The progressive farmer and the cotton plant. [volume], May 02, 1905, Page 11, Image 11

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, May 2, 1905.
PROGRESSIVE FARMER AND COTTON PLANT.
11
MORE ABOUT ASPARAGUS
GROWING.
Mr. A. J. McKinnon Describes the
Methods He Has Found Most Satis
factory. Messrs. Editors: I have not had
the time to write anything at all of
the cultivation of cantaloupes, hut I
have given you something about my
experience in growing asparagus.
My experience teaches me that
asparagus should be grown with the
view of attaining perfection as near
lv as possible. This idea, however,
will apply to all kinds of market
pardoning. To secure this result, the
lirst requirement is a good healthy
root. I would advise the use of one
year old roots, well drained quick
land, heavy fertilization and good
cultivation. I have an eight acre
esparagus patch. The rows are seven
feet apart; the roots are eighteen
inches to two feet. We ditched out
a furrow to a depth of about twelve
inches, then set the roots, putting
about an inch and a half to two
inches of soil on them. We put on a
heavy application of barn-yard ma
nure, one thousand pounds of kainit
and not less than . one thousand
pounds of ammoniated guano. I use
annually a special formula prepared
for me, analyzing 8 per cent acid,
5 per cent ammonia and 7 per cent
potrfsh. We put this on-in Decem
ber or Jamury. After this we
make a bed that will enable us to
cut it about eigh inches under the
ground without injuring the crowns.
When we have finished cutting for
the season we plow down the beds and
try to leave only about two inches
of soil on the crowns, cultivating suf
ficiently to keep it clean during the
summer.
When it begins to peep out in the
spring, we go over it daily, or every
other day, according to the weather,
and cut the spears about eight inches
under the ground, using a knife
made for the purpose. We lay it
carefully in a basket, then from bas
ket to washing trough, from trough
to packing table, -where it is packed
in standard bunches, then put into
crates holding two dozen bunches
each. It is then ready for market.
I have never been able to get a
standard bunch like some pictures I
have seen, but we have had some
bunches with thirteen spears to the
bunch. It would take very fine as
paragus to average a bunch to every
thirty stalks. My profits on aspara
gus have been satisfactory. At the
same time, I would not advise its
culture for market unless the grower
is well snnnlied with barn-yard
manure and willing to use fertilizer
very liberally. Never let it suffer,
for if it ever has a set back it will
not lo so well any more.
A. J. McKINNON.
Robeson Co., N. C.
A Good Subject for Discussion.
Messrs. Editors: I know a prac
tical fanner who has been for some
yJfr ln charge of a farm on a salary
no has quite a good opportunity of
1(,red him to enter a large manufac
turing business. If he did so, it
vnuM be with the purpose of saving
T Trit0 buy a f arm of his own later'
J aislike to see such men leave the
jarrn, and feel like advising him to
'uy a small farm, in a good locality,
?omg in debt for it and depending
paying for the farm from the
iarm. Would it be proper to discuss
question through your columns?
ns . brother farmers, can this be
(,ne; here and how?
ppo.ing the man has three Ps
"winstry. Integrity and Inteligence
eool sensible wife and no money.
yn w0 not make this interesting
instructive, not for one only, but
for many? The reason the man in
question has no money I know to be
because he has spent the savings
of several years in paying off finan
cial obligations resulting from a
mistake of judgment, made in earlier
years, paying one hundred cents and
interest on every dollar.
" HENRY M. DANIEL.
Madison Co., N. O.
Smut in Corn : Only One Way to Re
duce Its Ravages.
Messrs. Editors: In reference to
the query concerning treating seed
corn for smut, which I have re
ceived, I beg leave to say that there
is no method of treating seed corn
which will prevent the smut. Corn
smut is caused by a fungus which
produces spores in great quantity
in the black smut balls and these
spores are driven by the wind and
convey infection to new. plants in the
field. The smut is thus spread
throughout the summer from plant
to plant, and methods of seed treat
ment have no effect here as they do
in the case of oats and wheat.
The only thing that can be done
toward preventing corn smut is to
gather up and burn the smut masses
in the fall and thus prevent their
lying about on the ground ready to
start infection another year. -By ex
ercising great care in this way for
two or three years the percentage of
smut will be reduced, although smut
cannot be gotten rid of entirely.
Very truly yours,
F. L. STEVENS.
Value of Inoculating Bacteria for
Legumes.
