Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Nov. 21, 1905, edition 1 / Page 1
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Consolidated, 1904, with The Cotton Plant, Greenville, S. C. PROGRESSIVE FARMER VOL. XX. NO. . THE COTTON PLANT VOL. XXII. NO. 40. RALEIGH, N. C, NOVEMBER 21, 1905. Weekly $1 a Year. THE SOUTHERN LETTUCE CROP. Prof. Massey Submits Some Observations on Varieties and Fertilization The Story of How the Industry .Has Developed in North Carolina. ; Messrs. Editors A correspondent I ridges, and after they have well start in Eastern North Carolina writes: ed to grow, the fertilizer is applied "Will you kindly send me a formula , in the furrows between the rows of suitable for lettuce? I use some ma-.? plants, and the soil is then raked nure also. Please also give me the level! This puts the fertilizer where analysis of the following mixture i it cannot hurt the roots, and at the for a ton: i,uuu pounas 01 id per same time prevents tne too deep set cent acid, phosphate, -600 pounds of cotton, seed meal, 100 pounds of ni trate of soda,' and 300 pounds of muriate of potash." -. The best lettuce growers have found that for the winter crop there is needed an abundance of manure and fertilizer, too. It has been found by experiment at several Sta tions that manure alone and ferti lizer alone will not make the best let tuce, and that both are needed in liberal amount. The mixture you propose would analyze roughly about 3 per cent nitrogen, 7 per cent phos phoric acid, and 7 1-2 per cent of potash. 1 I have abandoned the use -tf "cot ton seed meal in a fertilizer for let tuce, as I have found that it is apt ting of the plants. They use as high as 2,000 pounds per acre of a similar mixture to the- one I offer, but 1 think that 1,500 . pounds is sufficient and will even carry a succession crop of something else. Therefore, if you have not time to wait on the fertilizer till it- gets well assimilated to the soil, the plan thus described will be well, and in fact is probablthe best that can be used, as it is the result of a wide experience in this crop. After experimenting with a great many varieties of lettuce, I have found nothing that promises to take erally grown by our truckers, though the Wonderful is very fine for the last spring crop, as it stands heat - . . . , msh spring Uiuy, aa lb awuuo .ucik to form a fungus m decaying thatbetter than tne Big Boston, but is causes much rot in the lettuce, j wnrti,ifiss fn, winter cuttinsr. Dried blood is richer in nitrogen and has not this difficulty. Your mixture is not properly balanced for lettuce, and I would suggest the fol lowing, to be used at rate of 1,000 to 1,500 pounds per acre: Acid phosphate, 900 pounds; dried blood, 600 pounds; nitrate of soda, 100 pounds; and muriate of potash, 400 pounds. - - But when this amount of potash is used, great care is needed to pre vent its burning the roots of the plants. Some years ago a lettuce grower in your section sent me some of his young plants recently set, and wanted to know what was the matter with them, as they had stopped grow ing, and the leaves were turning red. I found no disease, but the roots bad apparently been eatenoff. I set them in my own frames, and they grew off and made good heads. I found that he had used my, for mula with 10 per cent potash, and set the plants at once. It would have been better to have applied the fertilizer, and then exposed the frames to the rain for a week or more before setting. But the best plan is that adopted by the New Bern growers.. They bave found that lettuce plants, set too deeply, do not head well, and I have found the same to be true. They give their frames a heavy coat of well rotted cow manure, and pre rare the. soil well. Then they run slight ridges of earth with a hand; wheel plow lengthwise the frames the: distance apart they want the;ros of. lettuce. .. --:-'n. . . The plants are set on these little! W. F. MASSEY. Prof. Massey's . letter reminds us that in the current number of the South Atlantic Quarterly, Rev. Thos. A. Smoot, of Durham, has given a most readable sketch of the develop ment of the lettuce-growing industry in North Carolina so readable and so instructive that we are going to reprint it in full herewith as a mat ter of general information: "The growing"" of lettuce in this State as an important branch of in dustry, does not date farther back than 'the period of 1890-5. During the years previous, one can recall the planting of a row of the vegetable in the garden, to be used for salad, or just to have 'something of every thing but any idea of marketing it would have been regarded as preposterous.