The progressive farmer and the cotton plant. [volume], January 24, 1905, Page 3, Image 3

About The progressive farmer and the cotton plant. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1904-1905

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
Tuesday, January 24, 1903.
organism and inoculate the soil. These cultures
can he obtained in limited amount from the Bu
reau of Plant Industry U. S. Dept. of Agricul
ture, Washington. D. C. There are also compa
nies that are manufacturing these from the Gov
ernment formula.
However, for successful use it must be remem
bered that these inoculations are not designed
to take the place of the usual careful prepara
tion of the soil, nor do they do away with the
need of mineral fertilizers, nor are they valuable
for any crop other than the particular legumes
for which they are recommended.
Varieties of Corn and Corn Cultivation.
A recent series of corn experiments at the
Tennessee Experiment Station are" described in a
new bulletin, and the following conclusions ar
rived at conclusions which the farmer would do
well to consider before selecting his seed corn
for this year or deciding on methods of cultiva
tion.
1. The best average yields of corn for four
years were made by Ilickory King with 46.87
bushels, Champion White Pearl with 43.41 bush
els, Improved Learning with 42.13 bushels, Early
Learning with 41.51 bushels and White Rockdale
with 41.CG bushels.
2. The smallest per cent of cob to dry ears
was shown by Hickory King, 13.09, the largest
per cent by Large White Flint, 25.07; Yellow
Creole was a close second with 23.78, and Im
proved Learning third with 19.7G per cent. The
variation in the per cent of cob may amount to
nearly 10 per cent. The cob is by far the poorest
part of the crop, being innutritious and indiges
tible, and the breeder of corn should strive to re
duce the per cent of cobs to a minimum.
3. Of the varieties gTOwn for three years, Wis
consin Early White Dent made on an average the
largest yield, 43.52 bushels per acre; Reid's Yel
low Dent was. a close second with 43.11 bushels;
and Virginia Horsetooth third with 42.30 bush
els.
4. For light uplands Hickory King is certainly
one of the best varieties that has been grown to
date. Other varieties are Early Learning, Iowa
Gold Mine, 100 Day Bristol, and Golden Beauty.
5. For soils of medium fertility, such as second
bottoms and rich uplands, Coke's Prolific, Vir
ginia Ensilage and Virginia Horestooth are all
excellent varieties. Probably the best of these is
Cocke's Prolific. There is one drawback to it in
that the stalk is somewhat weak, a defect that
can be corrected by selection.
C. For rich river bottoms Huffman is one of
,the best types. It is a hardy variety, growing a
large stalk and a fine car. The ear is almost ideal
in many respects; the grain is flinty and rich in
protein. Cocke's Prolific and Shaw's Improved
also give satisfactory results on river bottom
soils.
7. The farmer should remember that in grow
ing corn he is after two things grain and fod
der, and not a large, coarse stalk containing a
high per cent of indigestible matter and a large
per cent of cob.
S. The common practice of planting 5 feet
each way and one stalk to the hill is not compati
ble with the best yields. To show the importance
of planting closer than is commonly done the
following statement is presented: 100 acres of
Hivkory King planted at 48 inches would have
yielded 500 bushels more grain than if planted at
5-1 and 1,000 bushels more grain than if planted
at CO inches.
9. The importance of selecting corn is shown
by the fact that there was a variation of 7 to 19
days in the dates of ripening and from 9.8 to 14
tons per acre in the yield of green crop and from
54.G5 to 68 bushels of grain per acre with ears of
Cocke's Prolific corn planted in single rows.
Cocke's Prolific is a well established variety, yet I
the results obtained from planting single ears
show remarkable variation.
10. In a general way corn planted on soils of
moderate fertility will respond to the use of fer
tilizers, particularly to phosphates and potash.
Corn loves a soil well supplied with vegetable
matter and this can generally be supplied through
the medium of farmyard manure or green crops
more cheaply than in a commercial form.
11. Jn tests to compare the effect of fertilizers
on Hickory King and Cocke's Prolific corn some
remarkable results are noted. It seems that
Hickory King did not respond freely to the use
of fertilizers, whereas, Cocke's Prolific gave
greatly increased yields, as much as 22.10 bushels
with farmyard manure, 20.9 bushels with lime,
and 18.31 with a complete fertilizer, consisting
of 100 pounds of nitrate of soda, 150 pounds of
acid phosphate and 50 pounds of mutriate of pot
ash. These facts explain why farmers sometimes
fail to secure satisfactory results with the use
of fertilizers, as varieties seem to vary widely in
their capacity for utilizing the same.
How Farm era Con Save Money.
Messrs. Editors: There is scarcely a farmer
who is not a buyer, and it becomes him to buy
the cheapest and best. I have often had farmers
say: "Well, I want to buy so and so, but don't
know where to go to get it." If you took a good
live agricultural paper you could find it adver
tised in its columns. Again, you often hear of
men saying this or that is a fraud. I have for
years bought more or less from men advertising
in farm journals, and I have always found fair
treatment. The advertisers are as anxious to
suit you as you are to be suited. It costs money
to advertise, and when they get a customer they
want to keep him, and they know it can be done
only in one way, and that is by fair dealing. Last
spring I concluded to buy a lot of small fruit.
