Vol XXXI No. 40
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1916.
$1 a Year, 5c a Copy
. - s
Timely Farm Suggestions
By TAIT BUTLER
infested areas, at least, to destroy portant advantages of a small area in
the food of the weevils -as eady asalfalfa. The fact that yearly seeding
possible f for this will deprive them is not necessary is of great import
of.., food one to two months earlier tance. Moreover; the educational val-
than would be done: by freezing : ue of any man's doing the things men
weather. That should mean much in tioned to grow alfalfa is great If
Attention Should Be Given tO tnat erop. Of course,- two or . three the northern half of the Cotton Belt, , the farmers of the South 'can; in this
More Attenuou . . t ,- other conditions are. almost as essen- .where weather: conditions are unfav- way be taught the value of Unie and
Red WOVCr - . t tial as lime for the growing of red, orable to the weevils living through the necessity for it on most cf our
in rWpr is the most generally - clover. The seeding, should be done the winter. The value of this will be soils "before the best crop3 can be
ornwn legume tor SOU UDprove dJ1Jr vue ian aim uic sun mutu- v uiuic lunjr rtppicyidtcu u it uc i c-. giuwu, uic icituiu wuum amply pay
The South, especially the -northern ;, lA)uisiana, where the conditions were are still other advantages. The value
half of -the Cotton Belt, can well af- made as near natural as possible, over of the lesson derived from the pres
f ord to give more attention to red 90 per cent of the weevils .failed to ence of a green cover crop on 'the
cfullv in the bOUtu ne results viuvci, uui umcss, vuc gives 11 tuuur vuu; ; uuiu iiiuu udiiuu, ui iu uiuu wuu iui uic jrcar iuuuu may icu iu
- t ve been uniformly good, here as tions approaching those . outlined words, died during the winter. This other areas being covered with a car-
Upwhere Indeed, the crop is sucn a: tuwc u iuuiuiy uacicss iu spcuu ucmg .mc (.c, u wsjf iu acc umi, tv ui iccu. . .
a np tbat it should receive more time and money on the crop. ' prolonging the period of the absence v On the whole, we are inclined to an-
fMAtifinn if bva little closer study it--- 'r of food, and the colder weather, far- swer our friend's inquiries to the ef
R
in the Northern states; but in
the South it has not been largely
c,rl. taking the Cotton Belt as a
whole. Where it has been grown sue-
, ' cii(.(.Aeefnllv iti(l nrcTDAVtvr rwrrnxT ctaiitc ther north, micrht easilv cause the feet that it will nav anv man in the
can De .growu iiwuvvunu uunvn oialuj 4 - . 1ft c.A-.JLn' i- ii
gitdici dii ui iu& i ciiiauiuig iv pti - uuuui iu t sui4u utu iu ttuaud u
cent to die. . he will do the; things which we have
mentioned as being necessary to.
the acreage increased.
The chief advantage of Red clover
over crimson clover and the summer
legumes generally grown in the'
South is that it forms. a good cover
for the land for .-nearly two years
without rebreaking the land or re
seeding. It grows late in the fall "and
early in the spring and in mild win
ters remains green the greater part
of the time. Its root system and hat-;
its of growth make it a valuable soil
improving plant, as demonstrated
through long yearsv of extensive use
over much of the agricultural : world.
The fact that we grow row- crops
almost
IN BOLL WEEVIL TERRITORY
Plowing Under Better Than Burning
' Because of Humus and Plant Food
SavedDo the Work Early
A READER who has suffered severe-
ly from the boll weevil this year, '
for the first time, asks : "What is the
approved method of handling the cot
ton fields to lessen boll-weevil inf es
Jation next year, burn the stalks or
plow them under?" t
J The object sought is to destroy the
food of the weevils. It is true that
TRY A SMAI.IAKFAIN AI.FAT.FA grow the crop successfully. But re-
m m m. vitM amm &mmM ma i a aaa Mm at m mm - Tm
memDer mis conamon or proviso : u
is useless to sow alfalfa unless you
will do those things which experience;
has, shown are necessary to grow it
successfully. f
Possibility of Weevil Damage in the
Northern Part of the Cotton Belt
some importance has been attached
exclusively reduces greatly to the destruction of boll weevils at
By Meeting Certain Definite Condi
tions Most Farmers in the South
Can Successfully Grow This Great
Crop , ,
MANY farmers are asking if it will
pay them to grow a small acre
age of alfalfa. Of . course in those FriEND from north Mississippi,
sections where he soil is abundan y A where the boll weevils have been "
supplied with limLot;here; alfalfa particularly destructive this season,
inaturany" does well, there is no; wants m opinion as t0 t1ie probabiH:.
