The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., November 05, 1910, Page 755, Image 7

About The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
® PLOWHANDLE TALKS. ®
IT DOES NOT PAY TO BURN
STALKS.
Messrs. Editor: I consider your
paper a wonderful help to us South
ern farmers, who have so much to
learn, and I especially enjoy Profes
sor Massey's writings, which seem
so practical.
Have Just read whore you want
some one to try the experiment of
burning cotton stalks, and of cut
tiag as whs usual before boll weevils
came, and report result. I believe
practically everybody here in this
portion of Adams County has tried
thoroughly the plan advocated by
the United States Department of Ag
riculture. and Is as thoroughly con
vinced that it pays, even on this
rich land te tarn our Btalks under.
In fact, we have derived no benefit
whatever from the burning of stalks,
at any season of the year, so far as
weevils are concerned, as we have
found to our entlro satisfaction,—or
dissatisfaction, as you will,—that the
percentage of weevils shows no ap
preciable difference the spring fol
lowing cutting and buruiug as com
pared with cutting and plowing un
ucr.
We bought some six or eight "stop
plo" stalk cutters, but have now dis
carded them, as they cut the stalk
down only and would not leave it in
shape to be plowed under. We now
use only the revolving-wheel stalk
cutter, and then plow under the
stalks.
I believe no one appreciates more
than this writer the value given by
tho Department of Agriculture, and
believe, aa a whole, it Is a great helf,
but in the work they do, there must
be instance* whero theoretically a
matter is correct, and practically it
is very incorrect. In boll weevil
work they have helped us wonder
fully. but in their method of cultiva
tion. which we have tried very thor
oughly for several years now, on this
plantation of about 1.600 acres, we
And they are, according to our ex
perience. wrong in two very import
ant details.
The first of these wo shall say is
in the theory of lessening the evil ef
fects of the weevils by cutting stalks
LOUISIANA SEED CANE
Five foot average. One dollar per hundred, f. o.
b. Payette Order before froet.
J C. McNAIR. - - • Payette, Mi»«.
WRITS FOR OVR
Fartner'e Weekly Price Current.
Merchant Weekly Price Current
Cotton Planting Seed Catalogue.
Wlllit Snd Company. Aufusti. fia.
APPLER OATS FOR SALE
85 cents per bushel.
Sycaaart NMs Farai, • • • - Sycamora. Ala
Pure Red Rust-Proof Oats
For Sale.
A. L. ARGUE, - - Woodville. Miss.
SEED OATS FOR SALE
EXTRA FINE.-VERY HEAVY, ABSOLUTELY PURE
■ ' " """ —■■■■■ '
Appier, $1.00 per bushel; Has
ting’s one hundred bushel Oats,
line, $1.25 per bushel; Winter
Turf or Grazing Oats, $1.00
per bushel. Old reliable Geor
gia Purple Straw Seed Wheat
and Bearded Fulcaster Wheat
$1.75 per bushel.
All seed pure—no Johnson i
grass or other obnoxious weed ,
seed in them.
Cleveland Big Ball, Cook's
Improved, Broadwell and Bunk
Account Cotton Seed soon
ready.
Send all orders to
H D. TATUM, Fair View Farm
PALMETTO, GA
----)
ind burning, which we can’t see as
they do.
The second, and ene that will
?ause you to probably believe we are
wrong, and which really surprised us
almost beyond measure, is that it
does not pay to pick up and burn
the punctured forms. We believed
this to be one of the best possible
measures that could be adopted to
secure a lessening of the evil effects,
or rather, a lessening of the number
of the weevils in our fields, as it
seemed certain that destroying a
form and killing that weevil would
sujely help, but by actualy experi
ance and experiment we find that the
Rame labor expended in runing a cul
tivator. or the tool that is most need
ed, will give returns for good, fully
1 00 per cent better than when spent
In picking up forms.
Theoretically, plowing under forms
Is supposed to do no good, and while
we can't say positively that it does,
at the same time, to our own satis
faction, after these years of trial, we
are convinced fully that it must kill
many, but even if it kills none, the
working given the crop is better than
not working it, but picking up forms.
This veer where we have two peo
ple making a crop, and had them
pick up forms instead of devoting
(lme to plowing and cultivating, they
have made only about 50 per cent of
the crop made by two people working
Bame amount of land, but devoting
all time to plowing, cultivating and
hoeing, nnd ingoring altogether the
boll weevil.
This may seem to be statements
made by an opponent of "book farm
ing." etc., but it is really the op
posite. nnd we believe scientific farm
ing the only hope of the man wko
would succeed.
We say, cultivate fast nnd often,
Rnd Ignore the boll weevil.
T. R. BARBER.
Araot, Miss.
ANOTHFR PI.' N FOR OTTUNfl
FRAVINT? HAY.
Messrs. Editors: Having had 30
rears experience In handling hay. I
find the following to he the best and
surest for peavlno hay:
Cut plenty of poles 0 to 8 feet
lone, set 1H f««»t In ground, tamp
well; leave o» poles all limbs, cut
them ofT 2 feet from pole. If not
enoueh limbs, nail on strips, 2x%l.
