise that you seek the assistance of some competent and experienced person who can visit the gound and take in all the surroundings There are many conditions besides the merely topographical which should be considered in this very broad and important subject of ir rigation Heretofore owing to our annual rainfall of about 49 inches very little attention has been given in the Southern States to the fact that a large part of what would be an abundance of water if properly husbauded is allowed to waste consequently at the crit ical period of plant development we often look in vain for the one good rain which would put the crops beyond the danger line In the last few years wideawake agriculturists are beginning to realize that by proper precautions the consequences of our annual drouth may be avoided The coming Irrigation Congress to meet in Atlanta this fall evinces the interest that is just now being awakened in this question A few of the most important points to be considered in any plan of irrigation are First soil second cli mate third subsoil fourth supply of water and manner of utiliz ing it whether by dams tanks or cisterns pumps worked by wind mills engines or horsepower fifth preparation of the surface whether for sprinkling by pipes and hose or by surface pipes etc sixth drainage It will thus be seen that in the limits of an article like this even with the points given in your diagram the proper information cannot be satisfactorily furnished QUESTION I have some land near a small creek which I desire to irrigate I will have to force water 800 to 1000 feet distance to a height of from 60 to 75 feet Which is the best to use a hydraulic ram a windmill or a steam engine How can I place my tanks to sprinkle from eight to ten acres F N Demorest Ga ANSWER This question apparently so simple involves the consid eration of so many conditions that we would not undertake150 Department of AgricultureGeorgia to answer it unless we had had more experience than is just now usual at the South This question of irrigation requires not only to be studied carefully but to be practically developed before one cau discuss it intelligently In the first place the amount of water re quired by our ordinary crops that is the amount which must be taken up by their roots the only way in which the plants can appro priate it to properly nourish them from the time the seeds sprout until the crops are matured is equal to a depth of one foot over the entire soil covered by each crop This is the average requirement on a medium soil well cultivated If the crop is very highly manured a still greater amount is needed By reference to No 97 in the present number you will observe that there are many im portant points to be considered besides the mere collecting of the necessary amount of water We are just in the A B Cs of the science of irrigation which belongs to the highest development of agriculture and can only be successfully operated on the most val uable lands and under the direction of the most skillful management One thing is certain however that if we would keep up with the progress of the age we must learn to utilize our annual rainfall more than ample for the needs of our crops but most abundant at the season that they need it least By collecting even a part of this amount and keeping it ready for use in case of emergency we become practically independent of the seasons and are secured against the unfortunate effects of drouth But to do this econom ically and successfully requires technical kuowledge and skill and must depend on a more certain foundation than a few directions from an agricultural journal QUESTION Will you give me some information concerning irrigation Will silos do in this latitude A C M Zebulon Ga 1 We are glad to note the awakening interest in this ques tion which in view of the fact that our heaviest rains come at seasons when our crops could do best without them points to the importance of preventing the escape of this water into our rivers and streams and to collecting it and placing it where it can be called for and supplied on demandAnnual Publication for 1895 151 Another reason why we should consider and study plans of ir rigation is that in the earlier days of our agriculture when our lands were fresh and filled with moistureasborbing humus the rains were retained for a longer time in the soil Now much of the water washes over the lands and passes off in the spring and fall floods The forest too once prevented the drying winds which now carry off so much of the needed moisture So much for some of the benefits to be derived from irrigation The question of its practicability has been most successfully demonstrated on the arid lands of the far West Where however its cost is greater than the profit derived from its application it would be folly to attempt it For instance if the land is so high that to raise the water and re tain it in reservoirs would consume too much of the proceeds of the crop or if the land is so low as to require a costly system of sub soil drainage or if the fertility of the land does not justify the out lay of capital and labor both considerable in any successful effort at irrigation Even a small mistake may bring disaster in a system which has to be calculated very accurately The amount of water needed must be estimated and decided on beyond the possibility of a doubt An inadequate supply would entail great loss of crops and expenditure of money while an excessive amount necessarily implies additional and needless expense In the calculation of the amount of water required three important points should be consid ered First soil second subsoil third climate Gravely soils will not retain water sand will absorb only a small amount and re tain it but a short time heavy clay and garden soils absorb and retain a large amount while humus absorbs and gives back least that is loses least by evaporation The following table by Shulber shows the capacities of different soils for absorbing water and their power of retaining it The soils were first weighed then thoroughly saturated with water and the increase in weight noted They were then spread over equal sur faces 152 Department of Agriculture Georgia Percentage Per cent of of water water evapo absorbed ated in 4hrs Quartz sand 25 29 40 51 52 lil 85 89 181 884 Limestone sand 75 11 Clay soil 40 per cent sand 52 0 Loam 45 7 320 346 Fine carbonate of lime 280 Humus peat or decayed vegetable matter 243 255 From this table it will be seen that the difference in soils has to be carefully noted and upon the right determination of their capac ity for absorbing and retaining moisture depends in great measure success or failure in irrigating The character of the subsoil is important because an allowance has to be made in the supply of water according to the power of the subsoil for retaining or losing it We all know that a heavy clay subsoil will hold the water while a coarse gravelly subsoil will allow it to pass through As much of the water on the surface is dissipated by evapora tion climate must largely influence our decision in determining on any plan of irrigation In the moist climate of England and the more humid atmosphere of Ireland less water is required than in the dry hot climate of the south of France where irrigation has been closely studied and successfully practiced These instances show that in a country so widely diversified as ours with variations of soils and climate such as are found in no other country in the world plans of irrigation should be modified and cannot be suc cessful unless adjusted to immediate climate and soil conditions Much depends upon the agricultural condition of the surface soil soils thoroughly cultivated and kept in a mellow condition of course being more retentive of moisture than neglected fields As to these three conditions the intelligent farmer can determine much for himself but when the construction of dams reservoirs tanks and cisterns is to be decided as well as the laying of water and drainage pipes the best engineering skill must be consulted 2 Yes and they afford a means of utilizing many otherwise wasted crops besides giving the very best character of winter feedAnnual Publication for 1895 153 CONDITION OF CROPS WHAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED DURING THE PAST MONTH NOT FAVORABLE TO THE COTTONAN ABUNDANT CORN CROP AFFORDS CAUSE TO BE THANKFULNOW FEED STOCK MORE LIBERALLY IS THE INJUNCTIONTHIS WILL BE FULLY RETURNED IN THE BETTERED CONDITION OF THE ANIMALS AT HOME COTTON During the past month the conditions have not been favorable for cotton There has been an excess of rain in nearly every por tion of the State causing a good deal of rust on the gray lands and on the red lands inducing an excessive growth of weed without a corresponding increase of bolls Picking has commenced in Lower and Middle Georgia and will soon be general all over the State There is some little complaint of boll worms and caterpillars but nothing serious on that line as yet Bearing in mind that the crop is at least two weeks later than an average that there is a decrease of 30 per cent in the use of fertilizers and of 15 to 20 per cent in acreage that in some coun ties a considerable acreage has been abandoned on account of grass in view of all these conditions the prospect for the cotton crop is the poorest we have had for years The conditions from this on must be unusually favorable for the crop of this State to reach threefourths of last years production CORN The farmers of Georgia have good reason to be thankful for the abundant corn crop with which they have been blessed this year Never in the history of the State has such a corn crop been made Thousands of farmers will make sufficient to last them for two years and just here lies our danger Auy corn offered for sale must bring a low price for the crop is enormous all over the country Finding little sale for corn many farmers may be induced to plant less next year and largely increase their cotton crops thus bring ing on the condition of things from which we have just emerged viz lowpriced cotton and scarce and dear corn Allow me to raise a warning voice against this temptation We have gained our emancipation from the Western corn fields and smokehouses154 Department of AgricultureGeorgia now let us maintain that independence by redoubling our exertions to make our farms selfsustaining Feed the corn to hogs and cattle and poultry feed more to your horses and mules keeping them in such good condition that they will forget that they were ever halfstarved on Western corn We can thus find use for all our corn at home and improve and greatly increase our stock of all kinds Fodderpulling is over in the lower half of the State and well under way in North Georgia While much fodder was injured and some ruined by the August rains a good deal has been saved in excellent condition thus insuring plenty of long forage for our needs FRUIT The fruit crop of the State except apples and late peaches has been gathered and disposed of and the pantriesaud storerooms of our wives bear witness to the abundance aud variety of the crop This has been a phenomenal year for all kinds of fruit Our peaches stand at the head in all the Northern markets and have made a reputation in so many cities this year that this should in sure for them a ready sale at better prices in the future In peaches at least California has almost ceased to be a competitor against us for though her peaches are as a rule larger aud more showy they cannot compare in flavor richness and juiciness with those we send to market and consumers are fast finding this out With lower rates of freight which I believe we will have another year the fruitgrower has every cause to be hopeful of future success FIELD PEAS Farmers have planted more peas than usual in all parts of the State showing that they are learniug the value of the pea as a renovator of the soil There will be a large crop gathered and on many fields hogs and other stock will be turned to fatten GROUND PEAS SUGAR CANE SORGHUM As a rule these minor though very important crops are excel lent throughout the State Here and there are small dry spots but on the whole these crops promise well for a bountiful yieldAnnual Publication foe 1895 155 thus insuring an abundance of fine syrup and in very many cases sugar to the growers SWEET POTATOES The same welldistributed rains that have made such a bountiful corn crop have also made a fine crop of potatoes As a rule we are too careless in housing this crop and in consequence thousands of bushels are annually lost They should be dug before frost and then put up in such way as to keep dry during winter Potatoes can be fed with advantage to all farm stock besides being a very palatable and healthy food for man and more care should be exer cised in putting them up for winter use MILLET CLOVER ETC The August rains have somewhat interfered with the saving of these crops but on the whole the amount saved in good order has been more than an average RICE The harvesting of this crop is now in progress and with no dis aster from storms the crop will be a good one I reiterate what I wrote last month that the erection of small mills throughout the middle and southern sections of the State would very much en courage the planting of this grain The difficulty of getting it properly cleaned deters many farmers from planting it STOCK The condition of stock throughout the State is fair some few cases of hog cholera reported and one or two cases of supposed glanders among horses With our bountiful provision crops there should be no poor animals within our borders Our horses and mules render their full assistance in making our crops and they certainly deserve to be comfortably housed and well fed156 Department op AgricultureGeorgia OCTOBER THE COMMISSIONERS MONTHLY LETTER FALL WORK IS NEXT IS ORDERWHEN EVERYTHING IS DONE THE TOOLS SHOULD BE LAID AWAY CAREFULLY UNTIL THE OPPORTUNITY OFFERS TO PUT THEM IN ORDER FOR THE NEXT SEASONA PAPER FULL OF GOOD ADVICE TO ALL In years gone by and under the old regime the fall months were given chiefly to the gathering of the cotton crop and when this work was not pressing farmers as a rule considered that if they gathered and housed the corn and other crops and packed their pork into the pork houses by Christmas they were accomplishing their full duty to their families themselves and their calling Un der a more progressive system however the farmer who allows his fields to be bare exposed to the destructive work of the winters storm his cattle to shiver in its chilling blasts is regarded as indif ferent to his own interests and lacking in the most important es sentials of an enlightened agriculturist Let us again repeat that the fall work on a Georgia farm is as important if not more so than that in the spring when everything is in a rush and all call ing for attention at the same time Much of this spring rush and vexation of spirit may be materially lightened by thoughtful plan ning and work now In the comparative leisure of the fall season we can lay the foundations for next years crop FA LI PLOWING more especially on our heavy lands with a red clay subsoil not only loosens and aerates the land but permits a more extended ac tion of the rains and frost which are sure to come Lands which have been deeply plowed in the fall receive and what is of more importance retain much of the water which would otherwise be washed away with every beating rain taking with it a large amount of the topsoil whose foodproducing elements have to be replaced before we can expect a satisfactory yield of crops Another advanAnnual Publication foe 1895 157 tage to be gained by fall and early winter plowing is that on many of our old cultivated lands there are valuable mineral elements ly ing dormant too dee to be reached by our ordinary shallow plow ing These to be made valuable must be brought to the surface mixed with any vegetable matter or humus which may be found there and left to the action of the frosts the rains and the atmos phere three powerful agents and assistants to the farmer By these forcible agenciesthe mineral elements which playso important a part in the development of all crops and for which we pay such a high price in the form of commercial fertilizers can be had for the seek ing and their presence in this form and by the methods which we have to use to get them will put our lands in better condition than if we were to cover their whole surface with the highest priced com mercial goods Therefore even if the work has by reason of beat ing rains to be repeated in the spring we would advise by all means deep plowing To get the full benefit of this work it should be done as soon as possible and if a crop of rye or German clover lie planted we have set in motion forces which will go far towards supplying all three needed elements phosphoric acid potash and nitrogen on the spot and from the free laboratory of nature added to which our lands will be in better condition and our crops more certain than if we depended on buying all the necessary food elements instead of making a large part at home WHEAT As indicated last month the sowing of this crop should be regu lated as far as possible to about ten days before our usual killing frost is expected A solution of blue stone applied to the seed by soaking will destroy the smut spores and rust can be in a measure controlled by selection of seed judicious fertilizing and sowing as soon as possible on well drained high land with a northern expo sure Wheat prefers such a situation and it being observed that rust is most destructive in hot damp seasons an early maturing variety should be selected and though wheat is a nitrogenabsorb ing plant we must exercise judgment as to the quantity of this element supplied An excessive amount although producing luxuriant growth is a promoter of rust The safest source from158 Department of AgricultureGeorgia which to obtain nitrogen is a clover stubble turned underlacking this cottonseed meal comes next or if preferred the whole cotton seed EYE can be sown until the last of November and it cannot be too strongly urged that we seed down all plowed land It not only tends to preserve the land but is steadily manufacturing food for our summer crops On the HARVESTING OF THE CORN CROP we dwelt somewhat at length last month In the Georgia State Building on the grounds of the Cotton States and International Ex position at Atlanta can be seen specimens of the plant saved en tire stalk fodder shuck and ears so that no part is wasted When this plan is adopted by every farmer it means a saving of about onefourth the value of the corn crop which is now allowed to waste in the fields besides which the standing stalks interfere very seriously with the harvesting of the pea crop and render it al most impossible to put in a wheat crop which should be done In these days of low prices of agricultural products it is important that we watch these heretofore neglected details The English the German and the French farmer sets us an example of thrift and carefulness in nearly all minor details SAVING OF LATE CROPS All crops of millet clover grass peavines should be put under shelter as soon as possible Spanish groundpeas furnish not only nuts but the tops if properly cured make good forage The Irish and sweet potato crops should be gathered before the tops are en tirely killed and it is important to do this before the rains begin for they should be stored when they are entirely dry Assort them as they are dug taking out all bruised or cut tubers and spread out to dry out thoroughly and do not make the banks of potatoes where they are stored too large REPAIRS on all buildings and stables should be attended to before the winter sets in and if possible whitewash the latter inside and out after giving them a thorough cleaning Good pastures and good feedAnnual Publication for 1895 159 are essential to the proper keeping of live stock but this food will not make a profitable return if the animals are exposed in cold and wet seasons House them comfortably and thus get a full re turn in beef or milk for the capital invested in these animal ma chines GATHER UP ALL TOOLS Gather up all tools and implements clean and after oiling the working parts put under shelter until some opportune rainy season when they can be thoroughly repaired and put in condition for the coming years work TURNING UNDER PEA VINES To get the full value of a pea crop the best plan is to cut and cure for hay or store in the silo for ensilage then turn under the stubble But as we have had inquiries as to the best time for turn ing under the entire crop we would advise that this be done after the vines are fully matured In this condition they decompose more slowly and are less leached away by the winter rains The younger vines are very succulent decay more rapidly and there is more acidity from their decomposition Where the entire crop is turned under a top dressing of lime applied after this is done will be found very useful in correcting acidity it will also cause to be formed certain chemical compounds in the soil which will be of valuable assistance in furnishing plant food for another crop R T Nesbitt Commissioner of Agriculture GENERAL CROP SUMMARY A DRY MONTH HAS WITH HOT WEATHER OPENED THE COTTONOTHER CROPS COTTON Our last report was for the month of August which was entirely too wet for cotton resulting in much rust and shedding throughout the state During the month of September but little rain has fallen in the State except in the southeast section In addition to the dry condition of the atmosphere it has been excessively warm for the160 Department of AgricultureGeorgia season of the year These two conditions combined have caused cotton to open very rapidly the halfgrown bolls opening prema turely and the crop is fast being gathered ginned and sold Pains should be taken to gather and handle the crop as nicely as possible as trasli and dirt of any description inevitably cause a reduction in the price Again never in packing mix dirty and clean cotton in the same bale hoping to sell it all for the price of the clean cotton for invariably the entire bale sells as dirty cotton The Liverpool cotton buyers are complaining at the way American cotton is packed and demand an improvement in that line I think there is room for improvement and I trust that our farmers will take pains to cover their cotton bales as nearly as pos sible hidiug the sides and ends entirely with bagging so that less dirt may accumulate on the cotton and less cotton be washed on account of dirt after reaching the factories As to the threat of Liverpool buyers to impose a heavy penalty on our farmers for poor packing of cotton that is all bosh and nonsense They must buy our cotton however packed but it is much to our interest to pack it neatly and carefully I must warn our people against another thing Never sell all of the seed from the first and second pickings of the crop and depend upon the seed from the third and last pickings for planting This is a very serious mistake as very many of the seed from the last picking are immature and light and if they germinate after plant ing can only develop into weak and sickly plants Always re serve vour planting seed from the bottom or middle crop of cotton for they are apt to be plump heavy and fully matured and when planted will develop into healthy vigorous plants The crop will be gathered early this year and will not in my opinion exceed if it reaches 7000000 bales If my estimate of the crop is right cot ton will be selling at higher prices in the spring than it is bringing at present When I believe prices will be higher later on I do not advise holding cotton Each farmer must be his own judge of that matter as the conditions surrounding each are different I do however unhesitatingly advise against selling cotton seed at the prices now offered Every farmer in the State knows howAnnual Publication for 1895 161 valuable they are as a fertilizer for corn wheat oats and other crops and as a simple matter of economy they should not be sold at present prices Keep your seed to build up your compost heaps with which to enrich your land and you will be much better repaid thau by selling them at present prices CORN The promise of the spring and summer has been fulfilled and the huge corn crop of the State is safe from all contingencies Every section has a bountiful crop with the exception of small areas here and there where the rainfall was deficient Now that it is made be sure to save it all carefully wasting none at the same time feed ing liberally to stock of all kinds that they may enter upon the winter in good condition Commence early to feed the hogs you want to fatten and kill remembering that a bushel of corn or other feed will make much more fat and flesh during the mild days of October than after the weather becomes colder SORGHUM AND SUGAR CANE The grinding of sorghum has been in full blast for two weeks past in Middle and Upper Georgia and a larger quantity of syrup will be made than is usual A good many are not getting the yield they expected but the acreage is larger and in the aggregate the yield will be large Sugar cane grinding has not yet commenced but the crop is good and there will be plenty of syrup and sugar from that source in the lower half of the State POTATOES This crop is good all over the State and if only put up with proper care is very easily kept I dont think we fully appreciate this valuable food crop which can be raised so easily and in such quantities Many farmers still plant the poorer varieties very defi cient in saccharine matter and therefore neither so palatable nor so fattening as the better varieties Let us strive to have the best in everything not in potatoes only I admit it is easier to raise a Cuba Hayti or St Domingo than a Georgia yam but after raising the Cuba yam you have a Hag162 Department of AgricultureGeorgia potato that when I lived in Southwest Georgia the hogs wouldnt eat while if you raise a Georgia yam you have a potato fit for a kings table Potatoes are good food for all kinds of stock three bushels being equal to one of corn in feeding value FIELD PEAS There has been a larger area than usual planted throughout the State and the crop of peas is a large one There is complaint from some sections that the vines have not borne well but as a rule the crop is a good one GROUND PEAS are reported good and in Lower Georgia the fattening hogs are in many cases already turned on them This crop is planted in this State chiefly to fatten hogs for which it is admirably adapted Not many are planted for market though in our sister States of Ten nessee and North Carolina they are largely cultivated for that pur pose In this era of diversified farming some of our farmers might find this a profitable crop RICE The crop is generally good all over the State with more planted than usual I hope next year to see this valuable grain more gen erally planted than ever before It is not hard to raise yields fairly well and is healthy and nutritious for man and beast The chief trouble is to clean the hull from the grain before it can be cooked The people on the coast who live largely on rice do this by pounding the grain a long time using a wooden mortar and pestle For commercial purposes the cleaning is done in large steam mills There are now on the market small rice mills which might be run like the cotton gins throughout the country the farmer paying so much toll to have his rice cleaned Were these small mills established I am satisfied that the production of rice would be greatly increased FRUITS The fruit crop has all been gathered and disposed of except some varieties of apples pears and grapes A few days since I saw a carload of watermelons in AtlantaAnnual Publication foe 1895 163 shipped from some point in Indiana and they seemed to be selling very rapidly Cannot some of our watermelon raisers have melons on the market until frost The last in the market I think would do as well as the first and command just as good prices for the people seem to want them more when they are not to be had Try it next year shipping South instead of North I think it would pay if moderately engaged in Much of the fruit was injured this year by the very wet August particularly peaches grapes and melons none of which were in quality as good as usual iu North Georgia lacking the sweetness which sunshine alone can give STOCK Stock is in fair condition Reports of some sickness and a few deaths among cattle in different parts of the State but nothing very serious or that will not readily yield to treatment Hogs generally reported healthy and in decidedly greater numbers than usual though some localities particularly in Southwest Georgia have reported large losses from cholera I am happy to report that the farmers of Georgia will not need much meat from the West next year COTTONSEED MEAL FOR SWINE The latest experiments reported on testing the effect of cottonseed meal as a food for hogs comes from the Texas station Professor Soule reports that from a series of experiments conducted at that station the conclusion is reached that cottonseed meal or hulls either raw boiled or roasted cannot be fed to hogs Pure meal was fatal in every case but one boiled meal less so than raw Various combinations of this food with others were tried but failed to give results of value164 Department of AgricultureGeorgia COMMISSIONER NESBITTS QUESTION BOX FOR THE MONTH INFORMATION OF IMPORTANCETHE BEST TIME TO SOW HUN GARIAN GRASS AND SOME OF ITS PECULIARITIESTREATISE ON SILOS AND ENSILAGEMORE PROFITABLE TO BUY HIGH GRADE FERTILIZERS THAN TO INVEST IS CHEAPER QUALITIES QUESTION 1 What is the best time for turning under peavines I have a field in luxuriant growth Shall I turn them under now or shall I wait until they are fully matured answer 1 This question has already been discussed at some length in these columns but we again call attention to the disadvantages of turning under a succulent green crop at this season In the first place the partiallymatured vines decay much more rapidly than the fully developed plants and this decay sets up a chemical action which releases nitrogenous products to be washed away by the winter rains In the maturer plants this process is slower and we are enabled to hold these products in the soil for a longer time to await the demands of the spring crops Again the decomposition of a turnedunder green crop produces an amount of acidity more or less which is often found injurious to succeeding crops and while this may be corrected by an application of lime broadcast on the plowed surface we would strongly advise against the practice of planting a crop simply to return it to the land Indeed we do not advocate the turning under of any crop without first getting some other benefit than the mere improvement of the soil In the case of peas the crop can be taken off either in the form of gathered hay or peas or the stock hogs cows and work animals can be turned in to harvest it with great benefit to themselves and little injury to the land unless in a very wet season In the residuum of stems and roots we have material almost as valuable while the increase in butter pork and coldresisting fat more than couuterbalances the value of the crop taken off The following experience is per tinent Annual Publication for 1895 165 A neighbor who is a very observing gardener gives the result of his observations and experience on this subject On a small piece of flatwoods which he wished to prepare for strawberry plants one summer he plowed down a rank crop of cowpeas when they were full of succulence and for two years afterwards the soil was so sad heavy and lifeless that he could get nothing to grow well on it So much fermenting vegetation in the soil soured and injured its texture very much On the other hand he had a crop of cow peas iu a young pear orchard which through the press of other work he neglected to plow under until they became so heavy that they lodged and he then abandoned the intention and left them to rot on the ground Next spring on plowing this orchard he found the ground in an admirable condition as mellow and as light as an ash heap QUESTION 2 What is the best time to sow Hungarian Brome grass on what kind of land and when should it be cut Is it a good winter grass answer 2 Tt may be sown either in the fall or early spring and should be cut just as it begins to bloom Like all other crops the better the condition of the soil the better the yield On poor soils it grows about a foot to a foot and a half high in more favorable locations and when properly managed it frequently attains a height of from three to four feet Its underground roots grow most rapidly in light sandy loams but they also penetrate the stiffest clay and form a good sod At the South it is esteemed more for grazing than cut ting It stands even protracted drouth remarkably well and does not seem to be affected by sudden or extreme changes of tempera ture If the land is prepared the same as for other grasses and other conditions are favorable it has been found to succeed where the finer grasses have failed In our section it remains green through the winter and seems to be gaining favor for winter pasturage The seed should be sown unmixed with other varieties as its habit is such as to choke Out other vegetation On this account care should be exercised in selecting a location for its growth On fields where166 Department of AgricultureGeorgia rotation of crops is practiced its introduction is not desirable as the sod is tough and dense and might prove very troublesome question 3 Would you advise the buying of a high grade fertilizer at a high price or one of low grade at less cost answer 3 All things considered the highgrade fertilizer is cheaper for the farmer The percentage of plant food in a high grade of fertilizer being larger than in the low grade the proportionable freight is therefore less Also the nitrogen in the high grade goods is usually derived from better material than that in the low grade goods If on account of the small quantity of high grade allotted to an acre there is difficulty in distributing it mix with it woods earth or any con venient soil to facilitate its proper application It is better to fur nish this filler and mix at home than to pay the additional freight and also an extra charge for the mixing at the factory