Suggestions and information by the Georgia Department of Agriculture [1893-94]

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SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION BY THE
GEORGIA
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
K T NESBITT
Commissioner of Agriculture
ATLANTA GA
The B rahklin Printing and Publishing Company
1894H

SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATION
Georgia Department of Agriculture
MONTHLY TALK WITH THE FARMERS
FOR MONTH OF DECEMBER
Agricultural Department i
Atlanta December 1 1893
In this the closing month of the year there is much that can be done on the
Southern farm and whenever the weather permits the plows double if possible
should be kept moving This work is important more so than most farmers
realize and it is maintained by the highest scientific authority and proven by
some practical farmers eminent for their success that with deep plowing and
manuring with green crops it is possible to sustain and improve the fertility of
lands without using one pound of commercial fertilizers Be this as it may com
petent chemists assure us that there are bound up in the soil mineral elements
sufficient to supply the crops of thousands of years This being true why should
the farmer hesitate to unlock these hidden stores
Put the plow in deep and bring the subsoil to the surface where it can be
directly acted upon by sun air and winter rains and thus undergo the necessary
chemical changes If you are in doubt try a small space as an experiment In
sowing some small grain recently I have had this fact very forcibly illustrated
and as I pass by ftie spot each morning I have a daily objectlesson of the effects
of deep stirring of the soil and bringing to the surface the organic elements too
far down to be reached by ordinary methods
Last year on the spot mentioned there stood a dead oak tree of considerable
size which instead of being cut down was dug up by the roots much red clay
being brought to the surface in the process The greater part of this was thrown
back in the hole but much remained scattered around causing a spot so unsightly
that I determined ere planting it to haul some woodsearth and spread over the
place But this was delayed and when the grain rye was sown it was plowed in
just hare the same as on the other land This sowing was done in September and
until the middle of November not one drop of iin fell onit The rye same up
on the entire planting there was a good stand but owing to the beat and drought
and also to heavy winds the plants except on this spot were parched and seemed
scarcely alive Where the tree had stood was a patch of livid green and strange
to say this was not only where the hole had been deeply dug but as far out m theIS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
clay had been thrown It presented such a striking contrast to the surrounding
color as to attract my attention and set on foot investigations as to the cause with
the result as stated Timely rains revived the drooping grain all snow green
but this one spot can still be distinguished from its surroundings by the markedly
stronger and larger growth
COMPOST
Another important work which should be carried on now is the making of and
protecting compost heaps To prevent the Are fang which so often indicate
that the manure has lost its principal and most valuable elements a good plan is
to mix the manures from cow sheep and hog pens with the horse manure a layqr
of each carefully packed They are less heating and if plaster kaimt or even
woodsearth can be added the danger of overheating and loss is still further di
minished If the heaps are under shelter so much the better but if that is impos
sible put on top a layer of earth allowing the greatest height in the center that
the pile may slant towards the edge and pack down firmly The situation should
be such that no water will drain on them By using bedding and carefully saving
all the manure it is astonishing how much can be accumulated in a few months
St is our most perfect as well as our safest fertilizer and if our farmers would more
generally turn their attention to stopping this which is both literally and figura
tively one of the biggest leaks on our farms it would not be long before they
would realize how much has been wasted in this one item and themselves become
its warmest advocates
To show the amount and value of the manure produced from different animals I
append the following which has been carefully prepared by Professor Roberts of
Cornell Experiment Station He ha given this subject the closest study and at
tention and while as he says the value of the manure depends much on the
character of the food and also the purpose for which the animal is used these
figures will serve as an illustration and will I hope set many a farmer to thinking
and acting who has heretofore been indifferent Once he is convinced that there
is money in it we shall see more attention given to the keeping of live stock
and as a natural sequence to the planting of green crops and then follows the
diversified agriculture which must be our hope for the future
Animals which are not producing anything as milk or young and are not gam
ing in weight return in their voidings all of the manurial value of the food they
consume mature fattening animals about 95 per cent youngish growing animals
90 per cent cows in milk 80 per cent while young nursing calves take ajery
large amount of the manurial constituents of the milk which sustain them While
the above figures are not absolutely correct they serve to help in determining the
real value of various manures
The quantity of manure produced per year by the various classes of animals was
estimated by Boussiangault as follows Tons
Lbs per year
qaa ik liquids 12000
Horse 900 lbs 3000
Horse
150007 12
Ifquids 20000
Cws solids 800014
CowsSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONDECEMBER
17

In 188884 the animals kept at the University barn were estimated to be equal to
fortyfiTe mature animals about twothirds of which were cattle and onethird
horses The manure was kept in a covered barnyard and no loss occurred Every
tenth load was weighed and the average was computed from these weighed loads
Seven months feeding produced 466 tons or a trifle over ten tons per animal A
fairly liberal amount of bedding was used and is included in the above In 188485
fortyseven fullgrown animals of 900 pounds each produced within a few pounds
of 200 tons of manure in five months The manure as before was kept in a covered
yard and this time every load was weighed less bedding was used than the pre
vious winter and less cottonseed meal was fed
Three large cows liberally fed when producing 31f pounds of milk per day
produced 89J pounds of manure per cow per day including five pounds of bedding
This is rather above the average amount of manure produced by large cows in
milk This high average was probably due to the consumption of a rather large
amount of warm water
Last year 18 large Jersey and HolsteinFriesian grade cows in milk produced
in 24 hours 14525 pounds of manure
AVERAGE QUANTITY OF MANURE PRODUCED BY VARIOUS KINDS OF ANIMALS
PER DAY
Average
per animal
18 cows three experiments gave exclusive of bedding82 lbs
10 horses at work 10 hours exclusive of bedding315 lbs
10 horses two determinations 24 hours in the stable535 lbs
Sheep 140 lbs 76 lbs
Swine 150 lbs nitrogenous fed J s
Swine 150 lbs carbonaceous fed lbs
After many experiments extending through several years the following esti
mates of the value per ton of manures is given I am well aware that wide vari
ations will appear from the figures still I am quite certain that the values stated
are so nearly the average of those on the American farm under ordinary circum
stances that I believe they will not only not lead the reader into serious error but
that they will greatly assist him in his endeavors to understand more clearly one
phase ot the great question How can plants be fed well and cheaply
VALUE PER TON OF MANURE PRODUCED BY VARIOUS CLASSBS OF AHTMALS
Horses
Cows
2 80
2 30
eep400
Swine z ib
If we multiply the quantity produced by the value per ton computing as near as
we may the averages of the experiments already given with a few others recently
added we have the following value per 1000 pounds of live weight of animal per
year computing nitrogen potash and phosphoric acid at commercial values and
ignoring small fractions
Horses 19
Cows milch
Sheep
Swine
29 25
38 00
17 00I 8 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
Since ordinarily this class of animals are in their stables but seven months of
the year and since potash and nitrogen and phosphoric acid are believed not to be
worth as much in farm manures as in commercial fertilizers because they are less
soluble a considerable allowance must be made in this last table After careful
consideration with opportunity ot wide observation I conclude that we shall ar
rive at very nearly the true values if these figures be divided by three It appears
tome that this is a conservative estimate and applying it to a supposable case as
follows will assist in emphasizing the value of the manure produced on many a
small farm Pour horses of 1000 pounds each 20 cows of 800 pounds each 50
sheep of 100 pounds each and 10 pigs of 75 pounds each would produce according
to the above modified computation fertility worth 24891 in the seven winter
months
REPAIRS
In former articles I have urged the necessity of attending to needed repairs
fences ditches terraces and buildings of righting up matters on the farm
readyfor the coming years work of clearing away as it were obstacles which
might hinder our success Let us take fresh courage We have much to be thank
ful for In the almost universal distress we find that the farmer who has his food
supplier and this is true in mmch larger proportion than usual though he has
little money is in far better condition than the majority of laboring men Besides
a certainty as to food he has his house his fuel his garden and hope which seems
denied to his less fortunate brother of other avocations
FARMERS MUST STUDY
All that relates to farming We cannot afford longer to waste our capital The
school of experience is valuable but it sometimes takes more than half a lifetime
to get through and we pay a high price for our diploma Subscribe to some good
agricultural paper The low price of subscription is returned over and over again
before the year is out in valuable information
The three great essentials are first the theorytrue planof farming second
the art of controlling labor and of executing all work to the best advantage with
lean labor thirdlast and bestsuccess depends on quick perception wse judg
ment thatseldom or never errs How is this to be acquired except by the use ot
books in conjunction with practice R T Nesbitt
Commissioner
FORMULAS FOR MANURING
For general purposes i for use on corn cotton and other summer crops the
following is a good formula
o 1
1300 pounds
Acid phosphate r
v 500 pounds
Cottonseed meal r
200 pounds
JKamit
2000 pounds
Total
SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONDECEMBER
19
If cotton seed be used instead of the meal then the following
No 2
Acid phosphate 865 pounds
Cottonseed 33 bushels 1000 pounds
Kainit 135 pounds
Total2000 pounds
If muriate of potash be substituted for kainit then
No 3
Acid phosphate1 400 pounds
Cottonseed meal 540 pounds
Muriate potash 60 pounds
Total2000 pounds
If cotton seed be substituted in No 3 for cottonseed meal then
No 4
Acid phosphate 900 pounds
Cottonseed1060 pounds
Muriate of potash 40 pounds
Total2000 pounds
The foregoing formulas comprise the commercial ingredients most generally
used in composting or mixing at home As already indicated these ingredients
when provided in the proportions given may be mixed with stable manure and
other crude or bulky home materials in any convenient proportions of the latter
The larger the proportions of stable manure etc the greater the dilution or
the weaker the resulting mixture and a correspondingly larger quantity should
be applied per acre
EXPERIMENTATIVB FARMING
The above formulas are given for general use They may be varied according
to the particular crop or the character of the land on which the crop is to be pro
duced In reference to the particular crop we are better informed both by the
known analysis of such crop and its power of supplying itself from the plant food
already contained in the soil or in the air than we are in reference to different
soils The same plant corn for instance alwas contains the same wellknown
elements in substantially the same known proportions and always behaves ex
actly the same under the same conditions But soils differ very widely from each
other not only in their physical condition and analysis but also in their chemical
composition
Even where a chemical analysis and a careful physical examination of a soil
lias been made and is before the eye we cannot say in just what proportion the
elements of a fertilizer should be mixed in order to give the best results on a given
crop The only absolutely reliable method of finding out what elements and in
what proportion they should be applied a given soil requires in order to produce
the largest and best results in a given crop is to apply to the soil in competitive
20
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
plots or test rows the several elements combined in different proportions some
times suppressing one altogether
In this way and in this way alone many a farmer will find how to fertilize his
land so as to get the best crops and the largest profits It is the plan that has
long been adopted by the experiment stations of this country and Europe and
already much has been learned in regard to the wants of particular crops and the
requirements of different soils Fortunately this method may be adopted by the
careful and intelligent farmer Why write to an agricultural journal a thousand
miles away to ask ifpotash is required by your soil Only a general answer can
be obtained in a majority of cases
The more obvious resort would be to ask the soil whether it needs the addition
of potash by applying potash in some form to one set of rows and withholding it
from another set alongside of the first the other conditions being as nearly as pos
sible the same The question may also be asked of a particular crop what it most
needs in fact the same experiment will often answer both questions If it be
found that any given element increases the yield of every one of several different
kinds of crops planted on it it may be safely concluded that the soil is essentially
deficient in that element
If it be found that nitrogen increases the yield of cotton but does not affect the
yield of corn then it is at once suggested either that the soil furnishes enough
nitrogen for the corn or that corn does not require so much as cotton The same
is true in regard to any and nil of the elements of plant food Indeed the same
principle of experimentation will apply to all the operations on a farm and have
long been applied to many of them All intelligent and progressive farming is
made up largely of experiments
THE HOG CROP
in Georgia this year will be larger than for many years and I regard this as one
of the strongest evidences of our returning prosperity If fields of peas ground
peas and potatoes have bean provided the porkers are in good condition and need
only a little corn to harden the flesh If the weather permit it is always better
to kill if possible before Christmas both on account of the expense of keeping
the hogs up and because the meat except in rarely exceptional cases has a better
chance of curing I have foundthe best plan to be to kill as early in the morning
as possible in order if there are a considerable number of hogs to get the meat
cut out spread and slightly salted by night After cleaning cut out while the
meat is still warm lay each piece to itself and sprinkle on salt leave until morn
ing when all animal heat will have disappeared then rub thoroughly with salt
and pack in boxes or barrels joints first sides last using plenty of salt cover and
leave until ready to be smoked The following is by all odds the best method in
the many I have seen tried for
CURING HAMS
Trim smoothly avoiding gashes in the flesh take off the feet at the bottom
joint below the knee and also the small bone that connects them treat with salt
the same as directed for the other meat After packing in the salt allow the hams
to stand for a day or two to draw out the blood To each one hundred pounds of
ham use eight or ten pounds of salt two ounces of saltpetre two pounds of brown
sugar one ounce of red pepper dissolved or several dozen broken pods willSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONDECEMBER
21
answer To these ingredients add four or five gallons of water mix thoroughly
and pour over the hams which must be previously packed in tight casks or barrels
allowing the brine just to cover the hams well and place a weight on top to keep
them under Before pouring iton to be sure that the brine is strong enough see
if it will float an eg if not add more salt Let the hams remain from four to
six weeks in this brine and then hang by the kin at the end of the leg and smoke
gently for several weeks with green hickory wood until dry and brown In March
before the flies start and choosing a windy day for the work take the hams down
and lest the fly may have deposited eggs scald each ham and place in the wind to
dry then wrap inpaper and if hay or straw is convenient as a more perfect
protection wrap this also around tieing into place Then put the hams into bags
pack down tie up and hang in that position until needed Since trying this recipe
I have never used any other and the bacon is fine enough to tempt an epicure
The chines and shoulders may be treated similarly if desired
I trust the day is not far distant when as of old the festive hog killing will
add its pleasure to the Christmas cheer of every farmhouse and the farmer with
his family and friends enjoy the toothsome sparerib and backbone Homeraised
bacon will then perform its rightful part in building up our fallen fortunes
Throughout the State may Christmas bring peace and happiness and may the first
of January dawn on a bright and hopeful New Year
R T Nesbitt
INQUIRIES ANSWERED
We have recently had a number of inquiries in regard to growing onions for
market The following from Mr W V Massey gives a condensed reply to these
inquiries
Formerly it was thought that in the South it was essential to success to treat
the onion as a biennial plant growing small bulbs or sets one season to be planted
for the matured crop the next This notion retarded the cultivation of onions on
a large scale since this expensive mode of culture could not compete with the
growing of the crop direct from the seed as was always practiced at the North
But of late years it has been demonstrated that it is as easy or easier to grow onions
from seed in the South than in the North The only cases in which it may be best
to use sets are when growers are interested in the early crop for shipping green in
bunches early in the spring For this purpose the sets are rather more certain for
fall planting as our autumn weather is apt to be dry and interfere with the proper
germination of seed But if the seed can be gotten up well in early October we
would prefer seed sown to planting of sets even for the early bunching crop For
the main crop of ripe onions seed are greatly to be preferred to sets as we pro
duce in this way a much more handsome bulb and a better keeper There are two
methods of growing the crop one by sowing the seed directly where the crop is to
be grown the other by sowing in a frame under glass and transplanting later to
the open ground Good crops can be grown by both methods but usually the
transplanting method will give larger onions but this will not be the case with
all varieties The transplanting method is particularly adapted to the Spanish
and Italian sorts When it is intended to transplant the onions we sow the seed22
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
in a cold frame in January By the middle of February these will be large enough
to transplant which is done quite rapidly by making very shallow furrows with a
marker on well prepared soil and placing the little plants all along on one side of
the furrow raking the soil from the opposite side on their roots and pressing it
with the foot It is important that they should be set quite shallow only barely
covering the white end of the nascent bulb When the seed are sown where the
crop is to be grown we defer until the ground can be put in good order in February
or March or in the mountain country in early April The value of the crop de
pends upon the rapidity with which it is grown Therefore we must not be at all
chary with fertilizers Mellow sandy loam of a level character is best and we
would use a complete fertilizer with not less than four per cent nitrogen at the
rate of 1500 to 2000 pounds per acre onehalf to be put in broadcast and one
half in furrows under the rows We would lay out the rows with a onehorse
turning plow as closely as can be worked by a mule In these furrows scatter the
remainder of the fertilizer and plow a furrow from each side over the first one
thus making a ridge or bed Flatten down the centre of the beds with a garden
drill When the crop is to be cultivated by hand we would sow all the fertilizer
broadcast mark out the rows with a garden marker about twelve to fifteen inches
apart and run the drill on those lines When labor is plentiful it will pay with this
heavy manuring to plant close and cultivate by hand Land for onions should
not be changed so often as for other crops better crops being secured after the
land has been in onions several years But there must be no letup in the heavy
manuring and it is a good plan to sow peas to die down on the land as soon as
the onions are pulled The Italian onions grow quickly and to a large size but
are nearly all of them poor keepers Therefore when the crop is to be kept for
winter use or late sales the northern sorts should be grown We have found the
best varieties of the Italian sorts to be the Queen Mammoth Pompeii and Giant
Bocca Of the Northern sorts the Southport White Globe and Yellow Globe
Denvers are best The Prize Taker onion is particularly adapted to the trans
planting method and makes the big yellow onions like the Spanish onions often
seen here in crates The White Southport Globe is our favorite for a keeping
onion To grow sets for fall planting select a piece of land of a sandy character
and of only medium fertility Do not sow the seed until late in April Then
sow in shallow furrows at the rate of twenty to twentyfive pounds of seed per
acre Sow in broad rather than harrow furrows making the row as broad as your
hand and the seed as thick as they can lie Keep clean with hoe rake
and fingers and when ripe take up in dry weather sifting the soil away but leav
ing the dead tops attached until planting time The White Pearl or the Queen
is the best for this crop The smaller the sets the higher prices they will bring
To keep onions pull them as soon as they are ripe Sun them for a day but
do not allow any rain to fall upon them Cure them in the hottest place you can
find under cover I usually spread mine in a loft under the roof After two weeks
they should be put in a cooler and dark place A dark room with slatted shelving
is the best so that they need not be piled deeply Keep the room as cool as pos
sible Even if they get frozen in winter it will do no harm provided they are
not handled while frozen But onions should only be kept here for the home
market since we can always realize better prices by anticipating the Northern
crop and selling in June and July Potato onions make no seed and of course
SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONDECEMBER
23
are always grown from sets planted in fall These come in as the earliest ripe
onions in the market and must be sold at once as they are bad keepers Tree
onions or top onions form a bunch of small bulbs on top of the stem by the
abortion of the flowers These bulblets separated make sets for planting They
make a rank strong onion not very saleable
FEEDING HORSES
The large number of work animals that die annually from the result of im
proper food or food improperly administered makes the study of proper methods
of the greatest importance to the painstaking farmer
The following from a bulletin of the Louisiana Experiment Station contains
interesting information and sound advice on this subject
The stomach of the horse is very small in comparison to the size of the animal
and the digestion very rapid and effective The horse having such a small stomach
requires to be fed frequently in order to supply the demands of the system not be
ing constructed for long fasting when the stomach is overdistended and its
powers overtaxed it is quite incapable of performing the functions of digestion
This theory accounts for the greater mortality amongst horses and mules from
flatulent colic and inflammation of the bowels than any other class of disease
The most important consideration then for ail owners of working stock is How
to feed them to the best advantage and to get them to perform the largest amount
of work at the least possible cost
It is difficult to say what is a fair days work for a horse or a mule it depends on
circumstances such as the distance to travel weight to draw condition of the roads
and the disposition of the driver It is of the utmost importance however that
the condition of working animals should be watched very closely for if they lose
condition they must be either overworked or underfed or have a bad horse
