Southern planter - The W&M Digital Archive

1908.] THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 13
of Virginia should teach agriculture. The effort in that
line years ago on the Miller foundation was not encour-
aging. In faot, as a mere University study, agriculture
has seldom been well taught. Far better concentrate on
the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The University is a
great institution, with a noble history, but it is not big
enough to teach agriculture as it is demanded at this
present day. The Miller Fund in the University is doing
more good as a Department of Biology than it ever could
do in agriculture.
Tomatoes Under Glass.
The Editor is perfectly right in telling Mr. Cox, of Nor-
folk county, that tomatoes cannot be grown successfully
in a cold pit. They might be wintered over in such a
structure and be considerably earlier in late spring than
the outside crop, but to ripen tomatoes during the winter
requires artificial heat other than the mere sun heat under
glass. The temperature at night should never be under
60 degrees and a good deal higher in daytime, and while
the unheated structure might get as warm as needed when
the sun shone, it would be entirely too cold in dark weather
and at night. In Eastern Virginia the forcing of tomatoes
in greenhouses can be done more cheaply than in the
North, owing to the abounding sunshine in winter and the
absence of the long, dark spells common on the Northern
Atlantic coast. For this reason, less fuel will be needed.
But the man who undertakes tomato forcing in winter in
any make-shift house will find that his experience has cost
him a good deal. In fact, wirter forcing under glass calls
for a high degree of skill on the part of the gardener.
But in the South Atlantic coast country the tendency is
in that direction. The use of steam in the cloth-covered
lettuce frames in North Carolina is one step towards real
winter work. Horticultural work is rapidly cut up into
specialties, and one man does not attempt to grow every-
thing. I met only last week a man who has five acres
covered with glass in heated greenhouses, and his main
business is the production of young plants for other
gardeners to set. He told me that he sowed last season
nine bushels of pepper seed alone and cabbage and tomato
and other seed by the cartload.
In one large establishment near Philadelphia there are
acres of glass, and all used for the production of palms
and ferns.
In New England there are numerous places where the
sole business is the production of cucumbers in winter,
and these, as well as tomatoes, can be more economically
grown in the upper South. But the man must know how
and must have a modern equipment for the business.
Corn on High Land.
The Editor advises "Subscriber" right in regard to corn
for high land. I met a large farmer a few days ago who
told me that he had planted the finest ears of corn he
ever saw, and was not satisfied with the yield he got.
From his description of the corn, I found that he planted
the big-eared Gourd-seed or horse-tooth corn—a type only
suited to moist lowland and very rich soil, while his land
was sandy upland.
A farmer, going to one of the corn shows and selecting
the big ears for seed, would probably be disappointed in
the yield if he planted the seed on ordinary dry upland.
I would advise "Subscriber" to get the best corn grown
on upland that he can find in his neighborhood and not to
send off and get some he will have to acclimate. Then
breed it for yourself.
Nut Grass.
The most efficient exterminator of nut grass is a flock
of geese kept on it all the season to prevent its seeding
and to keep the tops nipped off continually. There are
a hundred plants of nut grass that come from seed to
every one that is produced from the tubers. If the tops
are continually nipped off, as the geese will nip them,
the plant will give up the effort and the hogs can finish
the roots. w. F. MASSEY.
CROP ROTATION—LIME—FARM
Editor Southern Planter:
HORSES—TIMBER
In the December issue of your most valuable Journal
Mr. Hicks criticizes the crop rotation suggested in a pre-
vious issue by Mr. Coleman and asks for further discussion
of the subject. At Bullfield a four-field rotation was begun
this year, and is given below, together/ with the rotations
used by Mr. Coleman and Mr. Hicks:
1
FIELD I. FIELD II. FIELD III. FIELD IV.
Coleman. Oats and Vetch Cow Peas and
Crimson
Clover
Hicks.
Bullfield.
Crimson
Clover for Corn
Corn with
Crimson
Clover
Peas followed
by Oats
Crimson
Clover followed
by Oats
Crimson
Clover for
Corn
Oats followed
by Crimson
Clover
Oats Harvest Red and Alsike
Clover
At Bullfield the crimson clover is seeded between the
corn rows with a combination weeder and seeder. The
red and alsike clovers are seeded with the oats, together
with 300 pounds of phosphate and 100 pounds of bone,
followed later by a top dressing of stable manure at the
rate of three loads per acre. This year the seeder arrived
too late for using it in the corn and the seed was scattered
on the ground before rains. Where the crimson
clover fails, or where the seed could not be put in on
time, the corn stubble is disked and seeded to thirty pounds
of vetch, one-half bushel of oats, and one-quarter bushel
of wheat, together with 300 pounds of phosphate. The
vetch is intended for hay. The corn is cultivated flat with
riding disk cultivators and the crimson clover might also
be harvested for hay if we could get rid of the corn
stubble.
This rotation permits of clean summer fallowing the
second year (between the crimson clover and the oat
crops), or green fallowing by sowing cow peas or cow
peas with millet for hay, if other work permits ploughing
early enough.
The rotation used by Mr. Hicks is perhaps subject to
the criticism that it leaves the corn stubble land bare all
winter, which is undesirable.
The most difficult part about liming the land seems to
be the getting of the lime at a reasonable price. Agri-
cultural lime is offered by one kiln advertising in the
October issue of th© Southern Planter at $1.50 per ton,