Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, April 15, 1913, Image 6

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

6 THE ATLANTA SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL, ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 1913. agricultural Education -amd Successful Failmin^- ft. $ovvl This department will cheerfully endeavor to furnish any information. Letters should, be addressed to Dr. Andrew it. Soule, president Stats Agricultural College, Athens, Oo. W. B. C., Glen wood. Ga., writes: I have some white sandy loam land with a clay subsoil that produces good average cotton, but it rusts badly soon after starting to open. I wish to plant it to swqt potatoes this season and wfeish to know-' what com mercial fertilizer to use. 1 have no lot manure. Would decayed pine sawdust add to the appearance of potatoes for market purposesV When cotton rusts the trouble is thought to be due to the fact that the ground is not properly drained, an in sufficient supply of vegetable matter in the soil, dr the need of potash in an available form. In many instances in ‘Georgia the trouble seems to be due to the latter cause for liberal applications of kainit or muriate of potash have frequently corrected the trouble. As a rule, white sandy land is low in potash, and while the soil should be well adapted for the growth of sweet potatoes, we feel certain you will find it desirable to use a high grade form ula on this crop and to use potash In liberal manner. We would suggest that you apply as a minimum 600 pounds per acre of a formula containing 8 per cent of phosphorus. 3.5 to 4 per cent of nitrogen and S per cent of pot ash. Sawdust would not be of any partic ular value to use under the drill row for potatoes. You will find pine needles from the forest much more serviceable in this respect.- Secure as much ma terial as possible and scatter in the drill row after you have opened it with a big sweep or turning plow. Draw two furrows together and make a firm seed bed and plant theron. You should .•mix the fertilizer welt with the lower soil area at the same time you are put ting the pine straw in the furrow.^ * • * PRODUCING TWO BALES PER ACRE J. J.. Ohoopee, Ga., writes: I have eight acres of land that were planted in corn and velvet beans and was turned in Febru ary that I want to make two bales of cot ton on. The land is red pebbly with clay subsoil. How much guauo shall I use and how far apart shall I plant the eottoiy You have acted wisely in trying to Increase th§ amount of vegetable mat ter in your soil through plowing under the refuse of a velvet bean and corn crop. It is well for you to have turn ed under the peas before 'frost falls on them. Sometimes it is impractical to do this but our farmers must Ifearn to conserve the value of a leguminous crop by mixing it with the soil before cold weather sets in. A living plant, as you no doubt know, fixes the nitrates, but a dead plant has no power to re tain them and a considerable amount of the nitrogen in the bean crop was no doubt leached out and washed away from your land, whereas, if it has been turned under earlier the loss would have been reduced. "We would suggest tha$ you use about a 9-3-4 for cotton, and we think with the amount of veg etable matte/ you have probably incor porated in the land that as much as 600 to l.OQO pounds might be applied with safety, especially as you seem to be de sirous of making an unusually large yield. If you can secure any yard ma nure or litter from the woods scatter it over the laTid and work in with a disk. You can dot secure too much vegetable matter ir our judgment when seeking to make an extraordinarily large yield of cotton. -The larger amount of vege table matter in the soil, the better reac tion you will get from the commercial fertilizer. We have used a 9-3-4 at the rate of 1,000 pounds in our demonstra tion field to good advantage where we desired to make extra large yields. We think you will find this formula sat isfactory for your conditions. We would put all the fertilizer under the drill row’, but as your land is probably not as rich in vegetable matter as ours, you had better put only 600 pounds un der tne drill row and make two side applications of 200 pounds each. * * * PASTURING SHEEP AND HOGS TO GETHER. / li. V., Calhoun, Ga., writes: I have a pasture-for my liogs and want uiy calves to run with thorn. 1 am thinking about sowing The pasture in sorghum for my hogs. Do you think it will hurt the calves to graze on it? of cowpeas or spring-sown oats or oats and Canada peas together. Then have soy beans for later maturity and peanuts for fall grazing. There is no objection to letting the calves have access to these crops, provided they are used to green and not hungry when turned on j them, and thus likely to gorge them- ! selves and be injured by hoven or bloat. * * * PLANT FOOD TO USE ON SANDY SOILS. A. I>. S., Waco, Ga., writes: I have four teen acres of light, sandy land with yellow cloy subsoil, rather poor, which I want to plaut iu cotton. I have no farmyard manure and want to know what commercial fertilizer to use. I have some low laud very sandy wtih clay subsoil, rather poor, which I want