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. M&r.#$4.~YPt4';t'P''t l;,.-~ . . . , - ~ ML Cit 0 *p~' ~t.~rfl;$-m' ~kL~!b:. . .. . .. . -' . .. ~.. 5 . . 4? * 1%, '4 ___Alit 0 ESTABLISHED 1865. NEWBERRY,S. C., TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1898. TWICE A WEEk, SLI5O A YEAH THOROUGH'.TILLAGE!CONSERVES MOIS TURE AND,RENDERS'PLANT FOOD IN THE SOIL AVAILABLE. At this seatson when all who purpos4 farming or gardening are engaged it preparing the land for tho reception o: the seed, it may be interesting to recui to the theories of Jethro Iull, whicl though unsucces-ful in practice becausi of his mistake in not combining manur< with his methods of tillage, marked at cra in agricultural progress. IIis work, entitled, "New Horse Hoeing Husbandry," though publishec 165 years ago, may be read with proli by most farmers of today. Too muel importance cannot be attached to th< deep and thorough pulverization of th< soil previous to planting. Not - onl3 does a deeply prepared and pulverize( soil hold and conserve more moistur( than one poorly prepared, but the rooti of plants penetrate more deeply and con, sequently resist the influence of droutl which proves fatal to their shallow. rooted neighbors. By repeated and thorough stirring ol the soil the manures are incorporate& with the lower strata, where even dur. ing drouth there will be moisture to dis. solve tihe plant food which they contair and convey it into the circulation of th( plants. Some thirty years ago we culti. vated a garden which had bccn trenchee to the depth of two feet. On a fall crol: of Irish potatoes oat straw and chafi were used as a mulch. After the potat( vines matured or were killed by frosl oats grew from the chaff and were al lowed to remain until the followint spring. After the oats were cut and th< land plowed, finding it diflicult to pre pare the land for planting on account o the mass of roots and stubble, we dug holes two feet~ deep for melons. XV found the soil, as deep as it had beer trenched, completely occupied by th< roots of the oats which instead of th( usual four inches of loose soil derivec their food from six times this area besidei the accompanying advantage of iaviin a large root surface beyond the reach o an ordinary drouth. This difference be tween the condition, texture and color o the soil and subsoil is due principally t< the fact that the soil has been acte< upon by the air while the subsoil ha: not. 'he greater quantity of humus in th< -cil contributes to this difference, bu the most active corroding agent in na ture is oxygen. Thorough tillage ad mits a free circulation of air to whicl the particles of soil and stone are thu: exposed and decomposed or rather dis integrated. The geologist speaks of th< "weathering'' of the surface rock h' wvhich lie means that the work of disin tegrat ion has commenced in consequec< of its exposure to atmosp)heric ifl ences. If wec plant poorly prepared soil, w< deprive ourselves of the use of the plan food which is locked lip in the clods which the roots of the plants are unabl< to penetrate. WVe ask our readers t< compare t wo acres this season--one sub soiled and thoroughly pulverized by re peated plowvings and harrowving and thi other pirepared in the usual slipshod wa' and rep)ort results next fall, Quite number of farmers have adopted the in tensive systemm in recent years and havy thus dlemonstratedl that this, in conjunc tion with diversified farming, enab)le them to grow cotton profitably, even a present prices. T'he following extract from a recen issue of the News and Courier illustrate this point: Mr. Fletcher cultivates only sixty eight acres of his land himself, arnd rent forty acres to tenants. The followini statements showv in condensed form th results of his successful intensive-exten sivye-Marlboro-Fletcher style of busi nes farmuing: Ru icICIPT'S 1'ROM sI xTV-E%IonT AcREs. 13 acres cottoni, 24 bales, 555 pounds(1 each, equal to 13,320 pounlds at 5)4 cents a pound.............. ~-$ 732 6 35 acres corni, 25 bushels per acre, equal to 875 bushels, at 50 cents. 