QUESTION 4 Please give me some information on silos and ensilage and the value of the latter for feeding to milch cows and other stock answer 4 There being a growing interest in Georgia on the subject of the cow and her products viz milk butter and cheese resulting in the establishing of a number of creameries in the State it becomes a matter of great importance as to what we shall mainly rely upon for our winter food for cattle In answer to this question I say without hesitation ensilage I know the value of winter pastures of rye oats barley and other grains and grasses and I know the value of cottonseed meal and hulls which have recently become such important factors in winter feeding but without meaning to detract from their merits I would urge upon farmers and others who keep milch cows the importance of erecting and using silos Many are deterred from doing this by ignorance both of the cost of building and of the expense of filling a silo and for the benefit of these and others I herewith append a few items of informationAnnual Publication foe 1895 167 on the subject which I trust will result in the building of numer ous silos in the State This information is taken carefully from a report to the Department of Agriculture at Washington LOCATION OF SILO Should be built in reference to convenience of feeding the stock consequently it should be very near or in or connected with the stables FORM OF SILO Immaterial as regards the keeping of the contents but it is cheaper and easier to build in shape of a parallelogram with the sides longer than the ends WALLS OF SILO If above ground two thicknesses of inch boards with sheeting paper between which some think unnecessary will be sufficient if supported against lateral pressure by the ensilage CAPACITY OF SILO If entirely filled with compressed ensilage the silo will contain 50 pounds to the cubic foot COVER A layer of straw or hay on the top of the ensilage and then planks on top of that weighted down by any heavy material such as stones earth etc A little space should be allowed between the walls and cover that the cover may not catch on or against the wall as the ensilage settles COST The cost of silos varies from 4 to 5 for walls of heavy masonry to 50 cents or less for simple wooden silos per ton of capacity CROPS FOR ENSILAGE Corn takes the lead of ensilage crops and when mixed with field peas makes a very fine feed Corn planted for ensilage will pro duce from 15 to 20 tons to the acre 58 tons have been made and is at its best for ensilage when it has attained its full growth and before ripening begins168 Department of AgricultureGeorgia PREPARING CORN PEAS ETC FOR THE SILO This should be done by a cutter driven by horsepower or steam with carriers to take the ensilage from the cutter to the top of the silo The corn peavines etc should be cut fine in pieces not over an inch in length it packs closer and for this reason is apt to keep better than coarse ensilage FILLING THE SILO During the process of filling the ensilage should be kept level and welltrodden Some attach much importance to rapid filling while others make it more a matter of convenience With the packing equally thorough rapid filling is probably best COST OF FILLING THE SILO This should not exceed 1 per ton for labor including the entire cost of the crop WHEN SILO SHOULD BE OPENED The ensilage should remain under pressure at least until cool and not be uncovered after that uDtil wanted The loss by decay will be very slight and confined to the top and sides where there was more or less exposure to the air VALUE OF ENSILAGE FOR MILCH COWS As a rule ensilage is fed only to milch cows and it is in connec tion with them that its greatest value will be found Many feed ers consider it equal in value to onehalf of its weight of good hay EFFECTS ON DAIRY PRODUCTS There is a marked increase iu quantity and improvement in the quality of milk and butter after changing from dry feed to en silage corresponding with the effects of a similar change to fresh pasture VALUE TO OTHER STOCK Ensilage has been fed with good results to swine sheep and poultry DAILY RATION OF ENSILAGE Cows giving milk are commonly fed from 40 to 50 pounds of ensilage a day with a little dry hay or fodder and grain EnsilageAnnual Publication fok 1895 169 does not take the place of grain but is a substitute for hay or fod der Stock fed on ensilage uniformly gain in health and weight and there is no doubt as to its profitableness question 5 Is sorghum a good food for hogs or will it make them sick answer 5 A little care should be used at first in feeding sorghum to hogs as in all cases where the food is changed but with this precaution there is no finer food for hogs and cattle and horses as well This crop has heretofore been mostly raised for syrup but it can be made much more remunerative if onlya moderate quantity is made up into syrup and the rest used for feeding purposes It is so easy of cul tivation and grows so rapidly giving several cuttings during a sea son that it will in time doubtless become one of our main and most valuable feeding crops question 6 What is the area of the present years corn crop and what is its probable value ANSWER 6 The number of acres covered by this years corn crop has been estimated at 82000000 acres At average yield and price it is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of one billion dollars QUESTION 7 I have a valuable horse which has stuck a nail in his foot and though there seems no present danger I am afraid of lockjaw What shall I do for him ANSWER 7 If the puncture is in the soft part of the foot cut away the sur rounding hard parts and form an opening to the wound that the matter may escape Syringe out the wound with warm water to remove all dirt or hard particles Then fill the opening with cotton which has been saturated with arnica turpentine or carbolic acid the latter mixed with water one part carbolic acid to four170 Department of AgricultureGeorgia parts water Keep the wound open by bathing with these appli cations and do not allow any dirt to get into it After all sore ness is relieved fill the opening with cotton dipped in tar cover with leather and put on a shoe but watch the foot carefully and if the soreness returns remove the shoe question 8 A correspondent has sent us the following notice with cut de scribing a very handsome cherry and asking information about it As we were not familiar with the cherry we sent the inquiry to Mr Berckmans president of the Georgia Horticultural Society His reply is also appended Here is the description of the cherry A FRUIT BONBON A very luscious cherry has been creating quite a sensation on the fruit stands this season This is so firm large and plump that it has often been mistaken for a plum It has been well named the Bonbon cherry A popular grower recently said of it Undoubtedly this is the most valuable cherry in cultivation owing to its enormous size rich dark red color luscious quality and freedom from the cherry worm It is a sure cropper every year and is always of extraor dinary flavor Its cooking qualities do not seem to have been thoroughly tested as the variety is somewhat new as yet to the average house wife It does not seem to be largely grown here as it is not found in quantities in the market this year but usually as a special dainty on the fruit stands demanding a rather high price It will prob ably be more plentiful in a few years in our Eastern markets for it is becoming more generally known that the trees will thrive and bear abundantly in this part of the country and mauy interested growers have planted the trees for experiment this year And here is Mr Berckmans reply Hon E T Nesbitt Atlanta Ga My Dear SirDuring the session of the Georgia State Horti cultural Society at Cuthbert I stated that the indiscriminate pub lication by the average newspaper man of catchy horticultural artiAnnual Publication foe 1895 171 cles was frequently detrimental to horticultural progress The clipping which you inclose is only another evidence of what I stated which was in substance that the public would be better served if that class of articles of which the inclosed is a sampler were left alone Expert pomologists will indorse my position because a descrip tion of such a wonderful cherry has a tendency to add to the con fusion of existing fruit nomenclature The name Bonbon is no doubt a new local fad for a wellknown variety Some smart tree peddler will take advantage of this and palm off large quan tities of trees of any variety he can purchase under this new name at a stiff price and mislead and disappoint purchasers If the correct name of this cherry was given we would be able to know what its value is but all posted fruit growers will let the Bonbon alone Horticultural subjects should be handled by competent authorities of which the horticultural press is the proper representative but which are usually changed by the aver age pennyaliner so to make it interesting reading for the public The cut of the cherry shows it to belong to the Duke or Morello type It may be the May Duke which is a popular early sort cultivated quite successfully in the Eastern and Western States and in the upper sections of Georgia South Carolina and Alabama I have seen good crops of this variety in Atlanta and grown there by the late Richard Peters Yours very truly P J Berckmans question 9 You will please answer the following in your monthly reports Why is it that the soil clods more in the latter part of March and the first to the middle of April than any other season of the year and bakes less and less as the summer advances ANSWER 9 There are more clods because we are preparing the ground at that time for planting and we plow as deep as possible bringing up some clay to the surface This clay then is very apt to bake and form clods until broken up by the action of the atmosphere and future plowings or harrowings Another reason is that in our172 Department of AgricultureGeorgia haste to get ready for planting we are apt to plow the gorund in the spring when it is a little too wet and this causes clods on the surface I do not agree with you that the ground bakes less and less as the summer advances I think if we plowed as deep in the sum mer and when the ground was wet and turned up the clay as we do in the spring we would have just as many clods and just as much baking of the soil In other words our shallow plowing in cultivating crops cannot result in cloddy lumps such as is brought about frequently by deep spring plowing FATTENING HOGS When the weather is just on the turn in the fall hogs can be fat tened more rapidly than they can later Cornmeal and middlings mixed with unsalable vegetables and refuse fruit make an excellent variety for their food in addition to cornAnnual Publication for 1895 173 NOVEMBER REGULAR MONTHLY LETTER TO THE FARMERS OF GEORGIA A SUDDEN DECLINE IN COTTONTHE GEEAT DISPLAY OF THE STATE AT THE COTTON STATES AND INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION AT ATLANTAGEORGIANS WAKING UP TO THE RICHNESS OF THEIR STATEOTHER INTERESTING TOPICS DISCUSSED Department of Agriculture Atlanta Ga Nov 1 1895 One has only to visit the Georgia State Building at the Atlanta Exposition to form some faint idea of the resources and possibili ties of our grand old commonwealth As a Northern visitor truth fully remarked even Georgians are just beginning to realize the treasures that lie buried in the hills and valleys of their native State When we look upon the wealth of products gathered to gether in the State Building we are impressed not only with the abundance and the fine quality of the food crops both for man and beast but with the diversity from field farm garden orchard vine yard and mines there displayed The different industries in cotton in wool in leather in woodwork the almost innumerable speci mens from mine and furnace and workshop the grand collection of marbles granites and ores all impress us with the magnitude of our natural resources and the progress which has been made since 1865 thirty years ago when our State was devastated and our people prostrate The moreone studies this col lection especially of the prod ucts of agricultural and horticultural industries of the State the more one is convinced that a country so varied in climate so diversified in soil and products has a bright future if only her people are thoroughly alive to the demands of the times and keep abreast with the improvements and progress necessary to the de velopment of her various industries Our agriculture must not be suffered to lag behind the other industries and one of the most174 Department of AgricultureGeorgia favorable indications to be noted in studying this exhibit of the States progress in agricultural work is the evident care and atten tion given to developing heretofore neglected factors In the past our agriculture was developed too much in one direc tion at the expense of others equally important and the consequence was that instead of a symmetrical wellbalanced system we were weighted down with too much cotton on one side and not enough of homemade meat bread and clothing on the other to preserve the proper equilibrium But one cannot fail to see that the farmers have realized their mistake and that the broad foundation of inde pendence is being laid in the well filled barns and smokehouses which will bless our State another year THE SUDDEN DECLINE in cotton has made many paupers but while those men who sold before the decline are most fortunate the above conditions have made our farmers even those who did not sell virtually independent of the cotton market and they can afford from their protected situation to view the flurry in the business world with the calm confidence of men who are safe in any eventbecause their money crop is absolutely demanded by the needs of the world and must sooner or later bring a remunerative price There can be no doubt now that THE CROP IS SHORT There was a decrease in the acreage planted the young plants were very much retarded and injured by the late spring it was almost the middle of summer before the belated crop began to take on its usual vigorous appearance and about that time the rainy season came on and was so protracted that when the sun finally came out most of the squares and young bolls formed during the wet weather dropped off Added to this in some sections of the State the crop suffered from rust boll worms and caterpillars and the early frost four weeks in advance of the usual time effectually cut off the top crop By the first part of this month if not earlier the principal part of the crop will have been gathered With this powerfully illustrated lesson brought home to their very doors can farmers be so foolish as to risk another overwhelming cotton crop the comingAnnual Publication foe 1895 175 year We have just gotten well started on our policy of home independence let us not turn back or be swerved from our course by the fictitious promise of a large cotton crop however alluring the prospect Let us settle this question right now He who hesi tates is lost Let us keep this fact steadily in view that the policy of cutting home supplies short in order to get in a big acre age in cotton is bad in theory and worse in practice Let us re solve to take care first of home needs and then put in all the cotton we are able to manage and work to advantage If this policy is rigidly adhered to another year will witness a still more prosperous agriculture and a happy and contented people SOWING GRAIN The longcontinued drouth has much delayed the sowing of the oats clover grass and wheat because of the impossiblity of plowing the land and unless there is a rain before very long the danger is that the area of these crops will be materially reduced When the rains do come the temptation to sow the seed on land badly and hastily prepared will be very great But we strongly urge that this mistaken plan be avoided as far as possible The later the land is prepared the better it should be done on account of the danger to the crop from cold The thoroughlyprepared wellseeded bed particularly if the land is rolled stands a much better chance than where the seed is just scratched in on the surface Added to which if the crop on the thoroughly prepared field gets a good start which it undoubtedly will with ordinary seasons the plants are vigorous and strong and better able to resist even severe cold It is not yet too late to sow German clover of which we hear such glowing accounts from those who have tried this crop If we can secure a good fine seed bed this crop may yet be sown There will doubtless be more rye sown this fall than is usual from the delay in sowing other grain crops It resists cold more successfully than other grain crops and while not so valuable as clover as an improver of the land it is a very fair substitute and besides fur nishing green winter food serves to cover the land and keep it from washing About a bushel and a half or two bushels to the acre is about the right quantity to seed Another winter crop176 Department of AgricultureGeorgia which Southern farmers would do well to experiment with is the winter vetch Major Warren of Augusta who has planted it for several years says it has no superior It is hardier than clover is also a legume making good hay and like clover can be turned under in the spring to improve the land It can also be grazed Again we would urge that all the fall plowing possible be thor oughly and deeply done Even on the lighter lands except the very sandy this is beneficial and on the heavier lands the advan tages are incalculable If the land is left in loose condition the effect of the winter will be to hasten the disintegration and decom position of the vegetable matter which it may contain There are also many elements of insect life which are destroyed and in very cold seasons the weed seeds thus exposed are effectually eliminated POTATOES which have not already been gathered and stored should receive attention before the rains set in It is very important to dig them in dry weather as they are easier handled and there are fewer chances of losing them after they are stored This once carefully done the main care should be to keep the temperature as nearly uniform as possible about 40 or 45 degrees This can be managed by leaving the ventilators open in pleasant weather and closing them in cold and also throwing on additional earth or covering during cold spells R T Nesbitt Commissioner THE DUTY OF A FARMER TO KEEP HIS SOIL GOOD A fanner is a trustee or a steward His great Employer has committed a charge to him and said Occupy till I remove you Raise whatever crops you choose but keep the soil in as good a state of fertility as it was when you received it The soil is to sup port those who come after you It is the worst kind of robbery to take crop after crop off a farm and do nothing towards repairing the waste He who recklessly adopts a bad system of husbandry not only wrongs himself but is guilty of great injustice to his suc cessors The Creator works by means and he will not restore imAnnual Publication foe 1895 it poverished soils by a miracle If a man by bad farming injures the fertility of his soil he and those who come after him must suffer the damage resulting from the abuse of the resources of the farm It is therefore the bounden duty of every man to try and keep his soil in a good state of fertility by means of the manurial resources which it affords If he does as well as every farmer may do the day will soon dawn when our crops may be increased at least two fold Every farmer can do this in a few years by simply com mencing a renovating system by subsoiling manuring and grow ing proper crops in rotatiou Let young farmers resolve to leave their soil in a better state of fertility than they received it and thus while bettering their own condition they will have the satisfaction of knowing that they have been faithful to their trust and have not robbed their successors Exchange DECORTICATON OF RAMIE If one may believe all one reads in the press of the country ramie culture is again to the front with an increased acreage this season The difficulty in the past in handling ramie has been the decortication of the plant to procure the fibre It is claimed now as it has been claimed many times before that the question has been solved Ramie is an extremely valuable fibre and its general utility may be realized when it is understood that rope may be made from it as well as a cloth that resembles silk Much of the socalled Chinese silk largely consumed in the United States is made with a large percentage of ramie fibre178 Department of AgricultureGeorgia COMMISSIONER NESBITTS INQUIRY BOX FOR THE MONTH VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIONBUGS DESTROYING CAB BAGEHARNESSING AND HEARING A MULE IN THE PLOWHOW TO PREVENT SMUT IN WHEATKEEPING WEEVILS OUT OP CORNWHEN TO PLANT OATS ETC OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST QUESTION 1 I inclose a plant which is getting common in the pastures and fields of this section Please name and tell how to get rid of it B M ANSWER 1 The inclosed specimen is the wild carrot Daucus Carola It is found in nearly all the States east of the Mississippi river and is rapidly spreading over the entire country seeming to thrive on all soils and in all climates It flowers from June to September The seed are distributed by becoming attached to animals and thus being carried about or remaining on the plant until wiuter are blown considerable distances by the wind The seeds retain their hard covering In permanent pasture mowing the plants as often as the flowers appear will eventually destroy them Or the root may be cut off several inches below the surface of the grouud which will usuallv kill them at once Or the plants may be pulled by hand when the ground is wet this is probably the surest way of getting rid of this weed The wild carrot is not often troublesome in cultivated fields question 2 I send you some bugs which have been eating my cabbages and turnips Please name them and tell me how to get rid of them L H Taylor County Ga answer 2 The bugs are Harlequin cabbage bugs Murgantia Histriouica so called from the gay harlequinlike manner in which the blackAnnual Publication for 1895 J79 and yellow colors are arranged upon their bodies It feeds upon cabbage turnips radish and mustard plants and its ravages as a rule are confined to the States south of Pennsylvania The first eggs are hatched out in April or May and this brood at once begins its work of destruction by sucking the sap from the leaves They are timid and quickly hide behind the most convenient stem or leaf of the plant they are feeding on In this section there are several broods each season The most efficient remedy is to destroy the brood that lives over winter when they congregate upon the mustard or radish plants Then they can be destroyed very easily by the application of kero sene by means of a common watering pot If these bugs are thus destroyed early in the season it wilt almost entirely prevent injury later These insects fly but little and are thus not apt to come from neighboring fields All bugs and eggs which may be seen on cabbage plants should be picked off and destroyed Clean cultivation and burning of all rubbish in and about the garden are important preventive meas ures In the spring and fall many of these bugs may be trapped by aying cabbage or turnip leaves between the rows the insects will harbor under these and may be collected and destroyed each morn ing QUESTION 3 Give me some advice about harnessing and gearing a mule in llJr piOW D ANSWER 3 The following article contains much good advice on the subject of harness It may appear trifling to make allusion to the har ness of a plantaton mule as it is ordinarily so scant but be that as it may there is quite sufficient when not properly adjusted to be resPonsble for a large mortality among plantation mules In considering this topic we will have to include almost the whole gears especially that used in the plow and we will com mence with the bits or rather with the fitting of the bits which is180 Department of AgricultureGeorgia important The points to observe are that they fit the month and are neither too wide nor too narrow The mouthpiece requires fitting with care it should be about the breadth of two fingers above the corner teeth They are often placed so high in the mouth as to cut the angles of the lips the angles should not even be wrinkled COLLARS Fitting a collar for draught purposes is a point of hygienic im portance The main things to attend to are that it has an even bearing on the shoulders that it is deep enough below so as to avoid anv pressure on the windpipe and the blood vessels of the neck that it does not pinch from side to side and that the traces should not be attached to it too near the point of the shoulder The evils of a badly fitting collar are great such as collargalls or sore shoulders congestion of the brain from pressure on the jugulars preventing the return of blood from that organ and partial suffoca tion from pressure on the windpipe Collars of all varieties have each their votaries but we consider none better than those lined with leather next the skin when kept clean and free from skin secretions which if allowed to remain on the collar becomes hard and rough and then produces irritation To keep the shoulders in good condition and prevent gallingpre suming that the collar fitsit is a good rule to have the drivers bathe the shoulders with a little cold water each time the collars are taken off This could easily be done at the drinking trough when the mules are being watered BACKBANDS AND TRACES No part of the plow gear produces so much permanent injury or loss as the backhand The importance of the proper adjustment of the backhand may be somewhat appreciated when we state that on one plantation within our knowledge eleven or twelve fine mules were lost from paralysis of the hind extremities due to se vere and continued pressure on the spine over the loins It is not an unusual sight to see mules hitched to the plow with the backhands over the loins behind the last rib where there is the least support to the back not only pulling but lifting the plowAnnual Publication for 1895 181 with this the weakest part As a matter of fact the only proper function of a backhand is to preveut the traces falling amongst the animals feet when the tension is taken off them Placing the backhand beyond the last rib is the most dangerous procedure and is the cause of the death of many a valuable mule The trace should have a straight pull from its attachment to the hame to the single trace there should be no angles in it at all If there are it is an indication of undue pressure on the back If there is a necessity for any portion of the back having to bear weight the band with blocks on either side of the spine or that which curves over the spine is preferable to the plain backhand as the one has no direct bearing on the spinal column the other has More attention paid to the proper gearing of our animals would often prevent serious loss question 4 I have lost several head of young cattle lately They swell on the neck or loins look dull and drooping refuse to eat are consti pated urine high colored and have died iu from twelve to twenty four hours What is the disease and what can I do lor it K answer 4 From your description your cattle have died of anthrax a dis ease known in different localities as bloody murrain black leg black tongue charbon etc It is a common disease attacking not only cattle but other animals as well I remem ber in 1856 when the black tongue as it was called swept over Florida and South Georgia killing a number of cattle and almost exterminating the deer which at that time were very nu merous A gentleman from Florida told me that during a day spent in the woods looking after his cattle he counted over thirty dead deer and saw others walking about aimlessly rendered tame by the disease with which they were suffering The causes ot this disease are usually traceable to stagnant ditches swamps etc the water in which has been lowered by a long period of drouth also to food or water that has been tainted with decaying animal or vegetable matter and contagion The dis182 Department of AgricultureGeorgia ease is most common in flat districts where during dry seasons ponds and pools of stagnant water are found and the decomposing vegetable matters are exposed This is essentially a disease of the blood and is practically confined to young cattle rarely attacking an animal over two years of age In this disease prevention is better than cure as there is little hope of saving an animal after the disease is contracted a few hours usually bringing a fatal termination Threedrachm doses of chlor ate of potassium dissolved in water and given every three hours is good treatment and if the animal is weak give in addition whisky and quinine Change the pasture at once when this disease appears to one on higher ground if possible and with purer water Separate the sick animals from the rest Bury deeply all cattle that die or better still burn the carcasses The sheds or stables where animals have been confined should be thoroughly cleaned and sprinkled with quick lime and the woodwork walls etc washed with a solution of chloride of lime four ounces to a gallon of water This disease can be contracted ty man therefore great care should be taken in handling a sick animal or a dead carcass as a scratch or sore on the hands might be the means of causing inoculation After any exposure the hands should be washed in a weak solution of carbolic acid QUESTION 5 What can I do to prevent smut in wheat answer 5 M White County This question is one of much importance as there is considerable loss every year in the State from this cause In the first place always select your seed from wheat that has fully ripened before harvesting This point is frequently neglected and the seed se lected from grain but only half ripe thus inviting diseases of vari ous kinds Previous to sowing make a strong brine of salt and soft water and in this the grain should be washed for five minutes taking careAnnual Publication for 1895 183 to skim off the light wheat and foreign seeds which will float Repeat this washing in another clean brine and when taken out mix thoroughly the wheat with onetwelfth its bulk of fresh pul verized cpiick lime This kills smut cleans out weeds from the grain and promotes early rapid growth You can of course use the same brine over and over atrain o Now dont say this is too much trouble and go ahead sowing weed seed smutty wheat etc There is nothing to be had in this world without trouble and labor and in this case the resulting benefit more than compensates for the labor giveu Auother way to prevent smut in wheat and oats is to immerse the seed for five minutes in water at a temperature of 135 to 140 degrees Dry before sowing This treatment seems to kill all the smut germs without injuring the vitality of the wheat question 6 Shall I plant oats now or would it be better to wait until after Christmas j p ANSWER 6 There is a difference of opinion among farmers on this point many claiming that on account of the danger of cold killing the crop it is better to wait until February before planting Carrying out this theory to its ultimate conclusion there would be no oats planted until all danger of severe cold was past Oats planted af ter Christmas undoubtedly yield well some years notably so this year when even March sowing in most cases made a good crop But as one swallow does not make a summer neither does the result of one years crop establish a precedent by which we should be guided Our farmers have been in such financial straits for some years on account of the low price of cotton that as a rule they could not afford to run the risk of having their oats killed and the consequence has been a general resort to spring planting In my opinion this is a mistake Oats should if possible be planted the last of September or the first part of October and if put in at that time with a turn plow on fair land they will not be killed more than one year in five and the total of the four crops184 Department of AgricultureGeorgia that escape the cold will be much greater than the total of five springplanted crops If the crop cannot be put in at the right time then put it in as soon as you can whether it be in November or December for as most of our cold comes in January or February the oats sowed in November or December will be older and better rooted and therefore harder to kill than oats sown in January Another point in favor of fall sowing is this Should the first crop be killed a second sowing on the same land by reason of the land being plowed and then being thoroughly pulverized by the cold would probably result in a crop sufficiently good to pay for the cost of both sowings Another plan followed by some good farmers is to put in during the fall half the land they intend to sow reserving the other half for spring planting There are some advantages in this plan but on the whole I believe it is best to sow oats in this State about the first of October or as soou thereafter as is practicable QUESTION 7 Is there any way to keep weevils out of corn answer 7 During many years of planting in southwest Georgia the weevils annually destroyed a large percentage of the corn crop after it was put in the crib All the various remedies such as salt water walnut leaves leaves of the China tree lime etc were tried without suc cess The damage was greater some years than others but must have averaged quite 15 per cent Now that the State particularly South Georgia has housed a splendid corn crop it is important to the farmers to know how to save it from the ravages of the weevil The bisulphide of carbon properly applied will destroy all the weevils in the crib after the corn is housed and it will then keep sound and good until used up The preventive is simply and easily applied and is better done after the corn is all put in the crib than making different applica tions after every few loads If the crib is a tight one one pound of the bisulphide to every fifty bushels of corn will be sufficient If the crib is openas most of our cribs area little more of the bi sulphide will be necessaryAnnual Publication for 1895 185 The method of using the remedy is very simple and