to plant iu cotton. I have no lartnyard manure ami want to know’ what to kuow what,commercial fertilizer to use. I have some low laud very sandy with clay subsoil that 1 want to plant in corn. I have a kind of corn that always has two shoots. Is this a good variety for this land? What fertilizer shall I use on the corn A light sandy soil with a clay sub soil which is in a poor state of cultiva tion will need to be handled with care and skill in order to produce a good crop of cotton. The fact that you have no yard manure and have probably not turned any green matter into the soil for several years is a severe handicap to your farming operations. I W’ould suggest that you spare no effort to get into this soil as much litter as leaf mold as you can secure from the woods. This is the first essential in making it productive and in enabling you to secure a proper return from any fertilizers ap plied. On this type of land we would ad vise the use of a 9-3-4 for cotton. Put at least 300 pounds under the drill row, using 200 pounds as a side aplication. We would put the initial amount of fer tilizer in the soil at the time the crop is planted and mix it well with the sub soil. For corn on low land Bf sandy character use a 10-3-5. Corn requires to be more liberally fertilized than cotton, because it removes from the soil a larger proportion of plant food. You no doubt have a prolific type of corn if it suckers as described in your letters. Prolific corns are likely to be the most satisfactory on uplands soils or the lighter sandy * soils, which predominate in some sections of Georgia. ALFALFA MANAGEMENT OF AN PATCH. H. G. B., efcfrson, Ga., writes: I have au acre that was seeded to alfalfa last fall, aud the freezes have killed It out to about a half stand. Would you sow some more seed this spring, and if so, would it be all right to cover with a weedr. There is about a third stand of volunteer oats. Would you leave the oats and not reseed or will they hurt the alfalfa? There is no reason why hogs and calves should not run in the same pas ture, though if you desire to let them range over a grass lot together and sep r arate them, this is a comparatively sim ple matter, for you can construct a creep through which the hogs can pass readily but which will prevent the calves from having access to the land devoted to sorghum. We would not con sider sorghum as good a grazing crop for hogs as some other combination you can use. For early season grazing there is nothing better than a combination of oats and vetch, and for a spring-sown crop use Essex, 'rape. Naturally it is too late to utilize either one of these now. The next best thing to do then would be to try a pasture of millet to be followed by an early maturing variety You can, of course, reseed the alfal fa. It should be sown as soon as prac ticable now and covered with a weeder, as you have suggested. If there is any considerable quantity of volunteer oats, we think you ^ will not find reseeding very satisfactory. In our experience when we fail to secure a stand of al falfa, it has been more profitable to plow up the whole field and reseed it. It might be impracticable to get this done as early in the season as is desirable, but 3 r ou could devote this land to cow- peas and plow them under in the fall and seed at that time. You will find it desirable to add as much nitrogen and vegetable matter to the soil as you pos sibly can. Enrich the land by liberal fertilization. We would apply about 1,- 000 pounds of a 10-3-6 for this crop. At least two tons of finely ground or pul verized limestone should be applied after the cowpeas have been plowed under. Do not mix the fertilizer and the lime stone. Apply at intervals of at least two or three weeks. * * * SUGGESTIONS ON GROWING COW PEAS. K. L. C., Atlanta, Ga., write*; W* want a formula for peas and wish to know If it is better t< sow them broadcast or plant in row* and wdrlt once or twice. We are using for cottou an 8-3-4. Would this do for peas i Which is preferable as a source of nitrogen, cottou seed meal, nitrate of soda, bloc-1 or tankage? Wc are using under corn a 10-3-2. What do you think of this? Do you kuow anything about the farm in Ogle- thorpe that is incorporated and run as any other business? We do not believe one farm in J»00 pays. We notice the college claims to have cleared $2,000 last year, but we no tice a big item credited for advance in land. By all means sow the peas in drills. By this we do not mean to put them 3 or 3 1-2 feet apart, but use a grain drill sc^they will be uniformly covered into thP soil. In our experience broad casting peas has not proven success ful. It is not knly wasteful of the seed but it is difficult to secure a proper stand. /We have had the best results'from sowing peas with an or dinary grain drill or else planting them in rows 24 to 30 inches apart and cul tivating with a weeder a few times until the vines spread across the rows. This keeps the crust broken and holds weeds in check until the peas are large enough to shade the ground. There is no better formula to use on peas than about a 10-1-4. If the land is extreme ly sandy put in as* much as 6 or 7 per cent of potash. You are using