The tree agent came along and I made a bill of
the kind of trees and plants wanted, and the best
I could do with him was $18 for the lot. I
thought this too much. I took down one of the
agricultural papers and looked over its columns
and found several men advertising just what I
wanted. I wrote them to give me figures on my
bill, and by return mail got an answer saying
that ior $6 they would fill it. I sent the money
and got the plants in a few days, and they were
all right more of each kind than I ordered and
much fresher and stronger plants than those got
from the tree agent. Thus I was saved $12 on
one order enough to pay for the paper - for
twelve years. This is only one instance of many.
Yet you will find farmers. every day. saying that
they can't afford to take this or that farm paper.
when if the truth is told they can't afford to be
without it.
I consider the advertising columns of a paper
one of the best features of the paper. It puts
you in touch with the manufacturers and you f re
quently save a good deal money by it.
It is not long since a neighbor sent quite a dis
tance for a two-year-old bull, and he was com
plaining bitterly about the railroad charges, and
I asked him why he didn't buy close to home.
"You could get just as good stock for less
money.'
"Why," he says, "I didn't know who had such
stock for sale."
"Why didn't you look over the advertising col
umns of your paper?"
"Oh," he says, I stopped my paper; couldn't
ujuiu tu turner iu
Thus you see, again, this man's economical hab
its cost him about $35 or $40 to save a dollar.
Our best farm papers to-day are very careful
a'out taking fake advertisers; they" don't do it
under any circumstances and one is safe in buy
ing from the advertiser.
There is scarcely. a week goes by but what I
look over the advertising columns of the paper,
whether I wish to buy or not. I wish to know
what is going on in the world. It is as neces
sary as to read the editorials, and generally more
so. H. W. KING.
Live Stock and Dairy
CONDUCTED BY CHARLES WM. BV7RKETT,
Professor of Agriculture, N. C. A. & M. College, and Agri
culturist North Carolina Experiment Station.
Inquiries of Progressive Farmer readers cheerfully an
swered. . '
Lesson for Toting Men.
There is a young man farming on a rented
place near Newcastle, Ind., named T. J. White;
he is known as "Tim" White to the Hosiers, and
Wrights, and Bundys, and Hodsons, and Meyerses,
and other Jersey cow devotees in Henry and sur
rounding counties. Two years ago lim White
found himself ' with liabilities aggregating two
thousand dollars ; his assets consisted of forty
three dollars; good health, ambition, a good wife,
and a knowledge of dairy farming, coupled with
the conviction that Jersey cows would "put him
on iiasy street quicKer tnan anytnmg else ne
could handle.
He began buying them here and there on
twelve months' notes selling their milk, doing
practically all of the work and feeding them on
home-grown stuff exclusively, except a little grain
he had to buy in winter. Every cow he bought has
paid for herself before the note was due, and a
profit besides. In two years these J ersey cows
have made his assets exceed liabilities, besides
making a living. The first year he disposed of the
milk in various ways and no record was kept.
Since August 1, 1903, he sold to the Newcastle
creamery ; we went to the owners of this cream
ery and got the memorandum of milk received
from Mr. White and the money paid therefor;
following is the monthly account, with number
of cows milked each month:"
-. -
Lbs. Mtlk Cash No. Cows
Delivered. Received. Milked.
August 9,173 $134.04 16
September 8,086 115.56 16
October .V 4,931 70.44 16
November 3,867 55.20 14
December 3,764 53.76 12 -
January .......... 3,611 51.60 9
February.. 2,504 35.76 8
March . ..' . 2,352 33.60 9
April 3,188 45.48 10
May ..... .... 6,914 98.76 12
June 11,143 159.12 15
July 11,688 .166.92 20
A total of $1,017.24 in the year, milking an
average of thirteen cows, or an average return
of over $78 per cow. Since January 1st, consider
able whole milk was fed to calves, and in May
one hundred pounds of butter was made and sold.
Every cow giving milk is counted, whether old or
young. Jersey Bulletin. -
For the cost and trouble required in raising
them, guineas are among the most profitable fowls
which can be raised on the farm. They prefer
to seek their own food in the meadows and fields,
and so long as they can find plenty themselves
they will not come to get it. In this way they
eat up a great number of worms and grubs and
keep down bugs and beetles to a great extent. A
good flock of the fowls needs a large range, and
every farm of any size should.be blessed with a
few at least. It is not profitable to attempt to
raise them on small ranges, for they will not
thrive when cooped up the same as other barn
yard fowls. A flock of about 20 will range over
a farm of 50 to 100 acres, and by their persist
ence will help to keep down all the bugs and in
sects. They will do more. They will help to keep
down many noxious weeds and wild plant. The
guineas are also the most trustworthy watch-dogs.
If taught to roost in the hennery, or close to itt
they will give the loudest alarms as soon as,. an
enemy approaches. Hogs, foxes and human be-
ings alike attract their attention, and they keep
up the shrill cries until the enemy has. left the
place. A great many poultrymen try to keep a
few guineas in their flocks simply for this one
purpose of giving the alarm when chicken thieves
come around. Exchange.