keeper They must have suitable work and suitable food to keep them in proper
condition which is only produced by hard work and high feeding which gives
tone and hardness to the muscles a state in which they are capable of performing
the greatest amount of work and possess the greatest power of endurance
If a horse is overworked or overfed or the feed is insufficient in muscle produc
ing matter loss of condition inevitably follows
There is no economy in overworking animals as they gradually lose tone and
strength the general condition is injured they become poor wear out very quickly
their value is considerably lessened disease is very prevalent amongst them and
the owners hand is constantly in his pocket buying fresh supplies In large es
tablishments it is true economy to keep a few animals extra in case of sickness or
lameness
Very frequently the loss of condition is the fault of the horsekeeper It is of
the highest importance that the services of a trustworthy intelligent man should
be procured who will efficiently carry out instructions and take an interest in the
appearance and welldoing of the animals under his care A bad horsekeeper
will upset the system of management and the whole of the arrangements in the
feeding
Regularity in feeding is very essential A horse should be fed at least three
times per day for the reason previously stated his digestive organs are not con
structed for long fasts I dont mean that he should be allowed that feed extra in24
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
amount of food than if he wore only fed twice or twothirds more than if he were
only fed once a day but that the necessary total amount for the day should be di
vided into at least three times
Many large establishments owning some thousands of horses divide their days
rations in four and all that the better It diminishes the interval of fasting the
animals never become ravenous but merely appetized they get a sufficiency all
of which in a very large percentage of cases is properly masticated digested and
assimilated and the waste reduced to a minimum
The question may naturally arise here How are we to feed our mules so often
in the course of the day during the busy season when they are in the harness from
morning till night Ill tell you how it is done in other places under similar con
ditions and it was the grave results and heavy losses from long fasting that im
pressed upon some one the necessity of instituting some plan to obviate it The
plan is the nose bag which can be made of some porous material with a strong
bottom in it and a strap from the upper border that can be hung over the animals
head The driver can take his mules feed in this and when he has an oppor
tunity such as taking his own lunch he can slip the feed bag on to his mules head
and allow him to eat if only a few mouthf uls it will satisfy the cravings of hunger
at all events to that extent
This large amount which is fed by many stock owners at night should be re
duced at least one half for two reasons It is excessive and as before stated the
time occupied in eating it must deprive the animals of so much time for well
earned rest which with a sufficiency of food they could enjoy but with engorged
stomachs of unmastioated food they cannot possibly be benefited to any appre
ciable extent by natures calm restorersleep to say nothing of the disease such
a system engenders These are no empty theories they are established facts
based upon actual experience which have been proven after close observation and
repeated experiments by most practical and capable men who have the interests
of the stock owning public at heart Endless experiences could be enumerated of
men who have the responsibility of large numbers of hard working animals and
whose positions so to speak depend upon the condition of their horses and the
condition of the feed bills
Suffice it to say however that the secret of success lies in the system of feeding
small quantities at a time and often of food containing the different elements nec
essary for the requirements of the animal economy
I do not propose to enter upon the subject of the composition of food here my
object being more especially to direct attention to systematic feeding how food
should be given rather than what should be given Most people know that all an
imals require for their nourishment food containing the proximate principles
nitogenous nonnitrogenous and mineral and it has been proven that the absence of
any one of them induces starvation and death What is necessary then in all
nutritive food is that it contains these three principles in proper proportion so
that all the tissuesof the animal body may be sufficently nourished
In all animals water is also necessary not only as a diluent but as forming a
component part of the blood and tissues
There are differences of opinion as to whether horses should be watered before
or after feeding One eminent veterinary authority recommends it before feeding
and gives his reasons thus The water passes directly through the stomach intoSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONDECEMBER 2
the intestines in a few minutes which he proved by giving colored water to a
horse a few minutes before slaughtering it when he found it in the intestines
and he argues if you give the water after feeding it does not leave the stomach
but dilutes the gastric juice and instead of the stomach performing its proper func
tions of digestion partial decomposition of the food takes place then follow the
consequences of indigestion
As a rule pure water may be allowed with benefit and advantage in such quan
tities as the animal seems to require provided he be not heated or exhausted by
work when it should bo judiciously supplied in moderate and repeated quantities
until his thirst is satisfied
It is sometimes difficult to arrive at what may be considered the best feed for
work stock Full rations of corn by itself is fattening for a time but too laxative
in its action and should be mixed with other food materials having the opposite
tendency to counteract it Now beans or peas are especially valuable as their
physiological action is opposite to that of corn Given alone beans and peas are
too heating and binding but when mixed they counteract the effect of each other
I have here noted down a scale of feed for work h6rses or mules weighing about
1000 pounds which can be increased proportionately containing all the require
ments necessary to form a good ration viz Shelled corn seven pounds oats
three pounds peas three pounds hay chopped thirteen pounds
The ingredients of this ration are mixed together making a total of twentysix
pounds and dividing into at least three feeds Of course the preparation of this
scale of feeding would necessitate the use of a little machinery in the form of a
hay chopper corn crusher etc and all this chopping and mixing may seem very
unnecessary and expensive but depend upon it on a large plantation or in fact
on any place where a number of work stock are to be fed the first cost would be
the greatest because I have no hesitancy in saying that what would be saved in
feed and the reduction of mortality amongst work animals would more than
doubly repay for any extra trouble and outlay
TO CURE HOGS
A hog must be slaughtered suddenly and with as little damage as possible to
such portions as are useful Bleeding being of special importance should be
thoroughly and well done have the water in the scalding vat nearly 118 degrees
Fahrenheit When the hair slips off quite easily it is an evidence that the parts
are well scalded Hairs should be removed entirely from head ears feet snout
etc Other parts are more easily cleaned than these Swing the carcass up re
moving the offal and washing within and without it is best to leave it hanging
all night if possible Afterward take off the head just behind the ears and at the
threejoints the feet Sever the ribs on either side of the backbone and take out
the last avoiding removing much fat with it Next split the carcass in halves
down the middle of the back and cut off the hams in oval shape and the shoulders
square do not remove much meat with them from the sides Trim the hams and
shoulders neatly putting the trimmings in the lard tub the tenderloin from the
sides should be placed with the sausage the solid fat with the lard stock This is
because the tenderloin and solid fat above it are not satisfactory for bacon Take
off the leaf fat and ribs smoothly and then prepare for salting Of good coarse
salt take six pounds sugar two pounds saltpetre one teaspoonful tor each one26
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
hundred pounds of meat Mix together these ingredients and proceed to rub
every piece well with the mixture Should the bladebone not have been taken
from the shoulder plunge a knife into the joint and All the cavity with salt Take
the chinebone from the hams cut down to the point and fill with salt the same
as shoulders Put the meat to stock with the skin side down sides first hams and
shoulders on top Be careful that every piece is separated from the other by salt
and all portions that are exposed are also covered with salt If the weather
should be warm and damp it might be necessary to spread the meat to cool over
night repacking early the succeeding morning in plenty of salt When the meat
has absorbed salt it should be well scalded for about three minutes owing to size
of piece more or less and then hung up to smoke The smokehouse must be very
dark and hard wood sawdust used to make the smoke After it is sufficiently
smoked rescald to destroy any insect eggs that may have been deposited and
when perfectly dry pack in boxes with sweet welldried and clean hay covering
with same material This method of curing meat has been pronounced an
effectual and excellent one with most satisfactory and permanent results
MANURE FOR THE ORCHARD
Is stable manure valuable to use on the orchard or would you advisethe use of
something else S B N Douglasville Ga
In first establishing a vineyard or orchard the use of stable manure may be
found beneficial to promote a sufficient growth of wood and vine but it is better
still to locate your orchard on land containing sufficient organic matter and nitro
gen to promote this growth without any additional application of nitrogenous
matter As a rule highly nitrogenous manures are injurious rather than benefi
cial to the orchard As stated in the last report from this department there is
nothing better for the orchard than wood ashes though it is well also to use fer
tilizer material that will supply phosphoric acid The best source for this supply
is pure rawbone which will give all the nitrogen required by the trees or vines
and in such form as will not form a small rank growth upon which the fruit will
poorly ripen and render the trees liable to suffer in winter
CABBAGE WORM
I have seen the essence of pennyroyal recommended as a remedy for cabbage
worms Can you give me the recipe H I L Canton Ga
The recipe is to mix one teaspoonful of the essence in a gallon of water and
spray the plants It is said to be an unfailing cure though nothing is said of it
as a remedy in the elaborate report of the government on this subject
wolfs teeth
Are blind teeth injurious to the eyes of colts and should they be removed and
how A N H
Diseases of the eyes are not infrequently attributed to the presence of these
teeth but this is an error
The socalled wolf tooth or blind tooth is the indimentary tooth located in front
of the molar teeth and on a line with them As a rule it is shed simultaneously
with the milk teeth but is sometimes retained longer When they are thus re
tained should they change from their usual straight position it would inconSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONDECEMBER 2
venience the animal and where the point of the tooth is sharp may cause sore
ness of the tongue or cheek In such aases we advise their removal though they
would by natural action become quite absorbed In removing them use a pair of
small forceps and do not punch them out with a chisel and hammer as it causes
the animal unnecessary pain and is apt to injure the gums and neighboring teeth
CUT BONE
Feeders of poultry and hogs are beginning to appreciate the value of cut raw
bones in feeding their stock In the cool weather of winter and spring this article
is of great value for feeding growing pigs and chickens and any farmer who is
feeding much of this kind of stock will do well to buy a bonecutter and attach it
to his windmill or other power if he has any
Cut bones are well worth what they cost for manure They contain nitrogen
and phosphoric acid and are more valuable by far than bone ash or the ground
steamed bones sold by dealers in fertilizers There is no reason why this material
should be gathered by the bone dealers and after steaming to extract the glue
ground and sold as fertilizer It can be bought at the meat markets for about
threefourths of a cent per pound and will pay well for cutting and feeding The
poultry and pigs will grind it for you and their manure will be enough richer to
repay the cost beside whatever profit there may be in feeding it It is not pleas
ant stuff to handle in warm weather unless cut and fed immediately
DEHORNING
I notice that a bulletin from the Experiment Station gives the methodof de
horning What do you consider the best recipe to prevent the horn from coming
in order to avoid dehorning later
J L H Walnut Grove
The following formula is said to be a good one and to have been used with great
success Take 50 parts of caustic soda 25 parts of kerosene and 25 parts of water
Heat the kerosene and soda together stirring vigorously and then add the water
Take the calf at from one to three weeks old trim away the hair around the base
of the horns then with a few drops of the mixture on the cork which should be
of rubber rub on the first one horn and then the other repeating until three or
four applications are made Be careful not to allow the fluid to run down upon
the face
VlSVLITY OF SEED
Pleae tell me how long you may keep different garden seed and they will come
H I S Oak Grove
If kept in a cold place and not exposed to either too dry or too damp an
atmosphere nearly all seed will germinate as freely the second as the first year the
exceptions being onions leeks and parsnips With other seed the limit to this
vitality varies Tery much with the different species
Those safe only for two years are peas and beans peppers okra sage rhubarb
carrot and eggplant
Those safe for three yearslittua asparagus radish parsley and spinach
Safe for four yearscabbage celery cauliflower and turnip
Those possessing the longest vitality and that will last from five to ten years are
melon pumpkin squash and tomato
28
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
FARM YARD MANURE
Can you give me an analysis of farm yard manure
J B T Jonesboro
No two samples of farm yard manure are exactly of the same composition the
manure value depending very much on the feed used For example where cotton
seed meal has been used the manure will run very high in nitrogen or ammonia
The following analysis by Dr Voelcker may be considered as representing a fair
average
Pounds
Soluble selicia selicic acid 24
Ammonia actual or potential 15 25
Phosphate of lime 13 710
Lime 23 710
Magnesia 3 110
Potash 13 12
Soda 1 25
Common salt 610
Sulphuric acid 2 13
Water1323 25
Wood fiber etc 579
TOBACCO STEMS
Will you please give me the analysis of tobacco stems and how to use them as
a manure H E I Savannah Ga
Tobacco stems will be found excellent as a fertilizer especially on soils deficient
in potash and under plants such as potatoes and other vegetables requiring an
abundance of potash An average analysis of the stems wotld run two per cent
nitrogen onehalf per cent phosphoric acid and six to seven per cent potash
As they can often be purchased very cheaply as a source of plant food they should
receive the consideration of every farmer and especially truckers near towns and
cities from which they can be secured They can be rendered more quickly avail
able and effective by composting them with fermenting horse manure
CRAB GRASS
Is crab grass an annual or perennial and at what time should it be sown
L M P Locust Grove
Crab gsass is an annual We have never known it sown as there is no need of
this On plowed land there is always enough seed in the land to produce a good
crop If the land is poor it should be manured Should a crop of weeds come up
give it a second or even a third plowing If the summer is wet a crop can be
secured after small grain
This grass is very nutritious and admits of several cuttings on good land
EXCESSIVE SWEATING OF HORSES
I have a horse that sweats very much under the least exertion Can you give
me a remedy M R V
Clipping has been recommended There is no drug that would be of any benefitSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONJANUARY
29
PIGS
What is the breeding age of pigs7
H 8S Mt Vernon
The breeding age is from seven to eight months in sows and from six to eight
in boars
The grub worm the larva of the common May beetle lives in the ground three
years feeding on the roots of grasses and of course those of cereal crops The
thirdyear they issue as perfect beetles and lay their eggs in meadows and also in
lands containing cereals Plowing the soil and turning in hogs is one remedy It
is said a thorough summer fallow will destroy them You can neither trap nor
poison them It is impossible to grow a crop of strawberries where these grubs
abound
WHAT COMMISSIONER NESBITT HAS TO SAY TO GEORGIA FARM
ERS FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 1894
PLAKS FOR THE COMING YEAR EXPERIMENTS IN FARMING RENOVATION AND RO
TATION SUCCESS IN COTTON PLANTING FERTILIZERS
ORCHARD AND GARDEN
Department of Agriculture
Atlanta January 1 1894
The year 1893 now numbered among the things of the past was ushered in
with many hopeful and encouraging signs Southern farmers had more home
raised supplies their indebtedness had been reduced cotton their main money
crop commanded a fairly good price average grain crops had been made
throughout the length and breadth of the land the farmers were at last aroused to
the importance of supplying humus to the worn fields acres upon acres of starved
land were absorbing the renovating crops more especially of peas often of clover
and grasses
Other hopeful factions were the reduction of the cotton acreage and the wide
spread sentiment in favor of home raised supplies of meat and bread Encouraged
and hopeful our people entered on the work before them believing that with
proper and well directed energy and economy success would crown their labors
But unpropitious seasons short crops the low price of cotton and other reasons
difficult of explanation here have precipitated a period of dispondency and dis
couragement from which we find it difficult to rise
Let us look these conditions squarely in the face Let us frankly admit any
errors we may have made and take steps to avoid such future mistakes Let us
also mark our successes and build upon them for future prosperity Every farm
is or should be
AN EXPERIMENT FARM
A knowledge of the results from the State Experiment Farm at Griffin is of
great value to the body of farmers But soils and conditions on different farms
30
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
and in different localities vary greatly and even on the same farm different fields
require different treatment
On all farms of waning fertilityand what Georgia farm is not more or less de
pletedit is important to know in what the deficiency consists and each farmer
should make as it were his own soil tests Study the requirements of each crop
and then carefully note the effect of each applied fertilizer It is true that in
commercial fertilizers there is what is termed the perfect fertilizer containing
all three elements of nitrogen acid and potash
But suppose we have discovered that there is enough of even one of these ele
ments in certain soil or that by certain process we can draw them to the surface
what is the use of paying a high price for material already within our reach Ex
perimental plats need not be troublesome or expensive and they may be made to
tell us more certainly than any general soil test no matter how scientifically made
of what plant element the land stands most in need
For instance one plant may be fertilized with nitrogen alone another with
phosphoric acid another with potash a fourth with nothing Then combine these
elements two of each then try all three
These experiments bear directly on the economical side of farming besides be
ing full of interest and pleasure To one who has been accustomed to look upon
the soil as simply inert matter they open the door for a fuller and broader view
and lead to a nTore careful study of and more extended interest in the beautiful yet
simple laws of nature To those who have never given this subject much thought
the statement that twelve inches below the surface of each average acre of land in
Georgia there lie at least two tons of phosphoric acid three times as much potash
and even more than that amount of lime is almost beyond belief and at once the
inquiry is suggested
Why buy these elements at all Why not plow deep bring them to the sur
face and add only nitrogen The reply is these elements are not in soluble form
the ordinary crops cannot appropriate them because plants do not eat they drink
Therefore knowing these two facts i e that the elements can be placed in reach
and yet the plants be unable to appropriate them it follows that our chief study
should be how to put these important elements in soluble form that they may
enter into the structure of our growing crops And here we have the broad
field of
RENOVATING CR0IS
opened for our inspection and thoughtful studj
Our ordinary crope of corn and cotton and small grain cannot appropriate these
locked up stores but luguminous plants can In this class are peas and clover
When the roots and stems of either of these are left to decay in the soil the lab
oratory of nature begins at once silently but surely to convert the stores of phos
phoric acid potash and nitrogen which have been gathered by these plants from
the earth and atmosphere into available plant food that is a large per centf
the original insoluble elements are put in soluble form and made fit for plant
food
FALL AND WINTER PLOWING
In former talks I have urged the importance of deep fall and winter plowing on
stubble land or on land where there was an accumulation of vegetable matter toSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONJANUARY
i
be turned under Recently there has come under my observation an illustration
so pertinent that I give it for the benefit of those who are still disposed to question
the wisdom of this plan In a certain locality in north Georgia and I may as
well mention situated in the heart of the drought stricken region a farmer began
last January to turn under a broomsedge field He was a new comer in that sec
tion and when his neighbors saw him burying deeply with a two horse plow the
heavy mat of sedge roots and tops they assured him that he was ruining his
land
But when they discovered that he intended to plant corn on the land thus pre
pared their incredulity reached its height and various were the prophecies of fail
ure In the spring the rains were heavy and long continued but in June the
drought began and for weeks not one drop of rain fell on the parching plants The
surrounding crops almost dried up but on this deeply plowed land the corn re
mained green and vigorous yielding thirty bushels to the acre whjle the average
yield on adjoining farms was scarcely more than eight bushels Bear in mind
that there was an ample supply of moisture absorbing vegetable matter which was
thoroughly buried and not left on the surface in tufts to dry out rapidly after
each rain
The weight of the deeply turned furrow held it firmly and evenly in place and
the vegetable matter absorbed and retained the moisture ready for future drafts
from the crop Of course he placed fertilizer in reach of the growing plants The
failure of such ventures is too often due to the fact thatthe turning is improperly
and hastily done or that the land is destitute of vegetable matter There could
not be equal benefit in thus turning under a perfectly clean field having only a
thin layer of top soil
In farming is essentially a month of preparation and planning The beginning of
the year finds more of other occupations resuming their regular duties and it is a
mistake for a farmer to allow one day to follow another and each to continue to
find his plans unsettled and immature He should decide clearly what he intends
to do realize the difficulties to be met and select the best means of overcoming
them Let him keep steadily in mind these facts that future success in cotton
planting depends on reducing the cost of production and on raising home supplies
The first requires sound judgment a knowledge of the laws of preparation and
cultivation and a study of the capacity of his land and the effect of fertilization
During the past year many a farmer cultivated land which under most favorable
conditions was incapable of returning the cost of preparation fertilization and
cultivation If the actual cost of production for an acre of cotton is less than the
yield of that acre onethird of a bale which is a full average for the State of Geor
gia it requires only a glance to see that the result is on the losing side for the
farmer
Fertilizers and labor are too costly to be expended on land which will produce
only a bale to three acres If the farmer is convinced of this let him resolve to
leave his poorest lands to the kindly offices of Mother Nature Give them an