merely con sists of pouring the substance over the top of the pile of corn when the vapor from it being heavier than air sinks through the grain permeating the entire bulk of corn and killing all or nearly all the weevils in the crib This substance is exceedingly inflammable and no fire of any description including a lighted pipe or cigar should be brought near it until all the odor of tlie bisulphide has passed away This will take place in a very few days The only danger in the use of this simple remedy against the weevil is the danger from fire which can be readily guarded against by ordiuary care I trust that this preventive will be largely used in Georgia this season and that it may prove entirely successful It is so highly recommended and so strongly indorsed that though I have had no practical experience with it I am con vinced that if properly applied it will protect corn from the wee vils and every farmer in the State and particularly in South Geor gia knows what a boon that will be The bisulphide can be ob tained at the drug stores which should be able to sell it at 20 to 25 cents a pound The department would be glad to hear of the result from farmers that try this plan Dont forget that the closer and tighter the crib the better the result QUESTION 8 I have my cotton crop all on hand viz thirtyseven bales would you advise me to sell at present prices or hold for a higher price C A H ANSWER 8 I would not take the responsibility of advising in a case of this kind Every farmer must act on his own judgment with the facts before him No mans judgment is infallible and we are all liable to be mistaken The cotton crop will undoubtedly be a short one somewhere between six and seven million bales the mills are all running the demand for cotton is good and business of all kinds is improving This on the bull side Now say the bears while we know the present crop will be short there was a big surplus from last years crop which will more than make up for the defi ciency of this crop the price is now high if it goes any higher the186 Department of AgricultureGeorgia mills will shut down the price of cotton goods is going up and that will check the demand These are the arguments used by the dif iierent sides and you can weigh them and decide for yourself Through a farming experience of 35 years I am satisfied that in the long run that farmer comes out best who gins and sells his cotton as fast as it is picked question 9 I send you some grass I found growing on the bank of a ditch What is it called and is it of any value P L answer 9 This grass is Herds grass or Redtop Agrostis Alba In your valley lands this grass would make a fine permanent pasture or ex cellent hay It does not stand a drouth well neither does it do well on lands that are unusually dry or thirsty as we farmers say On some of your rich hillsides I have no doubt it would also succeed especially when the land is newly cleared This grass is perennial CONDITION OF CROPS GENERAL SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE ST VTK THE CONTINUED DRY WEATHERIT OFFER THE FARMERS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER THEIR COTTONTHE LARG EST CROP OF CORN EVER MADE IN GEORGIAPEAS AND FOD DER SLIGHTLY INJUREDA VERY LARGE YIELD OF POTATOES The dry weather of September has continued through this month offering to the farmers of the State as fine an opportunity to gather their cotton in good condition as I have eer known They have availed themselves of this opportunity and with the incentive of good prices every energy has been given to the gathering of the cotton crop it even being reported in the newspapers that in some counties picking has been carried on by moonlight In South and Southwest Georgia the crop is practically gathered while in Middle and Upper Georgia picking is still being pushed vigorously and the crop will very soon be all housed In someAnnual Publication for 1895 187 counties the crop is turning out better than was expected in others worse and on the whole I see no reason to change ray August es timate of the cropviz threefourths of last years yield as a maximum I repeat the advice I gave last month about cotton seedviz do not sell it at ten or even twelve cents a bushel but use them in making your compost heaps and thus adding to the fertility of your farms It is not only poor economy but reckless extrava gance to sell cotton seed at ten cents per bushel and pay 18 to 20 for cottonseed meal hauling each product from three to ten miles Herein is one danger and disadvantage of the teuant sys tem by which so much of our land is worked The average ten ant caring nothing for the keeping up or improvement of the land he works sells all his cotton seed regardless of what the price may be thus year by year impoverishing the land to his own detri ment and the injury of the landowner There having been so little rain in the State for the past six to eight weeks the crop so far picked has graded very high a very small percentage being below middling CORN There is nothing new to say of this crop which is now being housed Taking the entire State it is undoubtedly the largest crop ever made within her borders it being a common thing to hear farmers from different sections say that they have raised enough for a two yearssupply On account of the weevil it has heretofore been impossible to keep corn in good condition from one year to another iu a large portion of the State If however all that is claimed for bisulphide of carbon is true then this weevil pest can be fought and conquered How to use this remedy is ex plained in answer to a question in this months Talk and I trust it will be generally tried by the farmers of the State If one ap plication does not fully destroy the weevil try a second in four or five weeks Dont forget to avoid taking fire about the crib for several days after using the bisulphide as it is very inflammable This remedy is said to do no harm to the grain in the way of in juring its germinating power but I have recently been told by an188 Department of AgricultureGeorgia intelligent gentleman of Morgan county that though he kept the weevil out of his wheat by the use of bisulphide not a grain of the wheat so treated ever sprouted when planted It is possible that he applied the preventive too richly and so killed the germ in the wheat grains or there may have been some other cause for the nonsprouting of the wheat PEAS FODDER ETC The wet August injured these crops in South Georgia but in the middle and upper portions of the State a large amount of bright clean fodder and large quantities of peas have been saved A great quantity of fine hay has been saved in South Georgia which will compensate for the lost fodder I hope the day has come or is close upon us when every cornfield will be sowed in peas at the last plowing and that every field in small grain will be sowed down in field peas after harvest In this way we can largely keep up the fertility of our lands and increase their value at a very small cost RICE The weather this season has been unusually favorable tor the harvesting of this crop which has for some time been concluded The yield and quality have both been satisfactory to the planters SORGHUM AND SUGAR CANE are generally good in their respective sections of the State The acreage in sugar cane was somewhat curtailed by the loss of much seed cane by last winters cold but the crop is a good one and there will be no want of good syrup in any part of Georgia during the present winter Sorghum should be planted more extensively as it is easily raised and a valuable crop POTATOES TURNIPS ETC There will be plenty of potatoes though the crop is not so large as it promised to be earlier in the season The dry weather of the past two months has cut it off considerably and those who planted late will make very few potatoes Turnips are also short on account of the dry fall for though the tops look well in many cases the roots are very smallAnnual Publication for 1895 189 STOCK While there has been considerable loss among hogs in some counties the number for killing is larger than for many years past and with the abundant corn crop they will be heavier than usual Many cattle have died in different parts of the State Anthrax or black tongue has been reported from South Georgia on one dairy farm in Cobb county twenty or more cows have died from red water while others have been reported as dying from various dis eases in other parts of the State I have no doubt that many of these deaths might be traced to stagnant water which on account of the very dry fall is apt to be found in most pastures As soon as sickness appears among his cattle the owner should change them to another pasture where he is sure that they can get none but pure water either from a running stream or a well In many cases this will stop the spread of the disease190 Department of AgricultureGeorgia DECEMBER COMMISSIONERS LETTER TO GEORGIA FARMERS IMPORTANT MATTERS DISCUSSEDTHE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE COTTON MARKET IS A STRONG ILLUSTRATION OF THE WISDOM OF MAKING ON EACH FARM HOME iSUPPLIESTHIS IS THE MONTH OF ROUNDING UP THE FARM WORK Agricultural Department Atlanta Ga December 1 1895 Perhaps the wisdom of making on each farm abundant home supplies for family laborers and stock could have no stronger illustration than the present condition of the cotton market The crop is exceptionally short and all products and all expectation would point to stiff prices notwithstanding which the market is wavering and at times panicky The farmer who has provision and other bills awaiting payment and wishes to settle his debts and begin the new year with all old scores wiped out is compelled to let his hardearned cotton go no matter what the condition of the market Judgment and calculation can have no part in his plans for disposing of his crop When the credjtor presses the payment must come and thus he is at the mercy of speculators and combin ations when it is his privilege and should be his aim to be practi cally independent of both Comparatively speaking the percentage of farmers who find themselves in this hampered condition is small Until the past few years the selfsustaining farms were the excep tions but today the majority of Georgia farmers have wellfilled bams and storehouses and cattle and porkers fattening for the slaughter During the past few weeks I have conversed with farmers from various sections of the State and the almost universal testimony is that a blessing has descended on basket and store But strange to relate although their present satisfaction is due to their conservative policy on this home supply question I note symptoms of a contemplated lapse into the old and oftproven mis take of an immense area in cotton and a necessary curtailment ofAnnual Publication for 1895 191 the acreage devoted to home supplies From the post of observa tion which my official position affords me I can see more plainly perhaps than the man whose vision is bounded by the limits of his own farm the utter folly and suicidal effect of such a policy We would have no words strong enough to condemn the man who after being nursed back to health and strength should deliberately plunge a knife into his heart and let out the life blood And yet that is just the agricultural suicide which some Georgia farmers are today contemplating Our cotton crop is the big artery of our system of trade and commercekept in healthy condition its in fluence is sent throbbing through every avenue of businessit gives life to every smaller industry all draw sustenance from its strong pulsations But to perform these important functions it requires to be supported by the subsidiary system of home indus tries and home supplies Withdraw these and our whole agricul tural system will collapse Would that I could find words strong enough to bring this fact fully to the comprehension of every farmer in the State At the risk of being considered tiresome I would again urge that each man in planning for another year con sider first this question of home supplies Lay off ample space for every food crop and then crowd in all the cotton which can be thoroughly prepared for and cultivated It is conceded that re duced cost of production is the lever on which the profitable mak ing of cotton depends while the farmer can exercise very little direct influence on the market the control of the cost of production is immediately in his power If he can by well considered plans of preparation fertilization and cultivation the use of laborsaving machinery and careful economy in all smaller details produce more cotton on a smaller area at less cost he has mastered the secret of successand he comes out victor Otherwise that is if the cost of production comes near the selling price the farmer has simply spent his time and labor and money to furnish employment to the horde of cotton buyers brokers warehouse and commission men railroads and manufacturers who fatten on the pickings which they get from his hardearned bales while he settles his fer tilizer and other bills and carries his empty wagon home a sadder if not a wiser man192 Department of AgricultureGeorgia I would also suggest to those farmers who are considering the advisability of planting largely in cotton another year that the unsettled condition of foreign powers may precipitate a European war at any time which would deal a very severe blow to our cotton industry In the event of a foreign war food stuffs would rise rapidly and to the man who had injudiciously curtailed his provision crops in order to raise cotton the disaster would fall with double force his cotton would be almost worthless and the pro visions which he would be compelled to buy would cost him per haps double and treble their original value DECEMBER is the month for rounding up the farm work of the year It is practically not a full working month on accouut of the Christmas holidays which intervene But while every honest workingman is eutitled to enjoy as far as possible the good cheer which that season usually brings we cannot afford to devote the whole month to festivity and thus entirely relax the steady discipline which should characterize the management of every farm PROTECTION FOR STOCK If provision has not already been made for the protection and comfort of stock this should not be longer neglected that the severe cold snaps which we usually have in January and Feb ruary may not find them at the mercy of the weather REPAIRS ON TOOLS AND IMPLEMENTS Farm tools and implements should be brought in and put under shelter awaiting the rainy days in which outdoor work cannot be done when they can be put in order To delay these necessary repairs until the rush of spring work comes on when the tools are needed for immediate use is to put ourselves to a decided disad vantage TERRACES should be looked after all breaks repaired and weak places strengthened before the heavy rains set in As opportunity occurs new lines may be run and as the proper locating of these lines requires a certain amount of engineering skill more than the aver age farmer usually possesses it is well to engage the services of aAnnual Publication foe 1895 193 competent man to do the work otherwise the farmer may find that the result of his untaught efforts may cost him more than the price he has to pay to get the lines correctly laid off The system of terracing is based on wellstudied and correct agricultural science and should be adopted in all the hill country of the South wherever practicable In the Forestry Building at the Cotton States and International Exposition there is an illustration of the principles of this system and effects on our worn and gullied hill sides which it would be well for every farmer to studv It is there shown how by careful systematic and persistent effort even the old red hills of Georgia may be again covered with verdure and many waste places heretofore given over to the destructive action of winds and floods reclaimed and eventually made to con tribute their share to the general agricultural prosperity of the State THE COMPOST HEAP is another important item of farm economy which can be made almost insensibly to contribute to our agricultural prosperity By a systematic saving of much of the material which is often wasted by even intelligent farmers we can at nominal expense return to the soil much of that which is taken from it in the different gathered crops All vegetable and animal accumulations around barns and stables the fowl houses fence corners the woodpile even the ashes and slops from the houses and the leaves which so often accumulate in such unsightly heaps around our dwellings may be considered so much ready material from which we form compounds of equal value with any commercial fertilizer that we buy at such heavy expense In the present condition of our agri culture we cannot discard commercial fertilizers We must still rely on these and judiciously used they contribute largely to our success Our mistake has been that we depended too entirely on these and consigned to useless inactivity the rich stores of plant food that accumulate on every farm These should constitute the principal factor in any plan of fertilization with the commercial goods as an adjunct rather than the reverse In making a com 13 ag194 Department of AgricultureGeorgia post heap a good plan where leaves are abundant and close at hand is to put a layer of leaves about twelve inches deep then a layer of manure about six inches deep then a layer of scrapings or rich earth six inches deep If ashes or lime can be had they will aid materially in the decomposition of the heap Put on the different layers packing down firmly until the heap is six or eight feet high keeping the sides well squared up and the middle a little lower If there should not be sufficient rain dampen the heap by pouring on water In the spring just before time to haul out to the fields tear down the heap and mix thoroughly The real cost of such a heap say about twentyfive feet square would be equal to about a ton of guano but intrinsically it would be worth at least twice as much HOGS should be slaughtered and the pork packed away before Christmas There are two main advantages to be gained by attending to this branch of our farm operations as early as possible We save the feed which after a proper stage is reached is only so much waste and as a rule meat which can be killed in December cures much better than that put up later on PLOWING Fields which are covered with a mass of vegetable growth should be turned under as soon as possible in order to give the mass more time to decompose Do not turn under too deeply the decay will take place more rapidly near the surface There are on an average many more bright working days in December than in January or February which is another reason why the work should not be delayed If the plowing is to be done in a cornfield when the fodder and com have been pulled and the bare stalks left standing there is often much difficulty in completely covering the stalks They remain partly on the surface and becoming only imperfectly decayed the benefit of any plant food they may contain is lost to the succeeding crop Their presence is also a hindrance to thorough and neat work As long as we continue the present plan of gathering our corn and stripping the fodder from the stalks this difficulty will be encountered and until we settle on someAnnual Publication foe 1895 195 more economical plan of saving the stalk entire we must consider the best methods of getting those stalks in condition not only to benefit but to interfere as little as possible with the cultivation of the crop which follows A good plan which has been successfully tried is to select a frosty morning and run a heavy twohorse roller over the field The stalks being brittle will break off more easily and the roller in passing over them not only forces them into the ground but the heavy pressure flattens and breaks them apart in such a way as to give freer entrance to moisture and frost two powerful agents in breaking down their structure K T Nesbitt Commissioner COMMISSIONER NESBITTS QUESTION BOX FOR THE MONTH MUCH INFORMATION FURNISHEDSOME VALUABLE FORMULAE FOR MIXING FERTILIZERS AT HOME THEREBY GETTING THEM CHEAPER THAN THEY CAN BE BOUGHT AT THE FACTORIES A GRASS SUITABLE FOR FOOD FOR STOCKOTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED QUESTION 2 I send you a specimen of grass growing on my farm Stock are quite fond of it and I would like to know what it is Pick ens County answer 2 The grass is what is commonly called Sprouting crabgrass Panicum poliferum It is a smooth branching grass an annual with rather coarse stems from two to five feet high but seldom grow ing erect It is most commonly found on damp rich soils especially along the banks of water courses This grass is frequently found in cultivated fields growing up with the common crabgrass and sometimes forming a considerable part of the hay from damp bottom lands While of some use in this way it cannot be considered a good grass for maturing hay196 Department of AgricultureGeorgia question 3 1 On account of the dry fall I have been unable to sow Crimson clover sooner should I sow now or wait until spring 2 Shall I put in clover seed with a turn plow or how 3 Will it be best to sow small grain of any kind with the clover 4 Would it pay me to put up leaves in pens in the woods put ting lime with them W H H Gordon county answer 3 1 It will certainly be best to plant your Crimson clover at once as it makes its growth in the cool weather and is but little liable to be killed by any cold we may have in this State Planted now on fair land well prepared you can pasture in February and tak ing your stock off of it in March it will then run up and make a fine crop of hay good for either horses or cattle In addition your land will be enriched in nitrogen by the clover roots This is not a good grass to plant in the spring as it does not stand hot weather The proper time for sowing is about the first of Oc tober 2 Clover and seeds in like fineness should not be put in with a turn plow as it buries them too deep Prepare your land well by deep plowing then sow your clover seed and harrow them in A very light covering of earth is all they need 3 Do not sow any small grain with the clover as it would thus be shaded and kept back and when the grain should be cut in the late spring or early summer the tender clover would probably be killed out by the hot sun Sowed the first of October this clover will furnish fine pasturage through the winter and then give a good crop of hay in the spring There should be more of it planted in this State 4 If you have plenty of inexpensive labor you can employ it profitably in putting up pens of leaves in the woods Pack in the pen by treading a layer of leaves about six inches thick and then scatter over it from a bushel to a bushel and a half of lime and a peck of salt Continue these alternate layers of leaves and limeAnnual Publication foe 1895 197 until your pen is full and then top it off with a layer of woods earth or muck from a foot and a half to two feet thick By spring the pile of leaves should be decomposed and can then be used with excellent effect either in making compost or better still by putting in drill with some acid phosphate and kainit and bed ding at once upon it We should all endeavor to make as much manure as possible on our farms and thus diminish our purchases of commercial fertil izers GIVE THE CEOPS A CHANCE The following article from the Southern Planter will apply to Georgia as well as to Virginia There has been and is too much slipshod farming and reliance solely upon the unaided efforts of a kind Providence God helps those who help themselves Too many of our farmers will not lo what our correspondent pleads for give the crops a chance by doing their part Instead of giving thorough tillage they just skim the surface of the land with a little onehorse plow year after year and leave untouched the stores of fertility in the subsoil If they give any help whatever in the shape of fertil izer of any kind it is usually in the form of 100 or 200 pounds to the acre of some commercial fertilizer whose adaptability to the needs of their particular soil is absolutely unascertained and prob lematical and pass by the Crimson clover cow peas and Soja beans which would give them the cropproducing nitrogen and humus which their lands stand in need of and which can be had with these crops at nearly the cost of the seeds and the labor of sowing them The great majority of Southern farmers never read or study the agricultural journals or the books written by scientific successful practical farmers but from year to year go on in the old ruts of ignorance and failure and then curse their luck and want of success No other trade or business could or would suc ceed under such management and farming cannot do so We wish that we could induce our farmers to take an example from the little country of Denmark in the north of Europe198 Department of AgricultureGeorgia This country is only about onethird the size of Virginia and has a cold uncongenial climate compared with that of this Stater and yet the Danes are so energetic and wideawake to the necessi ties of the times that within the past few years they have built up a butter and bacon trade with England that rivals that of this country In 1894 Denmark alone sent to England 123479217 pounds of butter whilst all the rest of the world only sent to Eng land 165030840 pounds In addition to this she now supplies onefifth of the bacon imported by England not to mention more than 100000 hogs per year also sent there and next to the United States is the highest exporter of bacon in the world Her export of cattle is over 100000 head per year and she sends to England alone over 160000000 eggs per year And all this great business is done by a population only about onethird larger than that of Virginia The secret of all this prosperity is to be found in the fact that the Danes are an industrious welleducated reading people They have the largest proportional circulation of newspapers and journals of any country in the world and are quick to seize upon and put into practice every new means of making their lands more profitable and productive The result is that there are prac tically no poor people in Denmark What a lesson is here con veyed us Can we not profit by it Is it too much that we should ask the farmers of the South to heed this lesson and from this time to determine that they will read and learn to farm scientifically and not by rule of thumb Now is the time to begin In preparing for the crops of another year let your fall plowing be plowing not skimming Stir up some of that fertility which is certainly stored in the subsoil Expose it to the air and frost This will fit it to become food for your crops Cultivate thor oughly Tillage is fertilizer in another form Sow some Crimson clover Give the crops a chance INJURIOUS INSECTS The following article compiled by Dr George F Payne State chemist and published in the last fertilizer bulletin should have a wide circulation and be carefully read by all the farmers in the StateAnnual Publication foe 1895 199 They may be divided into two divisions or classes according to their manner of feeding 1 Biting or chewing insects include all those perfect or imper fect forms which bite and consume substances upon which they feed 2 Sucking or piercing insects include all of those perfect or im perfect forms which pierce their foodsubstances with a beak and suck out the sap or juice from beneath the surface Insects that belong to the first division and like the potato bug eat the leaves may be easily destroyed by Paris green or London purple applied to the foodsubstance either in a powder or a liquid If on the other hand like squash bugs plant lice and other insects belonging to the second division they suck the sap from the plant causing it to wither and die poison will have little effect on them because we cannot apply it to the inside of the plant where they get their food Most of this class of insects may however be easily destroyed with remedies like insect powder or hellebore These powders kill by contact when applied to the insects themselves Such insects have breathing holes distributed over their bodies It is usually claimed that powdered substances should be applied in the morning when the plants are wet with dew while this may have its advantages it is not always necessary as it may in most cases be applied at any time in the day but never when the wind is blowing hard In using Paris green or London purple or hellebore the follow ing rules should be observed The poison should be kept in a safe place and plainly labelled poison Do not distribute the poison with the hands Always keep to the windward side of the plants or trees when applying the powder or liquid Do not use them upon leaves or fruits that are soon to be eaten Give the rains a chance to wash it off Never apply it to fruit trees when in bloom as the poison will kill the bees so necessary to the formation of the perfect fruit Paris green and London purple may be diluted with a cheap quality of wheat flour which is probably the best substance for the200 Department of AgricultureGeorgia purpose on account of its adhering to the plants and being more readily eaten than other substances Land plaster is also recom mended or a mixture of half and half 50 pounds each of flour and plaster to 1 pound of poison is about the proportion when used in a dry form on potato plants fruit trees etc To use in a small way mix about onehalf ounce poison with one quart of flour or plaster It can be applied to great advantage by the use of a powder gun When used with water the following proportions are recom mended For potatoes one pound of poison Paris green or London pur ple to 100 gallons of water For apple trees one pound of poison to 150 gallons of water For pear plum and cherry one pound poison to 200 gallons of water For peach one pound poison to 300 gallons of water The Paris green or London purple should be mixed into a smooth paste before adding the water The mixture must be applied in a fine spray so as not to deluge the foliage and should be well stirred while being used While hellebore is a vegetable substance which will kill certain insects both by poisoning and contact and is used successfully against currant worms rose and cherry slugs its principal value however is that of destroying currant worms To use whale oil soap dissolve onehalf a pound of soap in about one quart of water then add from four to five gallons of cold wa ter and apply every other day with garden syringe or an ordinary watering pot For the trunks and branches of trees use thicker and apply with a brush KEROSENE EMULSION FOR DESTROYING PLANT LICE APHIDES Kerosene oil 2 gallons Waterl Soap whale oil preferredI pound Dissolve the soap in the water by boiling Take from the fire add the kerosene and churn rapidly with a force pump or stir and whip a paddle or old broom until emulsion is completeAnnual Publication foe 1895 201 One gallou of this emulsion to 25 gallons of water and mix well will kill most plant lice For bark lice use one gallon of the emul sion to nine gallons of water For peach trees during the dormant season the solution if neces sary can be used as strong as one gallon of emulsion to five gal lons of water For hardy rose bushes one gallon of emulsion to ten gallons of water will be sale Instead of using whale oil soap and water in making the emul sion sour milk can be used if desired Kerosene oil2 gallons Sour milk1 gallon Make emulsion as described above and use the emulsion when finished with the same amounts of water as that made with the use of soap EXTRACTS FROM FERTILIZER BULLETIN NUMBER 31 THIRD SERIES The following extracts taken from the Commercial Fertilizer Bul letin for the season of 189495 will we believe be found of gen eral interest and benefit to our farmers While it has been the cus tom to place the entire bulletin in the annual of the department as the bulletin is at the command of all who apply to the Commis sioner it has been seen proper to omit a large number of analyses of fertilizers and chemicals However as showing the immense amount of work accomplished by the chemical department it is well to mention that eight hundred and seventyfour brands of fertilizers and chemicals are registered and aualyzed besides a large number of mineral analyses 202 Department of AgricultureGeorgia THE LAW GOVERNING THE INSPECTION OF FERTILIZERS FERTILIZER MATERIAL AND On the 19th of October 1891 an act the full text of which is hereby given was approved by the Governor In many respects it changes the method of inspecting fertilizers and fertilizer materials and in these changes the Com missioner trusts that all manufacturers and dealers or their agents will will ingly acquiesce as the department will require and will see that the law and regulations established by the Commissioner are carried put The assent and cooperation of manufacturers and dealers or their agents will obviously ren der their dealings with the department more pleasant and at the same time will better enable the Commissioner to give an efficient service and will aid him more readily to detect any spurious article that is sought to be imposed upon the people of the State and in protecting the farmers at the same tiine to protect the honest manufacturer and dealer AN ACT To amend and consolidate the laws governing the inspection analysis and sale of commercial fertilizers chemicals and cottonseed meal in the State of Georgia and to repeal all other laws and parts of laws in conflict therewith and for other purposes Section I Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Georgia That all manufacturers of or dealers in commercial fertilizers or chemicals or cottonseed meal to be used in manufacturing the same who may desire to sell or offer for sale in the State of Georgiasuch fertilizers chemicals or cotton seed meal shall first file with the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Georgia the name of each brand of fertilizers or chemicals which he or they may desire to sell in said State either by themselves or their agents together with the name of the manufacturer the place where manufactured and also the guaranteed analysis thereof and if the same fertilizer is sold under