- The farmer even looked upon the plant with contempt, as be ing suggestive of an effeminacy un worthy of commercial tastes and values. x " "During the time indicated above, two enterprising truckers from Bal timore, the Fitzelle brothers, began the culture of lettuce in the sandy loam about Fayetteville. , The peo ple looked on with astonishment, and predicted failure. How could lettuce be . grown under cover in dead of winter? And if successfully grown, was it of any -commercial value ? Time alone was .necessary to make answer jis to the practica bility of . the attempt,, and: to raise up many imitators of the Fitzelles. V - - , L . - F :. 1 ..-::,,- -'-..iX s ?. " . : a. . :: . .i- n . . ; " : : l :. .e. . :- -f . . i . ' i - . A r- 1 i - II w - ! - BEPRESENTATIVE DUROC-J ERSEYS. We failed to print a cut of the Duroc-Jersey hog last week, when it should have appeared in connection with Mr. Whitaker's article in our se ries, "My Favoritereed and Why I Prefer It." In . the . Carolinas the Duroc-Jerseys are often called Red Jerseys or Jersey Reds. The accomr panying cut is from Bulletin 48 of the Iowa Experiment Station. : jLphis wntmg, .perhaps two-third j. oistne garaens- in ana arouna raj etteville have from two to six bcds.rd lettuce in them, which th 3 ladie? usually claim as theirs; while the truck farmer outside the city is pressing the culture of the crop on a large scale. It is estimated that as much as $100,000 worth of let tuce is shipped from Fayetteville each year. It can be readily seen that such an amount of money is bound to be a considerable factor in the town's prosperity. . "It requires considerable labor and expense to put the ground in proper conditon, and to provide beds for the plants; but when the preparation is complete, the result is lasting for years. Heavy boards are used to wall in thfi beds, which are usually 11x60 to 100 feet in diameter, lying east and west, and sloping toward the sun. Cotton canvas covers are used to protect the plants from cold. These cause a considerable part of the expense. The ground must have been thoroughly pulverized and made very rich in order to insure quick growth and tender lettuce. For the first year, the expense of preparation and cultivation for an acre of lettuce amounts to $1,000; after that, it is much less. Generally speaking, the net profit on an acre is from $800 to, $1,000. One trucker just outside the city limits is accred ited with clearing $2,500 a year on three acres, not to mention the crops of beans and other vegetables grown on the same ground after the let tuce has been taken off.-- "The lands lying along the Upper Cape Fear are saidto be as finely adapted to the growth of lettuce as any section in-America. Best of all, they- lie midw.ay .between the semi tromcal region ;.in the far South, (Continued on 'Page 12.) "SUNNY HOME" STOCK TAEKShenitIalnumber ofT series of practical live stock articles by Mr. A. L. French, one of the best stockmen in the South. Page 3. LETTUCE GROWING. A story UI I1UW Lilt; limuouj uaa xwrxj. tjj Rev. T. A. Sxnpbt, with suggestions on f ertilizatiorfand varieties by Prof. W. F. Massey. Page 1. YORKSHIRE HOGS The case for this breed is ably argued by Mr. A. M. Bowman, of Virginia. Page 4. HEART-POVERTY A delightful bit of character-sketching by John Charles 'McNeill, rage p. . t SUBS OILING. A timely subject discussed by the veteran truckfcr Dr. E. Porter. Page. 2. . ' !' TOBACCO GROWING. !Mr. ' A. J. Moye discusses cultivation ana prices. Page 2. . " . FATTENING HOGS AND STEERS Reports of practical ex periments that will save you money. Page?3. . :-. THE COTTON ASSOCIATION. An enthusiastic appeal by Mr. O. C. Moore, and some comment on the " 15-cent idea. - " - t , ; LINCOLN'S BOYHOOD. A story of never-failing interest to young people and their parents. A man can well afford to pay for The Progressive Farmer. It is a bet ter investment than the same, amount in United States ; bonds. R. 1 fc. Wolff. - V ,
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 21, 1905, edition 1
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