Newspaper Page Text
2
CONDUCTED BY SAMUEL
A. COOK, MILLEDGE
VILLE, GA.
/ upon the Bnb ject of fruit and vegetable
A growingls earnestly solicited for this department.
, 11 toall ' Earnest men and women
4. r IBvhSwKSm® # are invited to jomthis Horticultural j Club for the mutual benefit
V ‘ of all. bend communications to above address. (Drawer N.)
Possibilities of Farming.
Bat what are the real possibilities of ag
riculture that the farmer may reasonably
aim at? Under re«l farming there has
been produced from one acre of land, by
the very b*st tillage and most liberal fer
tilizing, 100 bnshels of grain corn, 50 bush
els «f wheat, 80 bushels of oats, 50 of bar
ley, 75 of buckwheat, 600 of potatoes, .1,200
of mangels, 3 tons of bay, 40 of ensilage,
800 bnsnels of onions, and of market crops
from «300 to 8500 in value per acre; and
all these in fields, and not on plots for ex
periment. All these have been made in
ordinary business and repeated in favor
able seasons. They may therefore be ac
cepted as actual possibilities that the pro
gressive farmer may reach them if he will
try. .
No doubt the average product of the
land is a miserable pittance, thrown by
generous nature to the farmer who de
serves no better because he will not work
for it. But an average always indicates a
still deeper, lower depth of poverty, and
how farmers can live upon the wretched
product of the worst-worked farms is a
mystery to every one who knows the dif
ficulty of maintaining a comfortable ex
istence under almost the highest point
made beyond the general average. And
it is here where the spring of the discon
tent that prevails among the lower class
of farmers rises. These complaints are
heard, while the satisfaction of the ma
jority is never thought of.
* * *
E p ery farmer who intends to improve
his methods of culture may begin most
successfully with the grass or clover crop.
T h is is well thouzht to be the basis of all
farming. And, if so, one cannot begin
better than at the foundation. There are
a whole series of mistakes made in the
management of this most valuable crop
It is one that calls for the most perfect
tillage of the laud, first; and then liberal
feeding. The former is the sine qua non,
that which is indispensable and without
which there can be no valuable result.
But it is a mistake to think that this til
lage ends before the seed is sown, and is
all preparatory to this work On the con
trary, the first preparation of the soil is
but one-half of the business. Then comes
the sowing of the seed, but after that
omes the other half of the culture, in the
Oo per placing of the seed in the soil,
said seed must be sown on good ground,
°i btless, and the goodness of the land is
anvjiy proportion to the previous cul
the O s ft. the good seed must be oov
cou. amply, to avoid all risks of danger
her thr-atens it
ca ?.? g covering is of far more impor-
W, than is commonly believed. In
It it is rarely thought of, and no belief
upqt it ex sis in the minds of the maj >r
trojf farmers. But, in truth, it is the
de t important point of all, especially in
(gr culture of grass and c'over. The
caial way is to scatter the seed on the
slrface of the land and leave it to its
gtinces almost always unfavorable to
icessful germination.
g?f any thougatis given to it, it is that
ati seeds are so small that any covering
braid prevent their growth. This is the
w y thing these small seeds require by
at son of their smallness. The supply of
ca.it food ia these tiny seeds is so small
ano be exhausted by the first tiny germ
.’I appears, and this is so weak that one
yo r’s sunshine or dry wind kills it. But
term the soil is loose and open, as it
litd be to receive these seeds, and some
wo.ring is given by a light harrowing,
calp Is no danger of loss by even a long
gretnued spell of dry % weather, for the
let > are in the soil and do not dry, but
not i growing, and thus insure the crop.
som> ft *
failure to cover the seed is doubt
he cause of the very common loss of
and clover by dry weather following
sding, when the seed has been sown
A i old careless way by scattering it on
i ect oaQ< i to take its chances.
J ngs have changed greatly since the
mar was first cleared of its forest growth,
ham the soil was filled with vegetable
80 ,ter, and was soft and spongy, holding
v isture firmly and forming a porous seed
Jl, in which the small seeds sank easily,
JJd thus secured protection from the dry
winds that so frequently follow spring
♦J ring
aid has now been exhausted, not
“Rf of this soft, spongy matter, but of its
. > fertility as well, and this is to be
Vi ght of in preparing the land for the
“"S seeding.
?° n ie soil now becomes packed hard and
Ousted over so that the small seeds do
H*‘sink into it, and thus some method of
Bering he seeds, as well as preparing
soil by thoroughly pulverizing it, must
“Secured.