differ ent names said fact shall be so stated and the different brands that are iden tical shall be named Sec II Be it further enacted That all fertilizers o chemicals for manu facturing the same and all cottonseed meal offered for sale or distribution in this State shall have branded upon or attached to each hag barrel orpackage the guaranteed analysis thereof showing the percentage of valuable elements or ingredients such fertilizers or chemicals contain embracing the following determinations Moisture at 212 deg Fahper cent Insoluble phosphoric acidpercent Available phosphoric acidper cent Ammonia actual and potentialper cent Potash K2 Oper cent The analysis so placed upon or attached to said fertilizer or chemical shall be a guarantee by the manufacturer agent or person offering the sain for saleAnnual Publication for 1895 203 that it contains substantially the ingredients indicated thereby in the percen tages named therein and said guarantee shall be binding on said manufacturer agent or dealer and may be pleaded in any action or suit at law to show total or partial failure of consideration in the contract for the sale of said fertilizer chemical or cottonseed meal Sec III Be it further enacted That it shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Agriculture to forbid the sale of either of the following Any acid phos phate which contains less than ten per centum of available phosphoric acid any acid phosphate with potash which contains a sum total of less than ten per centum of available phosphoric acid and potash when the per cents of the two are added together any acid phosphate with ammonia which contains a sum total of less than ten per centum of available phosphoric acid and ammonia when the per cents of the two are added together any acid phosphate with ammonia and potash which contains a sum total of less than ten per centum of available phosphoric acid ammonia and potash when the per cents of the three are added together that no brands shall be sold as ammoniated super phosphates unless said brands contain 2 per cent or more of ammonia And also to forbid the sale of all cottonseed meal which is shown by official analy sis to contain less than 7J per cent of ammonia Nothing in this act shall be construed to nullify any of the requirements of an act entitled an act to require the inspection and analysis of cottonseed meal Sec IV Be it further enacted That all persons or firms who may desire or intend to sell fertilizers chemicals or cottonseed meal in this State shall for ward to the Commissioner of Agriculture a printed or plainly written request for tags therefor stating the name of the brand the name of the manufact urer the place where manufactured the number of tons of each brand and the number of tags required and the person or persons to whom the tame is consigned the guaranteed analysis also the number of pounds contained in each bag barrel or package in which said fertilizer chemical or cottonseed meal is put up and shall at the time of said request for tags forward directly to the Commissioner of Agriculture the sum of ten cents per ton as an inspec tion fee whereupon it shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Agriculture to issue tags to parties so applying who shall attach a tag to each bag barrel or package thereof which when attached to said bag barrel or package shall be prima facie evidence that the seller has complied with the requirements of this act Any tags left in possession of the manufacturer or dealer at the end of the season shall not be used for another season nor shall they be redeem able by the Department of Agriculture Sec V Be it further enacted That it shall not be lawful for any person firm or corporation either by themselves or their agents to sell or offer for sale in this State any fertilizer chemicals or cottonseed meal without first registering the same with the Commissioner of Agriculture as required by this act and the fact that the purchaser waives the inspection and analysis thereof shall be no protection to said party so selling or offering the same for sale Sec VI Be it further enacted That the Commissioner of Agriculture shall appoint twelve inspectors of fertilizers or so many inspectors as in said Com missioners judgment may be necessary who shall hold their offices for such terms as said Commissioner of Agriculture shall in his judgment think best for carrying out the provisions of this act The greatest compensation that any one inspector of fertilizers shall receive shall be at the rate of one hundred204 Department of AgricultureGeorgia dollars per month and his actual expenses while in the discharge of his duty as such inspector It shall be their duty to inspect all fertilizers chemicals or cottonseed meal that may be found at any point within the limits of this State and go to any point when so directed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and shall see that all fertilizers chemicals or cotton seed meal are properly tasrged Sec VII Be it further enacted That each inspector of fertilizers shall be provided with bottles in which to place samples of fertilizers chemicals or cot tonseed meal drawn by him and shall also be provided with leaden tags numbered in duplicate from one upward and it shall be the duty of each in spector of fertilizers to draw a sample of all fertilizers chemicals and cotton seed meal that he may be requested to inspect or that he may find unin spected and he shall fill two sample bottles with each brand and place one leaden tag of same number in each sample bottle and shall plainly write on a label on said bottles the number corresponding to the number on said leaden tags in said bottles and shall also write on the label on one of said bottles the name of the fertilizer chemical or cotton seed meal inspected the name of the manufacturer the place where manufactured the place where inspected the date of inspection and the name of the inspector and shall send or cause to be sent to the Commissioner of Agriculture the samples so drawn by him an nexed to a full report of said inspection written on the form prescribed by said Commissioner of Agriculture which report must be numbered to corre spond with the number on said sample bottles and number on the leaden tags placed therein and it shall also be the duty of said inspectors of fertilizers to keep a complete record of all inspections made by them on forms prescribed by said Commissioner of Agriculture Before entering upon the discharge of their duties they shall take and subscribe before some officer authorized to administer the same an oath faithfully to discharge all the duties which may be required of them in pursuance of this act Sec VIII Be it further enacted That the Commissioner of Agriculture shall have the authority to establish such rules and regulations in regard to the in spection analysis and sale of fertilizers chemicals and cottonseed meal not inconsistent with the provisions of this act as in his judgment will best carry out the requirements thereof Sec IX Be it further enacted That it shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Agriculture to keep a correctaccount of all money received from the inspec tion of fertilizers and to pay the same into the treasury after paying out of said sum the expenses and salaries of inspectors and for the tags and bottles used in making such inspections Sec X Be it further enacted That all contracts for the sale of fertilizers or chemicals in the State of Georgia made in any other manner than as required by this act shall be absolutely void provided that nothing in this act shall be construed to restrict or avoid sales of acid phosphate kainit or other fertilizer material in bulk to each other by importers manufacturers or manipulators who mix fertilizer material for sale or as preventing the free and unrestricted shipment of these articles in bulk to manufacturers or manipulators who mix fertilizer material for sale Sec XI Be it further enacted That any person selling or offering for sale any fertilizers or chemicals without having first complied with the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on convictionAnnual Publication for 1895 205 thereoi shall be punished as prescribed in section 4310 of the code of Georgia Sec XII Be it further enacted That all laws and parts of laws in conflict with this act be and the same are hereby repealed 1 With the provisions of the above law the Commissioner requests that all manufacturers and dealers in commercial fertilizers chemicals and other fertilizer material immediately comply While the law itself is sufficiently explicit to be thoroughly understood to facilitace its operations the following form is prescribed REQUEST FOR REGISTRATION To R T Jesbitt Commissioner of Agriculture Atlanta Ga You are hereby requested to register for sale and distribution in the State of Georgiamanufactured by at THE FOLLOWING IS THE GUARANTEED ANALYSIS BRAND OF THE Moisture at 212 Fahper cent Insoluble phosphoric acidper cent Available phosphoric acidper cent Ammonia actual and potentialper cent Potash K2 0per cent The ammonia is in the form of Theis put up inof lbs each It is identical with In consideration of being allowed to sell and distribute the above brand be fore the official analysis thereof is madeagree and bind to cancel all sales thereof and forfeit all claims for purchase money therefor if after the official analysis is made the Commissioner of Agriculture shall prohibit its sale in accordance with law 2 Under section 4 relating to requests for tags in order that no delay may occur in shipments the manufacturer or dealer need not notify the Depart ment at the time of the request for tags of the name of the purchaser or consignee but must notify the Commisssioner in writing of every sale or con signment on the day in which the same is made This notice must dis tinctly state the brand of the fertilizer or the name of the chemical or fertil izer material and the number of tons together with the name of the pur chaser or consignee and their places of residence It must request inspection and contain an agreement to cancel all sales thereof in the event the Com missioner shall prohibit its sale in accordance with law The following form may be used substantial compliance with the above rule being regarded as sufficient206 Department of AgricultureGeorgia NOTICE OP SALES AND CONSIGNMENTS AND BEQUEST EOR INSPECTION 189 To R T Ncsbitt Commissioner of Agriculture Atlanta Ga You are hereby notified thathave this day made the follow ing sales and consignments and request that the same be inspected c m n 3 O H X p 3 0 ft o o3 fc CD a as 6 s 0 CD a o O In consideration of being allowed to sell and distribute the above before the official analysis thereof is made agree and bind to cancel all sales thereof and forfeit all claim for purchase money thereof if alter the official analysis is made the Commissioner of Agriculture shall prohibit its sale in accordance with law Manufacturers and dealers by this rule are not required to delay shipment in order that the inspection may be made but are required to see that their goods are properly tagged the inspection being made while the fertilizer or fertilizer mate rial is in the hands of the purchaser or consignee 3 All orders for tags must be sent direct to this department and the request must be accompanied with the fees for inspection at the rate of ten cents per ton for the fertilizer or fertilizer material on which they are to be used Manufacturers and dealers or their agents may request tags in such quantities as they see fit but each request must state distinctly the brand or brands on which they are to be used with the number of tons of the brands or of each of said brands It is not necessary that the fertilizer or fertilizer material be actually on hand at the time the request is made but manufacturers or dealers can order such a number of tags as they may need during the season bearing in mind that no tags carried over will be redeemed by the department In the event that more tags are ordered for any brand than it is ascertained can be used on the sales and consignments of that brand by proper notice with the consent of the Commissioner the tags can be used on another brand put up in packages or sacks of the same weight and sold or consigned the same season 4 If a fertilizer be offered for registration inspection or sale branded as either of the following Ammoniated Superphosphate Ammoniated Dissolved Bone Ammoniated Guano Guano Fertilizer or other words implying that the same is an ammoniated superphosphate theAnnual Publication for 1895 207 guaranteed analysis must claim that it contains not less than two per cent of ammonia actual or potential 5 That part of section 3 excepting from the operations of the act an act to require the inspection and analysis of cottonseed meal leaves the inspec tion of that article under the Calvin bill which requires that all cottonseed meal for whatever purpose to be used be inspected It is therefore necessary and is required that a request for inspection be sent to the Commissioner and that the inspection be made in the hands of the manufacturer dealer or their agent or if shipped in the State at some convenient point before the meal is sold or distributed In all cases fees will be sent direct to the Commissioner who will immediately order the nearest inspector to make the inspection208 Department of AgricultureGeorgia COTTONSEED MEAL IT MUST BE INSPECTED UNDEB THE CALVIN BILL The Calvin Bill relating to the inspection and analysis of cottonseed meal does not seem to be thoroughly understood by manufacturers and dealers in that article Under the bill all cottonseed meal must be inspected and analyzed before it can without violating the law be sold or offered for sale to be used as a fertilizer or for any other purpose Bules and regulations governing these inspections have been prescribed by the Commissioner and will be printed but in order that through misappre hension no sales in violation of the act may be made the Commissioner issues the following CALVIN BILL A bill to be entitled an act to require all cottonseed meal to be subjected to analysis and inspection as a condition precedent to being offered for sale and to forbid the sale in this State of such cottonseed meal if it be shown by the official analysis that the same contains less than 7J per centum of ammonia to prescribe a penalty for the violation of the provisions of this act and for other purposes Section I Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Georgia and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same That from and after the passage of this act it shall not be lawful for any person or persons to offer for sale in this State any cottonseed meal until the same shall have been duly analyzed by the State Chemist and inspected as now required by law in the matter of all fertilizers and chemicals for manufacturing or composting purposes nor shall it be lawful to offer such cottonseed meal for sale in this State if it be shown by the official analysis that the same contains less than 7 per centum of ammonia provided that the provisions of this act as to the per centum mentioned in this section shall not apply to meal manufactured from sea island cotton seed but the Commissioner of Agriculture shall upon the pass age of this act fix and make public a minimum per centum which shall con trol as to the cottonseed meal referred to in this proviso provided further that if any cottonseed meal shall not analyze up to the required per centum of ammonia the same may be offered for sale as secondclass meal provided the analysis be made known to the purchaser and stamped on the sack Sec II Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That there shall be branded upon or attached to each sack barrel or package of cottonseed meal offered for sale in this State the true analysis as determined by the State Chemist and the number of pounds net in each sack barrel or package Sec III Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That it shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Agriculture to take all steps necessary to make effective the provisions of sections 1 and 2 of this act Section IV of the act makes the person or persons violating the provisions of the act guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction punished as prescribed in section 4310 of the code Section V repeals conflicting lawsAnnual Publication for 1895 209 I desire to call the attention of all manufacturers of and dealers in cotton seed meal to the above law which requires the inspection tagging and analysis of all cottonseed meal whether sold for cattle food fertilizer purposes or other uses This law will be enforced and I most earnestly request all manu facturers to promptly comply with its requirements And in case of doubt as to the method to apply to the department of agriculture for the rules and regulations governing such inspections R T Nesbitt Commissioner of Agriculture 14 ag210 Department of AgricultureGeorgia ELLINGTON1 BILL No 168 An act to regulate the sale of fertilizers in the State to fix a method for determining the value of the same and for other purposes Section I Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Georgia and it is hereby enacted by authority of the same That from and after the passage of this act it shall be lawful for any purchaser of fertilizer from any owner thereof or agent of such owner to require of the person selling and at the time of sale or delivery to take from each lot of each brand sold a sample of its contents Sec II Be it further enacted That said sample so taken shall be mixed to gether and placed in a bottle jar or such other receptacle as the purchaser may present It shall then be the duty of such purchaser and seller to deliver said package to the Ordinary of the county who shall label same with the names of the parties and of the fertilizer Sec III Be it further enacted That said Ordinary shall safely keep said package allowing neither party access to the same save as hereinafter pro vided The Ordinary shall receive a fee of ten 10 cents from the party de positing such sample for each sample so deposited Sec IV Be it further enacted That should said purchaser after having used such fertilizer upon his crops have reason to believe from the yields thereof that said fertilizer was totally or partially worthless he shall notify the seller and apply to the Ordinary to forward the said sample deposited with him or a sufficiency thereof to insure a fair analysis to the State Chemist without stating the names of the parties the name of the fertilizer or giving its guaranteed analysis the cost of sending being prepaid by the purchaser Sec V Be it further enacted That it shall be the duty of the State Chemist to analyze and send a copy of the result to said Ordinary Sec VI Be it further enacted That should said analysis show that said fertilizer comes up to the guaranteed analysis upon which it is sold then the statement so sent by the State Chemist shall be conclusive evidence against a plea of partial or total failure of consideration But should said analysis show that such fertilizer does not come up to the guaranteed analysis then the sale shall be illegal null and void and when suit is brought upon any evidence of indebtedness given for such fertilizer the statement of such Chemist so transmitted to the Ordinary shall be conclusive evidence of the fact whether such evidence of indebtedness is held by an innocent third party or not Sec VII Be it further enacted That in lieu of the State Chemist should the parties to the contract agree upon some other chemist to make said analy sis all the provisions of this act shall apply to his analysis and report to the Ordinary Seo VIII Be it further enacted That should the seller refuse to take said sample when so required by the purchaser then upon proof of this fact the purchaser shall be entitled to his plea of failure of consideration and to sup port the same by proof of the want of effect and benefit of said fertilizer uponAnnual Publication for 1895 211 Tiis crop which proof shall be sufficient to authorize the jury to sustain de fendants plea within whole or in part whether said suit is brought by an innocent holder or not H y wVX eitfurtherenacted That all laws and parts of laws in conflict with this act be and the same are hereby repealed tonmct Approved December 27 1890 Special attention is called to Sec IRequiring seller to take the sample Sec II Requiringpurchaser and seller to deliver package to Ordinary 8ec VRequirmg cost of sending being prepaid by purchaser REMARKS ON THE ELLINGTON BILL Unless the law is complied with and samples are taken in the presence of r0tTe 2iand in charge f the rdinarthe che it not make the analyses If the sample is not taken in the presence of the seller and kept in charge by the Ordinary until sent to the Chemist a dtahTnS purchaser by taking his own sample during the absence of the se ler and mix nig it with dirt could cause the ruin of an honest man and vicevaTrZ SKiSsaingredients r s s It is impossible under the law for the Chemist to have any knowledge whatever of the names of the parties or of the names of the fertilizers or of eir guarantees This is eminently proper as it is equally so tha neithe purchaser nor seller should have private access to the sample Ihe farmers desire protection against lowgrade goods and dishonest dealers proper care and attention to this law will certainly secure it The State Chemist earnestly requests the sealing with wax of all samnle sd PTrwf brr and S6ller Althouh the des not requiTif i is advisable that it should be done A record should be kept by the Ordinary of the names of the two parties the name of the brand and the guarantee and the samples should be numbered as taken and a corresponding number shouW be put upon the bottles When the sample is sent to the Chemist everythS should be scraped off the bottle but the number or the sample should n Placed in another bottle and numbered to correspond with his re ord book to countv onT T8 f The 0rdinary should te the name of ihe county on the package when shipping that the Chemist may know to what county the package belongs It is impossible sometimes to identify samples SeSn Stothi8 office by the sender m 2SS212 Department of AgricultureGeorgia REPORT OF THE CHEMIST Laboratory of the State Chemist State Capitol Atlanta Ga August 22 1895 Hon R T Nesbitt Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Georgia Atlanta Ga Dear Sir The work of the State Chemist has been particularly arduous during the present year The opening of the fertilizer season was unusually backward the dealers in many instances putting off their purchases a number of weeks later than usual Samples of fer tilizers have poured in very steadily until after the middle of August necessitating constant work every day of from one to four hours beyond office hours by the State Chemist and his assistants to accomplish the analyses The number of brands registered has been the largest known in the history of the department some establishments registering over forty different brands This great multiplication of the names of identical goods must prove a source of constant uncertainty to the farmer for in cases where he has not found a goods suited to the wants of his land in endeavoring to buy another brand he may unwittingly be purchasing the same thing under another name It has been the pleasure of the State Chemist to answer an unusually large number of letters received during the season requesting information in regard to the home manipulation of fertilizers and the proper utilization of accessible plant food A knowl edge of what really constitutes the value of a fertilizer is of deep signifi cance to all farmers and their increasing interest in the subject is one of much congratulation and will receive every encouragement The work of the State Chemist in connection with the State Exhibit Commission has been one of great interest Appreciating the importance to the State of their fruit industry he managed to secure a small fund from the commission to be used for the purpose of displaying the fruits of the State This is an important and growing industry and is now attracting more settlers to the State than probably all other kinds of business put together In preparing fruit for exhibition there must be no delay in putting it up most fruits were received overripe and imme diate attention was imperative if they were to be saved Many of the fruits have been received in the afternoons being shipped on the morning trains and arriving about the time most of the offices were closed in the Capitol this necessitated many hours of night work The exhibit wiltAnnual Publication foe 1895 213 prove a handsome one and one which has been gotten up at a remark ably small outlay by the State The chief cost to the State has been for containers and chemicals and a small amount for fruits and the services of one man for a few weeks The work of the State Chemist and his assistants at night after office hours has made this possible without delaying the regular fertilizer analyses As evidence of how well the work of the chemical laboratory has been kept up with it will suffice to say that the official samples of fertilizers continued to come to the State Chemist to be analyzed for appearance in this bulletin as late as August 20th yet by August 22d the official work of the whole season was complete and had been reported to you But thirty days now intervene before the opening of the new season of 189596 which will be devoted to straightening up the rooms of the laboratory after the seasons rush and preparing and verifying apparatus chemicals and solutions for the new work of the coming season which will begin on October 1st In addition to the verification of chemicals solutions etc for every batch of analyses made during the year there is always a complete overhauling and checking of apparatus chemicals and solutions preparatory for the beginning of each season The amount of work during the season of 189495 was as follows Acid phosphates with ammonia and potash complete fertilizers 651 Acid phosphates with ammonia 5 Acid phosphates with potash 112 Ammonia and potash 5 Acid phosphates superphosphates 137 Potash salts 51 Fertilizers under the provisions of the Ellington bill 8 Oottonseed meals 80 Ootton seedwhole hulls and meats 23 Minerals 215 Waters 8 Substances not otherwise enumerated 160 Ashes 2 Soft phosphates 3 Bones 11 1471 Very respectfully GEORGE PAYNE State Chemist214 Department of AgricultureGeorgia VALUATIONS For Available Phosphoric Acid Ammo7iia and Potash for Season of 189495 Available phosphoric acid 4 cents a pounct Ammonia or its equivalent in nitrogen 10 cents a pound Potash 4 cents a pounct If calculated by units Available phosphoric acid 80 cents per unit Ammonia or its equivalent in nitrogen 2 00 per unit Potash 80 cents per unit The relative commercial value which is given each fertilizer is calculated from the above figures with an addition to each of 260 per ton to cover in spection sacks mixing and handling To calculate the commercial value of a ton of a given fertilizer bear in mind that a ton weighs 2000 pounds and one per cent of this is twenty pounds If a goods contain one per cent of available phosphoric acid this will be twenty pounds of available phosphoric acid in a ton Twenty pounds of available phosphoric acid at four cents a pound will be eighty cents for each per cent contained in a ton or eighty cents per unit as it is generally desig nated Ammonia being ten cents a pound each one per cent or twenty pounds in a ton will be worth 200 As potash is the same value as available phosphoric acid each per cent in a ton will be worth eighty cents To illustrate this take a sample containing Available phosphoric acid1010 multiply by 80 8 08 Ammonia 260 multiply by 200 5 20 Potash 110 multiply by 80 88 Inspection sacks mixing and handling 2 00 Relative commercial value16 76 These valuations were obtained by the most careful investigation and fairly represented the wholesale cash value on the first of January 1895 of fertil izers in Georgia in those cities where the goods enter the State or where they are manufactured Any one buying at a distance from Savannah should add the freight to their depot to obtain the local wholesale cash value This sub tracted from the price charged for the goods will give one a fair idea of what is charged as profit Goods are sold very close for cash but when sold on time dealers are compelled to charge full price to cover interest cost of collec tion and bad debts It is impossible to fix exact values for an entire season upon mercantile goods subject to the fluctuations of the market hence these values while con sidered fairly approximate are to be regarded rather as comparative and not absoluteAnnual Publication for 1895 215 WHOLESALE CASH PRICES OP FERTILIZER MATERIALS February 1895 These are the Substances from which Ordinary Commercial Fertilizers are Manu factured mixing handling freight sacking etc increasing the cost of the finished product 8 00 to 6 50 to 8 50 to 65 to 75 00 25 50 25 sa 2 00 Phosphate Rock free on board Charleston S Cper ton 6 50 to 6 Peace River Flaper ton 4 50 to 5 ground for making acid phosphates per ton Sulphuric Acidin bulk50Bper ton Acid Phosphatesper ton Acid Phosphates sold by the unit of available Phosphoric Acidper unit To obtain the price of a given acid phosphate multiply Jthe per cent of available phosphoric acid by the price per unit One ton of ground phos phate rock and one ton of sulphuric acid will make two tons of acid phos phate The cost of available pnosphoric acid at 65 cents a unit is 3J cents a pound at 80 cents a unit it is 4 cents a pound Blood dried red high giade with nitrogen equivalent to 16 per cent ammoniaper ton 32 00 Blood dried low grade with nitrogen equivalent to 14 per cent ammonia per ton 25 20 to 25 90 Blood dried red high grade by the unit of ammonia calcu lated from nitrogen presentper unit Blood dried low grade by the unit of ammonia calculated from nitrogen presentper unit Tankage High gradeper ton Low grade per ton Pish Guano or Fish Scrap dried free on board at the factory per ton 22 50 to 23 00 Fish Guano or Fish Scrap acidulated free on board at the factoryper ton Bones roughper ton groundper ton Bone Meal steamedper ton Bone Black Refuseper ton Sulphate of Ammonia containing about 248 per cent am monia per ton 61 00 to 62 00 Nitrate of Soda containing nitrogen equivalent to about 19 percent of ammoniaper ton 35 00 to 37 00 Cotton Seed Mealby car loadcontaining nitrogen equiva lent to about 8J per cent ammoniaper ton Kainit containing about 1212 per cent potash K20 at Sa vannah Ga in lots of less than 1 tonper ton Kainit containing 1212 per cent potash K20 at Savannah Ga in lots of less than twelve tonsper ton Kainit containing 1212 per cent potash K20 at Savannah Ga in lots of less than 25 tonsper ton 11 00 1 80 to 1 85 19 00 to 20 00 18 00 to 19 00 11 00 to 12 00 19 00 to 20 00 24 00 22 00 18 00 to 18 5a 16 00 13 00 12 00216 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Kainit containing 1212 per cent potash K20 invoice lots astoportper long ton 2240 lbs 8 80 to 9 55 Muriate Potash containing about 5150 per cent potash K20at Savannah Gain lotsof less than 1 tonper ton 52 00 Muriate of Potash containing about 5150 per cent potash K20 at Savannah Ga in lots of less than 12 tonsper ton 47 50 Muriate of Potash containing about 5150 per cent potash K20 at Savannah Ga in lots of less than 25 tonsper ton 42 00 Muriate of Potash containing about 5150 per cent potash K20 invoice lots as to portper long ton 2240 lbs 35 00 to 36 00 Cotton Seed Hull Ashes averages about 2275 per cent potash K20 but varies from 10 per cent to 42 per centper ton 16 00 These prices give a fair idea of the value of fertilizers in large wholesale lots The phosphate rock is quoted F 0 B at the mines the freight to any given point will have to be added to give the wholesale value at such place Sulphuric acid is given at New York quotations but sulphuric acid is prob ably made as cheaply in Georgia as at the north as acid phosphates have been sold in the State in bulk as low as 850 per ton which is the lowest present New York quotations Blood tankage bones boneblack sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda are quoted at New York prices But as most of the blood tankage and bones comes from the western markets they are probably delivered almost as cheaply in Georgia as in New York city Fish scrap is quoted at the factory The freight rate on fertilizers from New York to Savannah is from 160 to 200 per ton so 200 added to the fish scrap prices would give about cost at Savannah With these figures as a basis the value of the plant food in these materials taking the prices for large quantities is as follows Available phosphoric acid ob cents cents tained from phosphate rock per ft 3J to 4 per unit 65 to 80 Ammonia or its nitrogen equiv alent in the form of bloodper lb 9 to 10 per unit 180 to 200 Ammonia or its nitrogen equiv alent in the form of Sulphate of Ammoniaper lb 12J to 12J per unit 247 to 250 Ammonia or its nitrogen equiv alent in the form of Nitrate of Sodaper lb 91 to 9f0 per unit 184 to 192 Ammonia or its nitrogen equiv alent in the form of Cotton Seed Mealper lb 9J per unit 190 Potash K20 in the form of Kainitper lb 3 to 4J per unit 70J to 90J6 Potash KjO in the form of Muriateper ft 3 to 4 per unit 64 to 82 Potash K20 in the form of Ashes of Cotton Seed Hulls per ft 3 per unit 72 As tankage bones fish scrap and boneblack refuse contain phosphates as well at nitrogenous matter they would not be treated fairly if estimated on their nitrogen aloneAnnual Publication foe 1895 217 The Percentage in Ordinary Fertilizing Materials of the Three Plant Foods Most Easily Exhausted from the Soil is as follows a o U ft ti o o Per Cent of Available Phosphoric Acid This subtracted from the total Phosphoric Acid present will leave the Insoluble Phosphoric Acid a d d bo t o3 P u o F4 Acid Phosphates 1200 to 2000 1986 190 1200 825 2274 10 00 to 1900 207 Soft PhosphatesBlood 1200 to 1700 800 to 1400 880 4 63 2480 1900 800 to 900 450 to 650 Tankage 540 315 800 Sulphate of Am Nitrate of Soda CottonSeed Meal 280 250 180 150 1100 to 13 00 5150 2275 10 40 120 1 27 525 68 Sea