Newspaper Page Text
VW HlillllvU 11V I■■ I
•—— - I
Agricultural Commissioner on
The Danger of Plowlfig Over More
Land Than You Can Cultivate
Thoroughly—Deep Preparation Ena
ble® Crops to Bucceesfully Resist
Drouth.
Department of Agriculture,
Atlanta, April 1, 1898.
don’t igy to cultivate too much
LAND.
The exceptionally dry and open win
ter has enabled industrious farmers in
all sections to be well advanced with
their work. For this reason, some may
have been tempted to plow over more
land than they will be able to thor
oughly cultivate during the coming sea
son. To these we would say, repair this
error right wait until you
are overcropped and struggling vainly
against grass and accumulated work
and worry to find out your mistake. It
is better to abandon part of the land,
even after it is planted, and bring the
remainder to the highest point of culti
vatibn than to endanger the entire crop
‘ by a too large area, wnich must be hur
riedly and imperfectly cultivated. A
fanner should be able to get around his
crone at least every ten days or two
wefita, a longer interval .thani tkismeans
risk and often irreparable injury. April
has become the great cotton planting
month in Georgia. Os late years the
planting of this crop has been-gradually
delayed from a later to » Ster date.
Farmers ore beginning to more fully
realize the importance of thorough pre
paration, and that any reasonable delay
in planting is more than atoned for by
putting the hyid in firstclass condition
, for the reception of the seed. Os two
crops, the one planted early and hur
riedly on imperfectly prepared land, and
the other later, on land more completely
and carefully plowed and ft
will be found, as the season pro
gresses, that the crop on the well pre
pared land, other conditions being
equal, will attain to more satisfac
tory and perfect development and
also that it * proper cultivation is more
easily managed. On the land where the
farmer has trusted to subsequent culti
vation to correct the mistakes and short
comings of hasty preparation the condi
tions will be found far from satisfactory.
Os one fact the farmers should be thor
oughly convinced, and that is that no
amount of after cultivation will ever
atone for the planting of a crop on
rough, ill conditioned land. Our lands,
as a rule, do not receive the careful
preparation which will insure their
greatest yield, and this neglect is the
main cause of short crops, as well as of
innumerable harrassing and retarding
experiences during the period of cul
tivation.
the lack of the usual rainfall
furnishes another argument for the
thorough preparation of the land. We
could cite innumerable instances coming
under our observation where thorough
and deep plowing and subsoiling, before
the crop was planted, have enabled it to
survive, and even deyelqp during a pro
tracted drouth. There is now complaint
from almost all sections of laek of water.
Some farmers, even this early in the
season, are compelled to haul from some
distance nearly all the water needed for
household and farm uses. Fortunate is
the man who has by deep and thorough
plowing formed a reservoir to catch and
hold such rains as have fallen, to be
ready for the demands of the crops
when the usual summer drouth comes
on. Not only does this careful prepara
tion enable him to lay up a supply of '
moisture, but the condition of his land
is such that he-can practice the level
surface culture, which is conceded to be
the culmination of successful farm
ing. This shallow cultivation of well
prepared land, never allowing a
crust td remain long on the surface, not
only keeps down weeds and grass, but
prevents the unnecessary evaporation of
the moisture, which our deep plowing
has enabled us to store up in lower depths.
David Dickson, the most successful of
southern farmers, speaking from his
abundant experience, maintained that
every inch aaded to the depth of prep
aration, largely increased the drouth re- ,
sisting powers of the crops grown
on that land. Farmers who have
not exercised the precaution of thor
ough preparation must now take the
chance of injury from lack of necessary
moisture. They should counteract these
difficulties as far as possible and con- '
serve their limited supply of moisture
by such shallow cultivation as the con
dition of their land will admit.
REDUCTION OF THE COTTON ACREAGE.
In another column we call attention
to a recent publication from Latham,
Alexander & Co. on this subject, and 1
we would emphasize, with all the force
at our command, what is there so plainly
stated. Under present conditions farm
ers have not the moral right to risk the
well being of themselves, their families,
of the whole south on an abnormally
large cotton crop and a correspondingly
short food supply.