absolute and entire rest and begin the renovation process on the more responsive
soils Concentrate on these labor and fertilizers and manures study plans ofI
32
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA

RENOVATION AND ROTATION
If necessary terrace the uplands and ditch the low wet spots An eminently
successful Georgia farmer advocates the following
Sow in small grain grasses and clover onefourth of all arable land on the farm
rest onefourth pasture onefourth and cultivate in summer crops onefourth
Alternate these annually
Another says
Let the oldest and poorest and most gullied lands lie out for the present until
we can get to them in regular order On the best acres plant corn oats and cot
ton follow the oats with peas and save the vines for hay follow the peas with
cotton using the most prolific varieties and fertilize liberally follow the cotton
with corn add more manure and then oats again Every year a little more of the
outlying or poorer lands may be taken into the system of renovation and improve
ment thus inaugurated Let these additions be sown in small grain and then peas
then cotton then corn as before
The question of suitable fertilizers should now be decided Numerous inquiries
have been received at this department and there seems some dissatisfaction and
some complaint as to the grade of goods sold in this State
THE PRESENT STANDARD
of 10 per cent of available material was settled upon after careful study and ma
ture deliberation as the proportion best suited to the generality of our lands It is
an axiom in agriculture that the richer the land the more fertilizer it will bear
On our worn fields exhausted of humus it is a hazardous undertaking to apply
large quantities of highly concentrated fertilizers
But this is a point eachperson must decide for himself keeping in view the
fact stated above If he wishes the essential elements of potash phosphoric acid
and nitrogen combined in different proportionshe can have it done at the factory
Or better still a number of farmers can combine purchase a car load of material
and themselves mix in the proportions which after careful study they decide that
their lands most need These ingredients are guaranteed and the farmer with his
scales and rich scrapings from lot and fence corners can save the cost of both
freight and manipulation and then knows exactly what he is using
OATS
In the more southern portion of Georgia it is well to sow oats in January I
have een very fine crops raised from such sowings In view of the fact that a
large portion of the corn crop was cut off by drought it would be advisable where
practicable to sow largely of small grain and later of millet and such other food
crops as will supplement this deficiency
A GOOD GARDEN
I an important auxiliarv in the economical management of the farm Those who
would enjoy its benefits during the coming year must begin to prepare for it now
If the manure has not already been distributed and plowed under no time is to
be lost in doing this remembering that a garden can scarcely be too rich If
the manure is coarse cover deeply if well decomposed shallow covering is best
High culture is the only system to be pursued in the culture of vegetables GoodSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONJANUARY
33
seed deep and thorough breaking plenty of manure and rapid cultivation are
essentials The plots for Irish potatoes buds early corn and cabbage should be
put in condition for planting so that when the proper time in February arrives
there will be no delay
PRUNING
of trees and vines and shrubs if not already accomplished should be finished this
month Cut out all dead wood take out unnecessary stems and shorten branches
that are too long Dont prune too severely as this will diminish the yield of fruit
but cut with judgment and care
FRUIT TREES
should have suitable quantities of potash supplied to the soil in which they grow
if not already there A good plan with young trees is to draw the soil away from
the upper roots until they are nearh exposed scraping away any borers that may
be found This however should be done in November In January bank fresh
wood ashes around the stems and later draw the soil back to the tree Pn supply
ing potash spread around the tree for some distance the rains will carry it to the
roots
INQUIRIES ANSWERED
TEOSINTE
Can you give me any information in regard to teosinte as a forage plant
J L Z Conyers Ga
Teosinte is a tropical plant closely resembling corn It suckers or tillers to a
remarkable degree and is a rapidly growing plant with fifty suckers sometimes
springing from a single plant and in warm climates attaining a height of from
ten to fifteen feet In this country except in the extreme southern portion the
seasons are not long or hot enough to permit it to seed While not seeding in
Georgia it will do well as a forage plant It stands drought well much better than
corn and the yield is enormous in this State about nineteen tons to the acre
stock like it and there is little waste as the stalks are very tender
It will require one pound of seed to plant an acre and it should be planted in
rows three feet apart and thin seed until the plants are about a foot apart
It is said to have been introduced in this country from South America where it
is perennial but in this country while permitting more than one cutting it must
be treated as an annual
How much does manure lose by being exposed H T L Barnesville
We have endeavored a number of times to call the attention of our farmers to
the great loss they suffer from not taking proper care of their barnyard manure
Your question brings this loss pointedly to mind Experiments on a large scale
demonstrated that under ordinary conditions of piling and exposure during the
course of the summer manure loses of its fertilizing constituents about fifty per
cent of its original value
4 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
A comparative test of the value of leached and unleached manure conducted at
the Ohio experiment on corn and wheat and mixtures of clover and timothy
showed a very wide difference and indicated that the margin of profit on open
yard manure is extremely small In experiments at the New York station it was
demonstrated that cow manure exposed to the weather lost siztyfiveper cent of
its weight There was a loss in percentages of each fertilizing constituent ex
cept phosphoric acid amounting in the aggregate to 250 per cord
A large number of other experiments might he mentioned showing the great
loss incurred by improper exposure
It has been well said that the true foundation of all successful agriculture is un
doubtedly the manure pile and when assisted by clover and commercial fertilizers
roses can be made to bloom in the place of thorns hay can be made to grow in
stead of briars and thistles grain instead of weeds and wealth instead of
Lefus resolve at the beginning of the year more to husband our resources and
by the use of cowpens manure and a proper appreciation of commercial fertilizers
bring our lands to a higher state of cultivation
RAWBOSE AND STEAMED BONE
We have previously been called upon to give the difference in the value to the
farmer of pure rawbone and steamed bone
The Southern Planter thus answers a similar question
This inquiry from a subscriber is a very pertinent one at this season of the
year when farmers are ordering their fertilizers for the wheat crop which usually
largely consist of bone or acid phosphate If our subscribers will refer to the
January 1893 number of The Planter they will there find an article from Dr
DeChalmot the assistant chemist of the department of agriculture fully explain
ing the different kinds of bone meal fertilizers and their component parts which
will supply a complete answer to this inquiry For the benefxt of those
present readers who may not have the January number we would say that there
is practically no difference in the percentage of phosphoric acid m raw and
steamed bone meal
The steam bones however have lost the larger proportion of their nitrogen
This loss however is attended with a gain in the availability of the phosphoric
acid and as the phorphoric acid is the principal object for which bones arc applied
the steamed ones are more valuable for this purpose than the raw ones The loss
of he small percentage of nitrogen is more than counterbalanced by the gain m
availability of the phosphoric acid at least we think this to be so when used tor
a fall dressing for wheat
FERTILIZERS REMOVED BY CROPS
I note in your reports where you give the amount of the elements of plant food
removed by several crops In order to practically apply your answer 1 would be
glad if you would give in dollars and cents the amount removed by
other crop
tn a report of the Pennsylvania State Experiment Station the amount of fertil
izing materials carried away by ordinary farm products is given in tabulated
form And from these tables the answer to your question is thus given
We learn from the above table that the farmer who sells a ton of hay for
SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONJANUARY
35
example soils in this ton of hay fertilizing ingredients which if purchased m
the form of commercial fertilizers would cost him about 510 that is if he sells
2000 pounds of wheat he sells an amount of nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash
which it would cost him 775 to replace in his soil in the form of commercial fer
tilizers Or looking at it from a somewhat different standpoint a farmer who
sells for example 10 worth of wheat sells with it about 8258 worth of fertility of
his soil In other words when he receives his 10 this amount does not represent
the net receiptsof the transactionfor he has parted with 258 worth of his capital
that is of the stored up fertility of his soiland if he does not take this into the
account he makes the same mistake a merchant would should he estimate his
profits by the amount of cash which he receives and neglects to take account of
stock
The doctrine of compensating and restoring to our soil what has been removed
is here strikingly illustrated The farmer like the merchant cannot encroach on
his capital each year and expect the same profit from the next years labors His
soil stored with the elements of plant food constitute his wealth and if he succeeds
he must see that his soil is not depleted of these elements
SOI 1 ANALYSIS
In view of the many questions relative to the value of soil analysis in addition
to what we have said on this subject we quote the following from G E Morrow
of the Illinois Experiment Station
An examination of a soil by a chemist will show with great exactness of what
it is composed and the relative proportions of the elements It may show that
there is evidently a too small supply of some essential ingredient or it may show
that some substance or some combination present which will be injurious to plants
In these ways such an examination may give most valuable suggestions as to
manuring the soil or other methods of improving its fertility A chemical analy
sis however will not show with certainty whether the substances of which the
soil is composed are in condition to be available as plant food Often it gives very
little help to an understanding of whether or not the soil is in good physical con
dition The chemist is able to state not only the actual and relative quantity
of each element found in the soil but also the percentage of this which is soluble
in water and soluble in acids This information helps greatly in estimating the
quality of each which is probably in suitable condition to be taken up and used
by plants
After thirtyfive years study of this question on a great variety of soils Pro
fessor Hilliard Oak K 1889 p 163 concludes that in no case has any natural
virgin soil showing high plant food percentages been found otherwise thanhighly
productive under favorable physical conditions but the reverse is not
true viz that low plant food percentages necessarily indicate low productiveness
Improved physical conditions in the latter case may more than make up for the
deficiency of plant food It is then absolutely indispensable that both the physi
cal character as to penetrability absorptive power etc of a soil should be known
as well as its depth above bedrock hardpan or water before a judgment of its
quality productiveness and durability can be found from its chemical composi
tion One kind of examination is the necessary complement of the other
The processes by which soils are formed and plant food rendered available are36
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
constantly going on in the soil so that both the chemical and physical conditions
of soils are constantly changing and frequent examinations are necessary if we
are to be accurately informed as to the chemical and physical properties of any
soil at any given time
In actual chemical analysis only the fine earth never larger than one mm in
diameter preferably onehalf mm according to Hilgard is examined it being
assumed that this fine earth contains all the plant food readily or immediately
available to plants
This fine earth is submitted to digestion with acids which separate it into two
partsan insoluble residue which affords an approximate measure of the sandiness
of the soil and a soluble portion which is further examined
THE GARDEN
The Secretary of the North Carolina State Horticultural Society gives the fol
lowing calendar for January work in the garden
Clean up the garden prune all woody plants burn all prunings and trash
repair fences and tools provide poles and brush for running plants overhaul hot
bed and coldframe send for the seedmens catalogues but beware of their
novelties procure the latest bulletins of the State Experiment Station relating
to horticulture noxious insects fungi and weeds order your seeds and test them
get your seeds directly from a reliable seedsman and not at the nearest grocery or
drugstore consider well what particular varieties seem best suited for your par
ticular purpose and order these
In the southern portion of Georgia work can progress much more rapidly than
is here indicated For economy on the farm if not for profit there is nothing
better than a good garden supplying as it does an abundance of healthful food
ALFALFA
What is the proper time to sow alfalfa What character of soil does it require
Does it make as good hay for horses as for cattle G T W Whitfield
Alfalfa or lucern should be sown in the spring It requires a deep rich soil
which should be naturally well drained It cut at the right time and well cured
it will make good food for horses but is not so satisfactory as well cured clover
THOMAS SLAG
What is Thomas Slag and what is your opinion of it as a fertilizer
H I L Blakely
Thomas Slag is a biproduct of the Bessemer steel process It contains from ten
to fourteen per cent of phosphoric acid but is so affected by the iron with which
it is combined as not to be readily available At the Georgia station it is reported
next in effectiveness to acid phosphate
CATTLE BREEDING AND FEEDING
The Southern Planter gives some interesting information on this subject which
will be read and appreciated by farmers
For several years past there has been going on a gradual but nevertheless cer
tain and sure diminution in the number of range cattle and an absorption of the
ranges into enclosed farms As this has progressed the value of the beef hasSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONJANUARY
37
risen until now it stands on the average more than one dollar a hundred higher
than a year ago and nearly two dollars per hundred higher than two years ago
and yet at this advance there is no oversupply of the best animals We see no
reason to suppose that this oversupply is likely to be forthcoming for sometime
on account of the fact that for many years past owing to low prices and the com
petition of range stock the farmers throughout the country have neglected to keep
up the quality of their herds by breeding to purebred bulls
In addition to this local scarcity there is now superadded the certainty that
there will be a large export demand for Europe Owing to the failure of the hay
and fodder crops on that continent thousands of cattle and even horses are being
slaughtered to save them from starvation In England halffed beasts are being
rushed into the market and sold for what they will fetch With such a prospect
why should not our Southern farmers give attention to this business of breeding
and feeding We have the grain the cotton seed and the fodder to bring up and
feed the stock and it is certain that these can be fed to pay a better price than to
sell them on the market Besides allthese advantages we are close to the great
markets of the East and the North and near to the points of export Another
advantage to be gained and that not the least is the improvement to be made on
our farms by the manure which is made by feeding stock Thousands of dollars
now spent in buying fertilizers can be saved and yet the fertility of the farms be
not only conserved but increased Recently a farmer from Piedmont Va came
into this city on his way home from Philadelphia
He called to pay for some farm supplies and pulled out a pocketbook wadded
to repletion with currency containing many hundred dollars The merchant had
the curiosity to ask him how he came to be carrying about so much money He
replied I am just on my way home from Philadelphia where 1 have been to sell
the cattle I fed last winter and spring and this money is the proceeds of my sales
In addition to this he said I have sold a heavy crop of lambs this spring at
four dollars and a half per head in the field and have a rich farm upon which I
have just harvested the largest wheat crop I ever grew and I have not paid and
do not owe a dollar for fertilizers I make mine at home by my cattle and other
stock Now why cannot this be the position of more of our farmers It can
and we urge that it shall be
BERMUDA AND WIREGRASS
There is a radient difference between Burmuda and wire grass which Southern
Cultivator thus explains Bermuda is a low creeping grass rooting at the joints
ofthegeiws cvnodon Wiregrass belongs to the genus aristeda of which there
are nine varieties It is a dry harsh perennial grass with narrow leaves
FROM THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS
In an experiment continued through three seasons at the Utah station a com
parison is made of deep and shallow tillage and no tillage for potatoes The
average of duplicate plats for three years gives the yield of large and small potatoes
on shallow tilled plats as 20638 bushels per acre on the deeper tilled plats 20587
bushels and on the untilled plats 1867 bushels
J W Sanborn director of the Utah station reports that two years experi
ments in sowing oats at different dates showed a marked advantage in early sow38
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
W H Caldwell of the Pennsylvania station recommends as of most promise
the following potatoes Freeman Green Mountain Burpee Superior Ben Harri
son and Monroe County Seedling
L E Jones of the Vermont station advises the hot water method of treating
oats seed not only for the immediate benefit but for the eradication of smut from
future crops
Experiments bearing on the two methods of tilling and check rowing corn were
made in 189192 at the Utah station Corn checked tilled both ways and not
hilled yielded 3964 bushefc per acre checked and hilled both ways 36 bushels
checked then tilled and hilled one way 4284 and 435 bushels drilled and tilled
one way 435
COMMISSIONERS TALK FOR FEBRUARY
experiments in farming renovation and rotation success ix cotton
planting fertilizers orchard and garden
Department of Agriculture
Atlanta Ga February 1 1894
In January the careful farmer has carefully mapped out his plans for the
ensuing year and having begun promptly to execute them the present
month should find him well advanced in his preparations for planting The
exceptionally dry fall and early part of the winter have been favorable to the
deep plowing so important at this season Where the stubble from peas
roots and stems grass sod clover or the natural growth on the land has
been turned under a supply of available plant food is now by natural pro
cesses being manufactured for the coming years crops more or less valuable
as the growth turned under is rick in the necessary elements and easy of de
composition
Let it be borne in mind that the peas and clover are the only agents among
those mentioned which have the power of appropriating and depositing the
free nitrogen of the atmosphere which fact should be remembered in select
ing supplementary fertilizers for each crop
the needs oe each crop
should also bear an important place in our calculations We know that cer
tain plants do well on certain kinds of soil and that on special artificial foods
they also thrive and that on others they do not reach the full measures of
their powers of growth or yield The soil if deficient must therefore be
prepared for their growth by supplying what is lacking We also know that
judicious and abundant manuring will enable the soil to grow almost any
crop and that this soil will in succession yield fuller crops if these crops
be so varied as to extract from the soil one after another the several different
elements it is known to contain
THE LAND GROWS SICK
of one crop but in the hands of the skillful farmer it can be made to yield
successive crops and at the same time its deficiencies be so supplied that it
will be kept up to a high degree of productiveness In establishingSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONFEBRUARY
39
AX ARTIFICIAL ROTATION
of crops we but follow the precedent which nature has set for us How often
do we notice that where an oak forest once stood the pine saplings take its
place All over Georgia the pine thickets attest the localities where ma
jestic oaks once reared their heads By following these signs which nature
sets up for us we may in
MANURING FOR SPBCIAI CROPS
attain a certain degree of success without the aid of science but if we would
learn the shortest most simple most economical and at the same time the
most perfect processes we must accept the help which scientific principles
offer us With this end in view we should lose no opportunity of studying
the agricultural laws of cause and effect and of making practical application
of the knowledge thus gained The experiments at the various experiment
stations bear directly on these problems and are of inestimable value to the
thinking farmer They throw light on questions as to feeding fertilization
composting rotation renovation which he being often hampered by unfavor
able surroundings has not the time or the means to investigate for himself
For instance careful experiment has demonstrated that in six months horse
manure thrown into a loose pile and exposed to the weather will lose one
half of its fertilizing qualities Cow manure thus exposed lost twothirds
mixed with other ingredients of which muck was the leading constituent
the loss was not quite onethird I refer to these facts again because the
present imperative need on most farms is more care in gathering and con
serving these precious elements of fertility which through carelessness and
improper methods are allowed to waste
Experiment has also shown that the value of barnyard manure depends
not so much upon its actual elements of plant food these having been shown
by analysis to be comparatively small as upon its effect upon the physical
condition of the soil It improves the mechanical condition of soils both
light and heavy and induces fermentative changes by which latent plant food
is utilized It also draws the water in the soil towards the surface thus ad
ding to the supply both of water and food to the growing plants
At the New Hampshire station the following experiment was tried Three
acres were set aside On one the lot manure was spread and plowed under
in the fall On another it was spread in the fall and allowed to he on the
surface undisturbed On the third it was spread in the spring In summing
up results it was found that the largest yield was from the acre on which the
manure was allowed to remain on the surface during the winter Again
some interesting experiments at our Georgia Experiment Station go to prove
that the time and the labor expended in mixing and fermenting cotton seed
and other materials before applying to the soil could be better employed as
this plan causes no increase in yield over that in which cotton seed and other
materials were applied to the soil separately
But conditions vary and while these experiments are valuable in a general
sense their promulgation should not prevent individual experiment if pos
sible Neither are these experiment stations to be considered ironbound40
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
rules but as furnishing data as it were by and from which each man can
work out his own conclusions
As evidence of what pluck and energy combined with careful observation
and experimentation can accomplish the success of Mr George W Truitt
of LaGrange furnishes an illustrious example He has been phenomenally
and preeminently successful He says I have raised one hundred bushels
of oats on one acre one hundred and twentyeight bushels of corn on one
acre four bales of cotton 450 pounds each on one acre In regard to his
methods he says There are many who believe that in clay there is no fer
tility I would ask them why such luxuriant vegetation on railroad em
bankments from dirt originally twenty feet under the surface My convic
tion is lucerne rooted that just as deep as deep as you turn your land just
that deep will your land grow rich
Surely if one man can by industry and system bring up one rundown
