Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

96 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.