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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, OCTOBER 15, 1882.
3
Jfgrii[tt1ttn{xl gjqpartmetiL
The lione Star State.
Ed. Southern World—I am a farmer with
both hands full on the farm; Grange deputy
for this district, with another hand full
then.; President and Director of Concord
Cp-operative Association No. 52 Patrons of
Husbandry, with two or three hands full
there; besides the hands required in filling
subordinate offices in Grange, Odd Fellows
and Masonic lodges, special and standing
committee business, etc. The balance of my
time I spend in reading the newspapers,
watching the progress of the boll worm,
trimming and burning lamps by night in
the cotton field to destroy the moths that
produce the boll worm, (for they are here
sure eneough and have done considerable
damage,) and wondering whether the cliques
and rings in Liverpool, London, and New
York haven’t perfected and published to the
world the price per pound for cotton for the
coming year, notwithstanding the Missis
sippi lias twice or thrice overflowed its
banks. It could be done in less than thirty
minutes, for if the Grand Mogul on 'change
should say let it be eight cents per pound,
the whole ring would respond at once, “so
mote it be." Then Jay Gould would say,
let it bo two cents per pound for freight, and
his ring would shout “Amen,” and the
work is done. I see no reason for delay.
Crops are good except cotton, which is not
fruiting well; the boll worm is at work.
J. 8. West.
WKitesborough, Texas.
[Our Texas contributor is evidently a
man of great energy and usefulness. He
writes well, and we will be pleased to hear
from him often.—Ed.]
Saving Fruit.
Editor Southern World.—Having found
a good way to save fruit it is my desire to
make it known to the readers of the South
ern World. I have saved a great deal of
fruit this season by a new process which I
here describe: When it rained so that I
had to take it in I put it on a scaffold under
a shelter and smoked it with cotton seed un
til the sun shined, then I put it out again.
In this way I saved all my fruit except
about half a gallon, while it was raining
every day and my friends were throwing it
away by the bushel. I think all who will
try this plan will be pleased with the result.
A quart of cotton seed will be sufficient to
smoke two or three bushels of fruit half the
day. I was raised in Georgia and have there
many relatives and friends, but I came to
Miss., over twenty-five years ago; I reckon
they would all be strangers to me now, and
as I cannot see them I wish to give them, as
well as other ladies, the benefit of my dis
covery through the columns of your valua
ble paper. Mrs. 8. E. Champion.
Morton, Miss.
The Johnson Grass.
Editor Southern World.—Seeing so many
good articles in your valuable paper in ref-
ference to improved farming in the South,
Buch as stock and grass raising, and trying
to pull the old fogy planter from his old
beaten path of all cotton, western meat and
bread stuffs and his master, the Commission
merchant, who dictates by obligation what
he shall plant, names the time when it shall
come in, and may I not say that nine times
in ten these obligations are sent to the
money lenders of the North and East to get
money on so as they can get other moneys
to take other obligations of the same sort
thereby informing the money sharks and
speculators precisely the time to expect the
bulk of onr staple to come in, hence the
low price at the opening of the season when
our best cotton is coming in and tbeunnatu-
ralnessof corresponding high price forourlow
grades of cotton. When the cotton season is
well spent; now, as near all of our Southern
journals are trying hard to open the eyes of
our blind, may I call them farmers ? Nay,
planters to» better and easier way of living.
Allow me to say something to planters who
must confess with shame that I am the for
tunate possessor of some such obligations
showing that they have been where the
giver did not have the money to go indorsed
by moneyed men living in New York City.