437 5 Boo bushels peas fromi corn land, at 50 cents.................40 0 m, ioo pounmds fodder, fromn corni land, at 90 cents per hunidredweight.. 99 0 20 acres in oats, 8oo bushels, at 40 cents per bushel'-------~.......-.-.-.320 C 20 touis hay, from land planted ini oats 200 C 3,700 pounds pork at 6 cenits per 1)0und( 222 0 Total........... ... . COST OFt PARTI1,ZINO, CULTIVA','i!No AND KAR VESTINO. Fertilizers used on 13 acres of cotton, $6 per acre .........................................$ 78 00 -'arvesting 13 acres of cotton,' $io per acre.............-.......... 130 00 Fertilizing 35 acres of corn, $1.50 per acre.................................. .......... 157 50 Harvesting 35 acres of;cort, $t per acre. 35 00 Fertilizing 20 acres of cats, $4-50: per acre.........,...................................... 90 00 ItertiliZinUg 20 acres of oat land*. for hay crop........ ....................................... 26 oo Paid two hirelings $13 per month each, for six months .............................. 56 oo Total.......... ...............................$672 50 Net profit from 68 acres, $1,738.60. These figures show an average yield of $35.46 per acre and they show an average net profit of $25-56 per acre The difference between the receipts and expenditures is almoA four to one in ac tual figures, and the real difference it even greater. The proceeds from the dairy, poultry, garden, fruit and other sources is not included, nor is the large increase in the amount of cotton sced and corn on hand now and at this time last year. Cotton seed from the previ ous year were used in fertilizing 11his crop and corn from 1896 was used also, but the quantity of both of these now on hand is very much larger than for the corresponding period last year. A little more figuring here may be of interest to some who like others to do this work for them. PICcIINTAGIt OF PROItrT PlIR AcRit. 13 acres cotton, yield 13,320 pounds, at 5Y2 qents .. ......................$732 00 Fertilizing $78, harvesting $130 and one third cost of labor $S2....................... 260 o Balance oi hand........ ......... ........ $472 co 35 acres corn yielded corn, peas and fod der..................................................$936 50 Fertilizing $157, harvesting $35 and one. third cost of labor $52 ....................... 244 50 Balance on hand ................. ........$692 00 20 acres of oats, 8oo bushels oats and twenty tons hay .----.................$520 00 Fertilizing $r16, and one-third cost of labor $52......................................... 168 00 Balance on hand ............... ...... . .$352 00 Net profit per acre on cotton, $36-31; net profit per acre on corn and peas, $19.77 ; net profit per acre on oats ar.d hay, $17.60. This recapitulation shows, at the first glance, that cotton is still king, but a careful study of the hay figures may prove insttuc.ve. After having made So bushels of oats from ao acres, Mr. Fletcher put fertilizers, valued at $1-30 per acre on this same land, ploughed in this application and did no more work on it until he harvested 20 tons of hay, - which he values at $aoo, and which cost him iess than $3o. A New and Cheap Spraying Mixture. Prof. Kedsie, of the Michigan Expe riment Station, gives the following di ,rections for its preparation. Hie is good authority on such subjects: > Boil two pounds of white arsenic and four pounds of salsoda for fifteen mini - utes in two gallons ot water. Put into Sa jng and label "'poison," and lock it up. r WVhen you wvishi to spray slake two i pounds of lime and stir it into forty gall - Ions of water, adding a pint of the mix ture fromi the jug. - The mixture ini the jug will cost 45 S cents, and this is enough for 8oo gallo . t or twenty barrels of spray. These tweni ty barrels will require forty pounds of t lime, which will cost twenty cents a more, maiking the total cost 65 cents for twenty barrels, or 34 cents peCr b)ar -rel. Its ad vantages over Paris green are as follows: it is cheaper, and the ingredi ents cani be found in alny village drug -store ; it is easily prepared and easily