a very good formula on your cotton. While the same would do under peas it would be very wasteful of nitrogen since this crop ordinarily only needs very little nitrogen to enable it to get a start. The nodules which should form on the roots of the peas contain the bacteria which give it the power of assimilating atmospheric nitrogen, and thus the pea crop should be a soil builder and not require a formula containing any con siderable amount of nitrogen. When nitrogen is to be buried in the soil, it is best to have half or two- thirds of it derived from organic sources. Cotton seed meal and blood and tankage are good for this purpose. Some nitrate of soda or sulphate of amonia may, of course, be mixed with these materials. Where you 'derive the nitrogen from a variety of sources, it probably becomes available more gradually than where obtained from one source alone. We think you are using entirely too much nitrogen under your corn accord ing to the ‘way you state the formula in your letter. A 10-*2-5 would be bet ter than a 10-5-2. However, 2 per cent of nitrogen is not a sufficient amount to apply to corn except on land which is above the average in fertility. We would suggest that you use a 10-3-5, and then possibly nitrate of seda as a top dressing later on. We know nothing of the farm about which you write in Oglethorpe county. Therefore, can give you no information to this end. Yhu are mistaken in sup posing that the profit made on the col lege farm last year was due to the credit accorded it for the improvement of the land. The item referred to in the article which you noticed stated that the farm lands had been improved as the result of the practice followed by several dollars per acre in a period of five years. As a matter of fact, the statement of receipts and expendi tures last year showed a profit of $2,246.36 as net earnings on the col lege farm Respective of land value. The only t$ng the farm was credited with w r as tne cost of permanent im provements. Thse certainly should be credited to it, and a heavy depreciation on tools, implements, buildings and oth er equipment was allowed. We think you are entirely mistaken in believing that not one farm in 500 pays. Any farm in Georgia should be made to pay a fair profit if properly organized and run. Farming requires expert knowl edge and expert service just like any other business. The test farms con ducted in co-operation with the Cen tral of Georgia railway are the best evidence that rational practice employ ed under competent supervision will en able, a man to make a fair profit from his land. * * * FISH SCRAP AS BASIS OF FERTIL IZER. V. B. K., Speed, N. C., writes: I have a car of isli scrap and want to nix it with some ingredients to make a complete fer- tilzer for cottou analyzing about 8-4-4. I\ease tell me what to use. You do not state the composition of ^our fish scrap; therefore, it is nec essary to generalize to some extent to what this material may contain. A high grade fish scrap runs about 7 to 9 per cent of nitrogen and 6 to 8 per cent of phosphoric acid, but carries no potash. For the purpose of preparing a mixture such as you desire, we are figuring the fish scrap as containing 8 per cent of nitrogen and 8 p£r cent of phosphoric acid. You can prepare an 8-4-4 formula by mixing together 1,040 pounds of fish scrap, 500 pounds of 16 per cent acid and 160 pounds of muriate or sulphate of potash. You can not secure a formula running as high in phosphorus, nitrogen and pot ash as you desire through the use of kainit. If you are willing to cut the nitrogen and potash slightly you could get in 500 pounds of kainit in the above formula and have a mixture run ning very close to an 8-4-3. We believe you would find it more desirable, how ever, to use muriate rather than kainit, and we suggest that you use this com bination under cotton at the rate of 500 pounds per acre. • • • LARGE WEED, BUT BETTER FRUIT. ,T. A. B., Dallas, Ga., writes: I have red, gravelly land wjleh grows a very good weed and made last year from 600 to 900 pounds of seed cotton with 300 pounds of 10-2-2 fertiliser. Wbat should I use to get better resul'.s, and wbat should the plant food be derived from? I have been told that nitrate of soda would last only forty days after being put in the ground. Wuich is the cheapest, a 10-2-2 at $22 per ton, or a J-3-4 at $26? BUGGIES CENTURY BUGGIES are built for hard service. The best of material Where land tends to make an abun dance of weed, but the cotton does not fruit as freely as you think desirable, it is best to emphasize the use of phos phorus in fertilizer mixtures. We think you would do well, therefore, to apply a 10-3-3 on this land. If the cotton tends to shed its leaves and the foliage assumes a dirty brown, rusty appear ance, we would raise the potash to 4 or even 5 per cent. We judge the land about which you write is above the av erage in fertility according to the yield indicated in your letter, and we think 400 to 500 pounds of the formula sug gested will give you even a better re sult than you obtained last year, and that you will find this combination of fertilizing elements well suited to your soil. Sulphate of ammonia is an ex cellent