Georgia farm to this high degree of productiveness others seeing his suc
cess can grasp the same means and push forward to independence
One advantage the farmer has the present season of which he has been
deprived for several years is more easily obtained and more steadily settled
labor This is one result of the general hard times high meat and low cot
ton Where indifference as to hiring once reigned we now find anxiety even
eagernefes for employment This is no small advantage for with our class
of field laborers it is not an unusual occurrence for the Christmas jollifications
to extend far into January and to obtain regular or steady work becomes a
difficult undertaking until the last of the month or the first of February I
believe it is my first experience since the war in which the plows were all
ready man mule and implements for a start the first day of January Since
that time we have had much bad weather often
TOO WET TO PLOW
Plowing when the land is too wet is a mistake to be carefnlly guarded
against One error in judgment here will cause trouble through the entire
crop season A rule familiar to most experienced farmers is not to plow land
when a handful of the soil pressed together remains a compact mass AVhen
too wetfor the plow to be at work there is always something to be done in the
way of repairsfences ditches terraces fence corners and spots overgrown
with briars and bushes all to be put in order compost to be hauled and
spread and when the rains are too heavy for outdoor work tools to be over
hauled and put in working order plows made ready in order that no time
may be lost when the sun is shining and work in preparation or cultivation is
pressing In this matter of farm implements farmers should be on the alert
and as far as able invest in well tested and improved plows harrows and
necessary farm machinery In the one item of feeding a good feed cutter
will more than pay for its price in one season and by its use much valuable
material which is otherwise wasted can be utilized for food and consequently
for manure A reliable cutaway harrow besides putting the land in better
order for the plow is the agent by which every particle of vegetable matter
left in the soil can be made to do duty in producing another crop It is these
lessons of economy in small things in learning to judiciously invest in orderSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONFEBRUARY
41
to reap larger profits that we all need to study On the subject of economy
our farmers could learn a most valuable lesson from our fertilizer industries
On almost all ordinary farms the most valuable manurial elements are allowed
to waste Much that could be saved and applied with profit becomes valueless
from neglect On the other hand the fertilizer factory gathers refuse appa
rently worthless material and converts it into valuable manurial agents
OATS AND GBASS AND CLOVER
Now is the time for sowing the spring oats better than in January as there
is less risk of killing The land should be well prepared and liberally ma
nured Sow an early variety of seed and dont stint the quantity Remem
ber that the spring crop has only a short time to mature and should be given
every opportunity in preparation manuring in quality and quantity of seed
to produce a heavy crop
Grass seed and clover also should be sown now Orchard tall oat rescue
red top and Bermuda all suit our climate and soil Plow and harrow then
sow the seed and roll Do not plow or harrow after the seed are sown sim
ply pass a heavy roller over the surface It is best to prepare the land for
this purpese but if preferred the seed can be sown on growing grain crops
If the latter plan is chosen run a light harrow over the grain sow the clover
or grass seed and roll Where the seed is sown with a gram crop the better
plan however is to sow in the fall after the oats or wheat is put in sow the
grass seed on the freshly harrowed surface By this plan with favorable
seasons the oat crop and two heavy cuttings of native grasses have been
taken from the land during the summer or fall before leaving it in the per
manent possession of the sown grass
IN THE GARDEN
Seeds of nearly every plant grown in our climate may be sown this month
either in the open ground or in cold frames but it is not desirable that the
more tender varieties should be sown unless one has well constructed cold
frames or other ample means of protection in case of sudden cold In the
latitude of Middle Georgia Irish potatoes beets cabbage lettuce carrots
leeks onions English peas turnips spinach salsify and corn can all be
planted In selecting your seed potatoes get the very best and use only
those which you have found adapted toour soil If your own seed from the fa 1
crop do well use them of course otherwise the Eastern seed are the best
In closing I wish to mention that among the hundreds of letters received at
the department the most cheerful and hopeful are those written by farmers who
raise their own supplies and diversify their crops The tone of these letters
is in marked contrast to others breathing dissatisfaction and distrust because
of the high price of provisions and the general unprofitableness of farming
In both I find strong proof of my oftrepeated assertion that the bedrock of
successful farming is raising home supplies and rotating and therefore diver
R T Nesbitt
sifymg crops
The French farmer has learned that raising sugar beets increases the yield
of the land The process is an indirect one The refuse from the beet roots
enables him to keep more stock and their manure improves the soil42
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
OTHER INQUIRIES
WHICH ARE ANSWERED BY SOME OF OUR EXCHANGES
The following inquiries and answers are taken from the Southern Cultivator
and Dixie Farmer
GROUNDPEAS
I have a barrel of groundpeas left over from last years seed Would they
do well for planting this year Will be thankful for an answer as soon as
possible
It is not likely that the peas are suitable for planting this year They
easily become rancid which condition can only be detected by inspection
If not rancid they will answer
GRASSES
1 Please tell me all about burr clover when and how to plant it I want
it for grazing My soil is shallow with stiff clay subsoil
2 What grasses would you sow for a general pasture How would the
clover do to mix with some of the grasses in Panola county
1 Burr clover medicago denticulatamedicago maculata is a native of
the Mediterranean region which has been naturalized in most warm climates
It is widely distributed in California where it is considered of great value It
was first introduced into the Southern States by the late Bishop George F
Pierce in 1867 and planted at his home in Hancock county Georgia In
Mississippi it has been grown by Mr Edwin 0 Reed of Meridian who
states that it is all that could be desired as a winter and spring pasture
With stock it is an acquired taste and they will not eat it wThen more
palatable plants are offered It is a good renovator and while an annual
reseeds itself if not pastured too late and too close The burrs make it very
objectionable as a pasture for sheep To sow prepare as for common clover
and sow twenty pounds of clover seed to the acre earl in the autumn
2 It will be difficult to get a pasture that will answer for both winter and
summer For summer pasture Bermuda and crab grass are the best Red
clover is valuable in early spring and autumn On northern hillsides herds
grass will give a fine summer pasture White clover is exceedingly valuable
for certain kinds of stock but like red clever after the maturity of the seed it
salivates horses
For winter pasture meadow oat grass orchard blue and fennel grass or
wild rye and rye and white clover One bushel of orchard meadow oat and
wild rye each four quarts of blue grass red and white clover This is the
compound given by Howard in his Manual of Grasses Meadow oat and
orchard thus will do well if latitude of Panola county is high enough but
we are not familiar enough with the soil to say whether clover will do well
or not
IMPROVING LAND
Please let me know how cornstalks compare with pine straw for a stable
also which will be the better fertilizer I can fill my stable with cornstalks
about as quickly as straw and it makes a good bed after a few days I am
after something to improve the landSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONFEBRUARY
43
The value of either pine straw or cornstalks as a fertilizer is more in better
ing the mechanical condition of the soil by the organic matter supplied than
as a direct source of the elements of plant food Where used in the stable
the readiness with which they absorb the liquid manure must be considered
AVhile not making so good a bed the stalks decompose more rapidly and
therefore produce a better mechanical effect and we regard them as a better
absorbent and for this reason would improve your land more rapidly
HOW TO COMPOST
Kindly answer the following in your next issue
1 Dont you think the following formula a good fertilizer for cotton when
composed in the order named 900 pounds of stable manure or 900 pounds
of swamp litter 200 pounds acid phosphate 100 pounds kainit 900 pounds
green cotton seed 200 pounds acid phosphate 100 pounds kainit
2 Dont you think there is too much potash and not enough nitrogen How
may I lessen amount of potash and increase nitrogen
3 Is 500 pounds to the acre on poor land the first year a sufficient amount
4 Can you give me the chemical elements in well rotted swamp litter
1 If we are to understand that the applications of material are to be made
in bulk in the order named we do not consider it a proper method of com
posting In making a compost the material should be distributed in layers
through the pile As a compost your manure on this formula does not con
tain a sufficient amount of phosphoric acid and the amount of this element
should be increased by an additional amount of acid phosphate For ordi
nary worn land we do not consider that the formula gives an extra amount of
potash The amount of nitrogen if you wish to increase it is added by
putting in more cotton seed or cotton seed meal
2 To reduce the potash use less kainit
3 We consider 500 pounds a sufficient quantity on poor land much more
fertilizer can be successfully used on poor land than on rich land
4 Swamp litter contains phosphoric acid nitrogen and potash in small per
centages with a large per cent of organic matter All analyses vary very
greatly
The French wine crop the past year was better than it has been in many
years The yield the present year is estimated at 1225000000 gallons
against 650000000 last year44
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES BY THE GEORGIA DEPART
MENT OF AGRICULTURE
RELATING TO THE FARM GARDEN DAIRY STOCK RAISING Etc
HARVESTING PEAS
While I know that this is hardly a proper time for the question still I de
sire to know what you regard as the proper time to harvest peas and whether
any analysis of their food value at different times of growth has ever heen
made P C Lee County
We have previously stated in these reports that as soon as the peas came
to maturity was the proper time This is when the harvesting includes vines
leaves and pods Analysis of the whippoorwill cow pea at five different
stages of growth verifies the correctness As illustrative of practical and
scientific study it will be noted that our farmers have almost been universally
correct in their idea as to the proper time to harvest
What is a good fertilizer for peas AV A D
The pea is a legume and therefore does not require a nitrogenous fertil
izer The mineral elements of plant food should be supplied These consist
of phosphoric acid and potash all other mineral elements being found in suf
ficient quantities in ordinary soil On most soils acid phosphate should be
dominant only a small quantity of kainit being required
BED TOP
What kind of soil is required for red top Will it grow on land too wet for
corn When is the proper time to sow T A B Bartow County
Red top is especially adapted to low bottoms and will thrive where the
land is much too wet for corn In seeding use two bushels to the acre It is
not too late for you to sow now for spring mowing that is you can sow in
February or March When sown in the fall September or October are the
proper months
GRAFTING
How would crab apple roots do for grafting apples and pears Would
quinces grow and do well on them H I L Hancock County
If the crab apples have sufficient suitable roots they could be used We
would advise you too btain seedlings for grafting as they are of more value
and answer the purpose much better A quince and apple graft will unite
but it is not permanent as when growth progresses it will come apart
SWEET POTATOES
Please furnish me with a formula for a sweet potato fertilizer
P A J Burke County
The following would make a good fertilizer for sweet potatoes 200
pounds of acid phosphate 200 pounds of cottonseed meal and 50 ofSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONFEBRUARY
45
muriate of potash with the usual percentages which these ingredients run
This would give you a fertilizer running 4 per cent ammonia 7 per cent
phosphoric acid and 10 per cent potash Like the Irish potato the sweet
tpotato requires a great deal of potash
LITURGUS SYLVESTRIS
Can you tell me anything in regard to liturgus sylvestris
J C M Hampton
Sylvestris is a perennial forage plant the value of which was first ascer
tained in Germany It is a legume that sends its roots deep down into the
earth and it is said will enrich land more than any other crop It has great
ability to withstand severe drouths The growth is slow for the first two
years but afterward it has produced as high as eight tons of good hay to the
acre in a single season If it is all that is claimed for it it will be found of
the greatest value in reclaiming worn lands in the South and at the same
time providing permanent meadow and pasture
HOLLOWHEARTED POTATOES
What is the cause of hollowhearted potatoes A S Y Talbotton Ga
The cause of hollowhearted potatoes is rich moist ground When soil of
rthis character is dry early in the season the later abundant rains cause it to
produce a very rapid growth of the potato resulting in its being hollow

What do you regard as the best time to sow spring oats
B C L Baldwin County
The spring oat crop is very uncertain and fall is by far the best time to sow
jin the South We regard the middle of February as the best time to sow
spring oats
FORAGE PLANTS
Which will generally yield the most forage per acre millo maize or kaffir
corn H M T Madison County
While we have made no accurate experiments on this subject yet the ex
perience of others is that millo maize will make about double the quantity of
kaffir corn At the State Experiment Station the Yield of millo maize of dry
hay was 14092 pounds that of kaffir corn 6864 These figures may be re
garded as large and above an average yield per acre
PRUNING PEACH TREES
In my peach orchard I have frequently suffered great loss by overbearing
and would be glad if you would suggest a remedy If I can prevent this by
proper pruning please give me the best method
L J T Spalding County
To prevent overbearing by pruning peach trees the cardinal principle to be
rememtjered is that the tree bears its fruit on the wood of the preceding
summers growth In addition a compact round head is desired as giving
symmetry to the tree strength for the future and therefore more fruitbearing46
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
capacity without danger To secure this result the young wood should be
evenly distributed for if the ends of the branches contain all the bearing
wood the weight of the fruit has a great leverage and either breaks the tree
down or necessitates the propping up of the limbs Every winter onethird
to onehalf of the young growth on the long and stronger branches should be
removed and the shoots through the tree thinned so as not to interfere with
each other If this method is pursued in there is little danger of the trees
breaking with an overload of fruit
ROTATION OF CROPS
The value of the rotation of crops I fully recognize but would like to know
the general rules or principle upon which rotation rests
H A P Sumter County
Nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash are the important elements of plant
food They are all taken from the soil in varied quantities and proportions
One crop will demand large quantities of nitrogen of another phosphoric
acid is the dominant while a third demands more potash Again there are
crops such as the legumin which restore nitrogen while supplying the soil
with organic matter so necessary to a high state of fertility and fertilization
While the general rule is applicable that crops demanding the same plant
food should not follow still other considerations enter into the rotation
We find for example that parasites living on certain plants will be in
creased by a rotation of these crops necessitating a change to such a crop as
upon which they will not feed Again the consideration of a clean culture
crop as preventing the land from becoming foul with grass seed and render
ing proper cultivation more difficult must be borne in mind The method by
which the roots feed also has an important bearing upon all questions of ro
tation
From the varied matters presenting themselves it is easily tfeen that even
general principles may be varied such as while one crop may consume the
same elements in about the same proportion it may be in much less quantity
and by roots of so different a character as to render the rotation eminently
proper A single system of rotation is not adapted to or the best for every
locality and experiment should demonstrate the mo6t successful in this im
portant study as well as in other questions which present themselves to the
farmer
In planning judicious rotation it is well to follow or alternate broadleaved
plants such as clover and peas with narrowleaved cereals such as wheat
rye and oats to let perpendicular root plants and horizontal root plants suc
ceed each other to follow exhaustive plants with those that are least ex
haustive A good three years rotation is corn wheat clover or with cotton
clover or peas cotton wheat Wheat will however make an excellent crop
after clover or peas
PEACHBORER
Please inform me how to rid my peach trees Df borers I am aware of the
method of removing them with the knife but I want to know if theVe is any
application I can apply this spring and when to apply it
L N T Fort ValleySUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONFEBRUARY
47
The winged insect that deposits the eggs from which the borer comes usu
ally appear in the orchard soon after the leaves begin to put forth The fe
male deposits from 30 to 100 eggs One or two on each tree on the base of
the trunk and as the grub of last year is the moth of this the borers rapidly
increase The following liquid preparations have been found very effective
They should be applied with a stiff brush thoroughly from 18 inches above
the ground to four below the surface Soft soap 10 gallons corrosive subli
mate 1 114 ounces alcohol 1 pint Dissolve the sublimate in the alcohol
and mix thoroughly with the soap The sublimate should not be used in a
quantity large enough to injure the tree It is very poisonous and care
should be taken in having it in the house The mixture should be applied
immediately after the first fly appears and every two weeks thereafter until
they disappear The weak grub is killed at the first mouthful of the mixture
by the sublimate and the remedy is excellent
The other application is to mix 10 gallons of sour milk and 10 pounds of
Portland cement The cement forms a coating through which the grubs can
not penetrate It should be applied every two or three weeks otherwise it
will crack from the growth of the tree and the grubs may enter
FORMULA FOE COMPOST
When is good time to compost Please give me a formula for corn and
cotton A L C Warren County
December and January are good months to compost though you can com
post later The following formula will answer for both corn and cotton
stable manure 650 pounds cotton seed 650 pounds acid phosphate 700
pounds
In mixing I have the ingredients well watered and worked with hoes in
small piles and then thrown on the main pile which I fix up in conical shape
and then put on a layer of dirt from four to six inches completing the work
COMPOSTING
I thank you for the valued information so kindly given Permit me to
trouble you this once more for it is a question in which I am vitally inter
ested I have about 1500 bushels of cotton seed and some good stable ma
nure which I am anxious to so mix with acid phosphate as to get the best
possible results I was anxious to mix at the proper time to allow sufficient
decomposition but I see from your advice that I am a little late for January
is gone so I will go at the work immediately Now I would like to know
whether the heap should have water poured in when the heat caused by de
composition and fermentation becomes too great and howam I to judge when
heat is great enough to produce injury or firefang Some say insert a rod
and by drawing it out judge by the heat of the rod but how wrarm should it
be to water A L C Warrenton
We do not think that you will be too late with your compost and that suffi
cient decomposition will take place to obtain good results Firefang only
results when the heap or any part of it becomes perfectly dry Its effect is
to permit the escape of the ammonia and while we are unable to give you
any certain rule as to the temperature can safely say that moist heat will48
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
not have an injurious effect and if the pile is kept damp no ammonia will
escape A simple chemical test to ascertain whether any loss is taking
place is to hold near the manure a small rod that has been touched or
dipped in nitrate acid If a white vapor arises the ammonia is escaping
No loss of other elements of plant food takes place except by leaching
REDUCING PHOSPHATES
I note in report of United States Department of Agriculture Vol V No 2
pages 228 and 229 a method for the reduction of phosphates and for the
preparation of commercial fertilizers from the same which is represented as
being simple and cheaper than by the plan now in use of reduction of sul
phuric acid This new reduction is by carbonic acid I am not able to
understand how the carbonic acid is generated and controlled neither do I
understand the characters used in showing what it produced in the different
stages of reduction
This process seems to be applicable to phosphates rich in lime or carbon
ate of lime You are aware that Southwest Georgia contains a great deal of
this lime phosphate rock Here on my farm are large quantities also on
adjoining farms This new method is also recommended for the preparation
of nitrogenous fertilizers such as hair hoofs horns leather wood slaughter
house etc
Now this strikes me as being something of vast importance to fanners J a
plan perhaps that they can put into operation have a mill or buy the floats
and a plant with but little cost in every neighborhood Of course at first
a chemist would have to be employed until a foreman of the works becomes
posted
I would be glad of any information from you on the subject at any time
J W B Leslie Ga
The department is now investigating the process named and we would
prefer to give no positive information on its merits without thorough study
Our casual opinion is that it will prove of great economic value and espe
cially so to Southern Georgia where such large deposits of carbonate of lime
are to be found
IRISH POTATOES
We have about twelve acres of new land being planted to grape vines and
other fruit at Tallapoosa We are thinking of a spring crop to plant between
the rowsperhaps potatoes Will you please inform us as to the variety
mode of shipping market prospect of profits etc And can you let us know
where we can get bags or sacks suitable to ship potatoes in etc
We would suggest Early Rose and Beauty of Hebron Your location is
such that you will not be able to secure the large profits of the early market
gardener and you would be compelled to rely largely on home consumption
and the Atlanta and Birmingham markets Shipments can be made in bags
or barrels You can purchase them in Atlanta
POLICY OF SOUTHERN FARMERS
The business policy of Southern farmers is changing according to a large
number of letters from bankers in all parts of the South recently publishedSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMARCH
49
in the Manufacturers Record The farmers are growing more diversified
crops producing more of the needed and heretofore largely purchased food
supplies thus saving some of the money formerly paid for the latter These
letters also show that farmers are doing more of a cash and less of a credit
business The farmers are paying off their debts and spending at home
the money that formerly went to the North and West to buy provisions
These letters say that the South is less in debt than at any other time
since the war
AGRICULTURAL NEWS AND NOTES
The poultry buildings on the farm of Hon Levi P Morton recently
burned down are almost rebuilt and it is estimated will cost about 10000
The incubators and brooders will be run by electricity while a number of
other features will be introduced which have heretofore been unknown in
poultry fixings
For the best show pea English gardeners recommend President Garfield
We want a good table pea and as early as it can be had Sow any of the
first earlies as early as you can prepare the ground in spring on heavily
manured land and you will get peas good enough and early enough
The London Times estimates the wheat area in Great Britain at 1798869
acres and the crop at 46429407 bushels More land is devoted to barley
