. Established 1840. THE Sixty-Fifth Year. Southern Planter A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO. Practical and Progressive Agriculture, Horticulture, Trucking, Live Stock and the Fireside. OFFICE: 28 NORTH NINTH STREET, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. THE SOUTHERN PLANTER PUBLISHING COMPANY, Proprietors. J. F. JACKSON, Editor and General Manager. Vol.65 AUGUST, 1904. No. 8. CONTENTS. FARM MANAGEMENT : The Farm Horse 538 Editorial—Work for the Month 515 The Horse for the Southern Farmer 538 Alfalfa in Virginia 518 The Horse for the Virginia-' Farmer 539 Alfalfa in Virginia 519 The Farmer's Horse 539 Alfalfa in Tennessee 519 Alfalfa— Sheep Husbandry 520 THE POULTRY YARD: Rape in Virginia 521 The Best Kind of Grain Food 540 Curing Cow Pea Hay , 521 Cow Peas for Poultry 540 '; Curing Cow Pea Hay : 521 ' Grass Growing 522 THEHOPC- Some Notes on July Planter 523 541 ' Nutritive Ratio of Plant Food in the Soil 524 Alfalfa Growing 525 MISCELLANEOUS: Enquirers' Column . (See Detail Index, p. 547) 525 Editorial—The New Director of the Virginia Experiment Station « < - - 542 TRUCKING, GARDEN AND ORCHARD-; A State Farmer's Organization Needed 542 Editorial —Work for the Month../.' 531 Plant for Name 542 Intensive Trucking 531 Grass Seeding for Hay 543 Experience with Pear Blight 532 A New Director Elected for the Virginia Ex- ; periment Station 543 LIVE STOCK AND DAIRY: Disinfectants and Lice Killers 543 Milk Fever , 534 An Exodus 545 Horse Breeding in Virginia , 536 Making a Concrete Floor 546 The Horse for the Farm \ . 537 Intensive Trucking 546 SUBSCRIPTION,— 50c. PER YEAR, IN ADVANCE. / The Most popular Machines in use for Peanut Picking and Grain Threshing are the HBBBNER'S, LITTLE GIANT and PENNSYLVANIA Machines, and they have splendid improvements for 1904. They are built in first-class manner, and are strong and durable. The price is within the reach of all. We guaran- tee them to do the work satisfactory. We will mail cata- | logue and testimonials, and quote prices on application. RUBBER. LEATHER "LITTLE AND SAMSON" Automatic GANDY BELTING, Q Engine. FRICIVS ECLIPSE* ENGINES and BOILERS. ERIE ENGINES andl BOILERS. THE ICELEBRATED CHASE" SAW MILLS AND This out shows our 5 and 7 h. p. "kittle Samson" Vertical, Automatic Engine, for 1 pickers cutting ' "DE LOACH" flACHINERY. LTsIwinrSSa; etc*"" ' Larger size also furnished. STRATTON & BRAQQ CO., 31=33 N. Sycamore St., Petersburg, Va. OUR 850 "KETCHER." This name fits this Having now gained the Virginia jBuggy Leadership medium-priced work, admirably. It is la winner we propose to give such values) as will keep itTwith wherever used. Right up-to-the- minute in design, honestly and strong- ly built, very rea- sonable in price. We also build all other styles of light pleasure vehicles. Write for our in- teresting catalog. RICHMOND, BUGGY AND WAGON CO., 1433 E. Main Street, Richmond, Va. W. G. ADAMS Sales Manager. The Southern Planter. DEVOTED TO PRACTICAL AND PROGRESSIVE AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, TRUCKING, LIVE STOCK AND THE FIRESIDE. Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts.-=XENOPHON. Tillage and pasturage are the two breasts of the State. ==SULLY. 65th Year. Richmond, August, 1904. No. 8. Farm Management. WORK FOR THE MONTH. We see no reason why farmers should be During July, up to this writing (20th of the in a hurry to market the crop. There is going to be month) we have had much more seasonable weather a strong demand for it later. than was the case in the preceding months. The average temperature has been nearer the normal, and The oat crop promises a better yield than looked whilst we still lack much rainfall to make up the at one time possible. Whilst winter oats have been usual average for the State, yet there have been heavy a comparative failure, the spring grown crop on ac- tbunder showers over nearly every section of the count of the long continued cool weather has done State, and these, though not sufficient in many parts better than usual. to make good previous damage to crops, yet have help- ed very materially. What is needed now is a good The corn crop is very varied in promise through- general rain and then crop conditions would not fall out the South. There is an increase of about 2 per far short of an average. cent, in the area planted, and in this increase all the South Atlantic States participate. The condition is Winter wheat harvest has been completed now all nearly up to the ten year average, and considerably through the country except in the extreme North- in