•And this is done, first, by good plowing,
"1 then the use of some harrow by
?9ich the soil is deeply cut and broken,
ud turned as by a number of small
eiows, penetrating as far as the seed may
e properly covered only, and leaving a
great number of little furrows of mellow
soil, that quickly settles down into the
hollows waere the seedsfu.il, and gives
them I he needed covering. Or tho seed is
first sown ana the harrow is then used to
cover it, which is then done in the most
•cure manner.—N. Y. Times.
Profitable Onion Crop.
Goorge E Howell writes in the Orange
County Farmer about the onion growers
of that portion of New York State. About
45 years ago Daniel Conklin, of Chester,
Orange county, inaugurated what has
since become an important industry—that
of onion raising on the black earth mead
ows.
From the modeet beginning made by
Mr. Conklin 45 years ago, we now have
in onion cultivation within the borders of
Orange county 1700 acres.
In 1891 the crop was estimated to be 164,-
402 barrels; in 1892, 65 200; in 1893 it is es
timated there win be 75,000 barrels, or a
trifle more than last year.
The average yield from all sources is 75
barrels to the acre.
The onion-growing sections are Chester,
Summerville, Florida, Durbndville. Big
Island, Naw Hampton, Pine Island, Glen
wood, Amity and minor sections.
Land which now has regular rows of on
ions upon it, worth hundreds of dollars,
years ago was a wilderness of weeds and
brush, unreclaimed and not worth a dol
lar, has been by stimulated industry made
into veritable gold mines
Much of the land is now worked by
Poles and other foreigners. This is es
pecially so around Durlandville. Let us
follow the fortunes of some one of the*>e
thrifty foreigners. Perhaps he came here
with a bundle of clothes on his back, and
not a dollar in his pocket or a word of
English in his vocaouiary. He works a
year, perhaps two, in some other fellow’s
onion plot, and then he goes np to an own
er of bog-meadow land,and enters into an
agreement to clear a strip of land and
grow a crop of onions on shares. All win
ter long you will see him digging, chop
ping and burning, and when spring comes
he is ready to plant his first crop. The
wants of a large family may cause him to
sacrifice his crop to some fellow who has
more money than he has, and he may even
be obliged to grow another crop on shares,
but the rule, not the exception, is he will,
in his frugal way of living, be far enough
advanced in this world’s goods to allow
him to buy his plot on the installment
plan, and later he will own it, title free,
and ready money besides.
Most every one raises his own seed, and
upland is used to raise it on. It is sur
prising how small an area of land will
turn oft 50 pounds of onion seed.
A barrel of onions is supposed co pro
duce 10 pounds of good seed, and it only
requires five pounds of seed to sow an
acre. Each seed ball is made up of an in
numerable amount of pods; each pod con
tains three seeds.
When the seed gets ripe the balls are
out from the stalk, tied in bunches and
strung on strings or wires to dry All the
seed that does not rattle out of its own
accord has to be threshed out.
After the crop is pulled the weeds, tops,
etc., are carefully raked up and burned
then the ground is plowed in the spring.
Between the first and second harrowing
apply the fertilizer—commercial fertilizer,
one ton to the acre, is the kind for onions
Barnyard manure is seldom used; it con
tains more or less weeds, cannot be as
evenly or quickly applied, and is, by
some, considered to be the cause of the
onion maggot.
Improved implements have greatly re
duced the cost of cultivating a crop of on
ions. The planting and weeding is done
with machinery invented in the interest of
onion growing. Constant and thorough
cultivation is absolutely necessary. A
crop of onions and weeds cannot be grown
on the same ground successfully.
In palling for the early market, time is
to be considered. Later, when onions are
bringing $1 a barrel, they will be allowed
to cure iu the lot. Two days are given
them for this. Two rows are pulled and
laid with the bottoms facing each other.
Then they are "topped,” a very simple
thing to look at, but possibly it would
cause a novice some inconvenience. Cut
ters similar to sheep shears are used, and
in the deft hands of an expert the tops fly.
Screening follows topping. This done, an
onion crop may be said to be grown.
The "topper’ leaves the onions in rows.
A wire scoop is used to gather them in
baskets. From these they go to the screen.
This allows the dirt, small onions, etc., to
fall through; the marketable stock runs
from the screen into bags or barrels. Each
bag holds a barrel and both are used to
ship in. Much of the stock goes from the
lot direct to the market, but later cribs
will be used.
Causes of Bad Crops.
The trucker and gardener in Florida
have need of special vigilance, as there
are many causes which conduce to failure,
says The Florida Farmer. There is un
suitable soil, poor seel, fraudulent fertili
zer, deficient cultivation and several other
causes.