s kept ready ; it will keep for any length of time ; it is uniform in strength ; it does not injure the leaves of trees or plants; it colors the leaves white, show ing howv evenly it is dlistribuited. Prune, apple, pear and p)lum trees and grape vines now. It is better to dlefer ojpruning peach trees until the bloom buds(1 are well dlevelopedI. Early pruning causes early growth and increased risk o of frost. After the bloom buds are well odefined, cut b)ack half~ to two-thirds of the blooming surface. This is the cheap - est and most effectual way of thinning o the fruit. Spraying for Protection. Under this head Mr. Van Demuan gives in Southern Planter the following directions: Before beginning, the matter should be carefully considered as to what, when and how the work should be done. There are two main lines of action to be fol lowed-use atsenic for insects and sul pliate of copper for fungi. The comner cial arsenic known as Paris green is about the most effective insect destroyer known, and combines with fungicides better than London purple. It costs about seventeen cents pc* pound, and this amount will poison 200 or 300 gallons of water sufficiently to kill nearly all in sects. If used stronger, the solution is apt to injure the foliage of most plants and trees. It should be applied whein ever insects of anykind are known to eat the foliage. For codling inoth in the apple and pear. the first application should be made as soon as the bossom leaves fa"l and the fruit'beginis to grow. There should be two more sprayings about ten and twenty days:,after the first. Sulphate of copper (blue vitriol) costs 4% to 5 cents per pound and is used to best advantage combined ,with lime, making what is known as Bordeaux mixture. Four pounds of sulphate'of copper should be tied in cheese cloth and suspenided in a three-gallon bucket of water until it dissolves. Slack three pounds of lime in a'separate vessel in'the same aniount of,water. Fill a barrel with water (40 to So gallons) and pour in the copper solution through a burlap strainer; then do the same with the dis solved lime, and after stirring it is ready for use on almost anything that is sub ject to the attacks of fungous diseases. It is a preventive rather than a remedy; hence it should be applied before there are any signs of disease. It lis better to begin the spi aying before the leaves start on trees and vines, as there are erms lurking about then. After the frt has set there should be three more sprayitngs at intervals of about fifteen d.s. Just after a rainy spell is an opportune time, as the mixture will then dry and remain on the leaves for a long time. The Paris green mixture can be put in with this, gallon fo- gallon, and the two applied at once, thr.s doing double work, if desired. In all cases, frequent stirring is highly important, whether both or only one is used, as the ingredients are constantly settling to the botton. Do not be afraid to use a little cheap liquid, but get it on every part of the suspected tree or plant. Ammoniacal solution of copper is also a most excell nt fungous poison, and has the advantage of not staining the fruit or vegetabces, as does Bordleaux mixture, and for this reason is preferable for late use when gathering time is near. It is made by putting one quart of the strong est ammonia in a gallon jug or large hot tie, add three ounces of carbonate of copper, and keep"well corked. This is enough for 25 gallons of water, andc can be used a little at a time in this pro)por tion, or all at on1ce, as may b)e needed. The -Anchor' Hillside Plow. Ilave you ever usedl the Anchor Ilill side Plow, sold by J. C. Bucher & Co., Atlanta, Ga. ? If so, pleaset give me your opinion about thme plow. Will it do good, satisfactory work ? I would like to try the plow if it wvill (1o goodl work and give satisfaction. Tell me all about the plow and oblige. .J. C. Hi. I have used the Anchor Hillside Plow for three years with great advantage and satisfaction. It is all iron except the handles. The beam is formed of a piece of iron pipe. The feet are attached