Newspaper Page Text
(Wilcox, Gibbs & Co.,) guano,
have some fine cotton; it bad blooms
oil the 31st May, which is very < arly
for this part of the country.
I have some cotton manured with
lot and stable manure by the side of
the guano, and the guano is ahead of
the manure at this time. I have heard
several speak very favorably of the
effects of the guano they used last
year on the crops of this year.
J. II. Kirby
Canoociiee, Emanuel Co., Ga.,
June 22nd.
According to my promise I will
now give you the particulars of the
observations i have made in my route
around looking at the crops. I find
everywhere poor crops of cotton and
corn; since really, l think the poorest pros¬
pect the war; all too dry, very
dry. There will be very poor crops
made, especially cotton. Planters
have been troubled considerably to
get stands, even planting two or three
times. I have information of some
cotton just coming up. I saw very
clearly on every farm where Phoenix
and Manipulated guanos were used
last year that it is making as good
use ot itself as it ever did; it is prov¬
ing itself all right iu every instance.
All give up now that they were mis¬
taken, and tha*. they arc going to pay
for it. The thing is now generally
conceded that rhe guano and you were
right and that it must be paid for. 1
am satisfied where the Phoenix and
Manipulated were used last year it
will over double the crop this year—
that is # the present prospect, though
it is so very dry.
1 have four tests of guano, am
going to note all the particulars, and
see to the gathering and weighing of
the cotton and corn. The manipulated
is of last year’s purchase, but was not
applied until last Spring; it is by the
side of the Patapsco and VYhiudo, and
the Manipulated is ahead so far.
J. II. Williamson.
Raleigh, N. (J., June 21st.
Reports thus far of the effects of
your (Wilcox, Gibbs & Go.,) guanos
are very favorable.
W. II. Dodd.
Marion, S. C., June 7th.
I am happy to inform you that your
(W iloox, Gibbs k Go’s Manipulated)
is giving general satisfaction: every¬
body is belter pleased with the result
up to this date than they were even
last year. Crop prospect pretty good,
considering the late Spring; ruin is
very much needed.
T. C. Moody.
Ghestebfield (J. 11., S. 0
Juno 22nd.
Ail who have purchased your (Wil¬
cox, Gibbs k Go ) guanos are highly
pleased up to this time, the Phoenix
makes the best show, as it appears to
stand the severe drought better than
the Manipulated ; the difference in
favor of the guanoed cotton over tl at
where none was applied is very great.
Hugh Graig.
Cotlon Blooms. — Though we ques¬
tion the propriety of parading early
cotton blooms before the public, in the
columns of a newspaper, for the rea¬
son that it is calculated to create a
false impression of the .forwardness,
thrift and geueial condition of the
growing crop, and to effect the market
unfavorably, still we cannot well de¬
cline to notice that Mr. Marx Cohen,
of this town, on Friday last, the 11th
instant, laid upon our desk a brace of
these early visitors, grown upon the
farm of Messrs. Jennings & Frost, in
this county, on land manured last
year with Wilcox & Gibbs’ fertilizer,
and on which no manure was used
this season.
[extract.]
Newly an, Ga , June 28th, 1872.
Your Guanos, as far as I can learn,
are doing well, and 1 think will be
more popular than ever another year.
I believe that those who used Phoe¬
nix and Manipulated Guano last year
are all satisfied that they were all
right, and that they intend to fall
back on Phoenix ; crop prospects in
this county are very good and crops
are in good condition and look well,
and the planters arc in good spirits.
Very respectfully,
James E. Jones
Nashville, Berrien Go, )
June 22d, 1872. )
W. C. Macmurjthy d; Co.
Gents. — I am reminded by you,
through our worthy Postmaster at this
place, that I am in arrears for (he
Southern Agriculturist, enclosed
find 5(Jc. to pay my present indebted¬
ness. You will much oblige me by
continuing the paper, times are lnrnl
with us in money matters, but a man
must have a little soul, who will read
your valuable paper two years and
then grumble when called upon to
anteo up.
We have had a very dry Spring,
crops are not so good as usual, but
where Wilcox, Gibbs & Go’s Guanos
have been liberally applied, cotton is
doing finely, iu fact our farmers have
been taught by a few unfavorable
seasons, that it is impossible to make
a living even in this saudy section of
country, without the use of fertilizers
and none have proven equal to the
Manipulated.
Send on the paper if you are not
afraid to trust. Berrien is all right on
the goose, both iu politics and some¬
thing to eat.
Respectfully yours, kc.,
W. 11. Snead.
Fair Play, S. G\, June 22nd.
J\lr. Editor: As you request cor
respondents to send iu crop reports,
and as l wish to ask you a few ques¬
tions through the Agriculturist, 1
will write a few items. The season
has been quite dry since (lie 1st of
May. All sandy and loamy soils
have fine cotton and corn growing
on them ; but still' cloddy land is
quite backward, ’flu? farmers in this
section have used fertilizers pretty
liberally, with good effect, and 1 be¬
lieve the veritable old fogy has eune
to the conclusion that it won’t pay to
plant cotton without using guano.
Stock hogs are looking finely and a
great many hogs are being raised.
