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is made at home, he has that sure, while, it a planter de
pends on cotton to buy his corn, and the cotton crop
fails, he is “deadbroke,” having no resource —neither
corn nor cotton. Make corn, then—produce everything
in the way of food and forage needed to keep up your
place, and let the cotton sold, above what is required for
the wages of the hands, represent the net profit of the
estate.
Then manure heavily—plow deep—use the best and
heaviest seed you can obtain. And let your after-culture
be of the most thorough character —working close and
deep at the early stagd of the crop, but very shallow when
the roots extend, so that they may be unbroken. Indeed
these few things constitute the whole system of corn grow
ing; deep breaking op, especially under the row—plant
ing the corn below the general level—plenty of manure
applied—thorough early working and frequent shallow
stirring of the surface, during the growth of the crop,
with scraper and sweep.
Cotton. — If you arc sure you have got enough of corn
and other crops planted, to supply your wants —making
a liberal allowance for the uncertainty of the seasons, then
plant cotton. No other crop produced for sale, if proper
ly managed, will draw so little from mother earth. There
are instances of level lands, which with no other manur
ing than resting the land every second or third year, and
the return of all the seed and plant to the soil, in which
the last crops picked were much better than the first.
We have Mr. Dickson’s word and example, to prove that
a cotton plantation can be so managed that its produc
tiveness will increase each year, and the annual increase
of the crop will pay a heavy profit on the money expend
ed in fertilizers. And, mark it, this way of managing a
cotton plantation, after a little, is the only one that will
pay with any certainty.
In planting Cotton, it is a great thing to have the
ground in proper order at first —the beds straight, if the
surface admits, or if not, without abrupt curves. Take
time, then, to have the soil well prepared, even if you
plant fewer acres. The harrow will be found useful in
pulverizing the surface of the beds, when rough and clod
dy. While it is very important to get an early stand, it
is better secured by a thoroughly prepared soil, than by
hasty untimely planting. Read the articles on cotton
in this and preceding numbers.
Sweet Potatoes, bedded last mouth, w ill soon begin to
furnish “draws.” Good, fair, sandy soils, and plenty of
manure, are the prime requisites for success. Break your
ground very deep —open wide and deep furrows—scatter
good, w'ell rotted manure, or rotted chips, ashes, &c.,
thickly along in this furrow', and throw on that a broad
and rather flat bed—run over this bed lightly, w ith a rake
to pulverize and level it, and you are ready for planting.
The “ draws” should be carefully taken—the roots dipped
in a thick batter, made with woods earth, ashes and fresh
cow-dung, equal parts, stirred into water, and the plants
set with a “dibble” or other stick, about 15 or 18 inches
apart in the row. If the weather is very dry, plant after
4 P. M., and pour a gill or so of water around the root
each “ draw,” leaving only dry earth on the surface , to
prevent too rapid evaporation, from next day’s sun The
after culture consists in lightly scraping the sides of the
beds, to keep the weeds down, and stirring the earth a lit
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR.
tie, if it shows a tendency to bake or become hard. Aa
soon as the vines begin to cover the ridges and spread
across the rows, you may lay the crop by. Close atten
tion to these hints, (with the blessing of Providence,) will
ensure a good yield ; and the crop ought to be larger this
year than ever before.
Chinese Sugar Cane, for syrup, should be planted as
soon as the weather becomes settled and warm—a little
after corn planting time. The people of the West, where
the climate is not so favorable for this plant as with us,
are still planting it largely, for the production of syrup
and fodder—much more so than ourselves. It may be
planted much later than corn, fora Syrup crop ; but if
you want, also, an after crop of forage and (perhaps) seed,
you should plant soon.
Corn in the drill, Millet, Hungarian Grass and other
forage crops must be putin largely—but it is entirely use
less to plant these quick-growing and exhaustive green
crops, unless you prepare the ground most deeply and
thoroughly, and apply “ any quantity” of manure. Early
crops of cow peas may also be sown. For fodder, we
prefer to sow them in the drill, but if intended to turn
under for manure, sow broadcast.
Jerusalem Artichokes may be planted in low spots,
waste places, sides of gullies, &e., and will yield gOod
foot) for hogs.
Plant also, if your soil is sandy, a few acres in “Goober
peas,” which will be found very useful for your fattening
swine.
Plant, also, the Chufa , or “ Earth Almond” largely. It
is a most prolific ground nut, highly relished by hogs,
chickens and—people generally !
——-——.<;»-» ■
MY CHOPS.
BY DAVID DICKSON, KSQ.
Editors Southern Cultivator : —One of your corres
pondents wishes to know how much corn and cotton per
acre, can be made by manuring and cultivating as I re
commend. I will state what my crops averaged, thus
managed, under the old si’stem.
On 800 to 1000 acres of thin pine land, 18 bushels of
corn was the lowest average. The highest average I ever
made, was 26 bushels, and one peek per acre. The low
est acre produced 12 bushels—the highest 38 bushels, on
upland, with 2000 stalks per acre. It wa3 easy to find
ears of corn that weighed 20 ounces. —^
My last crop of cotton under the old system, was grown
on 950 acres. 1 made 810 bales. The greatest amount
I ever made per acre, was on four acres of upland. I
used 400 lbs. of Guano, with the usual quantity of Salt
and Plaster for turnips, and fed them off on the lot. The
following spring I added 100 lbs. Guano, 100 lbs. Dissolved
Bones, 100 lbs. Salt, and 50 lbs. Plaster per acre, and put
in Cotton. The crop was 4200 lbs. seed cotton per acre.
Sparta , Ga ., March 20 ih, 1867.
SHEEP FOR THE SOUTH.
Editors Southern Cultivator. —ls your friend, J. M.
N., Flat Shoals, Ga., wishes a sheep that will yield a large
fleece of w 001, the most suitable for all pnrposes in the
cotton States, the Bakewell will suit him best. I ob
tained a Buck at the North, that gave a fleece of thirteen
at a clip, the best fwethers, seven pounds, the
ewes, from three to four. Twenty-one ewes gave me for
ty-three lambs, and I raised them all one spring. These
sheep were recommended to me, as suitable for all purpo
ses in the cotton States, by my friends, the Hagards of
Rhode Island, the largest manufacturers of woolen goods,
for the cotton States, in the United States. One of the
gentlemen told me the constant changes of our Tariff
system drove them to Europe.
„ •, . , JOHN S. THOMAS.
Milledgeville Ga ., March 1-867.