to an iron cuffi which revolves around the beam. This cufT has two slots in the rear- end, into which a spring catches when the p)lows are changed from right to left hand, or vice versa. If it is desired to uise it simplly as a hillside plowv, a right hand turn llow is attached to oneC foot and1( a left-ha~ndl to the other. It is then readly to turn ev ery furrow dowvn hill. If it is to be uased as a combination turn plo0w andl sub soiler, a turn low hoe is p)ut on one foot and a narrow scooter or bull1 tongue on the ot her. A furrow is thrown down the hill wvit.h one side anid the scooter returns in the same furrow as a subsoiler. Eivery one horse f rmner houil hnve it Tho Proportion of Fortilizors. I have tweity acres of red clay land I wish to plant in cotton. I want to put 200 pounds of fertilizey to each acre, composed of cotton seed meal, acid (13%) and kainit. The land will make 6oo pounds to the acre. What propor tion of above would you advise for a good fertilizer? Also, I have forty acres sandy land (white) with clay subsoil. I wish to plant it also in cotton and use same [imount of fertilizer It will make 500 pounds of seed colton. G i ve me also a formula for complete fertilizer for it, composed of cotton secd meal, acid (13%) aid kainit. Would muriate of potash be better than kaiiit ? if so, use in formula. Is cotton seed meal the best form fol basis of ammonia? If not, what ? What proportion of cotton seed, kai nit and acid should I use on sandy land ? R. G. 13. ANSWICR. The formulas for fertilizing your dif ferent classes of soil should depend some what. upon the treatment. they have received in recent years as regards sup plying humus through nitrogen collect ing plants, such as peas, etc. In the ab ;ence of such0 itniormation anid~guided by yourdescription, I suggest for (lhe clay soil: Cotton seed meal - - - - Soo lhs. Acid Phosphate, 3r% - - 1,xoo lbs. Kainit - - - - - - -- - aoo lbs. 2,000 lbs. For the sandv soil Cotton seed meal - -800 lbs. Acid phosphate, 13% - o- lbs. Kainit - - - - - - - - o00 lbs. 2,o00 [b. Muriate contains four times as much potash as kainit, and according to results obtained .in our experiments, a pound of potash from iuriate will produce as much cotton or corn as vill a pound from kainit or ashes. As ioo pounds of muriate may be substituted for loo pounds of kainit, 300 pounds more of acid phosphate may be used in its place in the formula. For tubers and root crops kainit is considered better than mnuriate. For corn on your sandy land use Cotton seed, 30 bus., or --900 fs, Acid phosphate goo----- 900 lbs. Kainit . - - - - - - - 200 lbs. 2,ooo lbs. If your lands bore heavy crops of peas last year you can with propriety reduce the quantity of cotton seed meal a mnd in crease the p)hosphate and kainit. Kalnlt or Murlate? Have you ever experimenteCd wih kai.. nit and muriate of potash in mixt urme of bone and meal ? And if so, please let me knowv your conclusions as to their rel ative merits as a source of plotalsh. J1. E. WN. ANSwRR1 i. Yes, we experimented with equal quantities of potash from kainit, muri ate andl cotton hull ashes upon corn, cot ton, Irish potatoes and turnips. So far as the p)rodumction was concerned(, all of these p)lants resp)ondedl to the qumest ion as to their p)reference, that it was a mat ter of indifference to them. For corn or cotton one is as good as the other, b)ut the muriate is considleredl objectiona ble undeCr root crops in which the formation of starch is important. It is claimed that thle muriate produces a claummny po.. tato, and that the chlorine which it coni tains dliminishes the burning qu ialities of tobacco. Since the mutriate contin s more t han four times as much p)otash as the kainit, it is to the advant age of manm * ipulautorM of high grado commercial f'er tilizers to use it. Concentrate the manmure and work on a small area. D)eep and( thorough p)rep arat ion <A< the soil, mixing tIhe ma nure completely to the depfth of tIhe broken soil wvill protect the crop from injumrious~ effects of bo0th d routh andc excessivye ratin. fall. This is especially im portant in theu garden. 