In a conversation with one of the larg
est cotton planters in the Mtaaimrinpi
valley I was most forcibly impressed
with the folly of our past and present
policy. This man keeps an accu
rate account of all expenditures, uses
improved implements, pays cash for all
needed supplies, and though he makes a
bales of cotton to the acre, without any
fertilizer, his crop costs him 5 cents a
pound —independent of the interest on ,
his large investment. He makes about
2,500 bales. At the small margin of ;
profit allowed by ruling prices he does
not dear enough to pay even a moder- 1
ate interest on his investment. The :
same conditions apply with even greater
force to the small farmers. The man
in Georgia who plants 25 acres in cot
ton at a cost of 5 cents a pound, though
be should make a.bale to each acre, will,
at the prices ruling during the greater
part of this season, scarcely clear enough
to pay for the fertilizer, which, under our
present system of farming, has become
an absolute necessity. Where is
OUR HOPE FOR BETTER CONDITIONS?
We reply, in concentrating our forces
and thus reducing the cost of produo-
k. •.
i
i melon is a typical plant. The prepara-
I tion need not be deep, but the surface
soil should be reduced to as fine a tilth
las possible by repeated harrowings and
I then checked off 10 feet away. This last
will render it easy to cultivate the patch
both ways.
If yon have the choice of selection,
land which was planted in field peas
last year, and on which no succeeding
crop was grown, will furnish best con
ditions for proper fertilization. Stable
manure is also a fine fertilizer, but
should be applied the previous fall to
obtain the best results. After the land
is checked off, run a wide shovel plow
in one set of the checking lines, all in
the eAme direction; the opposite lines
only serve to mark the places where rhe
seeds axe to be planted. Into the shovel
furrow put the fertilizer, well decom
posed stable manure or compost, or lack
this, a commercial fertilizer in the fol
lowing proportions: One part muriate or
sulphate potash, two parts nitrate soda,
four parts high grade acid phos
phate, and at the rate of about
700 pounds to the acre. Bed up
on this With a turn plow two
furrows on each side, four furrows in
all, and leave until planting time. When
the ground has warmed up sufficiently
and all danger of frost has passed, put
in the seeds —the cross furrows will in
dicate the proper places. Allow about
20 seeds to hill, and don’t plant
deeper than 1 inch, nor in a bunch, but
put in each seed separately, which can
be easily done by spreading,the seed on
the. surface and pushing in with the
finger. When the seed come up, thin
.down gradually to one plant in the hill,
and after the first rain break out the
“middles” with a turn plow, throwing
the furrows towards the bed, and
ing up with a “water furrow,” which
will serve to drain the beds.
Two plowings will generally suffice,
the first at right angles, or across the
beds, and the second parallel with them,
and both should be very shallow, using
a cultivator or scrape. At the second or
last plowing broadcast about a peck of
Whipporwill or New Era peas to each
acre. These will serve to keep down the
weeds, shade the melons * from the
scorching sun and put the land in fine
condition for any succeeding crop. The
above is a summary from a very inter
esting bulletin published by the Georgia
Experiment Station. In this bulletin,
No. 38, Horticulturist Starnes has given
much more full and explicit directions
than can be attempted in our limited
space. We would advise you to send
for it. Address Director R. J. Redding,
Experiment, Ga. The. bulletins are
sent to all farmers who apply for them.
State Agricultural Department.
Harlequin Bug.
Question. —Please find enclosed some
bugs, which are eating up every green
thing that they can find. There were a
few on my cabbages last fall, and now
there are thousands of them on my
turnip greens and they are sucking and
killing the salad. If we don’t get rid of
them we cannot have any vegetables
this year in our neighborhood. There
is great complaint or their destructive
ness from all sides.