than to wheat or 2257293 acres and still more to oats 4435944
The peanut crop is reported light
WHAT COMMISSIONER NESBITT HAS TO SAY FOR MARCH
monthly talk with the georgia farmers on subjects of general interest
pertaining to the farm and gardengood advice
Department of Agriculture
Atlanta GaMarch 1 1894
The first of March finds the farmers in a most backward state of prepara
tion The weather has been such first freezing and then raining that it has
been impossible to plow the red lands and even on the gray lands very little
has been accomplished There are drawbacks and hindrances to every occu
pation and these are but the disappointments incident to our avocation but
when difficulties confront us
WE SHOULD SUMMON OUR BEST ENERGIES
to meet and combat them Trials and difficulties develop and make the
strong man they paralyze and destroy the weak We still have much to be
thankful for the unerring return of the seasons the blessings of the early
and later rain the perennial hope which springs in the farmers breast as he
goes out to begin his years work and sees all nature donning her fresh spring
robe the pleasure of witnessing the soil respond to our efforts and the
gradual development of the different crops from seedtime to harvest Surely
the farmer in his work comes nearest to God and takes its results more50 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
directly from the haad of the great ruler of the universe How important
then that he study to make no mistake in executing his part of the contract
I hope my farmer friends have utilized these muggy days m
REPAIRING
as far as possible the farm buildings and fences and in making compost the
latter a most important factor in the farm economy Every moment when
the land is to wet to plow can be utilized to the best advantage in giving your
farms a more homelike appearance and even when the rain keeps the
farmer indoors there are many jobs in the way of mending and preparing
implements wagons plowstocks harness etc for the coming strain which
should not be neglected and always there are stables and yards to be cleaned
out and attended to leaves to be hauled and cattle and stock comfortably
bedded On a stranger the impression of a wellkept farm is beyond estimat
ing Even
ONE THOROUGHLYCULTIVATED WELLKEPT FARM
in a neighborhood is an object lesson to be seen and appreciated not only by
farmers but by every passing traveler At first it may not seem to exert
any sensible influence but gradually adjoining places begin to touch up the
lands are better prepared more manure and of better quality is made more
progressive methods are undertaken a spirit of emulation is aroused
evidences of thrift are seen on every side and ere long the improved condi
tion of the neighborhood is the subject of favorable comment throughout the
county
OURS IS A POSITION OP HONOR AND RESPONSIBILITY
and if we expect to fill it with credit to ourselves and families we must fit
ourselves for it as do successful men in other avocations by careful study and
by welldirected energv and diligence Every moment every hour is worth
so much to us they are not to be wasted if we expect success to crown our
efforts The slothful indolent man no matter in what occupation he may be
engaged has no reasonable hope for even moderate prosperity Let us
observe the methodical systematic energy of the successful merchant the
snap and vim which characterize the successful lawyer or banker INo
idling in the hours devoted to business no putting off until tomorrow the
work which demands attention today
THE FARMER MORE THAN ANY OF THESE
comes directly in contact with nature and has the better opportunity of
studying her In her various moods Why should not he draw inspiration
from her perfect work lying all around him and portrayed m the smallest
plant the minutest blade of grassno detail lacking each complete of its
kind I understand that there can be
NO ARBITRARY RULE
laid down by which each individual farmer is to be goyerned but in these
monthly talks I wish to make suggestions which will not only arrest the
attention of farmers but which will provoke discussion on the lines I advo
cate On one pointSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMARCH
51
WE ARE ALL AGREED
and that is that we have to build up our lands or stop cultivating them and
that we must make our farms selfsupporting But when we begin to discuss
the plans for accomplishing these muchtobedesired ends we differ because
our circumstances and conditions individual climatic and otherwise are
such as to preclude the possibility of all working by the same rule For
instance one farmer has a large family many of the members are old enough
to help him in his work and he owns a piece of good bottom land Such a
man can make his home supplies on a few acres and then devote the rest of
his farm to the preduction of cotton or some other money crop which can be
worked successfully and cheaply by his immediate family Another man
owns a farm the larger part of which is so poor that until the land is improved
there is no hope for him to succeed Common sense teaches him to try and
build up a few acres each year and cultivate only such spots as will yield
some return for the time and labor bestowed upon them Again take the
weather which has prevailed during January and February In North and
Middle Georgia the lands for the most part being stiff and adhesive the con
tinued rains have prevented any progress in plowing In Southern and
more especially Eastern Georgia rain has been needed for the small grain
crops and plowing is well advanced and preparations for planting move on
apace
It is most gratifying to find from all the information obtainable at this de
partment from reports of correspondents and from other sources that in
nearly every county and in particular sections of some counties there has
been a marked improvement in the production of home supplies that there is
now on hand a larger per cent than is usual at this season and that there is
evident determination on the part of farmers to pursue such a sensible farm
policy as will not only bridge over our present unfortunate condition but
gives us an assurance of future success The blind worship of cotton is I
trust becoming a thing of the past for the selfinflicted punishment which
the farmers have had to suffer has taught them a salutary lesson Wherever
the farmers are studying their surrounding and conditions with an eye to
ultimate results where they are giving more thoughtful consideration to the
reasons which should control them in the direction of their affairs good
results are beginning to be seen They realize their past mistakes and are
applying themselves to the task of correcting them
TO THOSE FARMERS
who are still considering the advisability of an allcotton policy I would
utter a word of warning It is the farmer who has not thought to provide for
his corncrib or smokehouse until the past two months who is suffering most
today Meat at 124 cents with the lard pressed out is not a very pleasant
subject for the allcotton farmer to consider except as it may release him
from the thraldom of mistaken methods and policies And the man who
expects to buy his lard and sells his cotton seed to the oil mills under the
mistaken idea that he is making a good trade pays two or three times its
value when it comes back to him in the lard at fifteen cents a pound The
selling of the cotton seed to the merchant is all right for in each ton of raw52
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
cotton seed applied to the land there is 28 worth of oil which is absolutely
wasted as the oil possesses no manurial value and cotton seed meal is the
better fertilizer but the farmer who buys his meat and lard is playing a los
ing game
IF I CAN INDUCE MY FELLOW FARMERS
to read and discuss these ideas even if they fail to agree with me I will feel
that one important step has been gained i that these discussions will
bring to the front new ideas and stronger reasons for the abandonment of our
ruinously false system and the substitution of better and more remunerative
methods Of course my opinions are not invulnerable Already I have had
farmers dissent from them and my suggestions do not always receive the cor
dial support of my thinking friends but I do not object to fair criticism and the
good results of such discussions will be seen later on If every neighbor
hood throughout the State would reorganize their alliance clubs with the dis
tinct understanding that their object is to foster and build up an interest on
everything pertaining to agriculture and to permanently advance every in
terest connected with the farm and permit only such questions to be dis
cussed in their meetings much light could be thrown on these questions
fraught with such deep interest to every struggling farmer and there would
soon be a revival of that love for our country homes once so general among
our people The friction produced by the ideas brought out in these meet
ings when intelligently discussed would have a most salutary effect upon
our entire farm economy
The fruit men the truck men have gained valuable aid and information
from an exchange of ideas If they can perfect an organization to protect
and advertise and advance their interest why cannot the general farmer
I hope the farmer will study the results of the experiments made at the
Experiment Station in crops and fertilizers for the past season
I WISH ALSO TO CALL THEIR ATTENTION
to the paper read before the Agricultural Convention during its recent meet
ing in Augusta which is published in this report From this can be learned
the nature of Some of the duties devolving upon me as Commissioner of Agri
culture Acquaint yourselves with these duties and find out if they are
being faithfully executed and if your interest is being protected and ad
vanced The latter part of this paper is devoted to the advisability of teaching
agriculture in our public schools Read it carefully and I think you will agree
with me that there are very strong reasons why it should be taught
I cannot close this article without making
AN APPEAL
for broad acres of oats corn millet potatoes cane and only so much cotton
as you can produce at a profit Ordinarily land which produces only a bale
to three acres is worked at a dead loss Think seriously before you embark
in such a ruinous undertaking
Elsewhere in this report I publish a letter from a prominent farmer which
puts this question in such a strong light that nothing more need be said
R T Nesbitt
Commissioner of AgricultureSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMARCH
53
CULTURAL NOTES ON POTATOES
Here is a summary of the results of experiments extending over a period
of three years at the Michigan Station
FirstIt was found that the seed end was as good if not better than any
other part of the potato for planting and as a rule produces fewer small
tubers
gecondAs a rule medium sized potatoes cut into halves lengthwise using
at the rate of thirteen to fifteen bushels of seed to the acre will produce
the best net results planted one and onehalf or two feet apart
ThirdIf smaller seed is used the eyes should be fifteen inches apart and
pieces containing two or three eyes about eighteen inches At distances over
two and onehalf feet the number of hills is so much decreased that the yield
is lessened
FourthWhen potatoes are cheap it does not pay to use small potatoes as
seed but when seed potatoes are high tubers the size of hens eggs may be
used for one year without greatly decreasing the yield
FifthEven on fairly rich soil manure or fertilizers can be used with profit
When manure cannot be obtained without hauling two or three miles five
hundred pounds of mixed chemicals or some good brand of commercial fer
tilizer will be cheaper to use and will be a profitable investment
Other items are that as the best depth for planting the result seemed to
favor covering the seed about three inches This seemed to be right for dry
seasons The highest yield was obained when manure was used as a mulch
between the rows Whileit can readily be shown that the fertilizers were
used with profit it is difficult to say which of the chemicals was most neces
sary It is to be observed that the land on which the experiments were
made is represented as being in excellent tilth and of more than average fer
tility
HON R T NESBITTS ADDRESS BEFORE THE STATE AGRICUL
TURAL SOCIETY
WORK OF THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENTNECESSITY OF AGRICULTURAL
EDUCATION
The following address which was delivered before the State Agricultural
Society treats of two important subjects The Department of Agriculture
and its relations to the farmers and the necessity of particular education re
lating to agriculture The object and aims of the department are set out
and the Commissioner is anxious that those who desire to render the depart
ment more useful may be able to cooperate with him in the work The
introduction into our school system of studies that would be of particular
advantage to those who intend to engage in farming and which would invite
others to investigate and induce them to make the farm their home and up
build our agricnlture is a subject of great interest and which has been but
little agitated in the State Few men can succeed at an occupation without
possessing natural qualification or being fitted by education Complete sue54
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
cess on the farm is no exception to the rule embodying as it does in its
entirety a large and varied knowledge of scientific and business affairs The
farmer of the future with increasing population will have to ask and require
more of the soil and must be fitted to obtain these results The question
involves the place our children raised on the farm who shall become farmers
shall take in the advancement of agriculture in the future We trust that all
who see these reports will read with care and thought what is said on this
subject
THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT
Mr President and Gentlemen of the Agricultural Convention
In making this my yearly report before your society there are two sub
jucts of utmost importance to which I would like to call your attention and
I will do so as briefly as possible The first is The Relations of the Agri
cultural department and the importance of its work to the People of Geor
gia and the second is The Relations of Agriculture to the Youth of our
Land and the Importance of its Being Taught in Our Public Schools
In order to arrive at a better understanding of the first I will outline the
principal work of the Department since its organization seventeen years ago
leaving it to the minds of my hearers to feed on the details and then explain
its present management and the benefits which our State agriculture receives
from its work Before opening this subject I will state that there is a wide
spead prejudice in the minds of average farmers against the department
arising most often from want of information as to the aims and the manner
in which those aims are carried outand it is in part to combat these preju
dices and give the needed information that the present paper has been
prepared
About seventeen years ago owing the rapidly increasing use of commercial
fertilizers there was a popular demand for some more thorough and effective
means of protecting the consumer against fraud in the purchase of these
goods and at the same time promoting the sale of goods suitable to our lands
and to the needs of the crops under cultivation We all remember the beau
tifully prepared Peruvian guano costing from 90 to 100 per ton according
to the distance from market the tremendous lifegiving principles it pos
sessed causing our crops to spring forward as if by magic but we also re
member that at gathering time the results were most disappointing After
this came the era of cheaper goods which in many cases possessed no merit
and were prepared often with no other object that to swindle the purchaser
The results from their use were not as represented or expected and the
farmers were naturally disappointed and disgusted Then followed garbled
reports of these results made by designing salesmen to mislead and entrap
unsuspecting farmers As a sequel suspicion crystallized into certainty of
fraud and caused our courts to be crowded with litigation the duped buyers
seeking by law to right their wrongs
Our lands were deteriorating and exhausting from years of mistaken agri
cultural treatment and with the consequent spirit of unrest and dissatisfac
tion arose the demand for an agricultural department whose duties were
defined as protective and educational In all countries as the population beSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMARCH
55
comes more dense and the natural products of the farm fail to meet the
increasing demands commercial fertilizers play their part in solving the
problem and with their aid comes the demand for more enlightened agricul
tural methods and thus follow agricultural schools agricultural colleges and
departments of agriculture
It was under this pressure and to throw around the farmer the protection
of which he stood so much in need that our legislature in 1876 established
our Department of Agriculture New and untried it met with much adverse
criticism even from those for whose benefit and promotion it was created
All through its history it has had to combat prejudice sometimes denunci
ation and often its life has trembled in the balance Doubtless there have
been mistakes but these are so far outnumbered by its advantages that we
should pardon them for the sake of the great work it has accomplished in
securing the farmers against fraud if nothing else
The most important protective duties with which the department is charged
are the inspection and analysis of the tremendous amount of commercial fer
tilizers which annually cover hundreds of thousands of tons and the sampling
and testing of the enormous bulk of illuminating oils offered for sale in this
State Millions are annually spent for these two articles needed and used on
nearly every farm and in nearly every farmhouse in Georgia
The old system of each fertilizer inspector being a chemist and conducting
his own analysis which was practiced during the early days when the amount
of commercial fertilizers used was by comparison merely nominal and the
latter system of inspecting in bulk have both been abolished and our sys
tem is at present regulated on a different basis and in its provisions for pro
tecting the farmer at the same time dealing fairly with the manufacturers
is considered nearly perfect The analyses of the different fertilizers are pub
lished to the world but any individual farmer wishing an analysis of any
brand of goods sold in this State has only to drop me a line and the knowl
edge will be forthcoming
In the sampling and testing of illuminating oils a much simpler and less
difficult test is made Under the present law the inspector is only required to
make a fire or explosive test It is not allowed to be stored or offered for
sale in this State unless it is demonstrated by the test that it will not explode
at 120 degrees Fahrenheit The department has no power to apply an illumi
nating test and repeated complaints have reached us as to the inferior illu
minating qualities of much of the oil which has passed the fire test The
defect in many cases probably arises from the pressure of foreign matter in the
oil notably sulphuric acid which is largely used in refining the crude oil
To meet this difficulty will require a special act of the legislature During
the last session of that body I called attention to this defect in the law but
in the pressure of other matters this was passed over Until we have further
legislation on this subject the remedy must be with the people themselves
When inferior oil is put upon you write to the merchant from whom you
purchased and ascertain the name of the company manufacturing it and also
the inspectors name which should be branded in plain letters on the barrel
As soon as you ascertain these facts notify me at the department In this
wav we have been able to have several lots shipped back to the manufacturers 56 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
and we can thus create a decided demand for further legislation on this im
portant matter
In its educational capacity the department is further charged with the duty
of collecting such farm statistics and information as when properly presented
will aid the farmers in the intelligent management of their affairs To say
that this information will not be of value to our farmers is to assert that no
agricultural education is necessary and to set at naught the painstaking and
successful investigations of such eminent men as DeSaussure Sir Humphrey
Liebig and others But for the patient and scientific researches of these men
we would be today groping in darkness not only as to the necessary elements
of plant food but as to the best methods of their application to the growing
crops It was only after years of perplexing experiment that Liebig discov
ered that these elements to be effective must be in soluble form and that the
very means he had taken to hold them in the soil was the cause of successive
disappointing crop results Thanks to him we now know that we might
apply ton after ton of high grade fertilizers and unless the elements of growth
were in soluble form or if there was not sufficient moisture in the soil to ren
der them soluble the plants would actually starve to death the elements of
life within their reach but entirely unavailable
The department has used every means in its power through the press and
through its monthly seports to disseminate such information as would benefit
the farmers but until the interest in these questions is more widespread I
feel that much of the labor is lost The department has also contributed
somewhere near threefourths of a million of dollars to the public school fund
of the State and this brings me to the second branch of my subject viz
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
The Relations of Agriculture to the youth of our land and the importance
of its being taught in our public schools
For my treatment of this subject I am indebted to a recent very interesting
bulletin from the Canada Department of Agriculture and from this I have
taken the liberty of quoting at length The comparative statements I have
collected most carefully and their evidence is to my mind a very strong
argument on the affirmative side of this most important and farreaching
question In discussing the subject it naturally resolves itself into three
heads
Should agriculture be taught in our public schools
Can it be taught
How can it be taught
1st Should it be taught
Among the foremost of the reasons for an affirmative answer and view of
this question is that the large per cent of our people who are engaged in
agriculture are dependent upon it either directly or indirectly early 80
per cent of the people of Georgia are farmers or are obtaining their living
either directly or indirectly from the soil and fourfifths of the public school
population belong to the farms and villages
In studying this phase of the subject we must note one fact that is the
movement citywards of our rural population The farmers sons and daughSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMARCH
57
ters are each year being drawn towards the towns and as time moves on the
changes produced by this tendency are becoming more and more marked
and if not checked will seriously affect our prosperity Various reasons
have been adduced to account for this fact which is also true of nearly every
other country except perhaps France but among the most plausible is this
that the fault lies in the defective systems of education The systems of edu
cation may not be the direct cause but perhaps through them something may
be done to check the exodus from the country to the towns This tendency
must eventually affect our social and political life because as a rule it is
taking from the country its best elementthose from twenty to forty years of
ageand leaving on the farms the old and infirm and the young and immature
In the United States the rural population which was in 1790 9565 per
cent of the whole was in 1890 only 7088 per cent In Georgia from 1880
to 1890 the increase in cities of over 8000 inhabitants amounted to over 3 per
cent of the whole population and if we include towns of 500 inhabitants and
upwards the increase in urban population amounts to over 10J per cent with
an almost corresponding decrease in rural population We can thus realize
the loss to our rural districts which becomes a subject for serious considera
tion when one remembers that we have lands to which we wish to direct im
migration and that ours is first and foremost an agricultural country
Again instruction in agriculture should be given because of the large
amount of capital invested in it and because other industries are largely de
pendent on it both for a market and for sources of supply The more care
fully we study this question the more will we be convinced that success
in agriculture underlies success in manufacture in trade and in commerce
that according to the number of persons engaged in and directly dependent on
agriculture the capital invested in it and the wealth which it adds to the
country every year agriculture stands way above any other industry in im
portance and that anything done to develop agriculture to help those now
engaged in it or who are soon to engage in it should receive every encourage
ment That there is certainly a possibility of enormous improvement in crop
production in Georgia comparison with many of the other countries such as