In the first place allow me, planters to say
that I felt best in those days of darkness
when I could congratulate myself by think
ing that at the close of agiven day that I had
killed more grass that day than any other
day of my life. At that time if some far
mer had come np and saw me feeling so
good over my success, had told me that 1 had
killed my best friend, 1 think my answer
would have been that he could have all such
friends of mine and not pester me any more
with it fora life time, but allow me to say
that it is not so now; I wish my lands was
six inches deep with grass seed of almost
any sort except coco or nut grass that I have
not found good for anything yet, but a
chicken-enti tig-sow, calculated to make her
repent for so cruelly treating the feathered
tribe. But to give me my choice of other
grasses would take what is considered by
some tho next worst pest, Johuson grass; in
its absence give me the farmers friend Crab
grassor Japan clover. No man can tell
from whence it came but we do know it is
here, capable of doing wondrous good for
all manner of beasts. Want to say to doubt
ing farmers to come to our neighborhood
where but a few years ago a mowerand sulky
rake was a curiosity and see for yourselves
42 mowers running and cutting that de-
spisable thing called grass that we once de
lighted to see bleached in the cotton row
and see what a great and natural change
grass makes in any country and does it too
like magic. See where the old native scrub
cow one nipped the shy bundles of grass.
Against tbeodds in their stead the beautiful
short horn or the fawn like Jersey calves
playfully feeding upon carefully pitched
grasses such as the different clovers, orchard
grass, blue grass the friend of the poor the
native crab grass or the boss of grasses, the
Johnson grass; in with those beautiful
calves see the fine colts; select a racer from
a quarter to a four mile dash if you choose or
a fine saddler and with these if you want to
raise or see raised the docile lamb look
around and see the fine Cots-wold with its
wool ten to fourteen incher long, or the
Southdown with all of its mutton qualities
or the Merino tho finest wool of them all,
nipping the dreaded foes of the once un
happy planter, now beginning to be the
pleasant farmer. These are not fairy tales;
come and see, if not true we will pay expenses.
G. W. it H. C. Randall.
Marion Junction, Ala.
Nut Lovengood’s Successor.
Editor Southern World—Agin I setdown
to drop you er fu lines relatin to crops, cam-
meetins an so fourth in this sexshion, hope-
in it may not be intrudin too much on your
valuable time to ask you to peruyse them.
You recollect I wrote to you some fpur or
five weeks ago—well, sur, we has had er
wet time of hit in this country since then,
bin er rainin nearly evary day since I don’t
no when—never seed so much water fall at
this season of the year in all my life before,
the clowds keep bilein up from the south
west, which is directly contrary to what the
allmurnack ses, as hit ses they air to cum
from the northeast in August this year. But
we air all liable to make mustakes some
times, so is my Bill, who considers bisself a
weather judge fur he sed hit wus gwine to
clear up arter the new moon, but hit fuled
him this time; mind you, I am not cora-
pluinin, fur I am not one who believes in
kickin agin providence, but like to trust
to him who nows what is allows best, spe
cially as our crops hav not suffered much
from all this rain.
I suppose the rain hes drowned out all the
catipillersas they hes not made tharappear-
mice here yet; an the cotton is well fruted;
an the corn stalks air bendin over with great
big double-jineted years, can’t save much
fodder though, you no, ef hit keeps er rainin
this way.
Not ebangin the subject, but me an my
old woman (Jane) hev jist got back from the
camp-mcetin at Little Texas camp ground,
whar we spent er most pleasant week er-
mongst the brethren, an sisterin, an Method
ist preachers an fried chicken an er, well, er
heap of other things to tegious to mention
in this liinmerted pistul. Thar was er good
deel of shoutin goin on most all the time as
tlmr generally is at sicli places, old an young
women turnin luce the good feelins thar
hearts wus tu full to hold.
This Little Texas, which is er bout 8 miles
lother side of Tuskcegee, is er whale in the
way of campmectins, they hev um thar
every year, too much cannot be sed in prayse
of the hospertality an kindness of the good
people in that locality.
■On our way home we cum ercross whor
the cullud people war bavin er simmerly
meetin, an they war jist gittin in er good
way of shoutin as we stoped a fu minutes on
the roadside close to whar the preacher wus
er swettin an cuttin up ludjerus anticks in
the pulpit. They had er galery of seats
raised high above the ground seats, an as one
cullerd damsel wus doin er little extra
shoutin up thar, she furgot herself an jist
bounced rite over the galery railin down on
the heads of her supprized brethren. Well,
I never seed the like before, she jist shouted
an wallered all over that whole congrega-
shun, regardless of what or who she come
in contact with until she jist fainted in the
arms of one of the brethren. At this junk-
ture Jane ordered me to move on, an I mov
ed, an we arrove all safe arter our weeks
recreashun.