Small seeds soon deteriorate in this
damp climate. None should be purchased
except such as are guaranteed fresh, and
as evidence of this they should be smooth
and glossy.
The Northern seeds sent in here and re
tailed at small country stores are generally
SOUTHERN FARM
good stock to let alone. Many farmers
are not provident enough to lay in a sup
ply before band, and at the last moment
they have to resort to this source and even
then may lose more time from seed not
germinating than they would have done
by ordering from some dealer in first-class
Small seeds are frequently carried away
by ants in warm weather, unless they are
covered deeper than they ought to be and
the ground packed hard over them. The
ants ought to be traced to their holes and
scalded out with boiling water.
In very dry weather seeds may not ger
minate in light sand for lack of moisture.
Water should be poured along in the drill
before the seeds are strewn in, then if a
covering of dry earth is put over them
there will be no crusting.
Small and tender plants in early fall are
often eaten off and completely destroyed
by minute beetles, and these should be
treated with a strong solution of tobacco
made by boiling the stems of refuse Id wa
ter.
Low hammock or flatwoods land is good
for vegetables if thoroughly drained. But
one can never be certain when . there will
be a tremendous rain in this climate and
flood everything on low ground.
It is much safer to select moderately
high ground of as good a quality as is at
tainable, and then give artificial supplies
of water if needed
Farmers sometimes wonder at the poor
and mean quality of their plants, wh ch
are spindling, mildewed or spotted and
apparently a prey to every disease to
which that class of plants is heir. The
sole cause of it may ba the fraudulent fer
tilizer used, for it is a painful fact that,
despite all the care exercised by the State,
no small amount of debased goods is still
sold in Florida.
A thoroughly good and complete fer
tilizer will often sustain a crop and carry
it through flood or drouth, frost or mildew
or spot-leaf, and bring it to a successful
outcome when it would have made a total
failure under the application of a spurious,
cheap article. Good fertilizer and good
cultivation will accomplish almost mir
acles.
Milking.
To get the best results from each cow it
is very important that she be milked regu
larly, dividing the space as evenly as pos
sible ana taking all responsible care to
milk at stated times, says the Live Stock
Journal. The same milker, if he is a good
one, will get more milk from the same
cows than is possible by changing about
The work should be done quickly and
quietly and gently and in away that will
neither hurt nor scare the cow Tue m»n
that can sit down on a stool, stre.ch his
legs untier the cow, sethis pail between
his knees and milk with both hands, will
generally get all tue milk a cow will give.
Any abuse of the cow will causa a failing
in milk and a decrease in the quamicy. It
is a pleasure to the cow to be milked prop
erly, while it can be done in a
way to cause her much suffering
Ah the milk should ba drawn out
without unnecessary stripping. T .ke
the milk out of the stable immediately af
ter it is drawn. When first drown it is
warm and very susceptible to foul odors,
and if left standing in the stables will ab
sorb more or leas odors, that is, to say
the least, will not bs beneficial. Then as
the milk begins to cool,the process ot cream
rising begins, and wnen every advant
age is to be taken to make the most out of
the milk. It is an item to get it strained
in the cans and set apart to cool, and for
the cream to rise as soon as possible after
it is drawn.
It is important that the milking vessels
be kept clean; scald out and rinse out
thoroughly every time they are used. It
is only by perfect cleanliness that the
best quality of product is made and they
must begin with the milk. If dirt or foul
odors once get into the milk they can not
be strained out, and will be carried
through all of the different procesies ot
the butter.
Managing btock.
In feeding stock for profit good manage
ment is an important item, as one feeder
will, with proper care, be readily able to
realize a fair profit, when another, work
ing under the same conditions, will fail.
In feeding to fatten, it is an item to keep
the animals quiet, free from exoitement or
noise; they must be fed regularly in order
to prevent fretting.
Any class of animals will soon learn the
time of feeding, and if it is not supplied
at that time the animal will always fret to
a more or less extent, causing a loss. The
more comfortable our animals can be
made the better gains and the less cost.
Another item in the.management is to feed
liberally and yet not over-feed. With grow
ing animals the returns must be such as
will insure keeping each aniipal in
a good, thrifty condition,but with a fatten
ing animal all that an be eaten up clean at
each meal should be given.
Once on full feed, fattening animals
should always be crowded—this implies
the supplying of all it will eat at every
meal, ana also feeding a good variety in
order to maintain a good appetite. One
item in feeding is to secure as good a
Sowth as possible at the lowest cost, and
e management given is an important
feature.
With cattle feeding at present prices,
the very beat management is necessary if
fair profit is realized.