England France and Germany will prove
From the foregoing it will be seen 1st that the large majority of our
people are intimately associated with farm work 2d that the tendency is for
the best element to remove from this work and 3d that the wealth and
commerce of the country are greatly dependent on agriculture three strong
reasons why agriculture should be taught if it can To answer the second
question viz Can agriculture be taught in our public schools we have
only to point to France as the most progressive and advanced of all civilized
nations in the matter of agricultural education France has a population of
38095156 her farms are the best cultivated in Europe and her produce per
head has increased by onehalf in the last quarter of a century Let it be
noted that it is within that period that agricultural education has become
compulsory in the her public schools
There are also in each of the eightysix departments of France besides
the public schools farm schools apprentice schools agricultural orphanages
and other institutions devoted to agriculture alone and in this number I58
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA

we do not include the Agricultural University at Paris famous the world
over for its investigations nor the three national schools of agriculture one
of horticulture one of dairying three of veterinary science two of forestry
and two shepherds schools
It was in 1879 that in France a law was passed compelling every normal
school within six years to provide agricultural instructions for the teachers in
training and requiring the primary schools within three years to make agri
culture a compulsory subject of study
The work it will be seen began with the training of teachers a step
certainly in the right direction This instruction iB given by professors of
agriculture whose duties are threefold to instruct teachers in training to
hold conferences withthe farmers and to carry out investigations suggested
by the government
Let us examine some of the results of this system In an interesting
article on Village Life in France and England Rev W Tuckwell an
Englishman says In these small farms as in all the other holdings we
had seen the farming was extraordinarily skillful Not only was the land
far cleaner than most farms in England but we were arrested by
the dextrous economy in laying out crops the unexpected rotations the use
of chemical manures Thus was due we are told to the government agricul
tural college
He concludes with the following remarkable statement showing some of
the results of the French system In England the owners of estates above
one acre in size are about 300000 In France they are 7000000 In England
the average extent of a single farm is 390 acres In France ten acres
4000000 owners holding properties of two acres while farms of 200 acres are
so few that they can be counted on the fingers In 1890 France ex
ported about 120000000 worth of food England imported 360000000 In
sixty years 8500000 emigrants have left England less than 500000 have left
France In England the rural population is 33 per cent of the whole in
France upwards of 75 per cent In England finally the peasant is misera
bly housed underpaid servile despairing in France he is decent well to dor
independent hopeful
In the French Postoffice Savings Bank there are 600000000 in 6500000
deposits an average of less than 100 for each depositor The conclusions
to be derived from a study of this question are
1 France has found it advisable to supplement the work of her agricultural
colleges by introducing agriculture as a special study into her general school
system
2 The work has been begun by training the teachers first and while general
methods have been prescribed the system is sufficiently elastic to meet the
varying abilities of teachers and pupils
3 The work is as yet in only the first stage of development and although
all the rural children of France have not yet been reached and the end
aimed at has not yet been attained the success achieved is very encouraging
and worthy the imitation of other nations
C C James Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Ontario Canada to whoseSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMARCH
59
valuable paper I am indebted for much of the information on the subject
gays
It may not be advisable to follow the lead of France in all particulars
but her experience certainly warrants the conclusion that the educa
tion of the rural classes in their own work is very beneficial The impart
ing of a little agricultural information in public schools would doubtless have
a good effect upon the attendance of our agricultural colleges and possibly
create a necessity for increasing such facilities
The agricultural colleges have in all countries to do too much begging for
for students while at the same time schools of law medicine dentistry
pharmacy technology have been soon crowded The United States schools
of agriculture are also schools for training teachers and for giving instruc
tions in manual arts and in commercial courses Many of these institutions
to obtain students for their agricultural departments have been compelled to
rely almost entirely upon short courses of six months
In proof of this last I have only to mention the winters course of two
months now being taught in our State College of Agriculture at Athens And
now we come to the third question
How can agriculture be taught in our public schools Upon this question
hangs the whole difficulty and here I borrow again language from Mr
Jamess paper
All are now agreed that agriculture should be taught if it can and many
who have studied this question are quite satisfied that it can be taught in
some form but when we come to the question of how it is to be taught much
difficulty arises from the variety of conflicts of opinion But one or two con
clusions are indispensable and first and foremost is this that all or nearly
all depends upon the teacher Second that too much should not be attempted
at first The work should be introduced gradually and the understanding at
the outset should be very definite that by teaching agriculture in the public
schools it is not intended to teach how to plow how to harvest or how to feed
stock but rather the why and wherefore and to arouse an interest in agri
cultural operations Third that the principal aim and object of this instruc
tion in our public schools should be the creation of a sentiment in favor of
agricultural work the arousing of a noble ambition in young minds to be
come progressive and successful agriculturists the spreading abroad of the
idea that the industrious thoughtful honest farmer is the most valuable citi
zen in this land of oursa man to be respected appreciated and honored by
every member of the community
Professor Calvin Thomas says Very little can be done by common shools to
check the drift toward the cities Whatever tends to improve the
economic status of the farm industry and to elevate the plane of the farmers
life will tend to correct this evil
In other words let us insist on showing the farmer boy a world at home
full of interest of beauty of thought of study of doing It may be that
the condition of the rural school has been a repelling force in sending many
a boy to the town and city
In arithmetic in reading in drawing in history subjects now included in
our public school curriculum a turn could be given toward and applications6o
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
made to agriculture If the purpose of such instruction be carefully kept in
mind viz to interest the pupils in matters pertaining to agriculture and to
instruct them in the use of their eyes to see what lies on all sides of them
and to see correctly it matters little what part of the immense field of agri
culture be selected the roads upon which they come to school or which so
often keep them from school the weeds by the roadside and in the fence
corners the flowers shrubs and trees beyond the fences the soil of the fields
and the different crops growing upon that soil the insects and the birds
which are in some cases so necessary in others so destructive to the crops
the fruits and vegetables These and other subjects will suggest that the
instruction must be confined to but a small part of what is probably the
widest and most comprehensive science known to manthe science of agri
culture
Professor Huxley says The farmer must be made by thorough farm work
Nevertheless I believe that practical people would be all the better
for scientific knowledge It would keep them from hopeless experiments and
enable them to take advantage of the innumerable hints which Dame Nature
gives to those who live in direct contact with things If I were
called upon to frame a course of elementary instruction preparatory to agri
culture I am not sure that I would adopt chemistry or botany or physiology
or geology as such The history of a bean of a grain of wheat of
a turnip of a sheep of a pig of a cow properly treated with the introduc
tion of the elements of chemistry physiology and so on as they come inT
would give all the elementery science which is needed for the comprehension
of the processes of agriculture and in a form easily assimilated by the youth
ful mind
Again I quote from Mr James In conclusion I would say that these sug
gestions do not involve any upsetting or overturning of the present system
of education but rather an adaptation to agriculture as far as possible of sub
jects now upon the curriculum If nothing more be done than to start our
rural pupils to thinking to give them an impetus or a turn in the right direc
tion to develop in them a taste for agricultural study and investigation to
arouse in them a desire to know more and read more about agricultural affairs
and especially to increase in them a respect for their work and a pride in
their calling then the most important end of their education will have been
attained
COTTON ACREAGE
The monthly talk of the Commissioner closes with an appeal for selfsus
taining farms and a reduction of the cotton acreage Through all the publi
cations of this department we have endeavored to emphasize this appeal
From the Commissioner of Texas comes a circular letter setting forth our
former disaster and the loss that will again attend overproduction also a
private letter requesting the cooperation of this department The Commis
sioner stands ready to do all in his power to prevent an increase in acreage
Will our farmers not heed any of these warnings with a disastrous experi
ence yet fresh in their minds We have confidence in the good sense of our
agricultural classes and trust that they willSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONAPRIL
6l
The following extracts from a letter of a leading and successful farmer pre
sents in a concise way the benefits that will accrue from a small crop and the
low price and loss that comes from productions beyond the demands of con
sumption
It is generally admitted that with meat at eight cents per pound and corn
at seventyfive cents per bushel the average price of producing a pound of
cotton is eight cents With those admitted facts before the cotton growers
their policy should be to still further reduce the acreage and plant the Ameri
can crop as near as possible to a 7000000 bale basis thus insuring ten cents
a pound for cotton or a profit to the farmer of at least two cents on the pound
but if to the contrary they return to an increased acreage and an increased
use of fertilizers and produce a 9000000 or 10000000 bale crop values will
be reduced below seven cents and every pound of cotton will be bold at a
net loss of one cent or more per pound Which will the farmer choose a
decrease of labor and plenty of home supplies at a handsome profit or an
increase of labor with smokehouses and corncribs in the West and ruinous
loss on the production of their cotton crop Can any sane man hesitate
A 7000000 bale crop will bring ten cents or in round numbers 350000000
while a 9000000 bale crop will bring not over seven cents or say 315000000
a loss of revenue of 35000000 and how about the cost of production To
raise a 7000000 bale crop at eight cents per pound will cost 280000000
which if sold at ten cents will net the farmer a profit over and above cost of
production of 70000000 on the other hand to raise a 9000000 bale crop
at eight cents per pound will cost 360000000 which if sold at as much as
seven cents a pound would only bring 31500000 or a net loss to the pro
ducers of 45000000 showing a difference in favor of the lesser crop of
115000000 and that with plenty of home supplies for the next crop
THOUGHTS OF COMMISSIONER NESBITT FOR APRIL
experiments in farming renovation and rotation success in cotton plant
ing fertilizers orchard and garden
Department of Agriculture
Atlanta Ga April 1 1894
The absorbing work for this month is the preparation for and planting of
the cotton crop This work is doubly important because of the skill and judg
ment involved and because now one must come to the final decision as to
what part of our lands shall be devoted to this crop It is well for the farmer
to pause and carefully ponder over this important subject in all its bearings
To aid such reflection and to suggest several points which he might otherwise
overlook I have prepared an article for the Southern Cultivator for April apart
of which I repeat here that it may be if possible more widely circulated and
thus reach many who might otherwise give these points little thought
It has been conclusively shown that outside the cotton grown and consumed
in other countries that is in Asia Africa South America and Mexico the62 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
United States furnishes seventyfive per cent of the cotton of commerce In
other words the world is dependent on the Southern farmers for threefourths
of the cotton which it uses and which cannot he produced elsewhere From
this simple statement it will be seen what a power we hold among the nations
of the world and what a lever to lift ourselves and our section into prosperity
But without home supplies of food and forage we lose the immense advantage
which this monopoly gives us Abundant home raised provisions must be the
fulcrum on which our lever rests
When our cotton crop is made we can neither eat it nor wear it until it
passes into other hands and if our necessities in these points are such that we
are obliged to part with it we are compelled to take whatever price thejdealer
offers Hence the crowding of the cotton crop to market as soon as it is gath
ered though the price be below the cost of production and though the new
year finds us with only the paper receipts to show for our twelve months
labor If a man has plenty of home supplies he can afford to wait The
world is obliged to have his cotton During the civil war the enforced suspen
sion of cotton production caused the price to reach the fabulous figure of 285
per pound
THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE
Knowing these facts if the farmers generally are fortified with ample pro
visions for family and stock they can quietly await a remunerative price for
their cotton It will not do for a man here and there to adopt this policyit
must be universal and when our barns and cribs and smokehouses are full we
can afford to look calmly on while the dealer endeavors to secure our cotton
for less than it cost us to produce it Is not this the situation in a nutshell
Does it not comprehend reduction of the acreage lessening the cost of produc
tion the prosperity of our agriculture the very existence of our state and sec
tion as a healthy portion of the body politic What more powerful appeal can
be made to the interest the common sense the patriotism of our Southern
farmers And the decision rests with them Unlike the agriculturists of
many other countries there is no power which can dictate their course They
must decide whether they will still further risk the bondage of a large cotton
crop and possible nay probable debt or less cotton ample provisions and
certain independence
These thoughts are suggested and emphasized by the fact that the final
decision must now be reached as to what portion of our crops shall be planted
in cotton
In deciding this question let us remember that it isnotthe number of bales
but the profit in these bales which most nearly concerns our welfare Let us
also keep in mind that with the same labor we can by judicious selection of
land and manuring nearly double the yield while all other expenses except
picking and ginning remain about the same Remember too that the better
the land the more manure it will bear hence it follows that we can in a
measure substitute fertilization for labor We can manure good land with less
risk and by employing as far as possible improved and laborsaving imple
ments of that most uncertain factor in the farm problem Again let it be
repeated dont waste labor and manure on dead poor land Where thereSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONAPRIL
63
is so much to choose from we can concentrate both on the best spots
Leave the rest either to be reclaimed by judicious treatment or by kindly
mother nature
It is indeed a ruinous system which spends large sums to make an expen
sive crop and then uses this to buy others that can just as easily be raised at
home and paying for them much more than they would cost us if produced on
our own farms
The raising of corn oats hogs mules horses and cows belongs to the duties
of the Southern farmer and with our soil and climate can be accomplished just
as easily and at as little cost as in sections of the Northwest where each year
there has been a steady flow of money from the South to purchase these sup
plies Let us rather appropriate the amount of capital which we have thus
been expending to building up these industries at home The man who has
no back debts hanging over him and raises his own stock and provisions is
indeed an autocrat Lord of all he surveyssupremely indifferent to money
panics and independent of the fluctuations of the markets
In selecting the cotton land leave all bottom or low damp land for the corn
Again let me call attention to the fact that in our climate the tendency is to
too much stalk and foliage Ibttotn lands encourage this tendency the bolls
open later do not develop well and the general results are unsatisfactory
THE TIME FOR PLANTING
must be decided by several different circumstanceselevation above the sea
level character of the land exposure etc But take Middle Georgia as the
basis where killing frosts rarely occur later than the middle of April and al
lowing from ten days to two weeks for the seed to come up we consider from
the tenth to the fifteenth of April as perhaps the best timeearlier in the
southern later in the northern portion of the State If the weather and
other conditions encourage the plant to grow off rapidly and stretch up a long
shank the first working can be accomplished much more rapidly and suc
cessfully To promote this condition a good plan is to mix a highly ammoni
ated fertilizer with seed in the drill about fifty pounds to the acre
Some of the advantages gained by early planting and pushing the crop for
ward are the early matured cotton as a rule fruits better in the more south
ern portions of the State a part at least of the bolls mature before the cater
pillar can destroy them the dreaded drouth of July and August can work
less injury in the more northern pertion of the State the major part of the
crop escapes the early frosts
The most serious objection to late planting is that dry weather often pre
vents a perfect stand It is well however not to put all the eggs in one
basket Where it is possible two plantings one early the other later give
the farmer an additional chance and then the whole crop will not be pressing
for work at the same time
PLANTING
If a man has been able to put out the manure and list on it two furrows
now will put the bed in condition for planting If the continued bad weather
has so delayed work that nothing has been done in the cotton land there is
now no time to lose every moment must be made to count64
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
Four furrows thrown on the opening furrow will in the absence of the bet
ter plan answer for the present and the small middle left can be plowed out
after the cotton is planted Or list on the opening furrow and complete the
bed just ahead of the planter
A good plan is to put a part say one hundred pounds of the fertilizer in with
the seed and the rest can be put in the siding furrows or if a larger quantity
is applied it can be broadcast before the plows between the rows But this
should be done earlv enough for its effects to be felt on the roots in time
to influence the fruiting It is now generally conceded that the best use o
fertilizers is by broadcasting as much as one can afford using only a small
quantity in the drill We soon reach the danger line when we put fertilizers
in the drill for if we use a large amount here unless we have rains just at the
time and inthe quantity that we wish our crops are inevitably ruined In
view of thecontinued drawback of heavy rains I would suggest that on light
lands where nothing has been done towards cotton preparation one might open
on the old furrow put in a little fertilizer with the seed and the rest can be
put in as above In pursuing this plan remember that even if heavy applica
tions were made the previous year the ammonia has all been exhausted only
part of the phosphate remains and in fertilizing for the present season we
should supply more ammonia in proportion to the phosphate used If the
planting is greatly delayed several days may be gained by soaking the seed
until they are nearly ready to sprout They may be rolled or not as circum
stances dictate and if the ground be dry plant deep and knock off after
wards If guano is used in the rolling do not risk high grade acid phosphate
as it injures the germ
Select large well matured seed the larger the seed the more food for the
germ in the earlier growth for inclosed in each little shell is a store of the
three necessary elements nitrogen phosphoricacid and potash on which the
tender plant feeds until able to take hold of what it finds in the soil If
the seed have been well ginned rolling is not necessary If a planting machine
is to be used and operated by an ordinary farm hand I prefer one without the
covering attachment In the hands of the owner or of a careful laborer it is
very desirable but otherwise too risky I have seen repeated gaps of several
Tards left by a careless shiftless hand and of course undiscovered until the
entire crop was up and then causing no end of trouble and vexation It
high priced seed are used rolling is advisable as a saving of nearly onehalf
can thus be effected Most planters have a wheel in front of the seed dropper
but I think one following and pressing the seed into the ground is even more
desirable this is especially the case where the beds have not had time to be
come firm The opening furrow should be broad and flat rather than deep
and the seed covered about one inch
The double foot for covering is perhaps best as leaving a little ridge over
the seed which is less apt to break after a rain than a flat surface and leaves
land in condition for the use of the harrow just as the cotton is growing up
This harrowing is almost equal to a workingit kills any grass which may
have sprouted does not materially injure the cotton breaks any crust which
may have formed and puts the land in beautiful condition for the subsequent
beavir business of cultivation After the planting of the crop comes theSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONAPRIL
65
FIRST PLOWING OF CORN
but before we begin this it is important to replant and thin out where neces
sary If the planting has been carefully done and good seed used there should
not be much replanting Soaking the seed in water for twentyfour hours
will cause quicker germination The stalks should be thinned leaving one to
every three feet If the ground is soft and mellow and the crop was planted
in the water furrow the sweep will do beautiful work it will throw just
enough dirt to the young plants and leave the roots undisturbed If the land
is rough or badly prepared or has become packed by the heavy rains it will
be necessary to run two deep furrows one on each side close to the plants
While no amount of snbsequent cultivation can entirely atone for careless or
insufficient preparation we must conduct the cultivation in such a manner as
to remedy the defect as far as possible After the corn attains any size the
little feeding roots will be found within four inches of the surface and it has
been repeatedly demonstrated that these roots will extend over a circle the
diameter of which is twelve feet It is important then that any deep plowing
should be done in the first stages of the crop before there is danger of cutting
these roots and now is the time to do it later the plowing must be shallow if
we would get any adequate return in well formed full ears of grain On
rough land as mentioned plow out the beds close and deep and as soon as the
plants have attained sufficient size As a rule if the ground is clean nothing
is gained by plowing corn too early and care should be exercised in not
throwing too much dirt to the young plants and by all means do not prac
tice the old mistaken method of hilling up the corn If the plowing is prop
erly conducted the hoecan be entirely discarded in the cultivation of the corn
crop Corn unlike cotton is a rapidly maturing crop We have just so much
time and that not any too long to do the necessary cultivationwhich should
be frequent and thoroughnot more than two weeks being allowed to inter