The harvest pastures arc now being
opened, and as the crop ul small
grain, both wheat and oats, were never
more prolific, we expect a great out-
come in the hay crop for the next
month to c >me.
I would like to have your o; inion
how a compost of lime and Bagassee, or
sorghum stalks would do together. O I
n
make a large amount of sorghum
yearly, and would like tokuow if lime
and the ground cane would do well
composted, and in what proportions I
should use, &c. I am well pleased
with the Agriculturist.
Respectfully, yours, F. K.
B
ANSWER.
B. F. lv. : In reply to your query
relative to e< in posting bagassce or
sorghum stalks with lime, we would
state that we have never known the
experiment tried, but ibis much we
are satisfied ol ; the stalks would
prove a good vehicle for the lime, and
lime is about the ouly thing that
would decompose them. As (♦ the
propoition in which to mix, we are
not prepared to advise, hut will give
the matter further investigation, which
want of time now precludes, and will
take up the subject iti our next issue
Wo would suggest that whatever
surplus you may have of stalks might
be used to good advantage iu stopping
washes; they are slower to decay thau
any vegetable matter we know; lad¬
ing three to four years, Should you
come in possession of any facts on the
subject of the composting we would
be glad to hear from you, with permis¬
sion to publish.— Editors S. A.
Information on the above subject,
solicited from any of our readers.
------- — ♦ ♦ ♦ -- --
Food of Plants.
There is nutriment for them in hard
rocks. Soil in which they grow is
essentially nothing more than pulver¬
ized stones, with which decomposing
organized matter is mixed. By being
thus reduced, potash, lime, phosphates
and many other elements in them are
sot free. By exposure to air, falling
raindrops, freezing and thawing al¬
ternately, besides other agencies in
nature, those salts are liberated, and
being dissolved in water arc then ab¬
sorbed by roots, and vegetation is
thus nourished. The theory of the
utility of manures is simply supply ing
appropriated food to plants in greater
abundance than is attainable by them
in places in which their proper ali¬
ment has been exhausted by continu¬
ed culture. Ashes, decaying wood,
bark, straw, husks, shoes, l ones,
leaves, muck, and in short, whatever
is perishal.de by decomposition, yields
something on which hungry plants
can feed luxuriously. Therefore,
save everything of the kind for that
purpose. Without practical economy
in that way, there is neither thrift on
a farm or full garners in Autumn —
That which is coal to-day may enter
into new relations to morrow. Once
it was a tree, an animal, a palace, or
perhaps !l >uting in the atmosphere.
Matter is novel at rest, but perpetu
ally assmmnfi new and diversified
forms.
From the Southern Farm aiul Homo.
Lucerne.
The large number of persons who
have this year made experiments with
Lucerne, as recommended by the
Fann <0 Homs, and the rest of the
agricultural press, makes it important
that more should be known as to the
time to cut it and how to euro it. So
many uoviecs have applied to me tor
information on this subject, I think it
best to answer them, and all others
similarly situated, at the same time :
Time of Cuttinj .—When the patch
begins generally to bloom is the
proper time to cut. Do not wait un¬
til it is iu full bloom or until the
plants begin to change color, but cut
at once. When cut at this stage of
growth the forage is much more "uc
ouleiit and nutritious for all kinds of
stock, than if allowed to become riper.
By cutting at, this time also the sec¬
ond and subsequent crops, (l have
seen seven cuttings of Lucerne in one
season) are improved in quantity and
quality. should be cured
Curing. —Lucerne
like clover, that is, allowed to wilt
where cut—'never scattered—and put
up in tall, narrow cocks, where it
sweats slightly for three or four days,
and is then turned over and suum d
for about an hour, when the crop is
ready for the wagon to haul it to the
lot, and stow it away on the lofts.
To]) dressing —If, after the first
cutting is cured and hauled away, ft
top-dressing of plaster and ashes is
applied to the patch, the subsequent
cuttings will he largely increased.
The best time to scatter ties mixture
is very early in the morning or late
iu the evening, or on a cloudy day
just before a rain
General Remarks. —Amateur lu¬
cerne growers would do well to re¬
member that it should never be pas¬
tured by stock. It should always be
cut.
If from too thin or too late sowing
the weeds threaten to smother the
Lucerne, be nut discouraged and de¬
clare Lucerne a failure and a bum
bug. The failure is not in the Lu¬
cerne, but in the scanty seeding, or
iu allowing the weeds to get the start
before the seed were sown. In such
a case apply the scythe weeds vigorously and
and you will kill the give
the undisputed possession to the Lu¬
cerne. As a forage crop 1 am satisfied
that Lucerne is superior to clover. Iu
the first place, tire yield is more than
twice that of clover. It never sali¬
vates, iike clover. ILrses, mules,
cows, calves, cults, and hogs eat it
greedily, and I have fed invariably Lucerne, found
that milch cows, on give
more aud richer iniik than if fed on
any other fo::igo crop l know, 1 have
frequently made the experiment as to
tin* comparative value .is food for
milch cows of Lucerne and clover,
and have always found die former to
be the more nutriti ms aud the greater
milk producer.
1 hope that the experience of this
year will encourage our people to
make Lucerne one of the established
crops of the South. I regard it as of
inestimable value. W. Bingham.
Orange Co., JY. C., May , 1872.