source of nitrogen. This ma terial carries about 21 per cent of avail able nitrogen when in a pure state. The nitrogen becomes quickly available in the soil, but must undergo transforma tion before the plants can assimilate it. Sulphate of ammonia gives its best results on land which contains a con siderable amount of lime or on which rieidly inspected and tested. Every Vehicle Guaranteed for 3 Years. We Sell Direct to the User—cut out all middlemen’s profits and wwe you $25.00 to $45.00. EASY PAYMENTS ON ALL VEHICLES Pay for your buggy while yon usc*it. Buggy shown here—triple auto neat, latest model, highest quality—■ retail value $100.00 to $125.00. Our prices range from $29.50 up; $10.00 down and $5.00 a month—guaranteed to please or your money back. _ IVrite for Freight Paid Prices, Your credit is good—write for Free catalogs showing full line of Buggies, Surreys and Farm Wagon3. We make a fine line of H ASilit?i•) j^_nt lowest price. * /or Catalog. nnd soil it at lowest price. /or Catalog. CENTURY MANUFACTURING C0.,Dep:. 262 East St. Louis,111. or Dept. 2C2 200 Fifth Ave..I>cW York City. 3YEAR GUARANTEE and workmanship “sed throughout—ciitrydclail of construction and,finish ggj irae ]las rece ntly been applied. A small f lOl n 111 Infin.it.H .n J J . Tin... U nritrlo In. < V.Q.fl l - '-*6 fiamount of it may also be used to good Badvantage in a complete fertilizer in ■Georgia. Nitrate of soda becomes *quick- Sly available in the soil, but it is absurd Jto say that all of its benefit is over in forty days. Nitrate does not leach out of .the land as readily as we have been led to think. Of course, in using ferti lizers in the ground and under a long [season crop, a part of the nitro- jgenous fertilizer should be derived from J organic sources, and to this end, cot- seed meal, blood and tankage may he used to good advantage with moderate amounts of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia. Of course, the nitrate of soda may be reserved and used as a top | dressing. I In our judgment you will rind a 9-3-4 cheaper and more desirable at the I prices mentioned than a 10-2-2 at the figure quoted for it. You are being [ asked a rather high price for both for mulas, but possibly you are buying on credit. It will be to a farmer’s in terest to pay cash whenever possible because of the better terms he can secure. AN INTERESTING COTTON LETTER FROM S. CAROLINA E, J. Watson, President of Southern Cotton Congress, Urges Better Cotton (Special Dispatch to The Journal.) COLUMBIA, S. C., April 14.—To Cotton Growers: For several months the situation as to long staple cotton, the progress of the growing of which watched, has been a matter of some concern to this department. Thus far, except in cases here and there, where the cotton has been held for higher prices, the results from planting upland long staple have been gratifying. In the light of the end of the sea son’s experience in the market, of in quiries of manufacturers at home and in New England, and of talks with ex porters in New Orleans, I am con strained to urge extreme conservatism and caution in planting upland long staple this year. Indeed the acreage should perhaps be generally reduced rather than increased. There should be concentration of effort this year along the line of a high grade of cotton ap proximating a uniform one-inch staple. During the past season prices paid in South Carolina for the same grades of cotton have been less than offered for the same cotton at New Orleans. Some have attributed this to prejudice of some former New England superin tendents to home grown cottons, to their preference for Mississippi cotton to the use of whiuji they had been ac customed. To determine quality, I re cently took several samples of Keen an, Columbia and other South Carolina upland long staples drawn from bales in Columbia warehouses, at present, to New Orleans with me and personally had them examined by members and widely known staple buyers of the New OrLeans cotton exchange. The first was quickly pronounced an excellent 5-16th to 3-8th and the “best Yazoo is no better”—worth 18 1-2 cents on Sep tember 23. The second was graded a 3-16th, full, worth 17 cents, (white) and 15 1-2 cents, (stained) on September 20. The third was pronounced worth 18 1-2 cents earlier in the season or 15 3-4 cents to 16 cents, that day, April 11. The sample of Keenan was ranked s high class. The most expert man perhaps in New Orleans could give no advantage to Mississippi cottons on quality. That South Carolina can and does raise cotton as good in every respect as the Peelers and Benders, I have no further doubt; no more than that we raise the world’s very finest Sea Island with a maximum of a 2.29-inch staple and a mean of 1.87, against a mean of 1.65 for Floridas, and a maximum of 1.75 for Georgias. This statement, however, refers Only to cottons grown from seed that are kept pure and which are baled without mixing with any other cotton, such as Mr. Coker and Mr. Keenan have been growing, and not to cotton grown from seed that is bought by name only from persons who have taken no ac count of the value of purity of seed. Indeed one South Carolina manufac turer tells me that either from the character of the cotton itself or from at subsoiling prove detrimental rather than beneficial. We would put the ma nure in the drill row. 