Es I sed befo, I hed once bin a residint of
your State, an while livin in Alabama, 1
allmost feel like Georgia is still ray home.
But Alabama is er mity good State herself—
heap of money to be made down hear ef er
fellow will stick to his callin an go to work
with his coat off. Lots of reasourses yet to
be developed by labor an capital. Old Ala
bama is risin an will yet shin fourth a bril
liant Btar among tho Southern States. Such
is the perdieshun of l’os Butts.
Macon County, Alabama.
Turning Under PenvineN.
Ed. Southern World—The Scientific Amer
ican of August 20th, says: “Fcavines act bet
ter as a fertilizer, when plowed under after
they have become decayed than while green."
Long exposure to the weather makes them
of very little value as food, and as rich food
is considered the best for ricli manure, can
you tell what new elements of fertility are
added to them by being left to sun and rain
to decay? F. Gautier.
West Pascagoula, Miss.
Answer—We have not seen the article in
the Scientific American alluded to, but pre
sume the writer did not intend to convey
the idea that any element of value is added
to the peavines by leaving them exposed to
the sun and rain to decay, but that the rapid
fermentation of the large mass of succulent
vegetable matter exercised a deleterious ef
fect on a closely succeeding crop, or that the
upturning and exposure of the soil during
hot weather is injurious. We think the lat
ter objection is the serious one. Another
consideration that is against turning under
the vines green, is that it leaves the ground
in bad mecbanical condition for immediate
planting and subsequent germination of
seeds. We have no doubt that the hot sun
seriously injures the soil when exposed to its
full rays without protection of any sort.
While it is true, as a general proposition,
that the richer the food value of the crop
the greater it will benefit the soil when turned
under, yet it must be borne in mind, that
during the process of decay of the vines the
elements that gave them value as food are
leached out by the rains and carried directly
into the soil where they will be found in a
condition for the immediate use of the suc
ceeding crop. Very little of value is lost by
evaporation from the decaying vines. The
leaves and stems successively fall to the
ground and are soon converted into a dry
humus easily plowed under, and making it
a much lighter job to cover the woody parts
of the vine. We do not think the question
of the relative merits of the two plans—so
far as relates to the benefits conferred on
the soil are concerned—has yet been defi
nitely settled, but incline to the opinion
that mere convenience and expediency has
governed those who advocate the practice of
permitting the vines to decay on the surface.
It is well settled, however, that a very great
benefit to the soil is the result of this new
practice. While it may be true that the old
idea of plowing under vines while in full
luxuriance of growth may add more virtue
to the soil, yet it may be that this virtue is
overbalanced by the considerations already
referred to, viz: injury to the soil from ex
posure to the sun, greater difficulty and cast
of the operation, and the immediately sub
sequent condition of the soil.
We wish we could publish some decisivo
experiments covering all those points. The
question is only one of a thousand that
ought to be investigated and which call
loudly for the institution of experiment
farms or stations. R-
Dalian Wheat.
Editor Southern World.—Mark W. John
son & Co., of Atlanta, Ga., advertise the
"Bill Dallas Rustrproof wheat’- for sale,
claiming for it that is true to name and also
a large yielder. From their description of
the grain and its habits of growth its very
similar to the "Fultz,” which we have raised
for years—it proving to be a safe variety for
this section. Ib it not similar—perhaps
identical—with the “Fultz” wheat I have
mentioned? If a new and hardy variety I
wish to try it, for all grain brought here
from south of us (small grain) does better
than that got from the north. Several years
ago 1 got the “Rust-proof oat” from Georgia,
and now raise no other kind. Where did
the “Dallas” wheat originate, when and
how ? By answering my inquiries you will
obligo me, as I am on the lookout for any
thing promising improvement in agricul
ture. J. H. Scales.