vene between each working When the cultivator can be used it greatly fa
cilitates the work and can be so managed that two trips to each corn row and
one in a fourfoot cotton row will be sufficient
FORAGE CROP
Cattail millet is an excellent crop for early use and very easy of growth
Planted on rich or well manured land it matures rapidly and while not so
nutritious as sorghum is valuable because it comes easily and quickly
It can also be planted for syrup or feed If for syrup it is advisable to select
a late maturing variety orange or red top that the work of gathering grind
ing etc may not conflict with other pressing work of the busy season If for
feed the early amber Northern grown seed are best This will come on in
July and mixed with some dry feed is excellent for mules It is much re
lished by all stock which will readily eat stem leaves and seed and it will give
the hogs a fine start It is hardy does not require very rich land though it
should not be planted on the poorest as it withstands drouth in a remarka
ble degree is considered almost a certain crop The evaporators have im
proved the syrup so markedly that it has become quite an addition to our farm
supplies and many farm laborers prefer it to the best quality of refined golden
dripsorghum66
DEPATMENT OF AGRRICULTUREGEORGIA
MIILO MAIZE KAFFIR AND FORAGE CORN
can all be planted on the same plan That is lay off the rows three or four
feet apart and drop from four to six grains to the foot Or they can be dnl led
and afterwards chopped out Kaffir com if planted early will tureone
crop of grain and develop another from the shoots that spring out at the joints
So maize matures only from early plantings and therefore should be sown
as soon as practicable i
When properly managed furnishes a most nutritious and excellent quality
of food It comes next to oats in value It should be cut just after it ha
passed the bloom and cured well The latter part of April or first of May is
the proper time to sow The land should be well prepared Sow two or three
pecks per acre harrow or brush in and then roll
POTATOES
For early potatoes set out a few slips this month but the main crop should
be planted in May or June because the early plantings make no more potatoes
and require more work The land should be thoroughly prepared and worked
fine Barnyard manure has been found best suited to potatoes but if com
mercial fertilizers are used select that on which phosphoric acid and potash
predominate Though some growers still prefer the hills in the various ex
periments with potatoes flat culture has been found most profitable A
farmer can scarcely have too many potatoes for if he does not caie to dig and
bank them all he has only to turn the hogs in and they will not only gather
the crop but thoroughly work over the land The number of bushels which
can be raised on an acre has scarcely yet been tested but I know a man who
has just sold eight hundred bushels the product of four acres at one dollar a
bushel and he says the unfavorable seasons last year considerably cut off the
Heplants no cotton and every year his potatoes command the top of the
market They are carefullv selected and handled beautifully preserved and
without a speck or blemish As a general thing the great drawback to keep
ing this crop through the winter is careless handling and insufficient or mis
taken methods of housing or protecting Most farmers can make potatoes but
comparatively few save them in good order
GROUNDPEAS
April is perhaps the best month in which to plant the groundpea crop As
a rule land which will produce well in potatoes will also bring groundpeas
Thev require however a calcareous soil to produce best results If this condi
itonis lacking apply fifty bushels of lime or one hundred and fifty bushels of
marl with whatever fertilizer is used The Spanish variety is very productive
and easilv handled can be planted after wheat or oats and as late as July All
these forage crops as well as potatoes and groundpeas will add that much to
the bacon and lard productive power of the South Our Southern farmers
should appropriate the privilege of raising food for our section to themselves
and not allow one pound of either to be bought outside our own boundaries
On the question of
SELECTING SEED
there has been a too general indifference To keep up his seed each
SUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONAPRIL
67
farmer should himself pick out the best bolls from the most desirable stalks of
cotton and the largest heaviest ears from the most prolific and best de
veloped stalks of corn This will make the beginning for a seed patch from
which again only the best should be saved If each year this is scrupulously
attended to though we plant not an additional acre of land nor add one dollar
to our fertilizer bills we will see tbe yield gradually mount higher and higher
This involves no increase of our investment for land labor mules or fertili
zers it only helps us to use these to the best advantage and requires in the
beginning perhaps the first cost of the best seed as a start and after that only
careful and skillful selection
Until our summer food crops come on we should see that our
HOGS
have our most careful attention Every Georgia farmer must rejoice over the
increase in our meat product last year and take encouragement from the fact
that a part of that product was sold to Chicago Cold storage right here in our
midst will furnish the market if the farmers will only raise the hogs They
will find no trouble in disposing of their surplus at remunerative prices
R T Nesbitt
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES GIVEN BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL
SOME NEWS RELATING TO FARMING GARDENING DAIRYING STOCKRAISING ETC
which will be interesting to the farmer
Department of Agriculture
Atlanta Ga April 1 1894
WINDBROKEN
Will you give me a remedy for heaves with horses I have a mule that I
think has heaves Only ten days ago I noticed her breathing rather hard in
plowing I have been feeding her on forage corn and it is a little dirty I
think perhaps this is the cause as she has never been driven hard and it only
came on her in the last few days What is the cause of the heaves
W J C Social Circle
The heaves or broken wind consists in the entrance of the air into the natu
ral or dilated cells of the lungs from which it cannot be expelled without
calling into play the muscles of the chest The unchanged air in the lungs
being a constant source of irritation there is a desire to get rid of the surplus
causing two acts of respiration It is produced by a severe gallop after a full
meal suddenly or is of slow growth in consequence of a neglected chronic
cough Only as an irritant to a cough could the forage have aided the devel
opment of the disease
There is no cure for the disease and the treatment can only be palliative The
animal should be carefully dieted and confined to slow work Bleeding has
been found beneficialDEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
PEAK BLIGHT
Recently the pear trees of Liberty county hitherto free from all characteris
tics of blight were suddenly stricken with the disease In order to secure ac
curate information on the various diseases known as blight and to have a com
petent horticulturist visit the section we requested the opinion of Mr H A
Starnes Horticulturist of the Experiment Station on an inquiry on this sub
ject We give a portion of his reply as it is of interest to all fruitgrowers
It is probable that the pear trees of which Mr N speaks are affected by
blight of some kind His description is meagre however and it is impos
sible without either a personal examination or a fuller description to pro
nounce with any certainty
You know there are three kinds of blight affecting pearsleaf twig
and zymotic The first leaf blight is caused by the puncture of the byllopyri
an insect The second twig blight is also caused by an insectoxylobokus
pyriand like twig blight is not usually fatal There is little however in the
way of remedy for either except annual trimming and destruction of twigs so
pruned The third kind zymotic blight is much more serious and is pro
duced by a bacteriummicrococens amylovoiusand being a germ disease is
much more insidious and fatal than either of the other kind
I am rather of the opinion that the Liberty county trees are affected by
twig blight zymotic blight rarely attacking LeContes
FUNGICIDES
The destruction of fruit and fruit trees by fungi and other parasites has not
in our State received the attention it merits The resultant disease and the
cause where trees are attacked or affected is usually by spraying To call the
attention of our farmers to this subject in a recent number of the reports we
dealt with the subject gently but as now is the proper time to use many of
the receipts given we give the most valuable as found in the handbook of the
Experiment Station
The various preparations used in the treatment of fungous diseases of
plants are as a rule preventive remedies and their successful use depends
very largely on early and repeated applications No fixed rule can be laid
down as to when and how often fungicides should be used Many diseases are
greatly checked by drenching and washing the trees shrubs or vines before
the buds begin to show with a mixture of greater strength than that given in
ordinary formulas For this purpose formula one and two given below may
be used in double or triple strength In some cases a second spraying should
follow the falling of flowers Rain falling soon after application of fungicide
is likely to wash them off In such cases spray again as soon as possible after
the rain Care must be exercised not to use fungicide solutions which will in
foliage
In preparing fungicides it must be remembered that ordinary commercial
chemicals vary in strength For vegetables and animal plants in general the
first spraying should be done after the plant is well up and in vigorous growth
The succeeding sprayings should be made at intervals of about two weeks
throughout the season
Particular courses of treatment are required for some diseases The spraySUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONAPRIL
69
ing should be thoroughly done so as to reach the whole plant but care should
be taken not to use too much of the fungicide A small quantity thrown over
a plant in the form of a very fine spray will do more good than a much
greater amount imperfectly applied A gallon or a gallon and a half should
spray a tree of average size The disease must first be determined and the
treatment fitted to the disease The indiscriminate use of fungicides may do
more harm than good
Experience shows that bordeaux mixture or ammoniacal carbonate of copper
solution may be properly used for numerous diseases An objection to bor
deaux mixture especially on fruits is that it leaves quite a deposit of solid
material This may however be easily washed off from the fruit with a solu
tion of vinegar two quarts to ten gallons of water All fungicides should be
kept in wooden glass or earthenware never in iron vessels Formulje for
more common fungicides with brief directions for their preparations and use
are given below
1 Simple Solution of Copper Sulphate Copper sulphate blue vitriol or
blue stone one pound water soft twentytwo gallons Dissolve the copper
in the water This solution will keep indefinitely It will cost about one
fourth of a cent per gallon Paris green or London purple two ounces to
twentytwo gallons may be added and the mixture may be used as a combined
insecticide and fungicide
2 Simple Iron Sulphate Solution Iron sulphate copperas five pounds soft
water twentytwo gallons Dissolve the copperas and use at once It costs
about onehalf cent per gallon Insecticides may be combined with this fun
gicide
3 Bordeaux Mixture Copper sulphate blue vitriol six pounds unslaked
lime four pounds water twentytwo gallons Dissolve the copper in sixteen
gallons of water and slack the lime in the other six Stir the lime well and
strain the thin whitewash into copper solution stirring it well Always ob
serve this order of preparation as it is said to spoil the mixture if the copper
be poured into the lime Keep well stirred and use at once The tendency
this mixture has to fill up the nozzle of the sprayer is its greatest drawback
Paris green or London purple two ounces to twentytwo gallons may be com
bined with this fungicide It costs about one and onethird cents per gallon
In another formula four instead of six pounds of copper sulphate is used with
about as good results
4 Eau Celeste Copper sulphate one pound ammonia 22 one and
onehalf pints water twentytwo gallons Dissolve the copper in two
gallons of hot water When cool add the ammonia and reduce to twentytwo
gallons This costs about one cent per gallon Insecticides cannot be used
with this
7 Ammoniacal Copper Carbonate compound Copper carbonate three
ounces ammonia carbonate one pound water fifty gallons Dissolve copper
and ammonia carbonate in a half gallon of hot water Dilute to fifty gallons
and use at once Insecticides cannot be used with this Cost of this mixture
about onehalf cent per gallon
Another formula for this solution is as follows Copper carbonate three
7o
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA

ounces ammonia twentytwodegrees one quart water twentytwo gallons
Dissolve copper in the water add ammonia and use at once
A third formula is copper carbonate one ounce ammonia carbonate six
ounces Powder and mix thoroughly This may be kept in a dry state inair
tight vessels for any length of time When needed for use dissolve in ten
gallons of water and use at once
A fourth formula which is said to be equal to any of the others and a little
cheaper but which has not been tested as much as the others is copper sul
phate onehalf pound ammonia carbonate one pound water sixtytwo gallons
The ammonia carbonate should be hard and transparent otherwise one and a
quarter pounds will be needed Dissolve it in a pail of hot water When
foaming ceases add copper and stir as long as there is any foaming Dilute to
sixtytwo gallons and use at once
These four formulas are practically the same or nearly so and the solution
formed is one of the most valuable with which to combat plstnt diseases
Without the objectionable feature of the bordeaux mixture it probably ranks
next to that in efficiency However insecticides cannot be used with any of
these as they can with the bordeaux mixture
In none of the solutions containing ammonia or carbonates in any form
should Paris green or London purple ever be used unless a quantity of lime is
added as the chemical compounds then formed are injurious to foliage
COTTON PLANTING
Please give me some of your ideas as to cotton planting How to prepare
how to cultivate whether shallow or deep when to plant etc
I B N Bolingbroke
Deep and thorough preparation of the soil and a thorough pulverization are
the first essentials to successful cotton planting Next in order is putting in
the seed This should be done with a cotton planter to secure uniformity to
facilitate subsequent chopping It also saves waste of seed the value of which
as a fertilizer and a food cannot be too highly appreciated The first plowing
may be as deep and thorough as possible but all subsequent workings should
be as shallow as the character of the land will permit The implements or
dinarily used are the scooter scrape the solid and buzzard wing sweeps the
side harrow and numerous cultivators After heavy rains the soil should be
stirred and during a drouth a shallow implement run just deep enough to
break the continuity of the pores of the soil and to form an upper layer
Grass should never be permitted if possible to prevent to take possession of
the field The use of the hoe is expensive and in cotton culture as well as in
other crops it should be used as little as possible The root system of the
cotton plant as well as experience testifies that shallow cultivation should be
the rule with this plant and through a large series of experiments conducted
at the various experiment farms only on exceptional occasions was deep cul
tivation given as good results as shallow culture The time to plant will de
pend somewhat on the character of the soil which should be warm enough
to germinate the seed usually in April When late planting is necessary the
seed should be covered rather deeply and lightly rolled to secure more rapid
germinationSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONAPRIL
71
DISTANCE TO GIVE COTTON
What is the proper distance to give cotton H A M Trickum
Mr David Dickson Georgias great cotton planter was of the opinion that cot
ton needed distance only one way If the rows were wide it could be crowded
in the drill and vice versa No universal rue however can be given and
much depends upon the fertility of the soil and the rain supply Thin plant
ing can better withstand a drought On fairly rich land properly fertilized
rows four feet apart with plants from one to two feet is about the proper dis
tance When great distance is given early planting is desirable as the crop ou
account of the large weed will fruit later in the season and therefore be more
subject to damage from frost The distance will also on this account be found to
govern largely the yield from different pickings When the planting is thick
the yield from the first pickings will be heavy and the late light while the
reverse is true when the planting is thin
mucic
What does muck or swamp litter contain How should it be used
J A B Monroe
Muck contains small percentages of nitrogen phosphoric acid and potash
It varies very greatly but always contains a large per cent of organic matter
It does well composted and alone is a benefit to land
Please tell me how to plant alfalfa or Jucern What kind of soil is best
etc Is it a legumini N G F Hartwell
Alfalfa is a leguminous plant and like clover and peas has the power of
collecting nitrogen from the air It has the power of withstanding the droughts
much better than common clover and for that reason is especially adapted to
dry climates It flouishes best on a light sandy or loamy soil with a subsoil
through which its long taproot can penetrate Once a stand is secured the
character of the subsoil is of more importance than the surface soil
Thorough preparation should precede sowing We prefer sowing in the
drill which requires about fifteen pounds of seed sown broadcast twenty
pounds is necessary While in the north spring seeding is advisable in our
climate the fall is preferable though spring sown will under favorable cir
cumstances do well
BIT CLOVER
What is your opinion of burr clover and what is the proper time to plant
H T L Hampton
Individually we have had no experience sufficient to form an accurate judg
ment of the merits of the plant The following from The Southern Cultivator
gives the esteem in which it is held by others
Burr clover is a native of the Mediterranean region which has been natu
ralized in most warm climates It is widely distributed in California where
it is considered of great value It was first introduced into the Southern
States by the late Bishop George F Piecre in 1867 and planted at his home72
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
in Hancock county Ga In Mississippi it has been grown by Edwin C
Reed of Meridian who states that it is all that could be desired as a winter
and spring pasture With stock it is an acquired taste and they will not eat
it when more palatable plants are offered It is a good renovator and while
an annual reseeds itself if not pastured too late and too close The burs
make it very objectionable as a pasture for sheep To sow prepare as for
common clover and sow twenty pounds of clover seed to the acre early in the
autumn
GRASS FOR SUMMER PASTURE
What grasses do you consider best for summer pasture
L I N Hamilton county
We consider Bermuda and crab grass the best for summer pasture The
former makes an excellent permanent summer pasture It has been treated
by many as a pest but should not be so regarded and none should be de
barred from planting it for this reason In the Commissioners report for
last month an easy method of destroying it is given
POTASH FOR COTTON
What is the best form of potash to use for cotton A I R Franklin
The work of the Experiment Station and experience shows no superiority
for either of the three forms of potash used sulphate muriate and kainit and
therefore the matter of price should be the governing factor There are those
who contend not without reason that where a small per cent is of potash to
be used kainit is the best form as it conserves moisture and can be more
easily distributed
SUGGESTIONS OF COMMISSIONER FOR MAY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Atlanta May 1 1894
THE RECENT HEAVY FREEZE WHICH PARTIALLY DESTROYED THK WHEAT AND
OAT CROPS MEANS HIGHER PRICES FOR FOODPEACH CROP KILLED
Up to the first of the past month no fairer prospect ever cheered the
heart of the anxious farmer The rains it is true had somewhat retarded
work but the genial sunshiny days were atoning for the loss and all nature
was adorning herself in springs own livery The farmer as he prepared for
and planted his crops felt the joyous influence and being in better condition
than usual to bear the strain of the years operations was buoyant with hope
Alas for human calculations One night was sufficient to destroy this bright
prospect and when Georgia farmers awoke on the morning of the heavy freeze
it was to gaze upon blackened ruins where only the day before every tree and
plant pointed to an early spring and a prosperous crop year Though dis
mayed they are not daunted however and the present date finds the crops re
planted and the farmers with fresh courage still looking forward and working
for the fulfillment of their plans The partialSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMAY
73
DESTRUCTION OF THE WHEAT AND OAT CROPS
means higher prices for food Before it is too late let us prepare against this
contingency and by planting the smaller food crops justify ourselves and our
section against the possibility of a shortage We should certainly raise enough
for home consumption with even a little to spare to our less fortunate neigh
bors where in all possibility the short crops will cause a heavy draft on their
sections
As appropriate to this condition and as offering an excellent plan I
would suggest the following We think it would be a good idea for the
farmers to try this plan for raising corn on a small scale this year Subsoil an
acre patch broadcast with stable manure and 200 pounds of commercial fertil
izer then harrow well both ways About the second week in May a spring
tooth harrow will clean the ground of weeds and grass Harrow again a week
later drill the corn in rows four feet apart and then leave it till harvest time
Let me urge again that a full quota of
FORAGE CROPS
of all kinds be planted Corn German and cattail millet milo maize sor
ghum Spanish groundpeas and field peas While the latter must be our de
pendence as a storer of nitrogen it is important to have some rapidly maturing
summer crops to meet the needs of that season These should be planted as
soon as the rye or barley lots are ready for the plow remembering that the
later they are planted the more important is thorough preparation and high
fertilization
When these come off this land as well as the oat and wheat stubble should
certainly be sowed in peas We thus get another crop of hay and the roots
stems and fallen leaves furnish an important foundation for succeeding crops
of grain or cotton In the last months Talk I dwelt at some length on the
methods of preparation for and of planting these forage crops In view of the
probable shortage I feel bound to again direct attention to the importance of
this work Besides the value of
SPANISH GROUNDPEAS
as a root crop the vines make splendid stock feed and the cost is in compari
son with their value nominal A peck at 25 cents will plant an acre The
cost of planting and cultivation will not exceed 3 and after the hogs have
finished up the grain fields if they are turned on the groundpeas and from
there to the field peas returning again to the groundpeas there is no calcu
lating the amount of meat that could be raised In some sections and indeed
in all sections of the State the cotton during xinfavorable seasons is liable to
die out in spots In such missing places drop a few of these groundpeas and
after the cotton is gathered the hogs can be turned in In this case the cost of
cultivation is really nothing as the work goes on with that of the main crop
Where the missing spots were filled up the groundpea crop can be counted as
just so much gain Give the
HOGS
plepty fi salt Few farmers appreciate the importance of regular and ample
salting Furnish it to them in their slops and let them have access to char74
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
coal if possiblecertainly to ashes This can be given dry with the salt A
weekly dose of copperas is also most beneficial And see that they are kept
free from vermin by frequent applications of kerosene mixed with lard or oil
To raise hogs successfully one must be on the alert careless and indifferent
methods will not succeed
In view of this present emergency and of the importance of utilizing every
portion of that which is one of our most costly products I copy in another
column a part of an article which 1 prepared for the March number of the
Southern Cultivator in regard to harvesting the corn crop It is a question which
deserves careful study and the man or men who will hit upon the proper plan
of curing and preserving the valuable materials which are now about univer
sally wasted will confer a boon not only on his fellowworkers but on the
country at large