3 >4 feet lone, not over 3 feet apart:
llmhs and trips to hold vines from
settling nnd lets In air. Cut timber
3 U fppt long to build scaffold on
ground around nole, 12 Inches high,
so that air can have free access under
the hnv. T have two hands to set stack
poles end stack hnv.one hand to mass
and rake. First, cut enough for two
gtacks, then rake to poles—by time
two hands can stack two stacks
and put in two poles, the mow
er would have two more mow
ed and ready to rake. Alternating
In this way. when night comes er
rain conies mv hay Is In stacks. Top
gtacks with finest vines; If any crab
irnss among 1t. it. will not leak. I
rave In field stack fi or II weeks, un
II cared enough to put my hay press
n field nnd hale.
You will find when you hale, leaves
m vines nnd all the strength In your
lav. It Is not exposed to sunshine,
lew or rain and will have retained a
leen green eolor same as when cut.
'tacks should he looked after and
vent straight. Replace top, should
t blow off. TTav put up this way will
Irv out If stacked wet from dew or
rain. A. J. JULIAN.
Gainesville, Ga.
Hdltorlal Comment.—We have no
loubt Mr. Julian can make good hay
by this plan. We have just one ob
jection to it—it involves too much
labor, and is, therefore, too expen
sive. Knowing, as we do, that pea
hay of the best quality can be made
with little more labor than is requir
ed to cure clover or timothy, we can
scarcely look favorably on any plan
which demands such an extra outlay
of time and labor as is involved in
the cutting of poles and building of
frames. One of the things Southern
farmers will have to learn, whether
they will or no, is to be less extrava
gant in their employment of labor.
We repeat, Mr. Julian’s plan will
make good hay all right, but in our
opinion it costs more to do It than is
necessary.
HINTS FOR SYRUP-MAKING TIME.
Messrs. Editors: It is best to strip
cane about two weeks before cutting.
This sweetens the juice, also makes
cutting easier. Don’t top until ready
to cut down. When danger of frost
is imminent the cane should be cut
and windrowed. In this condition it
may remain for several weeks before
grinding.
In bedding seed, care should be
exercised that the butts are placed
directly in contact with mellow earth.
If this is done, loss of seed will be
practically unknown.
The time to plant is when you cut
your cane. Plant on well-drained
land. It saves a whole lot of work in
the spring, when time is precious.
Never, if possible, use less than two
horses to a mill. Gear the rollers
tight. The extra power is more than
made good in the quantity of juiee
you get.
Get common moss, that grows on
Ihe trees almost everywhere that cane
grows; put it in a box, about 12 in.
deep, and pack it full, and set It
under the spout of the mill. Use one
day, then wash and sun for a day,
and use a second lot of moss. This
will last through the grinding sea
son.
Steam cooking is always the best
way of evaporating, but out of the
juestion with most small farmers.
Grinding and cooking could be run
in connection with a steam gin.
The best evaporator is made of gal
vanized iron, 3 feet wide, 9 feet long,
8 inches deep, with a 1x4 fastened
on side, flaring out about 45 degrees,
so that the “scum” may form on it,
and can easily be removed with a
paddle. Fill with juice until full,
then evaporate till it has a density of
33 to 35 degrees Beaume, as deter
mined by a saccharimeter, which
costs 75 cents. Then cool down and
draw off.
To bring scum to the surface,
sprinkle a teaspoonful of baking soda
in the juice before it begins to boil.
To prevent souring or fermenting
of syrup, hermetically seal the syrup
in cans, jugs or bottles, while hot.
Sterilize receptacles with steam just
before filling; then fill with syrup,
and seal immediately.
W. S. JONES.
Terry, Miss.
WHEAT FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA
Messrs. Editors: In reply to several
recent inquiries, I would say that any
of the following varieties of wheat
will be suitable for central Alabama,
and their yields of grain will not
ordinarily vary greatly:
Beardless variety: Blue Stem (pre
ferably grown in the Gulf States),
and Fultz.
Bearded variety: Fulcaster.
All of these can be obtained from
any seedsman and from growers who
advertise their seed.
Prepare the land, if practicable, a
number of weeks before sowing. Use
the harrow repeatedly before sowing.
Then, if you have no grain drill, sow
five pecks of seed broadcast and cov
er with a disk harrow, or some other
cultivating implement other than a
spike-tooth harrow, since the latter
covers scarcely deep enough. At time
of sowing I suggest the use of 200
pounds of acid phosphate and about
March 1st a top dressing of at least
100 pounds of nitrate of soda per
acre. J. F. DUGGAR.
INCREASE YOUR GRAIN YIELD BY USIN6 YHE
Monitor Double Disc Drill
It requires one-fifth less [seed
than any other drill.
It increases the yield three to
eight bushels per acre.
Pulls one-third lighter draft ^
than any single disc drill. 1
It is impossible to choke it in
sticky soil or trashy land.
Sows oats, wheat, cowpeas, soy
beans, or any other small grain.
Produces a greater yield, high
er grade, and the grain commands
a better price than that sown
with any other drill. Dro»“*T!taa5lJ3w*ri
There are scientific reasons WHY, and our
catalog fully explains them.
See the MOLINE agent in your home
town, or write us.
Drills shipped from New Orleans, Atlanta,
Columbia or St. Louis. In two furrows. ■
SOUTHERN MOLINE PLOW COMPANY
- .a NEW ORLEANS,* LOUISIANA.