Following the discussion regarding
the benefits to be derived from in
oculation and the methods devised
for propagating and distributing the
nitrogen-fixing bacteria are the re
ports of those to whom cultures were
sent by the department. These re
ports show, these cultures under the
general conditions found upon farms
widely distributed, did produce in
most instances, a decided increase in
crops over those grown without in
oculation. There were 2,502 reports received
up to November 15, 1904. These show
ed that in 1,043 cases the cultures
had been used on alfalfa, 532 on red
clover, 184 garden peas, 174 com
mon bean, 290 cowpeas, 129 soy bean,
53 hairy vetch, 49 crimson clover,
22 field pea, 10 velvet-bean, 7 alsike,
7 sweet peas and 2 berseem. In a
total of 1,296 cases the inoculation
produced a definite increase of crop;
in 574- cases failure was definitely
ascribed to bad season, poor seed,
weed growth and. like causes ; in 293
cases there was no increase in crop
because organisms were already pres- i
ent in the soil. In 339 cases there
was no evident advantage from in
oculation nodules did not form. A
study of these reports show that in
more than 50 per cent (1,296) of the
tests there was a definite increase in
the crop. If we compare the num
ber of cases (339) where there was
no evident advantage from inocula
tion with the number (1,296) in
which .there were positive successes
and make no allowance for the ex
periments (574) carried on under
conditions precluding any chances
of success the per cent , of failures
was twenty-six.
From these experiments carried
on all sorts of farms and under all
manner of conditions by farmers
with no other instruction than the
printed directions accompanying the
packages it is evident that notwith
standing these cultures are not a
panacea for all ills they are in the
majority of cases a cheap and prac
tical source of soil improvement and
worthy a trial by all who wish to in
crease the productiveness of their
farms.
I want to thank you for staying
with us Tar Heels. Stand by us and
we'll stick to you. I commenced tak
ing The Progressive Farmer Janu
ary 1, 1889; so you see I have been
standing faithfully fifteen years to
the Alliance and its organ, and ex
pect to continue to support each
They are goocL. grand and noble.- .
-r tit ry i "I XT T J - KT -
jx. vv. jcucn, union xuage, jn. j.
LeffifeU Sfteamni EirngMes
On The Farm.
No other kind of power gives such universal satisfaction as steam. And no other steam power
renders such efficient service especially for farm purposes as Leffel Engines. They are widely
noted for easy and quick steaming and giving maxi
mum power at minimum cost. No similar engines
or boilers wear so lone or cost V little for repairs.
Leffel Engines jSS&jSr
TVi Arp ie g vq rlptu rt ctvloQ tn
lectfrom; horizontal with engine
mounted on Doner, or aeiacnea ;
on sKids, tor wailing in, witn
engine on either sidi of boiler :
upright on base, or portable,
Any style engine for your
V particular needs and anv
,1 1 horse Dower vou want.
1 Investigate before you
!? buy a power. If interested
write to-day for our iree
I; book. ' Power Economy
J aid Efficiency."
The James Leffel & Co., box isi Springfield, O.
1
U I
L ' . '''' '"'i
THE T. G. WILSON
Fruit and Vegetable Canner.
The only complete one on the market.
Saves time, fuel and labor. Needs neither
cook stove nor furnace. The Canner weighs
only 27 pounds, and can be used either
within doors or out under the trees. The
baskets carry 16 3-lb. or 20 2-lb. cans. Ca
pacity from 400 to 1,000 cans per day.
If you should buy any other Canner on
on the market, you will regret it after seeing
THE T. G. WILSON.
Jgf Send for circular. Address,
E. H. & S. M. WILSON,
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
21 Raney Canner Company
p
There are a thousand lady readers of The Progressive Farmer who need one of our No. 1 canning out
fits for putting up their home goods. Price $5.0X When you have tried one you will prize it as highly as
you do your sewing machine or your cook stove, and will be just as loth to part with it. , -
Two thousand farmers and families who read this paper need and must have one or more of our No. 2
outfits. Price $10.00. One of these will save several thousands cans in a season, and will pay better than
the same amount invested in any other article on your farm.
There are several hundred more of our farmers and fruit and truck-growers who should have one of our
No. 3 outfits, and can for market on a larger scale. They can put up the FINEST GOODS ON EARTH
sell them at the HIGHEST PRICES, and make a MAGNIFICENT PROFIT. .
If a part of your fruit is killed it makes it more important to save the remainder. If all is killed you
should by all means get a canner. and put up tomatoes, corn, string beans, etc. YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO
inss IT.
Don't be satisfied, till you have sent iis your address and received our circulars, read every word care
fully, and thoroughly understand what we offer you.
THE RANEY CANNER no.T chapel hhi, n. c.