'to this end we would open a wide, deep#furrow either with a turning plow or a big sweep. We prefer the turning plow, as you can turn the soil deeper and throw out a wider, deeper furrow. Scatter the ma nure along the row and then apply the fertilizer at the rate of not less than 800 pounds per acre- J&ix the manure and fertilizer well with the soil with a bull tongue, going back and forth sev eral times. Draw the furrows together and plant on the level, tt takes a lit tle time and effort to prepare the land in this way, but we have secured the best results from corn by following this practice. Any fertilizer you re serve we would use as a side applica tion relatively early in the growing sea son. We do not think it will pay you to use nitrate of soda as a top dressing unless seasonal conditions are unfavor able; If so, you should apply it some days before the corn bunches to tassel. * # * MANAGEMENT OF A SICK MULE. J. It. K.. DeFuniak Springs, Fla., writes: I have a i-uile which does not eat much and looks badly. He seeulk to be sore when he starts to work every morning, but gets better after ho works awhile. He swells in spots; today it will be one place and to nic rrow arother. I would like to kuow wliat to do for him. Your mule is evidently suffering from a case of chronic indigestion or he may have worms. This, of course, you could easily detect. Examine him carefully to see if he is infested with lice. In case you find either one of these parasites present destroy them by means with which you are no doubt familiar. We would suggest that you give a mild purgative of oil, and then follow with a condition powder. We think you will find the following tonic satisfactory: Sulphate of iron, 2 ounces. Nitrate of potash, 2 ounces. Gentian root, 2. ounces. Nux vomica seed, 1 ounce. Ginger root, 1 ounce. These should be thoroughly pulver ized and mixed, and a heaping teaspoon ful given in the feed three times daily. An engine" _ best adapted for your work is tbe^ „ engine you can depend ^ on—capable of heavy and ^ steady work every day and with less upkeep in cost. Cole’s Engines aro the result of moro than 5(f' years experience and success. Their wonderful dur- ability-actual economy of fuel-their high grade mater- „ _ L ial-skiiled workman?blp—their constant and reliable per- c l , . formance gives you tbe utmost In power and the greatest value ^ Sola on O genome guarantee la engines your money can buy. Compact and have balanced valves. ’ If you will make a comparison with any other engine, you \ .wlil find Its superiority at once. All these aro things to look for- that count in buying an engine. •Don’t buy an engine until you have investigated the Cole. Write today for catalogue and full Information regarding oui special engine offer. Do this now. B. D. COLE MANUFACTURING CO., Box K NEWNAN, GA. FREE WATCH © CHAIN I Ladies & Gents why buy a $25.00 Solid Gold Watch, have money. Here is an honest offer. Prove it. Sell 20 Packages of our perfume at 15 cts. a pkg. When sold send us $3.00 *fc we GUARANTEE to send you a watch withbear"' -’’ J ‘ *—* *■ - * USING YARD MANURE UNDER CORN J. IL, Mount Berry, Ga., writes: I am preparing to cultivate an acre in corn this season. I have 15,000 pounds of manure ami 1,000 pounds of a complete fertilizer, and 1 wish to know how ami when to use* them. Phe land ha • a grayish subsoil. Do you think it would be profitable to suzsoil so near planting time? The first and most important thing witlfbeautifuliy engraved ease, stem wind A set that compares'for utility with any SOLID GOLD watch niade^ 01 " ^° U . ,*° prepare y°UI I'ind Ladies’or Gents’Chain as desired free with every watch. Perfume Dept 2-C, 53Ureenc Street, Now York cit* thoroughly before planting the corn even it* you have to delay planting later than WE WILL GIVE This GOLD PLATED LOCKET, opens to hold two pictures, set with 8 similitude TURQUOISES, er.d a lovely 22-inch NECK CHAIN, and these 4 GOLD PLATED RINGSto anyone that willsell only 12 lieces of Jewelry at lOc each and send us the $1.2t> " T e trust you and take back all not sold. Address usual. Deep and thorough plowing and the preparation of a fine seed bed con stitute two of the great essentials to success. Do not attempt to subsoil land at this season of the year. The ground is now too wet and you are liable to puddle the lower areas and your attempt Delicious Saratoga Chips made with Cottolene Saratoga Chips made with Cottolene are never greasy, as are those made with lard. The reason for this is that Cottolene heats to about 100 degrees higher than either butter or lard, without burn ing, quickly forming a crisp coating which excludes the fat Your chips, therefore, are crisp, dry and appetizing. Cottolene costs about the price of lard, and will go one- third farther than either butter or lard. Cottolene is never sold in bulk — al ways in air-tight tin pails, which pro tect it from dirt, dust and odors. It i? always uniform and dependable. THE N. K. FAIRBANK COMPANY the intentional or unintentional mixt- ure of cottons in