. : 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, RICHflOND, VIRGINIA. THE SOUTHERN PLANTER PUBLISHING COMPANY, Proprietors. J. P. JACKSON, Editor and General Manager. Vol. 65 DECEMBER, 1904. No. 12. CONTENTS. FARM MANAGEMENT: The Bowmont Farm's Herd of Jerseys. 805 Among the Flocks of Scotland 806 Editorial—Work for the Month \ . 785 Winter Plowing 789 Blood Will Tell 808 Turnip Growing in Scotland 790 Buying Concentrates for Dairy Cows. 809 Some Passing Notes 791 THE POULTRY YARD: Report on Inoculation of Soy Beans and Other Legumes Artificially 792 Editorial—Are Your Poultry Houses Warm and Enquirers' Column (Detail Index, page 817). 793 Free from Drafts 810 Chicken Chatter 810 TRUCKING, GARDEN AND ORCHARD: Animal Food for Late Molting Fowls 810 Editorial—Work for the Month 798 THE HORSE: Onions from Sets and Seeds i 798 Random Thoughts 799 Editorial—The Colt 811 Results with Japan Plum Orchard in Con- Notes 811 necticut 799 Picking Peaches 800 MISCELLANEOUS Fall Crops in the Norfolk, Va., Trucking Belt. 801 Varieties of Wheat, Corn, Etc., Grown in the Trucking 801 State of Virginia 813 Keeping Cabbage for Winter Use 802 Sugar from Corn Stalks 813 The Leguminous Crops as Factors in the LIVE STOCK AND DAIRY: Cheap Production of Milk 814 Editorial—The Butter Supply of Southern A Great Jersey Victory 815 .Markets 803 Feeding the Turkeys 815 Imported Hogn for Virginia 803 More Eggs in Winter 816 Farm Butter Making 803 Association Fixes Tobacco Schedules 816 Duroc Jersey Hogs 805 Varieties of Corn for Planting—Soy Beans... 816 SUBSCRIPTION, 50c. PER YEAR, IN ADVANCE. The Most popular Machines in use for Peanut Picking and Grain Threshing are the HEEBNER'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, FFJCIVS ECLIPSE" Engine. ENGINES and BOILERS. ERIE ENGINES and BOILERS. THE CELEBRATED CHASE" SAW MILLS This cut shows our 5 and 7 h. p. "Llttl* *"""" Samson" Vertical, Automatic Engine, far ttrfcC | AA^H" n ATHIMPDV running threshers, peanut pickers, cuttiig UC LUAVll I lAUUtl^Crv » • feed, sawing wood, etc. Larger size also furnished. STRATTON & BRAGQ CO., 31=33 N. Sycamore St., Petersburg, Va. The Power Behind the Style In other words, Quality is what gives the customer real satisfaction and the dealer a trade he can look forward to. But in these days of so many imitations it is sometimes hard to tell the false from the true. You know a little paint and var- nish will cover a multitude of defects in construction, therefore when or- dering vehicles it is well to look for a line with an honest reputation, and such is comprised of VIRGINIA-MADE VEHICLES. They contain " no hinge or loop to hang a doubt on." They're true blue all through, and are priced to please the people and profit the dealer. We've proved it to others - how about you? 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, MORTICULTUR! 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, December, 1904. No. 12. Farm Management. WORK FOR THE MONTH. this we made in Maryland, Virginia and North Car- The year has once again rolled round to its close, olina an average of one and one-third tons to the and the promise of the "Giver of all things" that acre; in South Carolina one and two-thirds tons to "seed time and harvest should not fail," has once the acre, and in Tennessee over one and one-half tons again been verified. Now that the ingathering of the to the acre. These crops compare very favorably results of the farmers' labors has been about com- with those of the Northern and New England States, pleted, he can take stock of the same and compare where, although noted for making hay, few average the results with those of past years and seek to derive yields in excess of those of the above Southern States lessons therefrom for his future efforts. To South- are reported. The wheat crop of Maryland made an ern farmers this retrospect will be upon the whole a average yield of 13 bushels to the acre; of Virginia, favorable one wherever the farmer did his duty by the 10 bushels to the acre; of North and South Carolina, land. Whilst the weather has been, nearly through- 8 bushels to the acre, and of Tennessee, 11 bushels to out the South, abnormal in respect to rainfall, there the acre. These yields are no doubt very low, and having been ever since the early spring months a de- represent no profit to the grower, but Avhen com- ficiency in precipitation in nearly every State, yet pared with the average made in other winter wheat in only one or two of these has such deficient pre- growing States for this year, may be taken to be not cipitation amounted to anything like such a serious less in proportion than other growers had to submit lack of moisture as to imperil crops. In several to on account of the abnormal winter weather. There States it has no doubt somewhat curtailed the yield, can be no question that the low average yield of wheat yet in this and the adjoining States such has not been in the Southern States every year is largely the fault the case. All our crops, except wheat and hay, have of the growers themselves, who will not give that been either up to or in excess of the average. In the preparation to the land which the crop requires in or- case of the wheat crop, the deficient yield was not der to be grown profitably. This is evidenced by attributable so nrach to the lack of rainfall as to the the fact that those who do give the land the proper long continued and severe cold of the winter follow- preparation make crops as large as are made in any ing upon a dry seeding time, which caused slow ger- other part of the country. Even in this year of ab- mination of the crop and left it very small and deli- normal low yields Ave know farmers who made over cate to withstand the freezing of the winter. The 30 bushels to the acre without the use of any com- deficient hay yield was no doubt attributable to the mercial fertilizer whatever. We have during the lack of rain in the spring and early summer months. fall months written very fully on this subject of the With out early haying season this was bound to re- proper preparation of the land for the wheat crop, mit in a curtailment of the crop, yet notwithstanding and hope that the results will be seen next year in a 786 THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. [December, much higher average yield. The oat crop of the farmer from 25 to 50 per cent, more for a machine South was again a disappointment, but as this crop or implement than they charge the foreigner for the is only one of minor importance and mainly grown same thing, but when the farmer begins to get a little as a hay or forage crop, this fact is not of serious protection they will object. Let us hope the result import, as the deficiency in forage yield was easily will be to get rid of the whole system and make each made good by the summer grown forage crops. "tub stand on its own bottom." The "infant in- We doubt much 1he advisability of persisting in dustries" are now hoary with age, and ought to be making the oat crop a factor in our crops. It is able to "go it alone," or not go at all. With such an essentially a cold climate crop, and our average outlook as the figures indicate, the farmers of the weather conditions are not adapted to its successful South may and should be able to look upon the re- growth. Its place as forage can well be taken by sults of their labors for this year with satisfaction. a summer grown forage crop, which we can raise to Much of this improvement in the condition of the perfection. If grown at all, it should be sown in the farming interests of the South is to be attributed to early fall and be cut for hay, when the grain is in the the change which has taken place in the methods of dough state before the hot weather sets in. Turning the Southern farmer. From being simply "planters" now to the great staple crops of the South, corn, cot- they are gradually becoming "farmers." We look ton and tobacco, the retrospect is a most cheering one. upon this change with great satisfaction, as it is one Corn, which in area was more than the average has for Avhich we have labored earnestly for now nearly made in Maryland an average yield of 33 bushels to twenty years. We have urged in season and out of the acre, in Virginia an average yield of 23 bushels season that rotation of crops should be studied and to the acre, in North Carolina an average yield of 15 practiced, and that the products of the farm should bushels to the acre, in South Carolina an average be converted at home into higher priced products yield of 12 bushels to the acre, and in Tennessee an than the raw products can ever bring, and which can average yield of 25 bushels to the acre.