Island Cotton Seed Meal Muriate of Potash 885 10 40 114 151 170 70 10 17 17 109 41 31 Cotton Seed Hull 775 AshesAnthracite coal AshesBitumous Ashes limekiln Ashes wood leached Ashes wood unleached Ashes city cre 130 35 53 121 72 67 70 1 88 72 52 237 60 59 Muck Cattle Excrement 15 10 35 25 13 15 49 150 20 83 226 60 43 Horse Excrement Human Exc ment Swine Excrement Sheep Excrement Cattle Urine Human Urine 17 07 01 30 32 Swine Urine Stable Manure Barnyard Manure average The movement of fertilizers was unsually backward this season and there lias been a large falling off in their use under the crops of 1895 The number of brands registered is larger than usual requiring more chemical work but the number of pounds of each brand sold is considerably reduced in many instances218 Department of AgricultureGeorgia FERTILIZERS FROM THE FARMERS STANDPOINT There are but few intelligent farmers who deny the value of science to agricul ture in fact we might say that there are no intelligent farmers who do not ac knowledge the importance of scientific knowledge in their work for science is knowledge the comprehension and understanding of truth or facts Scientific men endeavor to systematize all facts and knowledge as much as possible so as in this way to bring out other unknown facts A theoretical farmer is not always a scientific one Theory means a doctrine or a scheme of things which terminates in speculation or contemplation without a view to practice Hence the theoreti cal farmer is often deservedly laughed at by the practical farmer A practical farmer in his successful efforts in agriculture is simply carrying out the wellknown facts of chemical and physical science Every successful farmer is to some extent a scientific man as his work is conducted upon the basis of scientific facts In the study of the requirements of the various crops it has been developed that besides the three important requisites ol iir water and sunlight there are certain ingre dients also extracted from the soil which though small in quantity are of vital importance Most ordinary soils contain a sufficient supply of these materials with the exception of phosphoric acid nitrogen and potash and these three ma terials being often lacking in certain soils and also quickly exhausted from those of much fertility constitute the substances chiefly used as fertilizers The use of fertilizers whether profitable or not depends upon a number of conditions Farmers as a rule agree that with a fair season the use of fertilizers pays them an excellent profit upon their investment yet a good understanding of the facts or science involved in the matter enables one to get a far better return upon his out lay than would be the case if he does not study the matter thoroughly Some crops require a greater proportionate amount of one or the other of these mate rials An intelligent use of this fact alone is of much value We will not go into a discussion of this at present however as we wish to speak more upon the subject of what is called the complete fertilizer that is a fairly proportioned combination well adapted for all crops and for use by those least versed in scientific fer tilization The ordinary commercial fertilizer of the market is well adapted to our average field crops the average of the complete fertilizers sold in Georgia last season being 9 per cent available phosphoric acid 21 per cent ammonia and 2 per cent potash which at the calculated values of the de partment were worth 1850 per ton but for which small buyers of course had to pay a larger amount probably about 2200 per ton While these mixed fertil izers are most excellent it is incumbent upon the wideawake farmer to become more familiar with the materials used in making these fertilizers and thus learn to buy them to the best advantage We will not enter in this article into the pro portions of the various ingredients used in making complete fertilizers but wish to call attention particularly to economical business management in securing the proper materials We first take phosphoric acid it is considerably cheaper to buy this in the form of acid phosphate than in the form of mixed fertilizers Acid phosphate of good quality can be bought at some of the factories in this State as low as 850 per ton This however is in quantity and for cash and to secure any such price it would be necessary for a number of farmers at a given point to act in concert Nitrogen can be secured very cheaply in the form of cottonseecV meal blood and tankage Cottonseed meal if used as a cattle food first and a ferAnnual Publication for 1895 219 tilizer afterwards loses tut about 5 per cent of its manurial value and if thus used is a remarkably cheap source of nitrogen Blood can be bought sometimes for less per unit for its nitrogen content than can cottonseed meal this is offset in cot tonseed meal to a small extent by the amount of phosphoric acid and potash present the percentage of phosphoric acid in cottonseed meal being slightly larger than that in blood Blood may sometimes be higher per nitrogen unit than cottonseed meal on account of the market and freight Potash is usually purchased in the form of kainit or muriate of potash the prices for which are fixed annually by the potash syndicate in Germany At the ordinary cash market price for these materials the farmer can buy them and mix them at home with consider able economy as such materials as cotton seed meal acid phosphate and kainit can be mixed with comparative ease by putting down in layers one upon the other cutting through the layers with a spade and then throwing upon a sand screen It is advisable that the kainit should be crushed quite fine as otherwise the potash will not be as thoroughly disseminated There is one source of potash which is available to some extent in this State which is not sought after as its value deserves and that is cottonseed hull ashes The mills readily sell every ton they produce most of it being shipped to a distance The quotation during the past season on these ashes was only 1600 per ton This material at such a figure if only containing 22 per cent potash which is a fair average furnishes potash more cheaply than it can be bought either in the muriate or kainit except in very large quantities Some cottonseed hull ashes it is true run a little lower than this but many of them run very much higher some as high as 40 to 42 per cent of potash thus making them a correspondingly cheap source of this valua ble material In addition to this percentage of potash cottonseed hull ashes also contain 7 to 8 per cent of available phosphoric acid and a small amount of insoluble phos phoric acid If we take the average cottonseed hull ashes and figure them as con taining 7f per cent of available phosphoric acid and 22f per cent of potash thoy would be worth as a manure 2440 per ton if calcinated at 4 cent per pound each for the available phosphoric acid and potash At 1600 per ton if of good aver age character they are a remarkably cheap source of phosphoric acid and potash when these two materials cost 4 cents per pound in other substances which is about the present price It seems strange that when this material can be bought at 1600 per ton a single ton of it should be permitted to go out of the State Muck is another easily obtained material of value as a fertilizer Muck depends upon its nitrogen content f r its fertilizing value Mucks however are very un certain in their composition The average muck does not contain more than 1J per cent of ammonia when calculated from the nitrogen present This would be worth only about 340 per ton if estimated by other nitrogenous materials There are mucks however which run as high as 3J per cent This would make a value of 700 per ton at 2 per unit The amount of phosphoric acid and potash usually present in mucks is very small Nitrogen in muck is not quickly available and should go through a process of heating or fermentation to make it so This is done in the manufacture of compost One load of manure to three loads of muck if covered with earth and allowed to ferment until ripe makes a valuable fertiliz ing material the combination being claimed load for load of equal value to the manure Such a compost however would be overrich in nitrogen and would give better returns for the outlay of time and money if used in combination with phosphoric acid and potash220 Department op AgricultureGeorgia Another valuable source of nitrogen is leguminous crops which are those which hear legumes or pods such as peas beans clovers and the like They have the remarkable power of rendering nitrogen from the atmosphere available as plant food This is done through the medium of certain microbes which grow upon the roots of these plants and are found in large numbers in the little nodules which ad here to the roots After the peas or beans are gathered as they are too valuable to use as a fertilizer the vines should he allowed to dry thoroughly and then plowed under If plowed under green they are liable to render the land sour The roots as well as the tops of all leguminous plants add largely to the nitrogen ous fertility of the soil and their use is one of great economic value to the farmer As the nitrogenous materials of fertilizers are worth in the market about two and a half to three times as much for each percentage of nitrogen present as is an equal percentage of either phosphoric acid or potash the conservation of nitrogen is of great importance Geoegk F Payne F C S State ChemistAnnual Publication for 1895 221 UNDESIRABLE FERTILIZER FORMULAE SOCALLED CHEAP RECIPES FOE MAKING HOMEMADE FERTILIZERS During the season we have had our attention called to three formula which par ties have attempted to sell in the State for making cheap fertilizers They claim that the mixtures will be fully as good as the regular commercial fertilizers and convey the impression in one instance that the cost will not be much over 125 per ton and in another that it will be about 500 a ton In the third case no value is given Such formulas as these are very misleading and expensive for the amount of plant food actually in them These are the formulas FORMULA A Take commercial potassium nitrate 5 js Sodaash 48 4 lbs Ammonium chloride g 1 Copper sulphate 2 bs Ammonium nitrate j iu Dissolve all except the sodaash in three waterbuckets of water Put 100 pounds of manure in a covered pen and sprinkle over it a part of the solution Then take about 60 pounds of ashes unleached and add to them the sodaash 6 pounds of salt and 6 pounds lime mix well and sprinkle part over the manure Continue this process until you make up a ton and allow it to remain in a dry place for thirty days or more the longer the better Use from 200 to 400 pounds to the acre just as you would other fertilizers If you have not the stable or cow manure you can use muck or rich black earth and cotton seed It is now conceded by all advanced chemists that the changes produced in or ganic tissues making ammonia and nitrates are due to the presence and action of minute organisms On the same principle as yeast is added to dough to start the bread to rising we addthese chemicals to the manure to start the ammoniazation and nitrazation They change the urates and other nitrogenous bodies into am monia and nitrates Hence the necessity for keeping the fertilizer for some time to allow this process to go on The chemicals are to the manure what the yeast is to the dough The chemicals for a ton by this formula will cost only 125 and less in larger quantities FORMULA B Ammonia 5 lbs Phosphoric Acid o ba Nitrate Potassium 5 Ibs SaltPetreZZ 10 lbs SuPhur 5 lbs Potash 10 lbs Lime 50 lbs Ashes 100 lbs Dirt enough to make a ton g13 jbs222 Department op AgricultureGeorgia DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING Mix all the ingredients thoroughly then mix with the dirt Moisten with water lightly and mix thoroughly Put in a heap in a dry place Three weeks before needed pulverize thoroughly and scatter in guano distributor Good muck is best for thebody of the guano hut an earth that is free from gravel will answer The above makes a very high grade fertilizer Lessen the quantity if you wish a lower grade This formula will cost less than 500 FORMULA C Muck or decomposed vegetable matter 500 lbs Droppings of Animals 500 Cotton seed whole 450 Droppings from fowls 120 Acid phosphate 15 per cent available 375 Land Plaster 125 Nitrate of Soda 18 Potash 3 Sulphate of Potash 28 REMARKS ON FORMULA A The statement that the chemicals for a ton of fertilizer made by this formula will cost only 125 is a wild one The formula as given will be composed of the following Cents a lb Cents Potassium Nitrate 5 pounds at 3 j 18J Soda Ash 4 2 8 Ammonium Chloride 3 6 18 Copper Sulphate 2 3J 6J Ammonium Nitrate 1 10 10 Water 3 buckets 483 0 0 Manure 100 0 0 Ashes 60 1 60 Salt 6 J 3 Lime 6 fa J 2353 lbs 124 These figures have been put at the lowest wholesale prices in large lots and they amount to 125 for the 235r3jj pounds counting the manure as of no cost It takes the receipt 8J times to make one ton of two thousand pounds So a ton of the mixture instead of costing 125 will cost 125 multiplied by 8J or 1062J exclu sive of the value of the manure The use of potassium nitrate ammonium chloride and ammonium nitrate is not economical in ordinary fertilization as the same amounts of plant food can be bought far more cheaply in the forms of nitrate of soda sulphate of ammonia sulphate of potash muriate of potash kainit etc In formula A every fertilizing chemical used is more expensive than the same plant food can be secured in other combinations The formula is also an unscien tific one for when soda ash is mixed with ammonium chloride or ammoniumAnnual Publication for 189 o 223 nitrate the ammonia is released by the action of the soda ash and escapes into the air in the form of ammonia gas The copper sulphate is probably used as an in secticide The unleached ashes and also lime will both drive out ammonia from the ammonia salts The materials are good enough though expensive but their combination s unfortunate No alkalies nor alkaline earths should be mixed with ammonium salts as they replace the ammonia and drive it out in the form of a gas As the ammonia and potash in this formula are already in an available form the idea of adding these chemicals to the manure to strt the formation of ammonia and nitrification is unwise The writer of the formula was evidently a little mixed in regard to the charac ter and functions of nitrifying bacteria as he starts out bravely slating that nitrates are produced by them and in the next sentence states that he adds these chemicals to start the nitrification Because nitrifying bacteria produce nitrates is no reason that nitrates will produce these bacteria and in turn more nitrates This is putting the cart before the horse Manure by its own fermentation will bring its nitro genous matters into available form without the addition of these chemicals and furthermore if this combination is kept for some time as recommended there would be less ammonia present in the material at the end of that time than there was when the compound was first mixed REMARKS ON FORMULA B In formula B there is a misuse of names as ammonia is a gas and if put into the fertilizer without an acid to fix it only a small portion will remain if sul phate of ammonia is intended the lime and ashes will drive the ammonia from it in the form of a gas Pure phosphoric acid is too expensive an article to use in a fertilizer This is probably intended for acid phosphate of lime or acid phosphate as it is usually called Nitrate of potassium and saltpetre are the same thing In this case however the word saltpetre is probably intended to mean what is sometimes called Ohili saltpetre or nitrate of soda The sulphur is probably added as an insecticide it is not a plant food Potash like phosphoric acid is too expensive and also too corrosive to use in an uncombined form Kainit or muriate of potash was probably intended If in every ton the constructor of the formula wished to secure Ammonia 5 vbs Phosphoric acid 2 lbs Nitrate of potassium 15 lbs Potash 10 lbs JJime 50 lbs Ashes100 lbs Dirt q s ton one could use sulphate of ammonia 20 lbs one could use acid phoshate 20 lbs one could use nitrate of potassium 15 lbs one could use kainit 80 lbs one could use sulphate of lime 100 lbs one could use sulphate of potash 16 lbs Dirt enough to make a ton1751 lbs The formula is cheap simply because it is so weak Put up as suggested so that one will not lose the virtues of part of it the formula will only give vou a goods with J b J Ammonia not over of 1 per cent calculated from nitrogen Phosphoric acid not over 17 of 1 per cent Potash 1J per cent Lime lper cent224 Department of AgricultureGeorgia It is incorrectly called a guano and high grade fertilizer by the seller of the form ula It is simply a compost The suggestion to use muck in place of the dirt is a good one If the muck used is a fair one it should contain nitrogen equivalent to about 1 per cent of ammonia and the formula will be much improved As suming that a formula was made on the basis of this recipe but from proper materials containing in correct form and combination the amounts of constitu ents called for the plant food contained therein and its value would be as follows Ammonia 5 lbs worth 10 c alb 50 c 8 c 56ic 40 c 5 c 100 c 0 c Available phosphoric acid 2 Nitrate of potassium 15 Potash 10 Lime 50 Ashes 100 Dirt1818 4 c 3c 4 c i iff 1 c 0 c Totals2000 lbs 259 Such a fertilizer is worth about 259 Considering that the ingredients as given in the formula will cost about 500 under ordinary circumstances and the amount of labor involved in the manipulation the transaction is an expensive one for a 259 result when compared with other commercial fertilizers If a good muck were used in place of the dirt the compound would be increased in value about 200 more per ton REMARKS ON FORMULA C Formula O is unnecessarily complex there being three kinds of manures and two kinds of nitrates Taking the muck manures and other materials as of aver age character there would be present in the mixture the following percentages of plant food FORMULA C 2 a s s 03 Hl Muck or decomposed vege table matter Droppings of animals Cotton seed whole Droppings from fowls Acid phosphate 15 avail able Land plaster Nitrate of soda Nitrate of potash Sulphate of potash 500 lbs 500 450 120 375 125 13 3 28 21141bs Per Ct 130 35 373 59 1900 1687 o o G rv O O Per Ct 10 17 102 32 1500 o Ph to a a o o a O V o o J a a o a jq 3 S SH 5 o ga sa oPh H w Per Ct Lbs 15 10 117 A3 650 175 1678 71 46 58 5403 247 50 Lbs 50 85 459 38 5625 2871 625 Pl4 3 Lbs 75 50 526 52 140 1513 24 56 This will result in a compound containing ammonia 135 per cent phosphoric acid 296 per cent potash 116 per centAnnual Publication for 1895 225 This is too small a percentage of phosphoric acid in proportion to the other in gredients for cotton and corn It would be a compound however of considerable value containing an amount of phosphoric acid ammonia and potash in each ton which would cost in the market about 700 If used liberally it would be well adapted to garden truck The many letters which we have received during the past season from farmers in regard to mixing fertilizers and availing themselves of accessible materials shows a decided increase of interest and investigation in this subject It gives us pleasure to do everything in our power to aid the farmers in economical fertiliza tion economical of course not in regard to the simple cheapness of the fertilizer but in regard to the best results for the amount of money used The purchase of such formulae as these is a waste of money The Department of Agriculture is always glad to furnish formula free of cost for any intelligent line of fertilization There are a number of ammoniates which can be used and their selection depends both upon the ease of securing them and the crop for which they are intended The following are the most frequently used and cheapest forms of commercial plant food Cottonseed meal blood tankage sulphate of ammonia nitrate of soda and fish scrap Phosphoric acid is usually furnished by acid phos phate and potash by kainit muriate of potash and sulphate of potash The com post heap becomes more and more valuable and profitable as accessible fertilizing material is best taken adventage of This will vary upon each farm according to the conditions surrounding it and convenient local material which can be ren dered available as plant food It is well to remember that a cheap fertilizer may prove to be a very profitable experiment or a very unprofitable one depending largely upon whether you have obtained a lot of actual plant food cheaply or whether you have secured a mate rial which seems low priced when its weight is considered but is yet very high priced when its small content of plant food is estimated Such opportunities for economical fertilization as the use of leguminous crop affords should not be neglected Many mucks can be fermented and used to ad vantage and cottonseed hull ashes can be often bought very cheaply when their real value is considered In spite of these opportunities for securing plant food advantageously the great mass of fertilization must be done with commercial fer tilizers The purchase of these materials upon their actual percentage content is advisable It is cheaper to the farmer and more satisfactory to the honest dealer It is difficult for manufacturers to sell upon a lower basis than at present under the system which prevails but by getting together and paying cash even if the money is borrowed for the purpose prices can be reduced still further to the ad vantage of both the farmer and the manufacturer It is a source of great satisfaction that the Georgia factories should produce such a large percentage of the fertilizers used in the State About 71 per cent of the tags sold by the Georgia Department of Agriculture this season were sold to Geor gia factories The Charleston factories purchased only 21 per cent and the fac tories outside of Georgia and South Carolina between seven and eight per cent This is a most creditable showing for the advance of the manufacture of such goods in our section It also means that a steady improvement is going on among our people in becoming familiar with this important subject Situated as we are in the center of a triangle formed by Florida South Caro226 Department of AgricultureGeorgia lina and Tennessee at each point of which are deposits of phosphates of such enormous value that it has become the chief phosphate region of the world we have opportunities before us for the manufacture of such goods which are not equalled in any other section Hence with the double interests of agriculture and manufacture the situation demands of us our most careful investigation and study upon proper lines Geo F Payne F 0 S State ChemistAnnual Publication fob 1895 227 SEA ISLAND COTTONSEED MEAL ITS PBOPEE PERCENTAGE OF NITROGEN By Dk George F Payne F C S State Chemist of Georgia From the Tradesman When cottonseed meals as well as other substances are used in the manufac ture of commercial fertilizers it is important that the percentage of nitrogen should be accurately known Some manufacturers in the South buy fertilizer ma terials upon a guarantee and have no analysis made to check these guarantees flattering themselves that they are actually saving the chemists fees A guarantee is worth little if a dealer is aware that it will never be called into question After the goods are mixed it is difficult to prove the shortcomings in percentages and without large and costly margins in excess of his guarantees such a manufacturer is never safe By working upon suppositious plant food contents in his materials he may save a few dollars which he might otherwise pay a chemist but in so doing loses many if his margins are large enough for safety and if he figures closely he is likely to fall below his guarantee with its attendant losses This importance of the analysis of materials has appeared to some manufacturers less necessary in the case of cottonseed meals than in other materials often made up of substances from widely different sources In the case of upland cottonseed meal during a given year while there is a difference it is not usually a very wide one among the seed themselves The nitrogen percentages of cottonseed meals vary also with the different percentages of hulls and oil left in the seed and the amount of decomposition which they may have undergone On account of these different reasons as well as the difference in soils and seasons upland cottonseed meals are found in the market at different times with varying nitrogen content but under ordinary working of milks and usual seasons they contain nitrogen equivalent to from 830 to 890 per cnt of ammonia The Georgia law requires nitrogen equivalent to 7 per cent of ammonia in upland cottonseed meal which amount it is easy to exceed if the hulls are not purposely left in the meal In sea island cottonseed meal the Georgia law requires the Commissioner of Agriculture to fix the minimum nitrogen percentage calculated to ammonia and at the time of the passage of the cottonseed meal act only one mill in the State was working sea island cotton seed Their samples of meal as sent to the depart ment and taken by the inspectors contained a percentage of nitrogen equivalent to about 612 to 649 per cent of ammonia Upon this showing the percentage of nitrogen equivalent to ammonia was required temporarily by the Commissioner to be 650 per cent Since that time two more mills in the State have started to oper ate upon sea island cotton seed A number of these new sea island cottonseed meals coming in this season have been lower than usual in nitrogen both from the old mills and the new ones and this led us to investigate the matter It is found that the true Sea Island cotton seed contains less nitrogen than the same seed after cultivation inland and also less than the Georgia upland seed Th228 Department of AgricultureGeorgia result of this investigation is given below and for comparison a number of vari ous cotton seeds were worked upon The percentages of pure hulls and meats are given as well as their percentages of nitrogen Egyptian seed are also in cluded as a matter of interest It will be noticed that the pure sea island cotton seed contained in one case only 272 per cent of nitrogen against 358 per cent in the upland seed when its lint is removed and its seed left bare like the sea island seed The pure meats of the sea island seed contain considerably less nitrogen than the pure meats of the upland seed and even the hulls of the pure sea island seed contain less nitrogen than the hulls of the upland seed The analyses show a steady increase of nitrpgen as the pure sea island is raised further and further from its natural home and more within the range of the upland seed Sea island cottonseed meal is low in nitrogen not only on account of containing nearly all the hulls while the upland meal contains scarcely any but also because the meats of the sea island cotton seed actually con tain less nitrogen than those of the upland seed The following samples were ex amined in the investigation 5101 Whole sea island cotton seed Prom Edisto Island off the coast of South Carolina Free of lint Pure sea island seed 5113 Whole sea island cotton seed From James Island off the coast of South Carolina Free of lint 5112 Whole sea island cotton seed From one of the coast islandsexact location unknown Free of lint 4912 Whole sea island cotton seed From East Florida Free of lint 4913 Whole sea island cotton seed From South Georgia Free of lint lint covered seed picked out 4914 Whole lintadhering seed picked out of South Georgia sea island cotton seed So called adulterated seed 5104 Whole Egyptian cotton seed Eaised in Egypt Free of lint Sent to us from Egypt 5057 Whole upland or Green cotton seed From Middle Georgia New lint on them Removed by Buggs process 4917 Whole upland or Green cotton seed From Middle Georgia As they come from the ordinary gin 4918 Whole upland or Green cotton seed From Middle Georgia As they come from the linters of the oil mill NITROGEN CONTENTS OF VHOIE COTTON SEEDS Percentage Equivalent of Nitrogen to Ammonia 101 Edisto Island S C sea island 272 330 5113 James Island S C sea island329 400 5112 From coast islandexact location unknown320 388 4912 East Florida sea island304 369 4913 South Georgia sea island 343 416 4914 South Georgia degenerated sea island with lint301 365 6104 Egyptian cotton seed297 361 5057 Middle Georgia upland all lint removed 358 434 4917 Middle Georgia upland from common gin286 34T 4918 Middle Georgia upland from linters 289 351Annual Publication for 1895 229 NITROGEN CONTENTS OF PURE COTTON SEED MEATS 5099 Edisto Island sea island Prom 5101 meats 6119 per cent445 540 5072 East Florida sea island From 4912 meats 6159 per cent 483 586 4916 South Georgia sea island Prom 4913 meats 6146 per cent536 651 5102 Egyptian Prom 5104 meats 6266 per cent 462 561 6058 Middle Georgia upland Buggs process 5057 meats 6750 per cent528 641 4919 Middle Georgia upland Prom linters 4918 meats 5231 per cent523 635 NITROGEN CONTENTS OP PURE COTTON SEED HULLS 5100 Edisto Island sea island From 5101 hulls 3881 per cent031 038 5073 East Florida sea island From 4912 hulls 3841 per cent050 061 4915 South Georgia sea island From 4913 hulls 3854 per cent 043 052 5103 Egyptian From 5104 hulls 3734 per cent042 051 5059 Middle Georgia upland From 5057 Buggs process hulls 3250 per cent036 044 4920 Middle Georgia upland From 4918 hulls 4769 per cent059 072 Sea island cotton seed is treated differently from upland cotton seed in the man ufacture of cottonseed oil and meal It is possible to separate the hulls from the meats in the case of upland cotton seed by a system of shaking perforated screens The lintcovered hulls fall together and remain upon the screens the meats being separated by dropping through the perforations There being no lint upon the hulls of sea island cotton seed it is not possible to separate them in this way hence the hulls and meat9 are pressed together and are bothfound in the resulting meal Sea island cotton when cultivated inland in Georgia is found to quickly tend towards the upland or green variety the seed being rene wed every three years from the coastraised seed on this account Pure sea island cotton seed is completely free of lint but upon cultivation away from the coast quite a number of lintcovered seed are gathered in each harvest Such seed are called by the farmers adulterated seed One mill which works sea island cotton seed removes these lintcovered hulls by the methods used in the mills working upland seed and thus secure a little better meal The following are the results of three mills oper ating on sea island cotton seed The results are as given by the mill owners themselves MILL A O11 300 pounds 1500 Meal 1525 pounds 7625 Hulls 0 pounds 0 Winters 6 pounds 30 1088 169 pounds 845 230 Department of AgricultureGeorgia MILL B Oil 317 pounds1585 Meal M50 pounds7250 Hulls pounds 0 Linters 4J pounds 22 Loss 228J pounds1142 MILL C Oil 277 pounds1385 Meal 1420 pounds7100 Hulls 151 pounds 750 Linters 3 pounds 15 Loss 150 pounds 750 MILL D Mill operating on Georgia upland cotton seed Oil 317 pounds585 Meal 25 pounds3625 Hulls 900 pounds4500 Linters 25 pounds 125 Loss 33 pounds 165 From these figures can be calculated approximately what should be the nitrogen content of a certain cottonseed meal if resulting from any of the cotton seeds an alyzed and worked with the above results in the mills As the oil removed does not carry off nitrogen and the chief loss in cooking is water it can be assumed that most of the nitrogen remains in the resulting meal In the following calcu lations we will assume that the whole of the nitrogen is retained in the meal and that there is none carried off in the loss This is an extreme supposition as there is a small loss but in this way the calculations will show all we can possibly hope for in each case Edisto Island pure sea island seed contain 272 per cent of nitrogen which is 5440 pounds in the ton this concentrated in 1525 pounds of meal as is done in mill A will yield a meal containing 356 per cent of nitrogen equivalent to 432 per cent of ammonia In mill B the 5440 pounds of nitrogen being distributed among 1450 pounds of meal will yield a meal containing 375 percent nitrogen which is equivalent to 455 per cent of ammonia In mill C the 5440 pounds of nitrogen will be diminished by the amount in 150 pounds of hulls which are re moved this will be 465 of a pound 31 150 giving 53935 pounds of nitrogen to be distributed among 1420 pounds of meal or 379 per cent nitrogen which ts equivalent to 460 per cent ammonia By similar calculations we have estimated the nitrogen content of meals from East Florida and South Georgia cottonseed meals when manipulated by mills A B and C The pure sea island seed from Edisto and James Islands and the un known island are included The two latter are not estimated by mill C as the nitrogen was not determined in the hullsAnnual Publication for 1895 231 d ts B 73 CO T3 o U CD CS d a O K 0Q ceoo D t 3 CO 73 M d to 73 d B o 2 3 CD CO M O CO d P OH S rt K ffl 15 CB CO 00 OQ w a 0 d 03 CD Percentage of Nitrogen in whole seed Number of pounds of Nitrogen to the ton Nitrogen divided among 1525 pounds of meal Mill A calculated to per cent Nitrogen divided among 1450 pounds of meal Mill B calculated to percent Nitrogen divided among 1420 pounds of meal and 150 lbs hulls Mill B calculated to ppr cent 272 5440 329 6580 320 6400 304 6080 356 431 419 398 375 453 441 419 379 414 343 6860 449 473 479 Calculating have the Nitrogen in these cotton seed meals to Ammonia we will Mill A Mill B Mill C Edisto Island Sea Island Seed per cent of ammonia James Island Sea Island Seed 432 523 509 483 545 455 550 535 509 574 460 Unknown Island Sea Island Seed East Florida Sea Island Seed 503 582 South Georgia Sea Island Seed South Georgia sea island seed usually contain a number of hybridized or lint cov ered seed which enables mill C to secure 100 pounds of hulls to the ton as it largely operates on this kind of seed as the percentage of hulls separated increases the meal obtained decreases but rises in nitrogen content If we take the Middle Georgia upland or green cottonseed after going through the