excess of that of last year. We are afraid, how- west. Much damage has been done to grain in shock ever, that the crop is being injured by the excessive in several of the leading producing States, and no heat and lack of moisture at the time of this writing. doubt the already deficient crop has been still fur- We have had a number of parties in complaining of ther reduced. We see no reason to alter our opinion, the "rolling *of the blades"—during the last few days. that the total wheat crop will be at least 100,000,000 Wherever cultivation has been at all neglected this is bushels less than that of last year, even though the sure to be the case, as there is a serious lack of mois- spring wheat crop should realize the best that is ex- ture in the ground. pected of it. We notice that Mr. Hill, the president of the Xorthern Pacific Railroad, who is recognized The tobacco crop is making'good progress in most as an authority on this subject, as it is his business sections, but, like corn, needs rain. This crop will to provide for the transportation of the crop from the be materially smaller than for some years past. There Xorth and West, confirms our opinion on the yield. is a reduction in the area planted throughout the He says that he does not expect the crop to exceed country of nearly 25 per cent. The only increase 000,000,000 bushels, which is even less than our noted is in the suncured section. estimate. We have reports as to many crops thresh- ed out in this State. They confirm our estimate as The cotton crop planted is a large one, consider- to quantity. The quality, however, is in excess of the ably in excess of that of last year, and is making good 516 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. [August, progress. There is every indication that the yield of the packing hands in the West has stopped the will be large, but we do not anticipate that this will killing of stock there to a very great extent. At this cause the price to fall very seriously, as there is no writing there does not appear to be an early prospect surplus crop carried over, and the demand will be of a settlement of the strike, and Eastern and South- active for the new crop. Planters should arrange to ern markets will have to provide for their own wants. market judiciously, not rushing the crop on the market, but supplying the staple as consumption and The work of harvesting the spring sown forage not speculation calls for it. crops should have attention as they become ready. If intended to be made into hay, the proper time to The hay crop has been rather short in most sec- cut the crop is when just coming into bloom, or in tions, the weather having been too dry and cold for the case of peas, when the first formed pods are turn- it. There is promise, however, for a good second ing yellow. At this time the stalk and leaves are crop, where the rains have been frequent. This crop fullest of nutriment and will cure into the most pala- will, however, be largely supplemented by forage table hay. Of course, where the crops have been crops which have been planted in greater area than grown for the seed as well as the forage they must be ever before. We have had almost constant enquiry allowed to stand until the seed forms and nearly be- as to these crops from sections from which we never comes ripe. In this issue will be found two articles before heard on the subject. Sorghum, sorghum and dealing with the much debated question as to how peas, cow peas, soy beans and millet have been widely best to cure pea vine hay. We can commend both planted over the South, and the reports we hear from plans from personal experience. Practically they these crops is very encouraging. When once farm- are what we have always advised —viz., to cure the ers realize what an immense amount of stock feed can crop like a heavy clover crop. Sorghum and sor- be raised in this way at little cost, and that when ghum and peas hay should be cut and allowed to lie judiciously fed so as to combine the carbohydrate and as cut for twenty-four hours, and then be put into protein crops in the ration, stock of all kinds can be windrow or small cocks to cure out. Sorghum alone" carried through a long winter not only without loss, when grown for the forage and seed should be cut off but with a constant increase in value, and at the same at the root like corn, and be allowed to lie on the time make a large manure heap, which will obviate ground for several days to partially cure, and then the necessity for buying fertilizer, there will be no be set up in shocks like corn.