question but, it should e. grown on ty of the wccvils continuing to be de-
cvciy idim. iic qucMiuu . UC.UB structive next year in, say, the three
thp arreaffe we can cultivate. We - the time the stalks are -burned, but
produce crops of more money value we think ;it will be agreed that this asked however, applies to. tne iarm- northern tiers of counties "in that
per acre than does the. Northern effect, be it much or little, is of less ers of .the South who do not-live state." L
farmer, but the fact that we cultivate importance than .;the destruction of,, wnere tne lanas are naturany suit- The writcr once heard Prof. Con
only about one-fourth as many acres the food supply of the weevils and able for the growing of alfalfa, aver- radi of South qW wn0 had con
per worker greatly, reduces our; in- forcing them into hibernation earlier, aSe Southern lands. siderable experience with the wee
comes. Moreover, having relatively1 or forcing them to migrate in search . Very frequently it is stated that, vils in Texas, say, in reply to a some
very little meadow and pasture -land, of food.- . s "since our soils are very generally, what similar question, that he had de
and consequently few cattle, rsheep ".-In the worst weevil infested sec- adapted to the growing of other le- cided to quit predicting what the boll
and hogs working for us, our incomes tions, or where most injury has been gumes like cowpeas, soy beans and weevils would do, unless it were pos
suffer still further when compared done.by weevils and wet 4 weather, lespedeza,. the average farmer should "sible to get the Lord to certify to the
with the Northern farmer. Red clov- only an early crop wasr made' and it confine liis efforts to the growing of weather. -er,
if successfully grown, would re-' can be picked out by the end of Sep- these for hay, and leave alfalfa alone. On the same basis we cannot make
duce our cultivated acreage lessenTtember. or early, in October. Every This" is no doubt true as to large., a prediction as to what the weevils
our labor cost, and furnish hay and . effort should be made to pick out the areas or for the production large will do in north Mississippi next sea-1
grazing for livestock, while building . cotton' as early, as possible and then supplies of hay, but we believe every son, or any other particular season;
tip our soils for larger crops of corn, prbmptry destroy Jthe ; stalks. There farmer should grow a?s
oats and cotton. can be no doubt hut burning is an ef- of alfalfa for the educational as well particularly the , winter temperature,
We do not advise farmers; in the fective means of destroying the' as for the forage value of the results. ; is going to be.
coastal plain or sandy land sections stalks, but it also unnecessarily de The . area should probably be from We have, however,' considerable ev-
of the Cotton Belt to attempt to grow stroys the huirtus-f ormirig jpropertiesf poneito ten acres,; according to means idence which leads us to believe that;
much red clover, but in the clay and of the stalks and drives'the nitrogen and size.of farm. However, we do . only in exceptional seasons, mild win-;
loam land sections it is a crop which they contain off into the air. ; ' any man to attempt to ters and favorable sumtuers, will the
might be more carefully studied and ; Cotton stalks contain n weevils be especially destructive in
tried out with much profit Of course, "nitrogen as r legume hays andthi -Inrejlifeehtly meets the following con- Tennessee and the northern tiers of
those who have not demonstrated S having come from the soil, shouldiiot editions ' counties in Mississippi. But, say
their ability to grow it 'successfully be wasted if the objects sought -can 't The land must be naturally well some, MIt has always been thus. Those:
supplied with lime or have applied to ust outside the infested area or those'
it from two to four tons of ground visited for the first time, think they ,
limestone per acre. will not be seriously injured or that'
2. The land must be well drained the next season the weevils will be
so that water does not stand for any less destructive." That is undoubted
considerable time within four feet of ly true, but we have more than the
the surface. ' ( v . optimismsXFf-human -nature on which ,
3., The land must be of fair f ertil- to base the opinion that the weeVuV
ity, and in most cases it will pay to will not generally be destructive year -'
should confine their trials to a smalll-be attained without causing the losses
area of an acre or two. j The exoer-' of humus and nitrbsren. which' occurs
jence of the past indicates clearly that when the stalks are; burned,
it should not be put on the poorest, If tfie stalks ire plowed under the
worn or washed soils. Lespedeza and destruction of the food supply of the
cowpeas are probably our best poor- weevils will have been attained, or
land legume crops. In other : words,, the chief purpose in destroying the
red clover requires a -clay or loam stalks accomplished. " With" large
SOll of at least mnHpntA (i-filUve T efalt-e' loro-A nlnwc wilt fiP npr.ft?Siarv
... - vuv. w V fcAAA II . Afr i W fcM..tf, .u. hW w pT J J - - - - O - w J w w
u uu wea on the black prairie soils to turn them under even when cut apply a liberal amount 01 commercial atter year as tar. north as northern
il w.S(?uth on the alluvial soils of up with stalk cutter or disk harrow, fertilizer, especially phosphorus- and, Mississippi and Tennessee. We have
tne Mississippi valley, and the loess -With stalks of medium or; smaH s the fact that they have not been gen-
soils which already contain consider- there will be less trouble in plowing The soil must be inoculated. If it is erally destructive so far north, for
cjay and clay.loam soils throughout it will pay better to make considera- . alfalfa, melilotus or bur clover, it will we have' the fact that the cold winter
ne bouth it will usually do fairly well ;ble extra effort to plow the stalks un- ; not be necessary to inoculate the of 1911-12 gave the weevils such a set-.
vjr arc not toA hsiHiir -nrn - a fii4h4fi'hitni thpiTi: seed. Dut unless - one. is reasonaDiv nacK in tiortnwestern Mississirmt that
certain the soil is already inoculated, they scarcely regained the lost ground
the artificial inoculation of seed or until the favorable season of 1916.
soil had better be practiced. We wish to avoid misleading any-
- S. A good seed bed, well settled, one and at best can only give an opin-
mA fall ; cppJncr nr nf :fh httrhent 'Unn ihtre(tr 1ia ':.Vin1v cofp- 1on ,?
ttA ,.y canJ because, not only will 'confined to a small area and then the advantage. ' . V - : ' r ; to adopt a sane or rational system of
Are not tan KorlU. J . - Am mimm llintl v K.1n tlTT
ucation of as much as one to two 7 On those farms where, there ; are
arro t. .7. "iac5ione is maae per
Will'
sufficient numbers of cattle thegraz-
red H ll cnaoie one to grow -stalks plowed :unaer..wnue me,caiue out, ys umc uuc, g iu ianung, invmymg wcrwscu suu ict
Cr"ov.er but also better and larger are grazing another small area best this expense and trouble when we tilityi .Any such system will effec-
l?811 other legumes.. : : results will probably be obtained, can grow cowpeas, soy beans, lespe- tively curtail the acreage planted to
to I ' Morgan, of the TennM. Others airain. have advisced cutting deza and vetches on our lands as cotton. . , . '
'iiiiciir Mtin J. . ll. ; -i, 11. tl.;i. n.aiin -nrinfT tttAtn
f whi.iuu; ICLUllllUCUUS LI1C tSLdlS W1111C KlbUli 14. UI, vm.m
till. 1!
clover and the; growing of red as hay, stacking and feeding them to
alfaifa V picParatl0n for. growing cattle dunng the winter, .ureen cot
it.i. ' e sows a small !mniin4 Af efo lire w!n ifrpr1 nn dnuht have
titnl ? Wlt the ' clover: seed at Considerable feeding value, and when hay- plants Jnenti
that wnl sowing the; latter, and in:: forage is scarce this plan is worth only one of severs
they are now?"
In the first place, alfalfa will give
three to five cuttings or yield twice
Some years' aro In Minneapolis at m meet
ing, of the Board of Education It was sug .
cted that the Bible be taurht in the
n4 tniirh nav anv.-nf thf I a 011mA schools. One member of the; board was a big :
as uiucn nay as aay . 01 uic icgumc e,a iia iiintfl. o tTv eave him a Bi-
mentioned. . But ; that IS 2 ble to look over, and action was postponed
Several reasons" although untU the next meeting. When the swede .
a 100 oer cent increase m vield is cer- iiir lt-there'a a whole lot in there
special effortshould tainly an advantage justifying consid- about rgj but not wo
ern part 01 tne; eraDie expense;-, mere are uinerim-change. r
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