linters it contains 289 per cent of nitrogen or 578 pounds in 2000 pounds of seed at the oil mill 90O pounds of hulls containing 59 per cent of nitrogen is removed and this amounts to 531 pounds which subtracted from 578 pounds leaves 5249 pounds of nitrogen distributed in the 725 pounds of meal this amounts to 723 per cent of nitrogen equivalent to 878 per cent of ammonia This is a fair average upland cotton seed meal which by separating the hulls reaches this percentage of ammonia From the above analyses it will be seen that a requirement of nitrogen equiva lent to more than 425 per cent of ammonia would be onerous if the meal is made from the pure sea island seed This requirement is now provisionally adopted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture on sea island cottonseed meals The mills do not appear to suspect this difference in nitrogen in the different kinds of seed and one mill sent us samples to show that by careful sampling their meal could not show nitrogen equivalent to 5 50 per cent ammonia yet these iden tical three samples gave nitrogen equivalent to 628 658 679 ammonia when the official sample taken by the inspector a short while before only ran to 530 per cent The seed vary in their nitrogen content and in the percentage of lint cov ered hybridized hulls which can be removed hence according to the hybridizing232 Department of AgricultureGeorgia of the seed and the amount of hulls which are thus made capable of removal and the varieties of the seed mixed together the ammonia calculated from the nitro gen present in sea island cottonseed meal can vary from 425 per cent upward to over 800 per cent when the hybridizing has become nearly complete and the seed are treated like upland seed While pure sea island cottonseed meal mixed meats and hulls may run as low as432 percent ammonia calculated from nitrogen pres ent it may even run lower or considerably higher as hulls or meal predominate in the sample The hulls and meats of sea island cottonseed meal do not always stay well mixed when shaken in shipment or in handling and sampling should be very thoroughly done otherwise there will be an excess of hulls or meats and a corre sponding fall or rise in the nitrogen percentage on analysis Though sampling is very important as an evidence of this varying character of sea island cottonseed meal the following analyses are given of samples taken in the State of Georgia by sworn inspectors SEA ISLAND COTTON SEED MEALS WITH THEIR NITROGEN PERCENTAGE CALCU LATED TO AMMONIA No 4911679 3570663 4910656 2649649 411360 3541634 4908628 4963614 2655612 4971608 4974596 4972544 4642536 4820488 4571478 None of these samples run quite as low as 432 per cent which would be possi ble with the Edistosea island seed The samples of meal appear to run pretty well together when taken at the same time but there must be much uncertainty when the sea island seed is renewed from the coast each year by some inland planters in two years by others and by others again only once in three years By observa tion of these sources of the seed as to whether they are grown on the coast or in land and if grown inland if from sea island or inland grown seed the manufac turer may so classify his purchases as to have an approximate idea of the results he may expect If pure upland or green cotton seed were denuded completely of lint as is done in the Bugg process and worked like the sea island cotton seed in mills A and B that is leaving the hulls and meats together in the meal there would be 358 per cent of nitrogen to the ton or 716 pounds of nitrogen which would be concen trated in 1525 pounds of meal in mill A or 1450 pounds in mill B In such a case the meal of mill A would contain 469 per cent of nitrogen and that from mill B would contain 492 per cent nitrogen which in mill A would be equivalent to 569 per cent of ammonia and in mill B to 597 per centAnnual Publication for 1895 233 With these facts it is easy to understand the unexpectedly low percentage of ni trogen in some sea island cottonseed meals but the causes of their often containing nitrogen equivalent to over 600 per cent of ammonia will not now be discussed The range of our analyses of sea island cottonseed meals when calculated to ammonia as will be seen above is from 478 to 679 We know of one unofficial sample which run as low as 440 This is a difference of 200 per cent when sep arated from each other but the higher figure represents an increase of 42 per cent more than 478 If we assume 800 per cent as about the lowest figure for upland cottonseed meal 940 per cent the highest the latter figure represents an increase of only about 18 per cent more than 800 showing the wider difference among themselves of sea island cottonseed meals than among those made from upland or green seed234 Department of AgricultureGeorgia COTTON SEED HULLS THEIE ECONOMIC VALUE AS A FEEDING STUFF AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY DR GEORGE F PAYNE STATE CHEMIST BEFORE THE GEORGIA STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY AT THEIR MEETING AT AUGUSTA GEORGIA ON FEB 15 1893 THIS IS PUBLISHED IN RESPONSE TO FREQUENT REQUESTS FOR A COPY OF THIS ADDRESS It is difficult to imagine anything apparently more dry tasteless and devoid of nourishment than cottonseed hulls Yet within the last few years they have come to the front as a most valuable cattle food Chemical analysis shows us that although they appear so uninviting and insipid they yet contain substances of much value The producers of cottonseed oil formerly burned their hulls under the boilers as fuel and sold the ashes Such ashes are rich in potash containing from 25 to 30 per cent but as a ton of hulls only yields from 1 to 3 per cent of ashes there will only be from 50 to 60 pounds of such ashes for each ton of hulls burnt this would only represent from 15 to 18 pounds of potash A ton of hull ashes if of good quality can contain 600 pounds and upwards of potash which would be worth about 24 But as it takes about thirtyfive tons of hulls to produce such a ton of ashes it is far more profitable to sell the hulls for feed even at the low price of 3 a ton Cottonseed hulls contain in every 100 pounds Moisture725 pounds Ash288 Crude fiber 4283 Fat154 Crude protein375 Nonnitrogenous extractive matter4175 In a food analysis such as this the moisture represents the absorbed water in the material the ash indicates the mineral portion remaining after the substance has been burnt and the nutritive ingredients are the crude fiber fat protein and nonnitrogenous extractive matter The crude fiber is the woody substance or crude cellulose of the food the fat is the oily matters the protein is the albumin oids and might be said to correspond in character to the white of an egg and the nonnitrogenous extractive matter is that portion which is not water ash fibrefat nor protein It is composed of soluble substances and consists chiefly of such carbohydrates as gum starch sugar etc While such an analysis shows certain nutritive bodies it does not necessarily follow that they can be all digested and assimilated In fact it has been found by actual experiment that the digestibility of the constituents of the various feedAnnual Publication for 1895 235 ing stuffs are not the same but are nearest alike in those materials which most closely resemble each other It has also been ascertained that to secure the best results in cattlefeeding the amount of digestible protein present must be always accompanied by a certain proportion of digestible nonnitrogenous matter con sisting of crude fiber fat and extractive This is called the nutritive ratio The crude protein is the nitrogenous portion of the food and is the most costly Its chief work is the production of flesh and muscle The crude fiber fat and non nitrogenous extractive matter furnish heat and fat and in adding their total digestibility together that of the fat is first multiplied by 2J to put it upon an equal basis with the others a9 its fat and heatproducing powers are that much greater The nutritive ratio varies for different animals and for different conditions under which they live The following are some of the most important ratios Milch cowsOne part of digestible protein to 54 parts digestible nonnitrog enous matter Oxen fatteningOne part of digestible protein to 55 up to 65 parts digestible nonnitrogenous matter according to age and weight Growing animalsOne part digestible protein to 47 up to 80 parts digestible nonnitrogenous matter according to age and weight Any decided change from these proportions means waste of food Hence the proper regulation of the different ingredients of a ration is a most impor tant matter In discussing cottonseed hulls it is well to also speak of cottonseed meal as they are the natural concomitants of each other We have stated above that cotton seed hulls contain 3J pounds of crude protein in 100 pounds Twentysix per cent of this 3f pounds is digestible This gives T of a pound of digestible protein This is the unit for the nutritive ratio of cottonseed hulls The crude fiber in the bulls is 42A pounds and 62 per cent of it is digestible This will give 22T2Jj pounds of digestible crude fiber The fat present is 1 pounds and 27 per cent is digestible This figures to r2g of a pound of digestible fat which is to be mul tiplied by 2 as described above This makes it figure up as 1 Tjj of a pound The nonnitrogenous extractive matter in cottonseed hull is 41 pounds Forty per cent of this is digestible which upon multiplication gives 16 pounds of digestible nonnitrogenous extractive matter Upon adding together the digestible percentages of crude fiber fat and nonnitrogenous extractive matter as figured above the result will be 40Tfy pounds As we have only T of a pound of digestible protein the nutritive ratio will be as ft is to 40 Tf ff or as 1 is to 408 But as a nutritive ratio of 1 408 is much too low for feeding purposes it should be corrected by some far richer food and we naturally turn to cottonseed meal which is too expensive and also has too high a nutritive ratio to use alone Cottonseed meal in a hundred pounds contains 5Tyff pounds of crude fiber of which 26 per cent is digestible There are Utf6 pounds of fat of which 91 per cent is digestible The nonnitrogenous extractive matter amounts to 25 pounds and 91 per cent is digestible Calculating these percentages and adding them to gether as in the case of the hulls gives a total of Slffo pounds of digestible non nitrogenous matter The crude protein present in cottonseed meal is 44J pounds of which 87 per cent is digestible This yields S8V pounds of digestible protein Hence the nutritive ratio of cottonseed meal will be as 38 is to 51 T or as 113 Here we have the two materials widely differing in their nutritive ratios cot236 Department of AgricultureGeorgia tonseed hulls being 1 408 and cottonseed meal 1 13 a very rough food and a very rich one If one desires to feed an animal for the best results in a given case whether it is for work fattening or the furnishing of milk the nutritive ratio is secured for such an animal under the given conditions The nutritive ratio of the milch cow for example is 1 54 By calculation we find that it will take about 100 pounds of hulls and 22 pounds of cottonseed meal to produce thig ration or in even numbers and for a food rich enough for most purposes 1 pound of meal to every five pounds of hulls Some animals may not be willing at first to touch the hulls containing this small amount of meal but they are readily taught to eat them by adding the meal very liberally at first and gradually decreasing the amount until the desired proportion is reached when they continue to eat the mixture with avidity and relish The use of cottonseed hulls for fattening cattle and for milch cows has been very extensively practiced for some time in the Mississippi valley the demand at New Orleans by the dairies alone consuming all produced by the oil mills of that large city A gentleman in this State who is engaged largely in the granite business em ploys a number of teams of oxen These animals were always thin until he put them upon cottonseed hulls Now they are sleek and fat and are fed on hulls alone with only the addition of a liberal handful of cottonseed meal to each bucketful of hulls His business furnishes another illustration of value to the farmer showing how little the farmers interests are sometimes considered The railway which freights this gentlemans granite to the city charges him 800 a car load of 30C00 pounds when these cars are returned carrying 10000 pounds of cottonseed hulls the charge is 1200 a car load In actual practice the proportion of 5 pounds of meal to 25 pounds of hulls has been found very satisfactory indeed as a daily ration The cost of such feeding is quite small With the meal at 2200 a ton and the hulls at 300 the daily cost of such feeding would be 9J cents a day or 277J a month Cattle fatten readily under such feeding which is cheaper than using corn even at 25 cents a bushel The manure is also considerably richer than that produced under the ordinary system and hence more valuable We would suggest to all farmers who are interested either in the raising or fat tening of cattle or the feeding of milch cows a fuller study of the wonderful economy and good results of feeding cottonseed hullsAnnual Publication foe 1895 237 DOMESTIC FERTILIZERS THE INTELLIGENT MIXING OF FIRSTCLASS FERTILIZERS CJPON THE FARM The use of formulae which produce cheap and almost worthless fertilizers is poor economy It is a loss of time to the farmer and his help in the actual handling and manipulation and a still greater loss in the poor results upon the crops Good fertilizers cheaply obtained though apparently higher in price per ton secure given results far more economically In this article we will not discuss the sub ject of leguminous crops and mucks and the valuable results to be obtained by their conservation and intelligent handling in connection with stable yard manure and composts but will confine ourselves to formula composed of the commercial plant foods In these formula we will give the approximate retail values of the mate rials These values of course vary with the markets and location Any farmer can secure actual selling prices for his location and figure the exact cost on his own farm At wholesale cash prices the materials can be secured still more cheaply See the articles on Wholesale cash prices of fertilizers and on Composts FORMULA NO 1Foe Cotton and Corn Acid phosphate 14 per cent available1200 lbs 840 pr ct avl phs acid Cotton seed meal nitgn equal 8prct am 500 lbs 212 pr ct ammonia Kainit 12 percent potash 300 lbs 180 pr ct potash 2000 lbs or one ton COST OF MATERIALS Acid phosphate1200 lbs at 13 00 a ton 7 80 Cottonseed meal 600 lbs at 16 00aton 4 00 Kainit 300 lbs at 12 00 a ton 180 Cost not including onethird days labor in mixing Commercial value as calculated by Department Usual selling value of such goods BIS 60 per ton 14 96 per ton 20 00 per ton FORMULA NO 2ForCotton and Corn Acid phosphate 14 percent available1300 lbs 910 pr Blood nitrogen equal to 16 pr ct am 300 lbs 240 pr Kainit 12 per cent of potash 400 lbs 240 pr 2000 lbs or one ton COST OF MATERIALS Acid phosphate1300 lbs at 13 00 a ton Blood 300 lbs at 32 00 a ton Kainit 400 lbs at 12 00 a ton Cost not including onethird days labor in mixing Commercial value Department valuation Usual selling price ct avl phs acid ct ammonia ct potash 8 45 4 80 2 40 15 65 per ton 16 60 per ton 22 00 per ton238 Department of AgricultureGeorgia FORMULA NO 3For Cotton and Corn Acid phosphate 14 per cent available 1300 lbs910 per cent available phosphoric acid Blood nitrogen equivalent to 16 percent of ammonia 200 lbs160per cent Nitrate of soda nitrogen equiv alent to 18 per cent ammonia 100 lbs 90 percent Muriate of potash 50 per cent of potash 100 lbs250 per cent potash Muck woods earth or rich soil 300 lbs0 250 per cent ammo nia 2000 lbs or one ton COST OF MATERIALS Acid phosphate1300 lbs at 13 00 a ton 8 45 Blood 2001bsat 32 00 a ton 3 20 Nitrate of soda 100 lbs at 38 00 a ton 190 Muriate potash lOOlbsat 42 00 a ton 2 10 Muck woods earth or rich soil 300 lbs at 00 a ton 00 Cost not including onethird days labor in mixing 15 65 Commercial value Departments valuation 16 96 Usual selling price 22 00 This formula is made up with a moderate amount of nitrate of soda to give the plants a good strong start The muck woods earth or rich soil may be left out in this formula if desired The percentages of all the ingredients are thus in creased and the cost per ton It can be used by the farmer with equal outlay per acre by proportionally decreasing the amount used as the percentage of plant food increases FORMULA NO 4For Peaches Plums and Pears Acid phosphate 14 per cent available 700 lbs490 pr ct avl phos acid Blood nitrogen equal to 16 per ct ammonia 300 lbs240 pr ct ammonia Double manure salt sulphate of potash and magnesia with 27 per cent potash 360 lbs486 pr ct potash Muck woods earth or rich soil 640 lbs0 2000 lbs or one ton COST OE MATERIALS Acid phosphate 700 lbs at 13 00 a ton 4 55 Blood 300 lbs at 32 00 a ton 4 80 Double manure salt360 lbs at 24 00 a ton 4 32 Muck woodsearth or rich soil at 00 a ton 00 Cost not including onethird days labor in mixing13 67 Commercial value Department valuation 15 21 This formula can be made much higher grade by simply leaving out the muck woods earth or rich soilAnnual Publication for 1895 239 FORMULA NO 5For Peaches Plums and Pears Acid phosphate 14 per cent available 700 lbs490 pr ct avl phos acid Blood nitrogen equal to 16 per ct Ammonia 300 lbs240 pr ct ammonia Muriate of potash 40 per cent potash196 lbs490 pr ct potash Muck woods earth or rich soil804 lbs0 2000 lbs or one ton COST OP MATERIALS Acid phosphate 700 lbs at 13 00 a ton 4 55 151ood300 lbs at 32 00 a ton 4 80 Muriate of potash196 lbs at 42 00 a ton 4 12 Muck etc 00 Cost not including onethird days labor mixing13 47 FORMULA NO 6Fob Peaches Plums and Pears Acid phosphate 14 per cent available675 lbs473 pr ct avl phos acid Cotton seed meal nitrogen equal to 8J per ct ammonia525 lbs223 pr ct ammonia Kainit 12 per cent potash800 lbs480 pr ct potash 2000 lbs or one ton COST OF MATERIALS Acid phosphate675 lbs at 13 00 a ton 4 39 Cottonseed meal 525 lbs at 16 00 a ton 4 20 Kainit800 lbs at 12 00aton 4 80 Cost not including onethird days labor in mixing13 39 This formula has no muck or other filler as the crude materials are such that correct proportion can just be gotten into the goods to make them properly exceed the 10 per cent of total plant food which is considered the lowest limit for com mercial fertilizers This formula contains a total of 1176 per cent of plant food All of these fruit formulae meet the State requirement of 10 per cent of available plant food yet they do not force a fruitgrower to use a cotton fertilizer when he can obtain better results for his money by using a different character of fertilizer In these formulse he gets a fair amount of potash which he needs most instead of the usual excessive amount of phosphoric acid in proportion to the potash present Yet the fertilizer does not cost him any more money Cotton and corn require large proportionate amounts of phosphoric acid but the peach pear and plum require a greater use of potash for the best results MIXING The mixing is best done by spreading out the materials in layers on top of each other and cutting through the layers with a hoe and mixing as the compound is cut down The use of a bricklayers sand screen enables one to make a better mixture George F Payne F C S240 Department of AgricultureGeorgia COMPOSTS AND THE UTILIZATION OF MATERIALS FOUND UPON THE FARM IN COMBINATION WITH COMMERCIAL CHEMICALS FOR FER TILIZING PURPOSES EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS WRITTEN BY DR G F PAYNE THE STATE CHEMIST IN REPLY TO INQUIRIES IN REGARD TO THE MIXING OF CERTAIN FERTILIZING MATERIALS Composts have a certain value upon most lands beyond their actual plant food as they contain much humus and are on this account great conservators of mois ture Sandy lands hold moisture much better when the spongelike humus is present and heavy clay soils are made lighter and more porous by its presence Its dark color also makes a lighter colored soil warmer by its coloring power This is easily illustrated by laying down a piece of white cloth and a piece of black cloth upon snow in the winter or powdered ice in the summer and noting how much quicker melting takes place under the piece of black cloth Atlanta Ga January 16 1895 W C W Darktown Ga The principle of composts is to ferment the organic matter which you have in the shape of muck leaves litter etc To do this one of the simplest plans is to treat the material with manure Put one load of manure to every three loads of your leaves and drift Keep enough litter in your stables to absorb the urine which is very valuable also After you have mixed your materials together it is well to cover them up with earth or litter It is claimed that such a compost load for load is as good as manure To get the best results you wish to make the material ferment as the fermen tation brings inert materials into available forms and improves the mechanical condition of the mass Avoid hauling the materials as much as possible as hauling is expensive So locate your compost heaps that the hauling of the materials from the first until their final distribution on the fields will cost as little as possible If you wish a stronger fertilizer than this and desire to use chemicals in addi tion the following would be suitable Acid phosphate 500 lbsCost 4 00 Muriate of potash 50 lbsCost 1 00 Compost1450 lbs 2000 lbsAnnual Publication foe 1895 241 If you desire more nitrogenous material you can use the following Acid phosphate 340 lbsCost2 75 Cottonseed meal 165 lbsCost 142 Muriate of potash 30 lbsCost 60 Compost1465 lbs 2000 lbs 4 74 January 30 1805 R H M Fralona Heard Co Ga Yours of the 21st at hand in which you state that you have cow stall and stable manure and wish to make a complete fertilizer having also some ashes and cotton seed The fertilizer is desired for cotton To construct a complete fertilizer one must consider the percentages of avail able plant food in the materials he wishes to use Manure while not a concentrated fertilizer can be considered in most cases as a complete one with an excess of nitrogen Ashes are particularly rich in potash if they are wood ashes and unleached Coal ashes are almost valueless Cotton seed is a complete manure but with an excess of nitrogen You have here three ingredients furnishing ample nitrogen and potash To mix them to the best advantage there should be a further quantity of available phosphoric acid added as that present in the three ingredients you desire to use is not sufficient to properly balance the potash and nitrogen Manure contains about T3o per cent of nitrogen about per cent of potash and about per cent of phosphoric acid Cotton seed contains about 3 per cent nitrogen about 1 per cent of potash and about 1 per cent of phosphoric acid Ashes contain about 5 per cent of potash and 150 per cent of phosphoric acid when unleached If leached they run down to about 1J per cent of potash To each ton of manure of 2000 pounds add Cotton seed 200 lbs Ashes unleached 150 lbs Acid phosphate400 lbs Mix well The cotton seed can be killed before mixing by allowing them to get wet and go through a heat the fermentation killing them This mixture will weigh about 2750 pounds and will contain from these ingredients Nitrogen Potash Phosphoric Acid 2000 lbs manure 6 lbs 4 lbs 4 lbs 200 lbs cotton seed 6 lbs 2 lbs 2 lbs 150 lbs ashes 71 21 400 lbs acid phosphate 55 12 lbs 13J lbs 64 lbs This is equivalent to about Nitrogen44 percent Potash48 per cent Phosphoric acid233 per cent 16 ag r242 Department of AgricultureGeorgia January 24 1895 C M D Carrollton Ga Yours of the 19th at hand in which you state that you have some fine muck and pine straw as well as cotton seed stable manure and rich earth around the lot and that you would like me to advise you how to make them into a fertilizer In composting muck pine straw etc it is desirable that the materials ferment To bring this about add one load of manure to every three loads of muck or pine straw mix well and cover with earth to keep out the rain The fermentation which takes place breaks down the structure of the organic material and permits the plant food to assume conditions in which it is much more available Such a compost when well rotted or ripe is claimed to be load for load of equal value with manure The value of a compost however must depend not only on its ripeness but upon the materials used In saving the manure it would be well worth while to provide means for pre serving the liquid excrement at the same time This can be done by means of the pine straw liberally used as an absorbent or by means of a drain If vour muck is sour it would be advisable to use a small quantity of lime to correct its acidity but not enough to render it alkaline as excess of free lime will drive out ammonia If you desire to compost your cotton seed manure and muck use one load of cotton seed two loads of manure and four loads of muck mix well and cover with earth To use the pine straw use three loads of it to one load of manure cover with earth and let stand until fermented January 30 1895 J W R Summerville Chattooga County Ga Yours of the 25th at hand I inclose you a copy of a letter of mine written a few days ago answering some of the same questions as yours One load of manure to three loads of leaves well mixed and covered with earth to keep out rain will ferment and make a good fertilizing material It should be ripe or well rotted before using if possible so the earlier started the better it will be I inclose Bulletin 29 in regard to comparative value of whole cotton seed and cotton seed meal You ask if it will pay to sell whole cotton seed at 12 to 15 cents a bushel and buy cottonseed meal in place of it for fertilizing purposes By referring to page 14 of Bulletin 29 you will see the comparative fertilizing values of the whole seed and the meal One ton of whole seed contains fertilizing materials which are equivalent to 880 pounds of meal One ton of whole seed at 12 J cents a bushel and 67 bushels to the ton will be worth 837 One ton of whole seed at 15 cents a bushel will be worth at 67 bushels to the ton 1005 Cotton seed meal now sells at 16 a ton and 880 pounds of it are equivalent in fertilizing power to one ton of the whole seed then as the cotton seed meal costs 75 cents per hundred pounds at 15 a ton 880 pounds would be worth 660 Hence at these figures there would be a difference in your favor if you got eitherAnnual Publication for 1895 243 12J or 15 cents a bushel The difference is not large and whether it is enough to pay for hauling to and from the mill and the time consumed will depend upon the distance and other expenses of handling July 3 1895 S C H Victory Ga Yours of the 30th of December at hand Kainit contains about 12 per cent of potash Muriate of potash contains about 50 per cent of potash or about 4 times as strong as the kainit If you wish cheap hauling you should buy concentrated fertilizing chemicals You can buy muriate of potash at about 4000 a ton prob ably a little higher in less lots than a ton As a fivedollar combination of fertilizers I suggest the following No 1 Muriate of potash containing 50 per cent37 lbs at 4000 a ton of potash 74 High grade acid phosphate con taining 18 per cent of phos phoric acid 280 lbs at 1500 a ton 2 10 Nitrate of soda sometimes called Chili saltpetre containing ni trogen equivalent to 19 per cent ammonia 95 lbs at 4500 a ton2 14 Muck or woods earth or marl 1588 lbs 00 2000 lbs 498 If you wish an ammoniate not quite so quick as nitrate of soda and less iikely to fire on all shallow soils you might use the following No 2 Muriate of potash 37 bSi 74 High grade acid phosphate280 lbs 2 10 Dried blood 16 per cent112 lbs 2 15 Muck woods earth or marl1 571 js 00 2000 lbs 4 99 If you desire to use sulphate of ammonia as an ammoniate the following for mula will answer No 3 Muriate of potash 37 DS 74 High grade acid phosphate 280 lbs 2 10 Sulphate of ammonia 8000 a ton 54 lbs 2 16 Muck woods earth or marl 1629 lbs 00 2000 lbs 5 00 No 1 will give you from the chemicals alone Potash921 per cent Available phosphoric acid252 per cent Ammonia901 per cent244 Department of AgricultureGeorgia No 2 will give you from the chemicals alone Potash92 per cent Available phosphoric acid252 per cent Ammonia89 per cent No 3 will give you from the chemicals alone Potash92J per cent Available phosphoric acid252 per cent Ammonia67 per cent The filler which you use whether of muck woods earth or marl will add some thing to this if well selected The sulphate of ammonia is a more expensive ammoniate than either blood or nitrate of soda You write that you will have to pay eight cents a pound for it This is a very high price for it If you find any of the chemicals higher priced than figures given above use about 75 cents worth of your potash compound about 210 worth of your acid phosphate and about 215 worth of your ammo niate and then use your muck woodsearth or marl to make the balance of the ton and you will strike about the proper proportions for your 500 a ton fertilizer January 28 1895 G R H Bremen Ga Dear SibYours of the 28th received in which you inquire what would he advisable to mix with 2 tons of cow lot manure and 50 to 75 bushels of cotton seed to make a good fertilizer for corn sweet and Irish potatoes This will be a good proportion Cow manure tons Whole cotton seed 1 ton or 50 to 75 bushels Muriate of potash1C0 pounds Acid phosphateI500 pounds If you have any muck leaves wood litter or rich woods earth you can mix about an equal quantity with the above cover with earth to keep out rain and let it go through a heat or ferment July 20 1895 J L H Pelham Ga Yours of the 17th at hand Both ground raw bone and dissolved bone would be good yet both are lacking in probably the most important ingredient in the culture of grapes Ground raw bone usually contains between 3 or 4 per cent of nitrogen and 20 odd per cent of phosphoric acid Of this phosphoric acid only about is in an immediately available form In the dissolved bone if really true dissolved bone there would be a good percentage of nitrogen and of available phosphoric acid but the dissolved bone of the market is usually simply acid phosphate so it is quite important to know which you are using Asa matter of economy in fertilizing it will of course depend upon the price of materials Cot tonseed hull ashes and ground bone mixed together in equal parts would make an admirable fertilizer for the vines If you wish to use acid phosphate or socalled dissolved bone I would suggest the following Acid phosphate800 bs BloodM0 lbs Sulphate of potash00 lbsAnnual Publication for 1895 245 This would make one ton and will give available phosphoric acid 5 per cent nitrogen 4 per cent and posash 11 percent Grapes require considerable more potash than they do of either phosphoric acid or nitrogen This formula can be varied if you desire to use other forms of potash or nitrogen Cottonseed meal for instance can be used in place of blood Cotton seed hull ashes kainit or muriate of potash can be used in the place of sulphate of potash In doing this however the weights should be so adjusted as to bring about a proper per centage A formula which contains an equal amount of nitrogen and phosphoric acid and an amount of potash equal to both is well adapted to your purpose Such a fertil izer is also suited to peaches or pears January 26 1895 S C D Delia Oa Yours of January 25th at hand in which you request a fertilizer formula to en able you to compost your cotton seed ashes canebrake soil and manure Mix in the following proportions Canebrake soil 2 tons Manure 1 ton Cottonseed 600 lbs Ashes 450 lbs Acid phosphate1000 lbs Mix well cover with earth and let it go through a heat or fermentation January 22 1895 W E H Colguitt Miller County Ga Yours of the 14th at hand If you desire a fullstrength goods the following formula will prove satisfactory being made of the materials you wish to use Acid phosphate1200 lbs cost about 7 80840 per ct avphosacid Nitrate of soda 250 lbs cost about 5 00237 per ctam Kainit 300 lbs cost about 1 80180 per cent potash Muck marl or rotten leaves 250 lbs 2000 lbs 14 60 If you wish a cheaper fertilizer add more of the last ingredient If you desire a stronger one leave out the last ingredient Muriate of potash is a more concen trated form of potash than kainit and costs less for freight and for the actual pot ash in it Kainit contains about 12 per cent of potash and muriate about 50 per cent Farmers can save money by clubbing together and buying acid phosphate in bulk for cash and making their own fertilizers It is difficult to farm successfully in most sections of Georgia without the use of fertilizers but it is allimportant to secure the best fertilizers at as close figures as possible Acid phosphate can now be bought in bulk for cash at 850 a ton Cottonseed meal can now be bought in bulk for cash at 15 a ton Muriate of potash can now be bought in 12ton lots for cash at 42 a ton At these figures the materials for an average fertilizer of the market will be 246 Department of AgricultureGeorgia 1 400 lbs acid phosphate containing 14 per cent avail phos acid at 850 a ton 5 95 620 lbs cottonseed meal containing nitrogen equivalent to 84 per ct am at15aton 8 90 80 lbs muriate of potash containing 51 per cent potash at 42 a ton 1 08 Making a total of 2000 lbs at a cost of 1153 containing the following percentage of plant food per ton Available phosphoric acid980 per cent Ammonia221 percent Potash206 per cent MUCKS ANALYSIS NO 4810 From Lumpkin Ga ReactionNeutral Moisture at 212 F 2152 per cent Organic matter nitrogen not included4257 per cent Nitrogen84 per cent equiv to 102 per ct ammo Phosphoric acid13 per cent Potash Trace only Sand and undetermined34 94 per cent The amounts of phosphoric acid and potash present in the muck are too small to consider in judging the sample Its value lies in the nitrogen and organic matter These two added together give the total organic matter present as the nitrogen constitutes a part of the organic substances The nitrogen will become more quickly available if the