One item should distinctly be remem
bered, and that is to always feed so as to
secure a gam, as the food supplied will be
so much added to the cost without a cor
responding profit or gam, and the more
fully this is done the better.
Generally with all fattening stock it will
be best to crowd reasonably early, while
with growing animals it is always good
economy to nave them in a good, thrifty
condition when winter sets in.—Exchange.
It is a great thing for a young man to
get out a little and come in contact with
other people and see how they live. B.
FCVohnson & Co., Richmond, Va., are
giving many young men a chance to do
th*. and at the same time put money in
thj bank rapidly. Try them and,see.
A Successful Woman.
The name of a California woman is now
added to the list of successful feminine
horticulturalists. This one is Mrs. Henry
Barroillhet. She is the widow of a San
Francisco banker, who gave up his entire
fortune in the failure of his hank. At his
death says the New York Sun Ws wte
set to work «o supply flowers to the San
Francisco markets, and she J®
acres of fine land, all under cultivation.
Seven seres are in orchards, and there is
an immense violet bed, twenty seres in
extent. There are seven acres in chry
aautbemumg; roaos, lilies and other now*
ers divide a good many more acres
between. Two thousand eucalyptus trees
and 3 000 pines, sequoias, and other trees
are very profitable, the branches and
leaves serving for decorations.
Everv day during their respective sea
sons 8 000 chrysanthemums, 2 000 bunches
of violets and 800 to 1,000 bunches of
Duchesse de Brabant roses are shipped to
of other flowers, of course, go
with them in tragrant company, but the
specialties are violets at $2 50 per dozen
bunches, and chrysanthemums at from 1
to 5 cents a piece.
Last season there were 18,000 chiyean
themum plants in bloom,, including 27a of
th« finest Japanese varieties.
When Mrs. Barroillhet was shipping
2 000 bunches of violets daily she had only
a tive-a sre bed. Since then ®he has en
larged it by fifteen acres, so that the num
ber of bunches will be quadrupled. This
flower plantation is said to be a perfect
Eden. The proprietress personally attends
to every detail of irrigation, cultivation,
gathering, packing and shipping. Her
success demonstrates what a plucky and
intelligent woman can do when thrown
on her own resources. —Horticulturist.
The Best Harrow.
The best harrow is one that will not tear
up the land after the plow has turned it
and buried the sod, or the trash of previ
ous crops. Grass is the bugbear of the
Southern farmer. But in spite of his fear
of it, and the labor it forces upon him to
keep it in check and save his crops from
it, yet he does the very best he can to
cause it to spred and trouble him. He
plows down all the grass and other weeds
and then, with his spikt-tooth harrow, he
tears all this to the surface, and leaves it
where it will do him the most harm. The
labor of doing this is greatly in
creased by the need to stop contin
ually to free the teeth from all the
trash gathered by them The same
trouble annoys the Northern farmer, but
not to the same extent, perhaps.
The time has come to discard this relic
of the dark ages, and make use only of
those implements that do the farm work
as it should be done, and on scientific
crinciples. The surface of the plowed
and should be finely pulverized, but not
more than such a depth as will give the
necessary seed bftd to favor quick and
strong growth. The weeds that have been
buried are to be left so, where they will
decay, and the seeds will not sprout, and
thus the labor of keeping the land cleaned
is greatly lessened.
The harrow tn at has coulters that work
in the soil, as (mill plows, turning and
mixing the surface as deep as the seed re
quires, are much to be preferred to those
mat tear up the furrow slices and bring
the sods of trash to the surface, where
they are not wanted. —Exchange.
Shade as a Fertilizer.
Ido not care to ride any hobby to ex
cess, but my results from mulching land
with straw are so remarkable to me that it
may be proper to mention them again, says
a writer in Gauntry Gentleman. A few
days ago, when nearly all the land was so
dry that seeding was out of the question,
1 birned a straw mulch off a tew acres
that had been covered nearly two months-
This was an oat stnbble, turned and rolled
down. The moisture in the soil was so
great that a few hour, of sun and air were
needed to dry it sufficiently for the har
row. As the total rainfall in the month
was less than one incn, and most of it fell
two weeks previous to the burning, and
as most fallow land is excessively dry,
this experiment affords me proof of the
wonderful value of a good mulch. The
limits of the plat I mulched one year ago
are still clearly defined by the growth of
young clover and timothy. The yield of
grain was much better than that from the
remainder of the field, and now the stand
of grain is twice as good. Instead of at
tempting to rot all the grain not consumed
by cattle and spreading it as manure, it
seems to be far better to haul it when dry
and use as a covering for the land. The
returns from it are much greater on the
thin portions of my fields. In some way
it enriches more than can be credited to
the ashes, besides giving a fine seed bed.