'Without thIoroutgh titag the crops cannot utilize thme p)lant food ini the soil. A Cotton Formula. If you were planting a crop of cotton what change would you make in the fol lowing formula Cotton seed meal - - - - - 200 lbs. Blood - - - - - - - 2oo Nitrate of Soda - - - - - 200 Potash -- 200 Acid phosphate - - - - 1,2oo " 2,ooO lbs. On account of the nitrate of soda it would have to be a dry mixture. J. A. P. ANSwICIt. Your' formula gives about 3.6% of amiail ; assumig i3o available for the acid phosphate, you have 8% avail able phosphoric acid aId 1.5% of pot ash. This is hardly enough potfash or sandy soil, while the percentage of am monia is high if the soil is wvell supplied with humus. This formula will cost about $16 or $T7 per ton. There is some advantage in the use of the nitrate of' soda to start the plant otT promptly, but fihe same effect can be obtained from tie cotton seed meal by ptting it into the ground several weeks before plaitiling the seed. There is some risk of having the nitrate of soda washed out by lieaNy spring ains. Cotton seed Imleal is our clieapest coi Iercial source of iirogenl, and being organic, its nitroge.n is,not iimieldiatelv available, but becomes so as thle ival decoIlposes. 'lhe following formula Vould be cheaper and equally as good : Cotton seed meall - - - - - o bs Acid phosphate - - - - 200 Kainit -u -- . m Tllis would cost about $i.j Per toll and analyze : ammonia 3.4%. a1cid 8%, and potash 1.4%. Plant Shade Trees. This is the proper season for trans. planting deciduous shade trees. Ever greens do better planted later in the sprinig. The preparation of the tree for trans planting is of as much'importance as tie preparation of the soil for its reception. Care should be used to mutilate tit roots as little as possible in removing tL tree. It is not necessary that the root be very long buti they should not b bruised and broken, but smoothly cut and protected from cold drying winds and the direct rays of the sun until re turned to the soil. Cut off all mashed, broken and bruis. edl roots andl all r'agged ends. Cut off all large limbs anld head back the body to the height at which it is ide. sired to. branch. If there are smiall twige near the top after heading back, leavt them to furnish early leaves. Th'les< will aid the vegetating fuinctioiis of' th<n tree and esp)ecially promlote root formia. tion, wvhile advientitious hudls are b.eing~ prodchCed. The holes should be dutg lar'ge eniougli to admlit the roots ill their natural posi tion andl deep -enough to admit of oic foot of rich top soil mnixedl with thor oughly rotted mianiue below the roots. Sift fine soil amongst the roots, prless i firmly tolthem, pour a p)ail full of' watei in to settle the soil natur'ally ar'ounid th rotstadfill onyas hihas the soil stoodI around1 the tr'ee in its nat ura home. Leave a slight basin aroundl the triet andi mulch with any coarse, deadl vege tation available to r'etain mnoistur'e. Ii dry spells water fr'eely. Long liv~ed trees should be selected such as the varieties of elii, water' oak willow oak, white oak or' variet ies o miaplhe. Treces are usually plantted so close that syniinetiical growvth is inupossibile. The' are planted thick withl the idea that: mole dense shade will thius lbe secured but the object sought is defeated by thiecl planting. Thle most dentse shade is af forded by trees whtichi have suiflicien space to br'ainch natuirally and thus forni a thick canopy of leaves all over theil heads. If trees ar'e taken from the for'est wher< thir' bodies have been shaded, thle: shiouldl he boxed to keep off thle dIiiree rays oif the Sunl. If nlot prtotect)d the bark wvill b o laste< 01n the southwest sde.e Co-operation Among Farmers. No farmier, no matter what are 'his circunustances can afford to confine him self to common stock. A common cow that will give less than two gallons of in ferior milk per day will require the same food and attention as a grade that will yield three to five gallons of milk of bet ter <puality. The former is fed and