muck is composted or fermented before using The organic matter when thus treated is converted into humus and becomes a powerful conservator of moisture which is so important to plant growth analysis no 4410 From Savannah Ga Moisture at 212 F1370 per cent Potash 05 per cent Total phosphoric acid20 per cent Organic matter3792 percent gjnj 4772 per cent Lime magnesia sulphates etc61 per cent 100 00 The organic matter contains nitrogen equivalent to 83 per cent ammoniaAnnual Publication foe 1895 247 FUSIBLE CLAY ANALYSIS NO 4416 From Pulasld county Ga This clay melts with great facility Water at 110 c 122 Water of combination 9 88 Calcium oxide1440 Sodium oxide53 Potassium oxide88 Carbon dioxide1209 Phosphoric anhydride 20 Sulphur 1 531 Iron 2 681 sulPtide 42 Iron sesquioxide 4 01 Sulphuric anhydride23 Aluminium oxide1040 Silicon dioxide4204 10009 Probably combined as follows Water1110 CaC032570 FeS 421 Clay and silica 52 44 Oxides of iron alkalies etc g g 10009248 Department of AgricultureGeorgia INJURIOUS INSECTS They may be divided into two divisions or classes according to their manner ot feeding 1 Biting or chewing insects include all those perfect or imperfect forms which bite and consume substances upon which they feed 2 Sucking or piercing insects include all of those perfect or imperfect forms which pierce their food substances with a beak and suck out the sap or juice from beneath the surface Insects that belong to the first division and like the potato bug eat the leaves may be easily destroyed by Paris green or London purple applied to the food sub substance either in a powder or a liquid If on the other hand like squash bugs plant lice and other insects belonging to the second division thev suck the sap from the plant causing it to wither and die poison will have little effect on them because we cannot apply it to the inside of the plant where they get their food Most of this class of insects may however be easily destroyed with remedies like Insect Powder or Hellebore These powders kill by contact when applied to the insects themselves Such insects have breathing holes distributed over their bodies It is usually claimed that powdered substances should be applied in the morn ing when the plants are wet with dew while this may may have its advantages it is not always necessary as it may in most cases be applied at any time in the day but never when the wind is blowing hard In using Paris green or London purple or Hellebore the following rules should be observed The poison should be kept in a safe place and plainly labelled Poison Do not distribute the poison with the hands Always keep to the windward side of the plants or trees when applying the powder or liquid Do not use them upon leaves or fruits that are soon to be eaten Give the rains a chance to wash it off Never apply it to fruit trees when in bloom as the poison will kill the bees so necessary to the formation of the perfect fruit Paris green and London purple may be diluted with a cheap quaility of wheat flour which is probably the best substance for the purpose on account of its adher ing to the plants and being more readily eaten than other substances Land plas ter is also recommended or a mixture of half and half 50 pounds each of flour and plaster to 1 pound of poison is about the proportion when used in a dry form on potato plants fruit trees etc To use in a small way mix about i ounce poison with one quart of flour or plaster It can be applied to great advantage by the use of a powder gun When used with water the following proportions are recommended For potatoes one pound poison Paris green or London purple to 100 gallons of water For apple trees one pound poison to 150 gallons of water For pear plum arid cherry one pound poison to 200 gallons of waterAnnual Publication for 1895 249 For peach one pound poison to 300 gallons of water The Paris green or London purple should he mixed into a smooth paste before adding the water The mixture must be applied in a fine spray so as not to deluge the foliage and should be well stirred while being used White Hellebore is a vegetable substance which will kill certain insects both by poisoning and contact and is used successfully against currant worms rose and cherry slugs Its principal value however is that of destroying currant worms To use whale oil soap dissolve onehalf pound of soap in about one quart of water then add from four to five gallons of cold water and apply every other day with garden syringe or an ordinary watering pot For the trunks and branches of trees use thicker and apply with a brush KEROSENE EMULSION FOR DESTROYING PLANT LICE aphides Kerosene Oil2 gallons Water1 Soap whale oil preferred pound Dissolve the soap in the water by boiling Take from the fire add the kerosene and churn rapidly with a force pump or stir and whip briskly with a paddle or old broom until emulsion is complete One gallon of this emulsion to 25 or 30 gallons of water and mixed well will kill most plant lice For bark lice use one gallon of the emulsion to nine gallons of water For peachtrees during the dormant season the solution if necessary can be used as strong as one gallon of emulsion to five gallons of water For hardy rose bushes one gallon of emulsion to ten gallons of water will be safe Instead of using whale oil soap and water in making the emulsion sour milk can be used if desired Kerosene oil2 gallons Sour milk1 gallon Make emulsion as described above and use the emulsion when finished with the same amounts of water as that made with the use of soapSELECTIONS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS NINETEENTH MEETING Georgia State Horticultural Society HELD IN THE CITY OF CUTHBERT July 31st and August 1st and 2d The Department of Agriculture as has been the custom issued jointly with the State Horticultural Society the proceedings of that Society for 1895 The proceedings are of unusual interest to all fruitgrowers and truckfarmers in the State The limits of this volume will not permit the publication of the entire proceedings however by application to the Department they can be secured complete in pamphlet form The selections here given we trust will add to the value of this work FROM PRESIDENT BEROKMANS ADDRESS The following from President Berckmans address emphasizes what we have frequently said relative to the manner in which our products are marketed You are all familiar with the attractive appearance and perfection of packing of the California fruit which constitutes the bulk of the stock of the citys fruitstands during a large proportion of the year and the fancy prices asked for those products In point of quality a California peach as shipped here is often a delusion and a fraud but its bright appearance and the attractive manner in which it is offered for sale takes the eye and the buyers money WHAT IS THE MORAL The moral of this is too evident to remain longer ignored by our own252 Department of AgricultureGeorgia fruitgrowers and now that California concedes the palm to Georgia peaches and has withdrawn this product from the Eastern markets our fruit must hereafter sustain the enviable position it has achieved in Eastern and Western markets as one of the grandest products of our great State The Georgia peach has dethroned its heretofore formidable California rival Let it remain in the lead but to ac complish this desirable end you must unite your efforts in adopting a uniform grade for every variety of your fruits and also a uniform ily attractive style of package ADVANTAGES OF CLIMATE AVe are singularly blessed with a climate and soil congenial to the production of a large variety of fruits we are not dependent upon artificial irrigation Our lands while perhaps not all as pro ductive as the noted California fruit districts can be purchased at a ridiculously low price as compared with the irrigated fruit lands of Riverside Pomona Santa Clara and other celebrated sections of that State We have fewer insect pests to contend with our labor is less expensive the quality of our fruit is equal and we are nearer to the great markets of the East and West All that we need is more favorable rates of transportation to lessen marketing expenses and give the producer a better financial return than is the case at present There is every inducsinent for the rapid increase of our fruit products We have learned from our own and our Pacific Coast friends experience what the markets require let us follow the road now freed from many of its former obstacles and we may anticipate success in our avocation Speaking of the extent of fruit growing in the State and of the large amount of land available for that purpose but yet unimproved President Berckmaus says Each section of our vast country possesses peculiar adaptation for certain crops and if we adopt their cultivation there is a possibility of successful results Hence we find in Georgia areas which are usually well adapted to successful fruitgrowing and many of our progressive citizens have availed themselves of these opportunities and are today possessors of comfortable incomes Only a small portion of our State has been given over to fruitgrowing There are untold acres now almost unproductive that await being planted in orchards and vineyards to soon become as well known as our now farfamed fruitgrowing districtsAnnual Publication foe 1895 253 Had it not been for the fruit industry many of our present prosperous communities would still remain in their somnolent condition of twenty years ago Go through a fruitgrowing section such as Marshallville Fort Valley Griffin and your own Cuthhert and you are impressed with a better class of dwellings and finer surroundings than where purely agricultural staple products are grown A higher education and a general appearance of thrift is there everywhere seen and those who come from a distance soon catch the spirit of progress that built up those communities THE STATE HOETICULTURIST Mr Starnes horticulturist of the Experiment Station delivered before the Society a most interesting and instructive address on grapepruning and training The complete address as it appears in the pamphlet issued by the Society and the Department is elaborately illustrated and will be found of great value to those engaged in grape culture The following extract is of interest Mr President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Georgia State Horticultural Society It is but natural in approaching so important a topic as this that I should feel some little diffidence for even should I be conceited enough to think that I entertain myself a thorough conception of the subject I am yet confronted with the dismal but undeniable fact that while many writers have undertaken its elucidation it is notorious that in some way with few exceptions they signally fail to make themselves understood Why this is I dont know but it is certainly true Perhaps it is because in the full consciousness of their own conversance with the subject they fail to realize the necessity for fundamental instruction in elementary principles and hence shoot clear over the mark at the outset I shall endeavor not to do this but will start with the A B C of the matter avoiding all technicalities and going as straight and direct to the bottom of the business as I possibly can The terms Training and Pruning cannot well be separated and must hence be considered conjunctively although each has a distinct and spe cific province of its own Prof L H TCailey truly says Pruning is a necessity and in essence there is but one method training is largely a convenience and there are as many methods as there are fancies among grapegrowers He further defines pruning to be such removal of branches as shall insure better and larger fruit upon the remaining por tions Training refers to the disposition of the different parts of the vine The object of both is to so manipulate the vine as to force it to bear254 Department of AgricultureGeorgia each year a maximum amount of large well developed perfect fruit without injury It must on no account be suffered to overbear any more than a valuable horse should be overworked but it should be forced in the interests of true economy to do all the work it can safely To fully understand how this may be done it is necessary at the outset to have a proper conception of the anatomy of the vine and its method of fruit setting This once established and recognized as a basic principle the whole matter of pruning and training becomes simplified and meth ods gradually unfold by an easy and logical process The unripe woodthe growth of the current seasonis known as a shoot and up to shoots the fruit is set Each shoot will set from one to four or even five buncheson an average from two to three though there are occasionally shoots to be found without fruit The bunches are borne on the first few joints near the base of the shoot which continues to grow until fall sometimes in vigorous varieties attaining a length of many feet When ripened or matured the shoot becomes a cane and is so known the subsequent season Every bud on the cane at the base of each of the lateral shoots will upon the removal of the latter put forth in the spring and form a fruitbearing shoot The third year and thereafter the cane becomes an arm which is tough and covered with a stringy bark The fruit therefore springs di rectly from the shoot the shoot from the cane and the cane from the arm Hence the shoot may well be termed the mother of the fruit the cane its grandmother and the arm its greatgrandmother Consequently let it once be definitely settled in mind how much fruit a vine will successfully sustain and nourishhow many pounds of grapes a given root of a certain vigor will pump plantfood into and thoroughly develop and it is easy to determine how many canes of so many buds each it will be necessary to leave to set the requisite number of bunches No steadfast rule can be given for determining the number experi ence is the only guide as the capacity of a vine differs with the variety age vigor soil and location At best an illustration must suffice A strong vigorous Concord Niagara or Ives root at four years of age ought to be able to sustain 15 pounds of fruit without injury although this is a full crop At an average of 5J ounce to the bunch which is quite a conservative estimate this will mean 45 bunches As two bunches to the shoot is an average estimate it will thus be necessary to provide some twentytwo or twentythree shoots which will be readily secured by put ting up three canes cut back to seven or eight buds each If the vine maintains its vigor under this treatment it may be advisa ble the next season to increase the number of canes to four of sevenAnnual Publication for 1895 255 buds each or if the method of training employed requires the use of only two canes to lengthen them to twelve or more buds each Weaker varieties like Delaware with a tendancy to overbear cannot be so generously treated but must be held more closely in check It is well however with any variety to err on the safe side and to underes timate rather than to overestimate a vines capacity since if there are not shoots enough to tax the vine to its highest capacity its surplus energy will be thrown into the fuller development of the bunches it does set and the result will be increased size and beauty of both bunch and berry while the vine itself will be rested and ready to respond with renewed vigor to the next seasons demands The underlying principle of pruning then consists simply in provid ing a sufficiency of canes to set the shoots necessary to furnish as many but no more bunches than the root is judged able to sustain All the rest of the wood is just so much surplus and must be removed There fore as Professor Bailey says Pruning is essentially a thinning opera tion The judgment in regard to the capacity of the root at first hesi tant and uncertain will be rapidly quickened and matured by observa tion and in a season or two the beginner will be able to estimate at a glance the capacity of a vine with astonishing accuracy There are two different methods of pruning which it will be well to refer to before passing on to training to wit Cane and Spur renewal By the first method the renewal is made each year by canes of which one or more cut to a given number of buds but with laterals closely trimmed are used to supply the bearing shoots Each year the entire bearing wood is removed a new cane or canes taking the place of the old With Spur pruning it is different A permanent arm is established instead of a yearly renewed cane and the shoots from this arm are never suffered to attain the dignity of canes but are cut back to spurs each fall or winter two buds being generally left both of which produce bear ing shoots but the lower bud though not as vigorous as the upper is always employed to furnish the shoot used for the spur next season The shoot from the upper bud is cut entirely away The process is carried on from year to year and the result is that the spurs are con stantly becoming longer Their length may be reduced from time to time by selecting a chance shoot from a vigorous bud developing on the old wood below the past seasons pruning When they eventually be come too long and unwieldy however a new arm is laid down and the process of spurring goes on as before Both Cane and Spur renewal may be employed with nearly all of the systems of training mentioned hereafter so that the different systems really resolve themselves into a series of double methods of pruning in256 Department of AgricultureGeorgia the employment of which the manipulator may always take his choice between Cane and Spur renewal although in all of them unless dis tinctly stated to the contrary it will be understood that Cane renewal is contemplated The different methods of traning or what Professor Bailey calls the disposition of the different parts of the vine remain to be considered These are many but all reducible at last to three distinct systems 1 The Upright System 2 The Drooping System 3 The Horizontal System Their names have reference to the direction in which the shootsnot the canes or armsare trained These systems are subdivided into many distinct modes or methods of training each however in principle readily referable to its proper class They will be considered in their order PROFESSOR NEWMAN Professor Newman hadTor his subject Winter Gardening in the South The importancejof thistopic cannot be overestimated for not only can the winter garden be made remunerative to the trucker who has a home market in our large cities and those of the North but also it can be made a source of profit to the ordinary farmer Not a source of profit in direct money return but a source of profit in providing healthful and palatable food Professor New mans address contains valuable advice on the subject He said I do not propose to give you any very lengthy talk but sim ply to give you a few practical hints gathered from my own ex perience suggestive of taking advantage of our climatic opportunities for the winter supply of vegetables upon our tables as well as for commercial purposes One great error of our Southern country is that we do not appreciate our soil and climatic advantages and consequently do not avail ourselves of them The same old trouble that has cursed us always is still in our way Nearly all of our readingmatter relating to the cultivation of our lands comes from a climate entirely different from ours All suggestions as to plant ing come from catalogues and books published in climates different from ours and we are hence naturally led astray in much of our work by the reading which we do The ordinary garden on our Southern farms is more a weed patch than a garden the larger portion of the year We give aAnnual Publication foe 1895 257 good deal of attention to spring planting and then as a rule raise a fine crop of grass and weed seeds to give us trouble next year It is not unusual in August and September to see the calf turned into the garden which then often supplies a most excellent pasture Now there is no reason why our tables should not always besup plied with a profusion of vegetables except through disasters simi lar to those which prevailed last winter Only twice in my experience in gardening in the South have we had such seasons Our tables should be supplied throughout the entire winter from our gardens In the first place either in the garden or on the farm the old idea of resting the land ought to be discarded We dont work our mules one week and then turn them out to rest the nextbut we feed them well every day and work them every day except Sundays We ought to treat our land in the same way As soon one crop is off put another on Feed well and work hard It is perfectly astonishing the amount of food we can secure from a small area by pursuing this process industriously and intelligently I will just give a few running remarks on the list of vegetables which we ought to have growing through the winter and which I have had growingbecause I am not speaking theoretically but from my experience Of course sometimes you may expect dis appointment I have a peach orchard fourteen years old and I have never had but two full crops from that orchard in that time Yet I do not dig up those trees We are liable to have disasters befall our crops yet wo dont abandon them because we occasionally fail Cabbage is a suitable crop both for supplying the amateur gardener and the trucker I have found no other vegetable that sells every day that you carry to market as readily as cabbage and we ought to have it every day in the year My practice has been to transplant cabbage to permanent beds every month in the year except December and January I have transplanted them in November and had them off by the time the usual spring planting commenced Of course there are enemies that we have to contend with We have to especially watch and protect them from worms and harlequin bugs Modern discoveries aid us very much Spray ing has become now a necessity We have not adopted it as we 17 ag258 Department of AgricultureGeorgia should have done in the South It is much more common at the North because experiments have been more general there than at the South and those people give more attention to the bulletins from the experiment stations than we do Our experiment station should be kept busy getting out bulletins which should be read by the farmers Many times I have answered questions which L knew were answered by bulletins which were iu the hands of the very man who asked the question and I have no doubt but that Brother Starnes has had the same experience Our people do not read enough I find about the cabbage that we have in our seed catalogues recommendations about early and late varieties also those standing the winter But I have found no difference in the va riety one standing the winter about as well as another The or dinary winter will not kill any of them This has been my experience Follow the directions in Whites Gardening for the South a book which ought to be in every household For plants which are intended to be set out in February sow the seed in September on the south side of a ridge thrown up for their protection Spinach is one of our most delicious vegetables Plant in Sep tember October and again in February Then there are all varieties of turnips We usually sow our rutabaga turnips too late and then we have so much faith in the mildness of our winters that we very seldom store them One year I put up twentyfive varieties of turnips in banks as we do sweet potatoes The Swedes all remained perfectly firm and crisp until spring Then there is the old Georgia collard When I first came from Virginia to Georgia I had been accustomed to whitehead cabbage all my life and I positively refused to allow a collard to grow on my place until one day an old negro woman sent me a dish full and ever since that time I have planted them We ought never to raise less than two or three crops of vegetables on the same area of our garden during the year and instead of transplanting collards in the spring and justifying the name of the long collards sow the seed the last of June and transplant early iu the fall TransAnnual Publication for 1895 259 plant to the bud Put the bud just a little in the ground holding the leaves up over it The leaves spread out and afford protection during the winter Cabbage are killed by the bursting of the stem Now the collard transplanted in the fall after you have gathered one or two crops beforehand gives you a better crop of green food in the winter than if transplanted in the spring Lettuce and radishes are also planted in the fall Kale is also one of our most valuable winter vegetables and is hardy I find the multiplying onions to be the hardiest of the family I have gathered this onion fresh from the garden during the whole winter They are also of a nice size when ripe for picking Of course by growing onions from the seed we can store them in a cool dry place and have them all through the winter just as readily as not I never grow onions from sets except sets that I raise from the seed Sets are too expensive in the first place and we can grow them here just as well as anywhere else By sowing onion seed now or a little latersay Septemberon thoroughly prepared land we can grow our sets much more cheaply than we can buy them and get them better They live through the winter Then thin and transplant in February and we have just as early and as good as we can get by buying Northern sets Those that you leave in the rows will make better and earlier onions than will Northern sets put out in February There is really no necessity for buying onion sets To grow sets sow the seed thickly upon moderately fertile soil The old shallot comes in well in the winter Ladies prefer it generally to the onion for seasoning soups etc The fall crop of potatoes is a very important one all over the South and its area has extended far North in the last few years The only difficulty about the fall crop of potatoes is getting a stand and for planting small areas they should be sprouted before planting by shading the seed and airing them well and while not entirely exposed to the sun drying them out Then put them in a cool moist place under a tree and cover with some rotted straw and keep them moist In a little while they will sprout Then you can cut them and plant with a certainty of having them come260 Department of AgricultureGeorgia These may be left in the ground all winter by simply throwing a couple of turnplow furrows over them They will not become watery like the early crop and for table use are far superior to the spring crop Salsify is a delicious vegetable which we do not often find in our gardens but ought to have a place in every one It is easily grown No winter kills it You can leave it in the ground and dig it during the winter as needed Every market gardener will find it profitable and amateur gardeners should grow it Parsnips and carrots from spring planting may either be left in the ground or stored for winter These can also be planted in July and August As to beets they ought to have been planted three weeks ago but still we can plant them and have a nice fall crop In order to secure a stand of beets however at this season of the year it is necessary to prepare the seed very thoroughly by pouring boiling water over them They have a very thick cov ering which water does not penetrate very readily and conse cpiently unless the ground is abundantly moist the germ is not brought into life It will not do to soak the seed and then plant in very dry ground as the moisture will be taken from the seed by the dry soil and the germ perish The most delicious of all winter crops is celery We should take the necessary trouble to grow the plants There is where most persons failin securing plants in the spring The seed are exceedingly small and the plants very delicate when they first come up It is necessary to keep the seed moist until they veg etate That may be done in various ways With thoroughly rotted manure well spread over the rows by placing old sacks and cloths overthem until the seed germinate or by daily water ing without covering We can thus secure an abundant supply of large plants far superior to those grown in hotbeds or green houses I grow mine in that way and find it much more satisfac tory than the ordinary method of thinning out and transplanting which involves a great deal of tedious work My plan insures fine large stocky plants You cannot grow fine celery from inferior plants They make spindling plants no matter how well theAnnual Publication foe 1895 261 ground may be prepared and fertilized Of course celery will do better on moist ground or land subject to irrigation On good thoroughly prepared sandy loam upland however we can grow it satisfactorily And I speak from experience of many years We pay too little attention to storing surplus summer crops For instance if we will quarter the surplus summer cabbages and pack them firmly in barrels covering each layer with dry salt they will keep through the winter then all you have to do is to soak them to get the salt out and they scarcely can be distinguished from fresh cabbage If you do not succeed in growing them fresh during the winter these can be used very well Okra should be dried for soups It should be cut up and dried in the sun and when thoroughly dry put it in stove pans and heat it to destroy any eggs of insects Then when put up in fruit cans it will give you good material for winter use In traveling through the country I have seen so much of the lack of winter gardening that the idea occurred to me that a few suggestions of this kind may bear fruit and I hope they will MAJOR RYALS ON TRUCK FARMING Than Major G M Ryals no man can speak more authoritatively of truck farming around Savannah and on the coast We give Major Ryalss address together with some interesting questions propounded to and answered by him Major Ryals said Mr President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Horticultural Society This is entirely unexpected to me as I had written your worthy pres ident and my friend that I had been forcibly reminded this year that I bad but very little to say I have been planting truck in Georgia for twenty years and until this year have always had something to keep the wolf from the door and a little to lend to the righteous poor This year it has been the other way I have lost money at the business though I have displayed all the energy and skill and done everything in my power The causes that led up to this state of affairs are manifold In the first place we had a winter at Savannah equal to what the people ought to have had in Nevada or Coloradoas cold as it could be It destroyed celery that had been partly banked killed rutabaga turnips and de stroyed entirely our winter crop The condition of the countrynum262 Department of AgricultureGeorgia bers and numbers of people being out of employmentrendered the markets unsatisfactory in my judgment The transportation has also been unsatisfactory deliveries at points of shipments have been delayed All these things combined have made the season an unsatisfactory one Although I got in late I listened with great attention and profit to what has just been said I regret that I did not hear all of it And upon the line of what has been said a few thoughts passed through my mind In reference to the cultivation of celerythat most delicious desira ble and beautiful of all vegetablesI would say that I have pursued a little different policy with some success in reference to growing the plant It is a difficult matter to get celery seed out of the ground They are very small and there are many things that keep them from germinating and coming up properly I pursued the plan of preparing in open ground a bottom heat and then water them every day Plant in small trenches and then cover them with water We do that every day and in a short period of time we get the plants We pursue almost the same policy as mentioned before but there is one thing in my judgment which ought to be done to get good white celery Carefully selected land ought to be used Mineral substances should be avoided if not the celery will be spotted The land must be free from minerals and the fertilizers must be of such a character that they themselves will not injure the plants Good celery can be grown all over this country everywhere I dont think there is any trouble about it at all I dont think there is a plantation in Randolph county but that can grow celery They can grow it just as fine as in Kalamazoo or Germany I have grown some myself that has been complimented in the New York market as being as fine as any that was ever shipped to that point In reference to the Irish potatothat is a most valuable crop When I first undertook to grow Irish potatoes the trouble was always with the stand there was no certainty about it Little by little and watching the matter very closely I think I have gotten it down to where there is no trouble about a stand Irish potatoes like everything else must have something else besides good land to make a good crop We store the potato up in what we call cucumber boxes We select those po tatoes being careful not to have any that are bruised r cut with the plow or trampled upon by the hands when they assort and barrel them and send them away We let them remain there until August There will be no loss When we come to plant them we get all those potatoes large enough for planting and cut off the seed end with a knife so as toAnnual Publication for 1895 263 my make as few shoots as possible thereby insuring a yield of better pota toes We roll them in plaster or fertilizers or sift fertilizers over them Further North the people use lime I never use lime and would not recommend it being put upon them in large quantities I plant the potatoes in very hot weather early in the morning and late in the even ing The hands drop the potatoes and the plows cover them immedi ately A roller should be used as it packs the ground and helps the plants to come up speedily Since pursuing this plan I have never failed to have a perfect stand of fall potatoes I discovered this by finding that around the barrels where the hands went to and from them they packed the ground and there was always a stand of potatoes I pack them with the Selder roller and have never had any trouble I find these potatoes