Cascade, Va.
Answer : Tho Bill Dallas or Dallas is not
the same as Fultz, thougli similar in respect
to stiffness and length of straw. The Fultz
is a strictly beardless, red wheat; while the
Dallas has a few bearded heads and may bo
called an amber wheat, though the grains
are not uniform. This very want of uni
formity In color of the grains, and the fact
that some heads arc bearded while the great
er partaro beardless, seems to be a peculiar
ity of all the original samples of Dallas
wheat that we have examined. It is very
likely that the bearded is a distinct va
riety—probably the Mediterranean. Tho
beardless beads—which greatly predominate
—give the best grain, some of it red and
some amber.
The Dallas originated a good many years
ago, in Edgefield county, South Carolina,
whence it was brought to Lincoln county,
Georgia,by William Sims and Willinm(Bill)
Dallas. Tho latter took great |>ains with it
and it took his name. Mr. Dallas died about
twelve years ago, and since that time Mr.
D. B. Cade, Danburg, Wilkes county, Geor
gia lias given the wheat even more attention
than did Mr. Dallas.
We learn that a Mr. Meriwether, of Cow
eta county, Georgia, has purged the Dallas
of the bearded kind, by selection, and is of
opinion that he has greatly improved it. R.
Seeds for the Month.
Only a few years ago tho idea was very
prevalent that we ought to look to the states
north and east of us for seed wheat, oats and
barley, and that the South was a sort of Naz
areth out of which nothing good was to be
expected except cotton, sugarcane, rice and
some other products that cannot be grown
in the north. The idea evon went further
than this, and it was thought that we might
improve our cotton by introducing seeds
from Egypt; oats by going to Norway and
8wcden ; grapes, to France; and turnips to
England,—to say nothing of livestock im
portations—cattle, swine, horses and fowls.
So far as importations from foreign countries
and older portions of this country were con
cerned, the idea was based upon a necessity
that no longer exists. Once supply the in
telligent farmers of this country with the
best seeds and stock of older countries, and
we need no longer look to them for substan
tial improvement. Our own unequalled
soil and climnte, with the energy and intel
ligence to take advantage of them to the ut
most, needs little from the old country.
But we ore thinking nnd intending to writo
particularly of tho notion that we should
send to Maryland, Pennsylvania or Massa
chusetts for seed wheat, rye, or oats. Tho
idea depended upon the theory that wo
should send for seed to that section which
produced tho particular crop in greatest per
fection. Willie this is to be to a considera
ble extent true it hus been found not to ap
ply to wheat and oats. The greatest danger
to be feared in the cose of these two grains
is that they will be attacked and destroyed
by nut. If it be true (and we do not doubt
it) that wheat is less subject to rust in
Maryland and New York, it is not likely
that farmers in those states, in tho selection
of varietiesand their improvement, willgivo
special attention to the capacity to resist
rust or their exemption from the pest.
Hence, a variety of wheat which would give
satisfaction in New York on account of su
perior milling quality of the grain and pro
ductiveness, might utterly fall, when
brought to the South, on account of rust.
This is, in fact, the result—almost without
exception—of every trial of northern vari
eties of seed wheat in the South, and oven
more Bignally in the case of oats. Almost
all of them have proved nttcrly worthless.
It would seem to be—from the nature of the
difficulty—tho true theory to look among
our own varieties for a hardy rust-resisting
seed, or bettor still, to import from a still
more Southern and more unfavorable clime;
and this theory is sustained by experience.
Of all the cotton states, south of Tennessee,
Georgia and the Carolinas are most success
ful in the culture of wheat and oats, and
their success has been achieved in the use of
seed that has either originated at home, or
has been introduced from the south and
southwest and still further improved by the
farmers of these states. The Dallas wheat
is of South Carolina origin; tho red rust
proof oat was brought from Mexico or Cen
tral America and the Burt is an improve
ment on the red rust-proof—in respect to
earliness—first developed in Alabama; the
Red May and Little White May is an old
southern variety. Of the varieties of wheat