Answer.—The bug sent is the much
dreaded “Harlequin Bug,” the worst
known insect enemy of cruciferous
plants. They live through the winter
hidden under leaves dr trash of any
kind. All rubbish, under which the
bugs can take refuge during the winter,
should be carefully burned, and infected
fields cr gardens should have dean cul
ture. These bugs are very difficult to
deal with, as they cannot be reached
by any of the arsenical poisons.
When the bugs are young Persian
insect powder in decoction, or dry,
will often prove effectual. Hand
picking ~is often resorted to, throwing
the bugs as picked into pans or cups
containing kerosene. Cabbage growers
plant mustarot between the rows of cab
bages. The bugs prefer the mustard
and it attracts them in large numbers.
They can then be destroyed with pure
kerosene. Rather than let them live
and multiply, if nothing'else can be
done, apply kerosene. This will, of
course, ruin the turnip salad, but better
that than to allow them to continue
their ravages.—State Agricultural De
partment.
Grain Louse.
Question.—We have a small patch of
oats in Griffin that is being ruined by a
small green insect; we enclose sample of
them in letter. We called on Mr. Kim
brough at the Experiment Station and
he asked us to write you in reference to
the matter and to send your man down
to investigate same. Any information
you can give us will be highly ap
preciated.
Answer. The insect sent is ths
“Grain Louse. ” It lives by sucking the
sap of wheat, oats, etc., and thus in
juring and frequently killing the plant.
It appears that all the individuals of
this family are females, and they pro
duce living young, beginning as soon as;
adult, and continuing during life. No
male or egg-laying female of the “Grain
Louse” has ever - been found. They
multiply with great rapidity and fre
quently do much damage. From ex
periments that have been made it has
been found that this peat can be kept
under control by spraying the oats when
young with a strong decoction of tobacco
stems, or with kerosene emulsion and
water. Use about 100 gallons to the
acre, with a spraying outfit It has also
been recommended to use freshly slaked
lime with a little carbolic acid, sown
broadcast on the infested oats or wheat
Generally this insect pest is worse on
the field where oats or wheat follow
oats.—State Agriculto-wl Q Department.
*
tion, and in miring <« <mch farm as far
these two principles of reasonable and
successful agriculture obtain a general
recognition, and farmers everywhere
put them into energetic operation, a
reduction of the cotton area will be mo*
cessfully accomplished and our farms
Will become once more the bone and
sinew erf our land, rather than the un
certain dependent! of merchants and
money lenders.
We would
STRONGLY URGE
the making and utilizing of every pound
of farmyard manure which our sur
roundings make possible. Not only will
this year's crops show the ben flit, but
our lands will be improved and future
crops will be increased. Plant every
acre possible in pear, using potash and
phosphoric add towoduce a more luxu
riant growth, and thus to increase
their nitrogen gathering power, as Well
as to assure an abundant yield.
THE MINOR CROPS
of sorghum, potatoes, ground peas, not
to mention melons, vegetables and fruits,
should aU have their allotted space
and their full quota of attention. Oom
fort, health, independence lie along
these lines and msy be cuss by proper
effort. In closing we would urge upon
every farmer to , .
WATCH THE WAR CLOUDS.
Should war with Spain become a cer
tainty, the probable effect on the price
of cotton would be most disastrous,
while provisions would take a corres
ponding rise.
FARMERS SHOULD STUDY CAREFULLY
the following facta presented by two of
the best informed cotton authorities in
America and England. They are con
tained in the latest report Os Latham,
Alexander & Co. and are reproduced
here in order to give them the widest
circulation and to bring them more di
rectly to the attention of farmers
throughout the state: r
LOSS FROM MAKING TOO MUCH COTTON.
L “In our circular letters of Jan. 19
and Fqb. swe endeavored to show the
undeniably enormous losses that the
south has invariably sustained when
more cotton was produced than neces
sary to supply the the world.
“If we should bring the tabulated fig
ures made then, up to this date, the
losses to the farmers on this year's crop
would appear still more startling; and,
with the condition of affairs now pre
vailing throughout the world, the ne
cessity for a reduction in acreage this
year should appeal to every fanner with
greater force and induce him to largely
increase the production es food crops. '*
THREATENED WAR.