baling he has en countered this season 20 per cent of waste from every bale he has used. Egyptian cotton is free from trash and short fibers and, consequently, yielding less waste in combing and carding, he uses that when he can get it. The essential fact is that the upland long staple market is not keeping up in prices, even for the best, be the causes what they may, and so long as they give only about 30 pounds of lint against 40 pounds for good short staple, it is not sound business to raise it in reference to the latter. The short staple is the more profitable at present prices. Until the cry comes from the consumer in much stronger tone than at present, now that our ability to produce quality and quantity has been demonstrated, and until our growers can realize better what it means to keep seed pure and put only the real thing in the bale, it would seem better to leave the proposition alone for awhile. As to the causes for the slump in the upland long staple market, I can only recount those variously assigned. A local buyer for South Carolina mills attributes it to uncertainty on the part of the American mills as to what will be done with the tariff. A manufacturer says the average out put is so full of short lengths mixed in the bales that the waste is too great. In New Orleans they say they have never before known a falling long staple market running hand-in-hand with a well-maintained short staple market; that Mississippi cotton is in the same boat; that there’s no European or Amer ican demand; that it may be due to g large increase in the upland long staple output from Texas earlier in the season or to falling off in the demand for fine goods during the year. They confess that they are puzled* over the present situation and the outlook for the coming crop as well. A New Bedford special to the New York Journal of Commerce states the New England situation as follows: “The feature of the industrial situa tion in this city during the past week has been the rather sudden and pro nounced decline in the values of long staple cotton. Samples of three-six teenths and over, which have been held in the south or in this city for a con siderable length of time—as much as three years in some instances—have been thrown on the market at quickly declining prices without exciting much buying interest among the manufac turers. “This decline in staple cotton prices is the climax to the swing of the fine cotton mills onto coarser and heavier goods requiring shorter lengths of cot ton during the past two or three years. The market for the long staples has in consequence of this change in the kind of goods woven, completely collapsed. With the prices of fine goods very low, the manufacturers were absolutely un able to pay the premiums which had been asked for the longer length cottons. But southern holders of them, believing that the demand for them was bound to return, have in large measure refused to let go their stocks at sacrifice prices and have reluctantly loivered their quo tations cent by cent without being able to dispose of the cotton.” Perhaps the most far-reaching cause of present conditions—and it is perma nent, if it be really the right one—is assigned by the American Wool and Cotton Reporter of Boston in its issue of March 20 in its summary of the cot ton market; it says: “Those who have been holding staple cotton, and who have been most persist ent in refusals of even fairly good offers, have recently sold some of their cotton in order to be able to satisfactorily finance a planting of the new crop. “The cotton combing machinery, as now manufactured, may be used with shorter staple cotton than was possible a comparatively few years ago, and man ufacturers have taken advantage of new mechanisms so that for high grade goods they can often use a less expen sive raw material without in any way injuring the quality of the finished pro duct. For work where the longer staple cotton is preferable, manufacturers, of course, expect to pay a price correspond ing to the relative advantage of this grade over the shorter ones. With the improved facilities for handling the cot ton fibre, the premium for the long staple has been cut down, and, as noted last week, some sales have been made recently at the same prices, and in some instances lower ones, than were offered for this same stock a Ion gtime ago?” In New Orleans also there is news of an increased Egyptian acreage and supply. Whatever may be the cause of the de cline in the premium for this class of cotton, it is apparent from the fore going that conditions and circumstances as well as business sense require a re- &AXX/FV0 GJtsTfovn/L— Without Lessons or Knowledge of Muslo Any One Can Play the Plano or Organ in One Hour. Wonderful New System that Even a Child Can Use* He—“You surprised me! You told me yesterday you couldn’t play a note! ** She—“I couldn’t; 1 learned to play in one hou» by the wonderful ‘Easy Method Music ! * *' Impossible, you say? Let us prove it at our expense. We will teach you to play the piano or organ and will not ask one cent until you can play. A musical genius from Chicago has invented a wonderful system whereby any one can learn to play the Piano or Organ in one hour. With this new method you don’t have to know one note from another, yet in an hour of practice you can bo playing the popular* music with all the , fingers of both hands and playing it well. The invention is so simple that even a ; child can pow master music without costly instruction. Anyone can have this new method on a free trial merely by asking. Simply writ© eaying. “Send me the Easy Form Music Idethod as announced in i Tl.c Atlanta .lourmil. FREE TRMg The complete system together with 100 pieces of music will then be sent to you Free, all charges prepaid and absolutely not one cent to pay. You keep it seven (lays to thoroughly prove it Is all that is claimed for it, then if you aro satisfied, send us $1.50 and one dollar a month until 56.50 in all is paid. If you are not delighted with it. send it back in seven days and you will have risked nothing and will be under no obligations to us. Be sure to state number of white keys on your piano or organ, also post office and ex press office. Address Easy Method Music Company, 314 Clarkson Bldg., Chicago, 111. Big Yields, of Fruit Call for extensive cultivation, thorough spraying and heavy fertilization. To increase the quantity and qual ity of your yield per acre, apply Y irginia-Car olina High-Grade Fertilizers at the rate of ten or fifteen pounds per tree, spread well around the tree and worked thoroughly into the soil over the roots. Our 1913 FARMERS’ YEAR BOOK or almanac tells how you may increase your profits’ per acre $50 or moi^ with Virginia-Carolina Fertilizers, and proper, careful, thorough cultivation. Copy free on request. r Fertjlfe( Ireinia-CarolinaJ c Oiemfcai " Co. '' I Virginia-Carolina Chemical Co. Box 1117 VIRGINIA RICHMOND 2A Farmer Nets $4,000 on Hole In the Ground (Special Dispatch to The Journal.) S PRINGFIELD, Mo., April 12.—A few years ago Robert Smith was a St. Louis workingman, bringing home a workingman’s wages and de spairing of making both ends meet. Like lots of other city men, Robert Smith got the “back to the land” fever; got it bad. TODAY ROBERT SMITH IS THE MOST PROSPEROUS CAVE FARMER IN AMERICA. When the back-to-the-soil fever got the better cf Smith he went to a real estate dealer and bought a twenty-six- acre farm in the Ozarks, a few miles from Springfield. The farm he bought was considerably worse than most Ozark mountain farms, which, In many cases, are bad enough for farming purposes, however great they may be on scenery. In plain language, Robert Smith was “stuck” for a poor, rocky farm. He was “Just a oity feller” and didn’t know much about buying farm land. So the seller thought. Th e Smith family moved down from St. Louis, and when RobeVt found out he couldn’t make a living working # the top of the land he had bought he began -.arming under ground. FARM WAS A CAVE. On his land was a big cave, particu larly fitted for a “cellar garden.” It was large, well aired, had an even tem perature, standing at 60 winter and summer; had no cold, damp drafts, and was moist enough and not too dripping wet. So, instead of raising corn and fruit and other farm products as Smith had intended, he raised mushrooms, rhubarb, celery and bull frogs. Last year he cleared nearly $4,000 cn his cave farm. The rhubarb is started outdoors and is transplanted in the cave, where it grows an inch, a day. He sell* it at 15 cents a pound long before his surface farming neighbors can get theirs out of the ground. Three crops of mushrooms are raised each year. A square foot of ground produces more than a pound of mushrodms, and Smith cells them to St. Louis hotels and restaurants at 50 cents a pound. BLEACHES CELERY. Celery is transplanted in the cave for bleaching, where it attains a perfection of whiteness and tenderness and attracts high prices. When Smith first learned that he couldn’t farm his place like a regular farm, and decided to farm in the cave, he had to “clear” his land. Instead of stumps to pull, he had stalactites, rock formations hanging from the ceiling, to remove and haul out. When he had his duction rather than an increase of acre age in upland long staple this year. Having it in our power to produce these superior cottons when it is the part of wisdom, and as will, I would, therefore, urge our people to meet the conditions and this year endeavor to raise the best possible quality of inch cotton on about the same total acreage as that planted to cotton last year. So far nothing has been Iqst, but much gained. That is all the more reason why a mistake should be avoided at planting time before it is too late. If it is a question of the advent of a mechanical invention as the Wool and Cotton Reporter suggests, then it is the old story of the tallow candle and kero- sent lamp giving way to electricity, and the stage coach standing aside for the locomotive, and the sooner it is realized the better. I don’t believe it has come to that, however, nor that it will do so, for really fine goods must have length and strength of fiber. There Is another matter to which at tention should be directed in.order that growers of cotton may see that South Carolina ginners dqs not unconsciously hit them hard. Recently the South Atlantic and Gulf Steamship