I refer to this question this early in order that farmers may consider discuss
plans and methods before the fodder pulling season with its attendant duties
is upon us
CULTIVATING CORN
One great drawback occasioned by the recent freeze is that where it was
necessary to plow up and replant corn the cultivation of the two crops corn
and cotton is thrown inconveniently near each other and the farmer is com
pelled to exercise the nicest judgment or else find himself overcrowded with
work and in danger of having his crops irredeemably injured Here it is that
the harrow can be used with telling effect and at great saving of time and la
bor Bun diagonally across the rows just as the plants are coming up it
breaks any crust that may have formed and kills the young grass
A second later harrowing in an opposite direction leaves the land in splen
did condition and saves at least half in the expensive hoe work
Wide cutting cultivators furnish another means of saving time and labor
and in the present urgent need for rapid and thorough work should be em
ployed wherever possible Under ordinary circumstances the second plowing
of corn occurs in this month and the fact that the plants are unusually small
should not deter us from going forward with the work rapidly and systemati
cally with a view to kill the grass but more important still to keep the surface
pulverizedand the moisture conserved and also to permit the air and sunshine
to do their work
This surface cultivation should by all means be at a depth of less than four
inches It has been conclusively shown that corn roots penetrate the soil to a
distance of several feet in all directions and at a depth of only four inches be
neath the surface Any plow which goes deeper than that must cut these
little feeders and each injury to them reduces in greater or less proportion the
eventual yield of corn At some of the experimental stations care has been
taken to make the exact estimate of this proportionate injury which is found
to decrease rapidly as the plowing becomes shallower
If we will keep in mind that the main object in plowing at this season is
not so much to kill the grass as important as that is nor to break the ground
deeply as to keep in the moisture which is constantly ascending toward the
surface we will make few mistakes in cultivation In order to hold back thisSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMAY
75
reserve moisture which the winter rains have deposited it is imporrant to
keep the plows moving Whether there is grass to be killed or not every
time a crust forms it should be broken as soon and as shallow as possible
Once in every two weeks is none two often The mellow soil acts as a mulch
to retain the moisture which is needed for the hungry little roots and which
would otherwise be evaporated from the surface much more rapidly than it is
drawn up from the earth by the force of capillary attraction There may be
long periods between rains this of course is beyond our control but we can
successfully prevent the waste of the water which the earth already holds
and all our plans should look to this important object
PLOWING COTTON
If there is a good stand of cotton and the land is in proper condition the
harrow run obliquely across the rows just as the plants are coming up leaves
them in splendid growing condition and if practicable a second harrowing
in an opposite direction a few days later renders the subsequnt working
cheaper and more satisfactory This plan obviates the necessity of the
blocking out processalways objectionable because the cotton in the
bunches is left too thick and is apt to grow off weak and spindling and if
there is anv delav in the second hoeing and the plants are left standing in
this condition for any length of time the crop does not soon recover from the
injurious effects The use of the harrow presupposes the land in good condi
tion deeply prepared and smooth On rough land or where from lack of
humus and from beating rains it has become hard and packed it will be nec
essary to do the first plowing with a scooter or narrow showel The sweep or
scrape which does beautiful work on ordinary land will not answer here A
feeder should be used with the scooter so that it may run close to and yet not
cover up the cotton and by having a wing on the side away from the cotton
the middles can be covered at the same time that the cotton is closely sided
POTATOES
This is the month to plant the main crop of potatoes It is not good policy
to plant immediately after a heavy rain but if this is done the plow or hoe
should follow in a few days The slips grow off better when set out in iresh
beds or lists thrown up as soon after a good rain as the land is dry enough to
plow The proper fertilizers and method of cultivation were treated in last
months talk Dont lay off too close or crowd in the rows
The month of May not only includes the planting of some of the minor crops
but is perhaps the most important period in the cultivation of the two stand
ard crops of corn and cotton If the last day of the month finds the farmer
with good stands and clean fields he can look forward with confidence be
cause he has fully performed his part of the work r t Nesbitt
SHEEPSTOCK
What animal returns to the soil in manure the largest percentage of the
manurial value of the food consumed Can I maintain the fertility of my
soil by using commercial fertilizers only R S T Elmore76
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
Sheep which according to accurate experiments return 95 per cent of all
the manurial elements of the food consumed in their manure solid and liquid
With a view to the renovation of a worn out farm sheep is the most profitahle
stock that could be kept They pay a large return in mutton or fleece for the
food consumed and the largest in manure
It should be remembered that by simply using commercial fertilizers no
matter how abundanty applied the fertility of the soil cannot be maintained
and exclusive dependence upon commercial fertilizers should never be at
tempted Leguminous crops and stocks are essential to profitable crops
and the latter renders the farmer independent and becomes a source of profit
In England sheep are used as the renovators of worn lands and it is an old
adage No cattle no manure no manure no crops
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES GIVEN BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE MONTH OF MAY
SOME NEWS RELATING TO FARMING GARDENING DAIRYING STOCK RAISING
ETC WHICH WILL BE INTERESTING TO THE FARMERS
Department of Agriculture
Atlanta May 1 1894f
MANURE
Which is the best manure stable or commercial fertilizer
H T L Valdosta
Upon certain kinds of land stable manure has greatly the advantage of com
mercial fertilizers because it improves the physical condition of the soil By
plowing the crops of peas and clover in conjunction with commercial fertil
izers we get the same result as by using stable manure These leguminous
crops gather much nitrogen from the air and some phosphoric acid and pot
ash from below and leave the land in a more friable condition saving manure
as well as labor
SAVING STABLE MANURE
What is the best plan to save stable manure and prevent the waste of its
valuable element L M I
A good deal of nitrogen and humus matter is lost when the manure lies in
large piles exposed to the air for any length of time This can be prevented
by spreading gypsum or kainit upon the pile and the manure becomes more
valuable for light soils when potash and a slow working of the manure is
needed Stable manure mixed with superphosphate is better adapted to heavy
soils
FERTILIZER FOR SWAMP
What is the best fertilizer for a swampy peaty soil
This soil contains a great deal of humus and as a rule does not require sta
ble manure or nitrogen It contains but little lime potash or phosphoric acid
and these are the materials to apply for the best resultsSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMAY
77
POTATOES
What for Irish potatoes
H A L Martins Ga
What kind of soil is best for sweet potatoes
When should the former be set out
The sweet potatoe flourishes best in a light sandy or loamy wawn soil In
any warm light land with southern exposure it can be cultivated with advan
tage They should be planted as early as frost will permit The Irish potato
does best on a cool northern exposure with a thick mulch and a loamy rather
heavy soil
WHAT BECOMES OF FERTILIZERS
What becomes of fertilizers when applied to land that is will they be
lost if not taken up by plants by leaching or will they remain in the soil
H 0 P Irwington
Whether a fertilizer will remain in the soil or be leached out by the rains
will depend entirely upon the character of the fertilizers and the material out
of which it is manufactured Phosphoric acid a chief constituent of all fer
tilizers is not lost to any extent by leaching When applied to the soil the
soluble assumes the form of reverted phosphoric acid in which form it cannot
be separated from the soil by the solvent action of water The various forms
of potash are water soluble and subject perhaps to more loss by leaching than
any other fertilizer material except nitrogen when supplied by nitrate of soda
Nitrogen supplied by cottonseed meal is subject to virtually no loss while
ammonia supplied by blood is so much loss
KAINIT
Does kainit contain other ingredients of value to plants besides potash
H A M Adairsville
The only ingredient in kainit of any considerable value as a plant food
is the sulphate of potash
OYSTER SHELLS
Do oyster shells contain any of the valuable elements of plant food and if
ground are they beneficial to the soil and how O G T Howards
Ground oyster shells contain a very small quantity of phosphoric acid about
07 of 1 per cent They are valuable for the carbonate of lime which they
contain it being an important constituent of fertile soils
PEAS FOR HAY
To cut for hay what time and what quantity of peas should be sown on land
that will produce ten bushels of corn to the acre
H F P Plainville
If the land is in good condition and the seed well put in a bushel to the
acre From the middle of May to the first of June is the best time to sow
but it may be done in June Your land should be fertilized if you expect good
results Use some acid phosphate with potash
ORCHARD CROPS
What can I plant in a young orchard without injuring it Do hogs injure
an orchard 0 C D Falls Creek78
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
Until your orchard comes into bearing you can cultivate it without injury in
such crops as potatoes peas beans and turnips The manure applied to these
crops will give vigor to the young trees Corn or small grains should never be
used After the orchard comes into bearing cultivation of other crops should
cease It May then be set in orchard grass and after a good sod is formed
calves and sows and pigs may be pastured on it Grown cattle and horses or
mules should never be allowed to enter
GRAFTING WAX
Please give me a recipe for grafting wax H 0 T Cloundale
Take equal parts of rosin beeswax and tallow and melt them together
Half the quantity of linseed oil may be used instead of the tallow When
the mixture is cool it should be pulled to give toughness
LOST CUD
I have a cow that has lost her cudwhat must I do for her
H 0 N Bluffton
It is a mistaken idea to suppose that a cow loses her cud and one must be
substituted And we take it that you use this expression to indicate that
the animal is sick and does not remasticate her food Where remastication
popularly known as chewing the cud is suspended the following treatment
has been highly recommended and found very beneficial Give as a laxative
onehalf pound each of common salt and Epsom salts in a quart of water and
three times daily a tablespoonful of carbonate of iron pulverized gentian pul
verized fenigreek each four ounces Also mix with the food three table
spoonfuls of powdered charcoal
NITROGEN
What amount of plant food or ammonia is contained in thefollowing fertil
izer material Blood dried nitrate of soda and cottonseed meal How
much does cotton seed contain H B Hampton Ga
The percentages vary Blood runs usually from 14 to 18 per cent nitrate of
soda from 15 to 20 per cent cottonseed meal from 8 to 9 per cent and cot
tonseed from 2 to 3
SWEET POTATO CULTURE
Please give me what you consider the best method of planting and cultivat
ing sweet potatoes A M H Social Circle
We are pleased to note your interest in the cultivation of the sweet potato
The late Gustave Speth of the State Experiment Station introduced an article
on its culture with these words
There are few crops at home in our Southern States that have been more
neglected and whose value and usefulness have been less appreciated than the
sweet potato
That it merits more attention cannot be questioned and is strongly evi
denced by its value to the market gardener in dollars and cents and for home
consumption on every farmSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMAY
79
PREPARATION
For the sweet potato the land should be thoroughly prepared well pulver
ized and subsoiled The plant requires considerable moisture and thus can be
best conserved by deep plowing and subsoiling The ordinary custom of set
ting the plants on a bed and in the process of cultivation hilling up the beds
we believe will be found best on wet land or in a rainy season but consider
the method of many of the experiments at the State station of flat culture as
advantageous on dry land and when the season is a dry one the slips should
be set two feet apart in rows three and a half or four feet apart two to the
hill and care should be taken to have a good stand by replanting wherever a
slip fails to grow and this replanting should be done at the earliest possible
time The cultivation of the crop should be rapid and thorough until the
vines become so large as to become injured As a fertilizer like the Irish
potato the sweet potato requires one in which potash is the dominant
CORN
In cultivating corn which do you prefer shallow or deep culture
O L C Bartow
We believe in thorough preparation and shallow cultivation Experiments
have sufficiently demonstrated that in nearly every instance shallow culture
will give an increased yield The increase is not very marked but when con
sidered in connection with the increased cost attending deep cultivation
forms a potent reason why this system should be adopted
MANURING THE ORCHARD
Would it do well to give my orchard a dressing with stable manure at this
season of the year M T 0 White Plains
Stable manure should have been applied in the autumn if used but in our
opinion it is not the best dressing especially for young orchards for when ap
plied too liberally it is likely to force an undesirable growth and experiments
indicate that it does not contain phosphoric acid in sufficient proportions to
balance the amount of nitrogen it contains A dressing of ground bone or of
acid phosphate is therefore beneficial in conjunction At this time of the
year it is best to apply a quick acting high grade commercial fertilizer
DISTANCE TO PLANT
What do you consider the best distance to plant corn and what cotton
L MT Mt Vernon
The distance to plant either corn or cotton depends on the character of the
soil and the farmer must be governed by this as no certain rules can be given
Again the rules governing the two are diametrically opposee to each other
Thus on rich soil we plant corn close while we give cotton more distance On
less fertile land the reverse is the case that is corn is given more distance and
cotton planted closer
IRISH POTATOES
What do you consider the best form of potash for the Irish potato muriate
or sulphate J P F Canton Ga
For the potato crop sulphate is thought to be better than muriate and is
said to give a larger yield and a better quality8o
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
GEORGIA CROP KPIPORT SHOWING AREAS PLANTED CONDITION
OF GROWING CROPS ETC
Department of Agriculture
Atlanta May 1 1894
A report on crop conditions and acreage compiled by the first of May is in
many respects incomplete yet contains sufficient information to be of benefit
in arriving at more accurate data later in the season
It is the intention of the department as provided by law under this branch of
the report to secure statistics of our agricultural products for later compilation
With this end in view we request the reporters who have so efficiently served
the department to make their inquiries as extended as possible with the pur
pose of getting statistics that will be practically correct
cotton
In regard to our staple crop of cotton it is gratifying to note that a small
reduction in acreage is reported While it would have been pleasing to re
cord a marked decrease in acreage yet the fact that the steps taken in the last
lew years to make cotton an independent money crop have not been retraced is
cause for congratulation It will be seen from the tabulated statement that
the condition and prospect compared to an average of five years for the State
is 9 per cent below the average and that this decrease in prospect is most
marked in Southwest Georgia while Middle Georgia shows a condition nearly
equal to the average of the last five years Throughout the State the crop is
from ten to fifteen days late and where the plant is up many imperfect stands
are reported
CORN
Several years have marked an increase in the acreage devoted to the corn
crop and we trust the future will see no retrogression in this respect and that
the selfsustaining farmer may be soon found all over Georgia The condition of
the crop owing to the cold weather the latter part of March and the first of April
is about 6 per cent below an average of the last several years Owing to
the advanced condition of the crop in Southwestern Georgia the decrease in
condition from the cold weather is greater in that than in any other section
of the State
wheat
As with corn an increase in the acreage devoted to this cereal is shown In
the corresponding report for last season we were pleased to note an increase
in acreage in the same crop and to state that the previous falling off in acreage
promises to he recovered All North Georgia and much of Middle Georgia is
well adapted to this cereal and more care should be taken in its cultivation
present prices are not remunerative but in a rotation of crop looking to the
upbuilding and preservation of the land it can very properly find a place
During the year in the reports of the department we have on several occasions
called attention to the best methods of fertilizing and of cultivating this crop
which we hope has received the attention of our farmers
OATS
No change in the acreage devoted to this crop for the entire State is shown
Southwest Middle and East Georgia show a slight gain which is lost in theSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMAY
I
other sections of the State For the entire State the condition and prospect
may be regarded as poor
FRUIT
Our rapidly developing horticultural interest has suffered this spring the
greatest disaster of this character perhaps that the State has ever passed
through Certain it is that there has never been such a wholesale destruction
of the fruit crop since this interest developed beyond the orchard for home
use While the destruction has been so great and the loss so heavy yet those
engaged in the business are not disheartened as they recognize the fact that
so severe a freeze is indeed a rare occurrence in Georgia
In some localities a few peaches will be made and a moderate gathering of
apples may be expected
The meadow lands throughout the State are in fine condition and interest
in forage crops is developing
LABOR
Labor conditions remain about the same with no scarcity reported
TABULATED STATEMNET
The following table gives a comprehensive view of the condition and pros
pect with the acreage of the most important crops
Cond com O 5 m Q o 3 3 w CD Cot prosp avei o Is
o cd B 0 o o o a D3 CD eat con ect cc five y CD CD 00 2o o 53 B 5s o
8 rtn S3 ca 3 S3 r jf
O 3 B V a to 5 o r to CD a CD
55 O o m co O o O
R B 2H B R
2 13 CO V H 5 2 cg i O 3 53 53
ij CD CD O H a a CD Cb O O CD B CD
99 391 104t 85 1031 99 77
97i 97 98 88f 100 102 871 70 103 lOOf 100 101J 101J 95 102J 100 87
88 88
Southeast Georgia 951 198 92 91 108 103 73 79 106 103 834
84J
WEEVILS IN CORN
A REMEDY GIVEN BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE
J EW Fort Gaines
J J M L Buchanna
Give me some remedy for weevils in corn
How can I keep weevils from beans
The bisulphide of carbon has been very highly recommended for the de
struction of weevils On this subject we take the following by Mr H E
Weed of ie Agricultural College of Mississippi from the Southern Planter82
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREGEORGIA
In the February number of the Planter is an article under the above head
which treats of the method of destroying weevils by means of bisulphide of
carbon The article in question however hardly gives the best method of
the application of the bisulphide nor where best obtained The bisulphide
is very useful as a remedy for any insects which may work within stored seeds
or grain of any kind It is best applied to the grain by simply pouring a
quantity over the top of the grain to be treated
When corn is harvested it should be carefully examined for the grain in
sects and if they are present as they generally are the corn should receive
treatment by means of the bisulphide remedy It is best to have a tight bin
for this treatment but this item is not essential to success although the
tighter the bin the less amount of bisulphide it will take for the treatment
In the case of corn also if it is husked it will take less of the bisulphide for
the treatment
There is no danger in the use of the bisulphide if only care is taken to keep
fire of any kind away from it While it can be obtained from the drug stores
at a cost of from 20 to 40 cents per pound it is best obtained from the manu
facturer Edward R Taylor of Cleveland Ohio who sells it in 50pound lots
at 10 cents per pound It will pay every farmer to get a 50pound can for it
is one of the things essential to successful agriculture and is something which
should be kept on hand at all times The bisulphide obtained from Mr Tay
lor is a better product than that generally to be obtained from the drug stores
as his fuma bisulphide is prepared especially for the treatment of grain
pests
Let me here call attention to the fact that a little labor spent in the spring
in gathering up the weevils which often swarm in empty grainaries at this
season will greatly lessen the number of weevils which will attack the grain
the following autumn The weevils in the empty or nearly empty grainaries
should be swept up into a shovel and killed by placing in a pail containing
kerosene
INFORMATION ON SPURRY
Will you kindly give me some information in regard to spurry as a forage
plant how to plant etc T W W Hamilton
Elaborate experiments have been conducted at the Michigan Experiment
Station with spurry from which we take the following as compiled by an agri
cultural paper which will give a succinct answer to your inquiry
This is a new plant to Michigan and probably to most other States but is
an old plant in some sections of the world In Scotland it is called yarr and
in Norway pickpurse in Germany it is sown among the stubble as a food for
sheep during winter In France the yield of spurry is estimated to be about
equal to a crop of clover or 7700 pounds per acre The seeds arc fed to cattle
and horses and supposed to be equal to rape cake in value In five or six
weeks it reaches a height of 12 to 14 inches and is said to be a valuable food
for cows as it improves the quantity and quality of the butter
Sown April 25 at the rate of 15 to 24 pounds per acre it matures the last of
May and a second crop may be raised It has been called the clover of sandy
soils Dr Kedzie who experimented vith it on light sand at Grayling MichSUGGESTIONS AND INFORMATIONMAY
83
says that when partially ripened and plowed under with a very shallow fur
row it is selfseeding and bears an abundant crop Its value as a manurial
plant on these light sands is pronounced When plowed under it enriches
the soil the most rapidly of any other plant he has used It is a valuable fod
der plant being eaten readily by cows or sheep it is a plant of great value
for bringing sandy lands into productive fields especially is this true of the
jack pine barrens of that State
The soil for spurry requires the same preparation as that for clover the
seed being sown and harrowed in the same the seed is smaller than clover
seed hence there are more in number per pound In harvesting three to 12
bushels of seed per acre are obtained Thick seeding gives an even field of
fine pasture and a heavy swarth when cut for hay If the weatheris warm and
moist the field will begin to show green the third day from the time of seed
ing it is ready for mowing for hay in about six weeks and will ripen the seed
in about two months for pasturing it may be used in from four to six weeks
The introduction of spurry as a forage crop alone will prove of immense
benefit but its use as a manurial crop is of much greater value In an experi
ment more wheat was produced following spurry than where 300 pounds of
phosphate was used per acre At Grayling experiment farm 10 acres were
broken in the spring and sown with spurry which was plowed under in Au
gust and the land sown with wheat The land beside it was planted with
wheat following clover and one beside that following timothy which had been
fairly well covered with barnyard manure The wheat on the spurry field
went into winter looking stronger than either of the other fields Spurry is
also valuable plowed under as a fertilizer in the orchardskUNIVERSITY Of GEORGIA LIBRAR ES
3 ElDfi 0563 D311