Grow Forage Near the Barn.
I have about four acres of land near my
stables that I have been planting in corn
or cotton for the past eleven years. I
think it would pay me better to plant this
land in something that would be goc^ (
Highest of all in Leavening Power.—Latest U. S. Go/’t Report.
Baking
IvB! Powder
ABSOLUTELY PURE
feed for my stock. I have two mules ana
one horse, and generally keep about three
cows «nd try to raise my meat- Would be
glad if you would tell me what is the beat
thing I can plant in this land to furnish
food for my stock.
No man that keeps stock and baa good
land near his barn should plant hia land
in such things as cotton, or even corn,
for there are things that he can grow to
better advantage than he can these things.
A crop like lucerne or any perennial crop
would be better than cotton or corn either.
Land near the barn should be given up to
suoh crops that will furnish suitable food
for the stock, for this is one of the essen
tials of the farm.
If your land is rich there is nothing
that will pay you better than lucern. If
you can get a perfect stand ot it and will
treat it right afterward it will be worth
more to you than anything else that might
be grown on the land Lucerne shonla be
allowed to have at least eight months*
growth before being cut the first time.
There are other grasses and mixtures that
could be made equally valuable as lu
cerne, and we will describe these later.
Grape Culture.
Years ago it was thought that none but
a skillful person could grow grapes. Now
the person who has not intelligence enough
to grow grapes for hia family should be
pitied, says a writer in Grange Homes.
Grape growing is the simplest of all things.
And think what the yield may be of one
srape vine; consider that it will bear
Erapes as long as you live, though it be a
undred years I
Bear in mina this: that the old wood
that has borne grapes once never bears
grapes again; but that the wood that is
formed each season is the bearing wood
for the next season; also, note that if all
the new wood is left on the vine will bear
a hundred times more clusters than it
-hould, thus all the clusters will be small
and imperfect.
But if nine-tenths of the new wood is
cut away, leaving only two or three buds
us the new wood on each stalk, the yield
will be increased ten fold and the size of
the clusters be much larger.
The Uni'ed States is rapidly taking the
lead in grape culture- It is only a ques
tion of years when we will b« the great
grape growing nation of the world. Long
ago people were talking about the pros
pect of a glut in the market. At the pres
ent time grapes are being grown a thous
and told more plentifully than was
dreamed of twenty years ago, and yet
grapes continue to sell at about the same
price they were selling when I was a
boy.
TEN OCTOBERS (TEMPERATURE)
1884 70 4
1885 61.
1886 64.
1887 63.
1888 61.5
1889 60 6
1890 64 S
1891 60.7
1892 62 2
1893 66 1
Average for ten years 63.2
Need Buvlnc.
It has become the custom with a great
many farmers and gardeners to purchase
seeds every spring of dealers, when with a
little labor and forethought most kinds
could be saved at home, costing nothing,
only a little extra labor. Seeds are every
year carried over by some dealers, and the
purchaser is quite liable to plant old and
i weak seeds ii purchased at the country
stores. S.'me claim that seeds two or
three years old are j ast as good as later
grown, but it is truo of only a few varie
ties, and experience will soon change any
nucn notion. Must seeds will germinate
after being stored away for several years,
out generally such will be found of low
vitality, and unprofitable to plant. Weak
seeds invariably produce weak plants.
The most serious difficulty in saving
home grown seeds is improper curing. It
has been found that seeas must always be
well cured and dried as soon as ripe to in
sure greatest vitality. If moisture remains
for a long time in the seed after ripeniag, j
fermentation takes place in many cases J
and if the seed is not injured entirely, iJ|
vital powers will be greatly lowered. GarT
den seeds as soon as ripe should be rer
moved from the pulp or pod containim
them, and dried in a low, even tempen
ture. Then put away in small packawS
in a dry place where there are no»-
tremes of neat and cold through the wn*
ter. J
Corn for seed should be gathered Arly
whenever the structure of the keripl is
complete, before hardening. No letter
place can be found to dry seed corn ban a
well roofed shed with sides opin all
around; the husks to be stripped tom the
ear and used in tying to poles finning
along under the roof. Where con is left
in the husks it does not soon becone dry,
and in a moist state, hard-freezlrg is very
inj irious. Fermentation otwi takes
place during hot, moist weather/a autumn
before corn has been gathered *r after it
has been put into shocks. A complete
state of dryness is quite necesiary to long
keeping, but seeds should be drlea
it htgu temperature.—Amsri/au Farmer.