association, in session at New Orleans, provided for penalties of 50 cents and $1 a bale, respectively, to be assessed against cotton moving on and after July 1, 191L for lack of standardization in ginning measure ments and lack of density. The action taken is expressed as fol lows: “Freight egagements will hereafter be made with the, following clauses: “The standard bale gin box will be 24x54 inches as the basis of thi3 freight engagement, and cotton and cot ton linters must be of minimum density on delivery to the steamer of twenty- two and one-half pounds per* cubic foot for each bale. If not repressed to the required density, shall pay an extra freight of 50 cents per bale. “Bales of larger measurement that cannot be pressed to a minimum den sity of twenty-two and one-half pounds per cubic foot shipside shall pay an extra freight of $1 per bale.” My attention has been directed to this matter by the manager of one of the large compresses in this state, who suggests that farmers will save them selves, considering the lack of uni formity of gin boxes in this state, tills 50 cents or $1 per bale by seeing that their cotton is baled only by ginners who conform to the new regulation of 24x54 inches. E. J. WATSON, Commissioner of Agriculture and Pres ident Southern Cotton Congress. cave farm cleared he had to haul soil and manure in and spread it over this rocky floor. Outside the cav« door he built a lake, t using the rocks taken from the cave for embankments. A stream running into the cave from the lake outside—which is the playground for the bull frogs Smith raises with his other cave crops—also serves as a road or, rather, a canal. Smith goes to his cave farm in a flat- bottomed boat and hauls out his pro duce in the same way. He can work in his farm day or night. He has to carry a lantern at either time. When the frogs are wintering and there’s no celery to bleach, Smith uses part of his cave farm for a storage plane a-nd keeps his neighbor’s sweet potatoes during the cold weather for 15 cents a bushel. At one time he had 9,000 bushels of sweet potatoes in the cave. GUARANTEED MIXED ig PAINT IPgAJ WE PAY THE FREIGHT Direct from the Manufacturer r A Wonderful Paint Offer If any of your buildings need painting, write at once for our free paint sample offer. We Bell the best ready mixed paint in tb# world at lowest prices ever heard of—G&f a gallon for the best Barn Paint, $1.1$ a gallon for the finest House Paint in quantities. Wo pay the freight charges. Guaranteed For Ten Years We furnish full directions how to do any job. and just now we are making a surprisingly literal offer. Write at onco and get this great paint offer, free shade samples, strong testimonials and valu able paint information. Just say “Send me your latest paint offer.’* Address Rider Agents Wanted In each town to ride and exhibit sample Vtt bicycle. Write.for special offer. Finost Guaranteed & C97 1913 Models V*t/ k \with Coaster Brakes A Puncture-Proof tired. 1911 & 191gModels [ aH of beat makaa . .9 " , too Second-Hand Whoola All makos and models, dg O g Q fit] Sralt a FACTOilY CLEARING BALM Wo Ship on Approval ttWwul a To ‘VXWfifflfflAXE , coaster brake roar wheels, lamps, su&~ ./dries, parts and repairs for all makes of bicycle# 'at half usual prioee. DO NOT BUY until you gee our catalogues and offer. Write now, ^ MKA1> CYCLIC CO. Dept. d.j 80i CHICAGO I will lend .you. a VICTOR Talking Machine pTOfTlT or VICTROLA I I&.UL mm for a trial in your own home. You need not send me ono cent. I wiil send you a genuine Victor or Victrolt (any one you may choose from my complete Free cata log) ; if after trial you decide to keep it, I will sell It to yo* on terms of my easy payment plan, and for not one cent more than you would pay for a cash purchase. If you de cide that you don’t want it just notify me and send it back at my expense. The risk is all mine. I trust you. Write to-day for my | proposition. PETER GOODWIN, Pres., Goodwin Mercantile Co., Century Bldg. 419 St. Lonis, JFISHSEIKES^NETS, Made to special order ot 28 PER CENT DISCOUNT All Kinds of Fishing Tackle Write for r Prices & Catalog Just think of it—a Minnow Seine 4 ft. deep, rigged complete with linkers and floats, Vs in. woven mesh, sent b; paroel post at these prices. 4 ft. long 38o 6 ft.long.......65o 8 ft. long 73c 10 ft. long 85c Send Post office Konev Mer. EOiyWE & BOKD, ai s Market Street, Lonisfille, Ky. $24 A WEEK* AGENTS V. M. King Mad, $46 In 0 Days , IS IN ONE Forged steel. Patented. Low priced. - . , . Mkra eeunr. proms, i ea-incn sample to workers. Write at onen. THOMAS TOOL CO.,»3»aW««t Si., Dwtgfc 0K» Sella to auto and the home. REMEDIES Farmer or Farmers ! * with rig in every County to intro- bjOlV I duce and Family and Vetcri- “ navy Remedies, Extracts and Spices. Fine pay. One roan made $90 one week. W« mean bun- r.ess and want m man in your County. Write us. Shores-Mcel!erCc.,Dept.8$ f Codar Rapid*,Iowa Fish Bite Like Hungry Wolves, Fill your Nets Traps or Trot Lines if you bait with MAGIC FISH-LURE. Best bait ever used for attraotlOf? 1 all lands of fish. Write for price list to day and get a box to help introduce it. Agents wanted. J. F. GREGORY, Dept, a, St. Loulf, Mo.