the most desirable kind to plant In the second crop we get a marketable and merchantable size that we could not get from the finest grown in New England From Northern seed we plant those that we want to grow for fall changing the seed every year This is plan and I think it is a desirable one and worthy of consideration Something has been said about onions Like my friend I grow my onions from the seed and we grow our own seeds We also grow onions from plants Sow onions and then thin them out from the plants Take the sets and transplant them and we find them very good We plant these in the spring and also in the fall of the year We grow all the varieties of crops that have been spoken of also others intended for shipping to Eastern and Western markets such as beans peas cucumbers tomatoes etc For Southern markets small things such as beets carrots and in fact a thousand thingseverything that is in the seed catalogues Carrots in my opinion are as fine a crop as can be grown They make a most excellent stock feed and are good for milch cows It has been said that one hundred bushels of carrots are worth one hundred bushels of corn You can raise one hundred bushels of carrots as easily as you can raise four or five bushels of corn Beets also make good stock feed Hogs cows and mules eat them To grow all these vegetables that you can use on your farm and in your home is always better than buying Western corn or sending money out of the country never to come back because those people dont buy anything much of us We grow strawberries transplant them every year and grow them singly one in a place Plant them in August We find a very ready market at Savannah for strawberries264 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Now Mr President and ladies and gentlemen I am not much of a speaker except upon certain occasions and not much of a talker about agriculture and as I said before this year has reminded me that I ought not to say much but I am willing to answer any questions that might be propounded to me and will be glad to give any information I can Mr R P Johnson I would like to ask you about the vitality of onion seeds as I am not fully informed upon that subject Maj G M Ryals The seed should be bought every year and from the most reliable dealers in the country and I am glad today there are many worthy men in this line Avoid the purchase of cheap or commission seeds and get them as far as possible in sealed and dated packages They say that the Chinese and Japanese can tell you every one which will germinate by taking them in their hand You can get the seed in very small quantities and pay only for what you use I would not like to recommend the saving of old seed You sometimes get them mixed and get wrong dates on them I think it well enough to buy a few fresh seeds which you can get for a very small consideration I commenced this policy late in life after I had failed as a soldier and as a merchant Mr Chas Deckner I would like to ask the Major about celery plants Maj G M Ryals I water them every day The soil is selected with a view to moisture so that it will not bake Mr Chas Deckner That is the trouble with us Maj G M Ryals I think if you will put the water on at night and it only takes a few minutes you will not have much trouble You should avoid heating them in the middle of the day When I first commenced sowing celery seed it took me a very long time to get them out of the ground but it does not take that length of time now We dig into the ground and put down green stable manure six or eight inches from the top of the earth There is one of my neighbors that claims to have brought celery out in a very few hours I know he brought cucumbers out in thirtysix hours Mr W K Nelson I would like a little information about transplanting strawberries in AugustAnnual Publication foe 1895 265 Maj G M Ryals You should have the land sufficiently wet to prevent them from wilting In moving them to another place should we have to transport them say 200 or 300 yards we take them up with the clod of earth and put them in the box It is a hard matter to transplant and have them to live The hands dig up the roots and break off the ball It is very little trouble when you take them up with the ball Prof J S Newman You spoke about mineral matters in soil affecting celery Dont you think it is caused more by working it while being wet Maj G M Ryals Sometimes yes I think it is sometimes very bad judgment in working it while it is wet Mr Baker What varieties of onions do you plant Maj G M Eyals Several varieties The white and yellow onion mostly All of them are good Mr Baker Did I understand you to say you planted them in the spring or in the fall Maj G M Ryals Both At Savannah we can make two crops of almost any kind of vegetables I sowed tomato seed only about ten days ago We also plant canteloupes this season of the year We plant peas the 15th of September and beans about the 1st of September for sale in the New York market In reference to peas they plant peas on Long Island pretty late They sow rye at the same time The rye comes up all around the peas and beans which are formed down under the bush and are uninjured by slight frost I am trying this year to plant beans and rye I think we can grow some in that way Upon our place we plant corn after cabbage also after Irish potatoes Where the land is not so good we let the crowfoot grass or crabgrass grow for hay We sow cow peas in some land which is intended to benefit the soil Pres Berckmans lam sure Major that your modesty is too great for you and I think you have struck one of your talking days We certainly have been very much gratified at the manner in which you have illustrated that subject and we now have the two methods of winter gardeningboth at the coast and in Middle Georgia Maj G M Ryals I have one request to make I have told266 Department of AgricultureGeorgia you all about the secrets of truck farming I have recently invested in a peach orchard down here in Wilkes county That added a great deal to my trouble this year and I would like for some of the gentlemen who are informed upou the subject to en lighten me on the matter of growing peaches SECRETARY MILLER The following valuable suggestions were made by Secretary Mil ler on Lessons for the Year The consideration of the varied experiences and maybe mis takes of the past should enable us to learn lessons that will lead to improvements for the future It is quite natural for a man to tell in glowing terms of his wonderful success Justice to our con temporaries and those who live after us requires that we should make a true and faithful report of our mistakes We are living in an age of the most wonderful growth and development that the world has ever beheldan age of steam and electricity If we as fruitgrowers would keep our place in the procession in this age of rapid progress we must be up and on the march We must ob serve read study and practice if we would reach that higher plane in horticulture which should be ours by virtue of the superior advantages which we enjoy in this Empire State of the South In this age of close and severe competition our advantages will not place us in the front rank as successful fruitgrowers unless at the same time we are ever diligent to correct the mistakes we have made and to bring to our aid science and observation as allimpor tant factors to enable us to keep step to the music of the worlds progress To shut our eyes to the lessons that may be learned from the mistake we have made would be simply to become mosscov ered fossils only fit monuments to mark the place where the march of improvement had left us One of the lessons that we learn looking back over this season is that it is a mistake to neglect the cultivation of our orchards Owing to the utter failure of fruit in 1894 some commercial planters became discouraged and did not give their orchards the cultivation they should have done and the effect is seen in the stunted growth and the diminished crop of this yearAnnual Publication for 1895 267 Another mistake we have observed this current season is the neglect of some orchardists to thin out their peaches properly A gentleman came to me early in the season asking me what he should do with his peaches The trees were even then commencing to bend and they were literally covered with fruit I told him to thin them out severely He said he had not the heart to do it in fact he could not do it As a consequence his trees not having been shortened back or thinned out are many of them broken to pieces His fruit is small and inferior on account of the excess of numbers on the trees At the commencement of the shipping season he said he saw his mistake He should have thinned them out Seasons like this when there is an abundance of peaches to come on the market emphasizes the importance of thinning out so as to have only firstclass fruit to offer While the peaches from those trees not thinned out will go begging for a market at reduced prices firstclass fruit will bring paying prices It cer tainly costs no more to pull off a surplus of fruit while the fruit is small than it does to pick the same fruit when it matures but the fruit that is left on when the trees are properly thinned will bring double the amount in the market that the whole lot would if no thinning was done So that on the score of economy if a man has no desire to build up a reputation for firstclass fruit he should thin out his fruit Some years ago we think the mistake was made of planting too many varieties in commercial peach orchards but our observation this year convinces us that planters have fallen into a mistake on the opposite extreme Since the advent of the Elberta peach they have planted too few varieties We should rather state it in this way Too large a percentage of their planting has been of the Elberta variety As a consequence this season we found after the earliest peaches were marketed there was a demand on the market for peaches Commission men were writing Have you any peaches ripening now that you can send us They are not arriving in sufficient quantity to supply the market Then when the Elbertas come into the market such vast amounts of them the price is reduced While it may be true that for individual plant ers in certain locations it may be best to plant but few varieties so268 Department of AgricultureGeorgia as to enable them to ship in carload lots yet we think large plant ers or communitiesof planters should so arrange their planting as to keep up a continuous supply throughout the season in this way and by proper distribution of shipments we avoid gluts in the markets Another lesson of the year is that it is folly to ship to the market immature or bruised or in short anything but firstclass fruit We saw this season Alexander peaches on the market that to all appearances were not much more than half grown It is not to be expected that a discerning public will buy fruit of that kind and when they do invest in fruit of this kind they are disgusted with it and conclude they have had peaches enough for the season and by that means their custom is in a great measure lost The lessons of this year certainly emphasize the oftrepeated advice to send nothing but firstclass fruit to the market It is much better to throw away the culls and immature or bruised and speckled specimens than to ship them as a consignment of fruit is usually graded according to the poorest specimens in it Another important truth that is brought distinctly to the front by the lessons of the year is that careful packing is an important factor in the success of the shipper As the result of careless pack ing we have seen peaches this season arrive on the market with the baskets not more than twothirds full the peaches evidently having been thrown into the baskets loosely and then crated up The consequent jostling and settling cause them to arrive in the market in the condition we have stated Our peaches and other fruits from this State must come in competition with fruits from other sections especially California where packing has been re duced to a science There special pains are taken to have their fruits packed in the very best manner so that when opened up they will present a handsome appearance The lesson for us as fruit growers in Georgia is that we must take equal pains in selecting and packing our fruit for market Otherwise we may expect to have our fruits sell at unremunerative prices While it is true that these few observations are commonplace yet it is also true that trite truths are often the most valuableAnnual Publication for 1895 269 truths and we should not allow their triteness to divest them of force In seasons like the present fruitgrowers must combat the prob lem of overproduction and ruinous competition While it is true that the questions of distribution transportation cheaper freight and express charges are very important ones yet they do not fur nish a cure for unprofitable fruitgrowing nor for the poor methods unfortunately so prevalent The only escape is through higher and better cultivation better fruit better packingquality rather than quantity The inevitable law of the survival of the fittest ap plies to commercial fruitgrowing as well as to everything else SMALL FRUITS Georgia possesses a large area adapted to small fruits and with her varied climate is able to supply the markets with berries for many months out of the year In many sections of the State the subject of growing small fruits has not received the attention it merits Mr Charles Decker of Atlanta who is an authority on the growth of berries and small fruit of every class addressed the Society on this subject Mr Decker remarked We in Georgia have to confine small fruit to strawberries black berries and raspberries as gooseberries and currants do not suc ceed or at least to no degree of satisfaction here There is perhaps no product of the soil that has given as re munerative returns to the grower as the crops of small fruit Many a home has been secured and many a mortgage lifted off the home by the judicious cultivation of these fruits Its success is not limited to sections but extends over all the States from Maine to California and from Canada to Florida they give satis faction to the grower The strawberry the most general in cultivation succeeds in almost any soil The same is true with the blackberry while the raspberry is morechoice in the selection of its soil and location Speaking of crops that are adapted to our soil and climate we take the turnip and sweet potato as vegetables the cotton and corn as field crops but when we get to fruit we have the strawberry and blackberry as a never failing crop for this climate For the270 Department of AgricultureGeorgia past thirty years I have been growing them near Atlanta and in all that time have never known a failure except this year when some kind of blight struck the strawberries and reduced the crop to onefourth This however may not occur again in the next thirty years The raspberry is more susceptible to failures yet their remuner ative returns compensate for disappointments I will not go into the details of the cultivation of small fruits believing such would be an imposition on the time of this intelli gent audience of horticulturists but shall merely call attention to some of the points generally overlooked in the cultivation of small fruits There is no reason why we should not produce as many straw berries to the acre as any one It has been stated on good authority that ten thousand quarts have been raised to the acre which at ten cents a quart would make the enormous return of 100000 per acre While we perhaps cannot reach this figure we can and frequently have raised onehalf to twothirds of this amount The item generally overlooked in the preparation of the soil is the deep breaking of the land for small fruits eighteen inches deep has given best results Then comes the fertilizer to which I now desire to call your attention The substances that the soil must be supplied with in the way of plantfood and which it does not naturally contain or if so in too limited a quantity are nitrogen or ammonia potash and phosphoric acid In the pro duction of small fruit plants and especially that of the strawberry the chief elements utilized are nitrogen and potash while phos phoric acid is only required in a limited quantity But a great change takes place in the production of the fruit In this case the potash is by far the most predominant element and the application of potash has been too sadly neglected This argument has been demonstrated by actual experiment The strawberry that has been abundantly supplied with stable manure will go to vines and make but little fruit I use stable manure liberally before setting the plants which stimulates the plantgrowth so producing strong vigorous vines but when they begin producing fruit I use nothing but potash and phosphoric acidAnnual Publication for 1895 271 We have now considered the preparation of the soil the supply ing of fertilizer and now last but by no means least let us con sider the supplying of moisture When we notice that the strawberry contains ninety per cent of water we must at once conclude that soil and fertilizer is not all that is necessary to produce a good fruit crop There must be a good supply of water and as that is not always furnished by the clouds or at least not in sufficient quanity to insure the best results irriga tion becomes necessary The subject of irrigation is still in its infancy and yet for the past ten years the agricultural mind has made wonderful progress in this direction In order to make small fruitgrowing a neverfailing success we must be able to supply water in sufficient quanity and at just the right time to produce a continual growth during the bearing season The water supply in Georgia is so abundant that thousands of acres may be subjected to irrigation with but very little expense The watercourses may be dammed and by a ditch on a level or nearly so the water can be conducted along the hillside subjecting all the land lying below the ditch to overflow whenever desired Where this cannot be done the water can be raised by means of a pump operated either by wind or steam power The growing of small fruit without irrigation will soon be a thing of the past Not only is the application of water necessary to produce and form a constituent part of the fruit but it is also necessary to dissolve the fertilizer in order that the plant may receive its full benefit In conclusion I would say that while much attention has been paid to the cultivation of the strawberry the cultivation of the raspberry and blackberry has been neglected There is some ex cuse as regards the raspberry as it requires a moist yet not wet soil Perhaps the best selection of a raspberry soil is what might be called a second bottom sandy with if possible a northern ex posure Speaking of the blackberry Few people realize that the im provement of a cultivated blackberry is as much superior to its wild kinsman as the cultivated strawberry is over the wild or old field berry and we hope to see the time when every garden in272 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Georgia shall have a patch of some variety of improved blackber ries QUESTION BOX An interesting feature of the proceedings of the Society is a ques tion box The questions are sent to the Secretary by personsinterested in horticultural matters from various parts of the State The an swers are furnished by different members of the Society We give the following from the box as being of general interest Secy G H Miller The first question is What is the best spraying apparatus for peach trees and grapevines where can it be obtained and what is the price Pres Berckmans We have used several spraying apparatus We have found for a small area the Knapsack Sprayers to be the most convenient Their capacity is about six gallons They are strapped to the back they are made of copper and will not cor rode There are many makes a good one is Prof Galloways patent This can be procured from Wm Stah Quincy 111 Of the larger ones there are a great number These are put on a wagon and worked with a doubleaction pump As you push down the lever you eject the liquid and stir at the same time Some have double nozzles and some have single They cost very little Some cost as low as 6 but these cheap apparatus are dear in the end A good apparatus will cost you about 12 outside of the barrel Then there are complicated machines that are made in the shape of a cart with two wheels They are very expensive and cost from 100 to 175 You will find plenty of advertisements about them in any agricultural paper Secy G H Miller The second question is What is the best way to fight the curculio in peaches I find that spraying with paris green has a tendency to injure the foliage Is there anything else as effectual or is the best remedy to catch them and kill them Pres Berckmans There is a spraying calender issued by the Experiment Station Newark Del and another one at Cornell and both are very explicit and simple They give the different formuAnnual Publication for 1895 273 las and the different periods for spraying before the bud appears and after the leaf appears when the blossom opens when the fruit sets when the fruit gets a certain size and so on You can get them by writing to the Experiment Station at Newark Del and the Experiment Station at Ithaca N Y Third question Do you know of any way to prevent grapes from rotting Is rootpruning beneficial in this country or is it a necessity My grapes were not pruned at the roots last year and now they are rotting badly Would it be advisable to spray them with Bordeaux mixture and how often Dr Samuel Hape Tell him to bag his grapes Fourth question What is considered the best variety of straw berries for early which for medium and which for late All to be grown for a shipping trade Pres Berckmans Let that go over for the night discussion Fifth question Do you know anything about fungous diseases of celery My plants die off just at the ground while they are very smallabout one inch high The disease does not seem to affect the large plants Sixth question In irrigating a strawberry field or raspberry field by surface irrigation is it best to run the water in the furrows between the rows or to spray it over the plants with a hose About how much water would it take to irrigate an acre providing it was done once a week What size hose would be the most convenient for the purpose Pres Berckmans I believe there has been an irrigation Con gress called to meet at Atlanta The question could be decided there Secy G H Miller I should think it would be much better to irrigate and have running water between the rows than to spray Seventh question I have a good crop of cowpeas near where I intend planting strawberries this fall Will it be best to plow them under now and then use about one thousand pounds of bone and potash with one thousand pounds of cottonseed meal to the acre or will it be best to cut the cowpeas for hay I cannot get much manure 18aar274 Department of AgricultureGeorgia Pres Berckmans In a discussion of cowpeas that took place before the Beech Island Agricultural Club this very same question came under discussion and it was the verdict of the majority that the greatest benefit was derived from the roots That stands to reason because the bacteria which create the little nodules contain ing nitrogen are below the soil You can get just as good results by cutting off the vines and plowing in the roots as you would by plowing in the whole vine Prof J S Newman The analysis made does not sustain that conclusion The root will be rich in nitrogen but the plant above ground will contain a great deal more than the root This was shown by analysis in two or three cases The analysis showed moreover that a good crop of pea vines contained as much nitrogen or would supply to the soil as much nitrogen which was not there before as about sixteen tons of stable manure and apart from the fact that we cannot always get stable manure the pea vine is superior because we can broadcast it over as large an area as we wish Eighth question Is the Cuthbert the best variety of rasp berry for this country or are there others as good that are any earlier Pres Berckmans From what part of the State does that come Dr Samuel Hape From Floyd county Mr The Cuthbert I believe to be the best red variety for that section Secy G H Miller I think that without doubt the Cuthbert is the best variety for that locality That is those that have been well cultivated The blackcaps according to my observation do not succeed very well in that section The long summers affect them in some way and they do not last long I do nor think it is a good idea to plant blackcaps as a commercial ventureREPORT Commissioner of Agriculture STATE OF GEORGIA Year Ending September 30th 1895 R T NESBITT COMMISSIONERlo His Excellency W Y Atkinson Governor I have the honor to submit the following report of the transactions of the Department of Agriculture for the year beginuing October 1 1894 and ending September 30 1895 CLERICAL FORCE Since the last report there has been but one change in the clerical force of the department B L Mclntosh having been appointed in the place of B F Carter resigned The following persons are now em ployed in the department in clerical capacities B L Mclntosh general correspondent and bookkeeper J E Brown Jr fertilizer clerk H L Bennett mailing clerk FERTILIZER INSPECTION During the year the following named inspectors have been employed each receiving a salary of 8333 per month while employed except A Oemler who for the past ten months has received 100 per month These gentlemen have rendered faithful and honest work to the State and by close attention to their work have earned their salaries follows SALARY A Oemler Savannah 1166 99 S B Scott Atlanta 999 96 E R Kirkpatrick Waverly Hall 999 96 W W Dews Cnthbert 999 96 W B Jones LaGrange 249 99 S R Fulcher Greens Cut 333 32 J R VanBuren Griswoldville 333 32 W A Terrell Greenville 458 31 Z L Fryer Barnesville 333 32 M L Johnson Cass Station 333 32 G M Goldsmith Stone Mountain 333 32 J V McWhorter Woodville 333 32 Total1 6875 09 Though the sale of fertilizer decreased very largely last winter result ing in a diminution of several thousand dollars in the receipts of the de partment as compared with the previous year the receipts have been278 Department of AgricultureGeorgia sufficient to meet every expense and the fertilizer business of the de partment has not cost the State one dollar as the following report will show RECEIPTS Balance from season of 189894 2733 43 sale of tags 22598 91 25332 34 25332 34 EXPENDITURES For tags 5502 60 Salaries of inspectors 6875 09 Traveling expenses of inspectors 1551 10 Restamping tags 143 00 Express 1 75 Incidentals 96 49 Turned into State Treasury 8672 15 22842 18 Balance 2490 16 25332 24 AGRICULTURE The condition of the agricultural interests of the State are fairly good While the cotton crop will fall far short of that of last year the food crops such as corn peas potatoes sorghum sugar cane and rice are unusually good and there are more hogs to fatten than in many years previous Though the cotton crop is short the price is better than it was last year and on the whole the farmers of the State are in better condition than they have been for several years past Each year there is more attention given to diversified farming better preparation of the land more terracing and a more judicious use of commercial fertilizers All these I take to be improvements in our agricultural condition each one a signpost pointing the way to assured independence and prosperity among our farmers DAIRYING The dairying industry is growing steadily and bids fair to soon be come of great importance A large number of creameries have been es tablished during the past twelve months and a number of these have met with fair success Where difficulties have been encountered theAnnual Publication for 1895 279 promoters should not abandon their efforts but by close investigation discover the leaks stopping which there would be success where hereto fore there has been failure In this connection I deem it proper to mention that quantities of but terine and other compounds are sold in this State as butter to the great detriment of the dairymen and their products Unless laws are passed and stringently enforced to put a stop to these deceptions the result must be to cripple and probably destroy the dairy industry of our State I do not object to butterine and like compounds most of which I consider both healthy and palatable but I earnestly protest against their being sold under false colors They should either be sold on their own merits or not at all and it would be a simple act of justice to the farmers if the legislature would enact a law to this effect ORCHARDS AND FRUITS There has been an enormous increase in this branch of farming in the past few years and especially in the growing of peaches the shipments of which have reached this year several hundred carloads with the prospect of a large increase year by year for some years to come The shipment to Northern markets of grapes plums and pears is also stead ily increasing These different fruits together with melons and the ber ries bring a large amount of money into the State and if the railroads would only give more reasonable rates of freight to distant markets the fruit industry would rapidly become immense and would bring large amounnts of money to our people in the dull summer months PUBLICATIONS The usual Annual for 1894 was published last fall and by June the entire edition was exhausted and many more called for A second edi tion was published during the past summer which by some changes and additions was made a great improvement over the first issue These have all been distributed without supplying the demand In addition the department has published a large editionof a book called Georgia a Fair Field for Homeseekers and Investors a well illustrated pamphlet of sixtyseven pages giving in a condensed form an outline of the different industries of the State her educational facilities waterpowers etc There has been a great demand for this book and the first edition of five thousand copies has been well scattered through out the West and North resulting in interesting many people of those sections in our State and adding to our population probably hundreds280 Department op AgricultureGeorgia of good citizens A second edition of this work is now in the hands of the printers and will soon be ready for distribution During the past year therehave been hundreds of letters received by this department from the States of the North and West wanting infor mation regarding our State and we have sent such literature as we had to every one writing and no doubt with good results If we wish to at tract emigrants to cultivate our lands and assist in developing our great State we must publish and place before them the advantages that we can offer no one will do this for us and while other Southern States are using every effort to control the tide of emigration plainly setting south ward it will not do for Georgia to sit with folded hands awaiting what may happen We should be up and doing or our sister States will get the cream of this tide of emigration which will soon swell to large pro portions In accordance with a recent act of the legislature I have published a volume of nearly five hundred pages called Georgia her Resources and Possibilities This is the most complete handbook of the State ever issued by this department and will be valuable as a book of reference This work is well illustrated with cuts relating to all the varied re sources of the State agriculture horticulture manufacturing mining lumbering etc and is liberally supplied with maps relating to agricul ture geology forestry rainfall temperature etc The contents of this work are divided into nine chapters which treat of the following sub jects Chapter 1 General Outline of the State 2 Economic Minerals 3 Geology of Georgia 4 The Streams and Drainage Basins of Georgia Table Showing Tributaries and WaterPowers 5 Manufacturing 6 Agriculture 7 Institutions of the People 8 Governors of Georgia 9 Georgia by Counties Each of these subjects is treated of fully and instructingly Espe cially interesting to homeseekers is the ninth chapter in which the State is taken by counties and carefully and accurately described giving sta tistical information as to population school fund property of all kinds rate of taxation etc The statistical information in this work has beenmmwwremimimymmummmmqff Annual Publication for 1895 281 very carefully compiled and can be relied on as accurate From the flattering notices received from the Press and from individuals through out the State I feel that the time and money devoted to this work has been well expended EXPOSITION Having been selected by the legislature as ihe executive officer of the State Board of Commissioners I have devoted a great deal of time during the past six months to the work of Illustrating Georgia at the Cotton States and Intelnational Exposition This work while arduous and accompanied with many annoyances has been a labor of love with me aud I have entered into and have continued it heartily and with all my strength influenced by the desire to see our Grand State make a display worthy of her renown Ably assisted by Dr Geo F Payne State Chemist and Professor W S Yeates State Geologist with their respective assistants by a number of our most ambitious and pro gressive counties and by earnest individuals both ladies aud gentlemen from all sections of the State the work has been carried on steadily and systematically until now the Georgia building at the Exposition con tains a display of her varied resources industries and educational ad vancement such as any State in the Union might be proud of The money wisely appropriated by the legislature to thus show to the world the resources and possibilities of Georgia has been judiciously expended and will prove I doubt not the best investment ever made by the State This great exposition and the display made by Georgia must attract attention and inquiry to this section and more particularly to our own State which stands out preeminently among her sisters as the Empire State of the Southnm VISSiY9F GL0R2IA LIBRARIES 3 ElDfi 05357 5fe27