milk ed without profit while the same labor and expense bestowed upon the improv ed cow returns as profit all that she yields above that of the common animal. We u is,t learn to regari our animals as the nanuifacturer does his machinery. They are prolitable jist in proportion to their capacity to convert cheap raw material into ml ore valuable products. If the piroduct of milk and butter does not exceed in valte by an aniount, con sidered a reasonable rofit upon the cost of the food consumed and the labor ex penided utpon her, she had better be con verteCd ilto l)eef and a better machine Substittuted in her stead. There are some connon cows that are exceptions. Ifthere are no thorough bred btills, stallions or boars in the leigh borhood to which resort can be had at reasollable cost, let half a dozenl or a doz ei neighbors comibiie and purchase thor ouighbr-eds vith which to breed up their stock. The expense will thus he reduc ed to a ininimuni and better stock can be purchased by such co-operation than anl individual Could afford. Better care will niaturally be bestowed upon illlproved stock thaln upon scrubs as they inspire Iore iiterest on the part of their owner. After securing enough good Imlilel cows in a neighborhood the next step ill co-operation should he the establishmuent of a creamery or a cheese factory to furnish a home market for all surl)lus after supplying the faiily. The first creallery ill tile United States had its origin in co-operation amongst nieighbors. U11pon the ordinary farm there are usually io appliances for hand ling imilk to the best advataklge and con seriielntly 'Colultry butter" sells below dairy and Ccamery b1tter al even be low the price of Oleollargerilne. If the milk from all tile farms of the neighborhood is carried to the creamery wheic all of the ilodern appliances for handling it are supplied and an expert ellployed, there will be 1no illiforillity ill the outplt and this will be uniiformly good. The wok will he done m11ore thor oughly and muore skillfully at the creaim ery than 'on tile farm11-1 adl tile cost of pro (ItIctioll will b)e less. As to improved hogs, tile increased yieli of mi k of superior (mality from a sinogle h al1f-b reedl will pay t he inidividuanl farmler's share oIf the cost of a thlorough b)red boar purchlased by co-operationl. Ally oneC, whod 'wil experimlenlt, as we have dione1, byV givinig imp1lrov'ed pigs and thICet commonltIl stock idettica ly thle samel treat Inenlt and obsecrve thle '1ifferenlce in wveight at nline mlonIths of age, will at onlce decide that hIe canniot affordh to keep thle connnl1on stock. A pair. of lllatchled horses will often sell for fifty per cenit. more(2 thian tile same hlorses wvill bIrinig if soldi sep)arately. If thle farmIers ill tile neighblorhloodl combIine inl thle 1)u1rchase of a first class stallion, the iy wil not only1 have the Lir service alt less co st 1buIt p)rofitaly co-op)erating in theC sie of(I thle youngl stock. A hads a youIng hlorse thlat mal:tches oneC ownled hby lH, they trainI thIese tw.o to wo(rk togethler ill dIoule hlarness awdl ob,taian fancy pric es for thleml ini the nlearest City. Black Rot In the Cabbages. Mr . l*;dwin I-. Sith I of tile Divisionl of \'cgetable P athlology of thle U. S. D)e pairtment11 of Agrieulture hlas p)repalred ai bullet21inI known as Farmers' Ibilletin No. 68 'i whi is t reatledl this~ dlisease of thie TEru ck farm e rs or oth eras growing this c'rolp 4n large scale should ask the. Secre tarv', of Agricuiltureo for this bulletinl which is dlistribut11ed free. A nlothe(r mlan has inivenlted a process for m IakI:ii~in milk 1by comb111illng chem icalis. l ie is a Chicago lma; but nlot thle same Clica go manll wh~lo illvenllted art ificial eggs whIeb 1 ( o ld' el ptonl tile maldrket at half therce o dC(f gennlinell hlen herries, and( (climedI that hie w~'ould soon1 have ani egg t perfectedi that w\old( haitchl. Theli fool k'iller '->t the egg mianl, andit is su1pposedl to be aftt- the mlilk maker nlow. Hie Imlighlt also g;ive some attenltionl to people who1 believe suchl fakes.