The threatened wars in the east and
between Spain and the United States
are a serious menace to the cotton plant
ing interests of the south. On this sub
ject the report says:
“The planters of the south have no
encouragement to plant cotton largely
this year, with the Anglo-Russian-Chi
nese complications existing in the east,
which might before the new crop could
be marketed greatly reduce the value of
cotton, and the strained relations of our
government with Spain, which possibly
might result in war, staring them in
the face.
“Even with permanent peace existing
between all the nations of the globe, the
consumptive demand for cotton would
not be sufficient to warrant the produc
tion of- another such large American
crop as last year. An inevitable loss to
the whole south, in our opinion, would
surely follow.”
THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF COTTON.
From a recent circular of Messrs. Elli
son & Co., Liverpool, the highest au
thority on cotton consumption in the
world, we make the following extract as
to future prospects:
“In our annual report issued in Jan
uary we showed that with an American
crop of 10,750,000 bales, and a consump
tion of about 9,650,000 bales, the stock
of American cotton in the ports of the
United States, Europe and the surplus
stocks at the American and European
mills would be about bales,
against only 800,000 last year, and we
remarked-that in regard to the future of
prices everything would depend upon
the prospects or the new crop.
“With ds great * reduction in acreage
M t66k place in the spring of 1895, we
should see a repetition erf the upward
movement in values witnessed in that
ye«r; but, if planMnan satisfied with
present prices and off not reduce the
area planted, then cottoa will become a
greater drug than it erer has been in the
history of the trade, and planters will
not get anything like present prices.”
In their report Messrs. Ellison <fc Co.
based their calculations upon a crop of
only 10,750,000 bales, when 9,975,418
bales have already Men received, and
the indications favor 11,000,900 bales or
more.
MERCHANTS SHOULD USE THEIR INFLU
ENCE FOR REDUCTION Ors COTTON AREA.
The present unfavorable outlook for
prices of next year's crop should induce
every merchant in the south to use his
influence with the planters to cause a
marked reduction in acreage, which
would be surely followed by better
prices and greater confidence in general
business operations throughout the
south.- R- T. Nesbitt,
Commisssioner.
QUESTION BOX FOR MONTH.
Information Given by the State Agri
cultural Department.
Question.—l am a new comer to
Georgia and write for information tn
regard to watermelons. Having never
engaged in their culture, I would likp
to know the solland exposure best suited
to them, also the various dctaib'of plant
ing and cultivating. I would like also
to be advised as to the best fertilizer to
use. Should the land be made very
rich? . ,
Answer.—Replying to your last ques
tion first, we would state that to raise
the best melons, it is not necessary to
have a very rich soil, indeed a large
amount of humus is a positive disad
vantage, but it is important that the top
soil be well drained and that it be un
derlaid by a clay subsoil. The warm, tight
grey soils of the “wire grass” region of
Georgia are peculiarly suited to the
needs of the watermelon, and from this
section come the finest melons in the
world. The land should be preferably
dry, but not too dry, and the exposure
should be toward the south, as the
' HATS OFF IN CHURCH.
A UMowo Tmtoe Sorvoo Mattos «■ tbs
Womoo «< Hfe Congragntton.
The women of Unity ohurob, Oak Park,
will takeoff their bonnets and hat* and
Sit unbonneted and unhatted during the
Sunday morning and evening service# eon
fiueted by their pastor, the Bev. B. F.
Jobonnot, who rays bo “cannot sea why
the children of darkness sbonld always be
Wiser than the children of light." In
loot, he does not propose to let the theater
become more advanced than the church,
go a few weeks ago be intimated to hie
congregation his wishes in the matter and
requested the women of Unity church to
be leader* in the new movement.
Naturally the step caused something
more than a ripple of surprise. Not a
tittle indignation was expressed. There
were some who mid Pastor Jobonnot was
growing autocratic when he attempted to
dictate in matters of drees. It hardly
seemed decorous to a!» unbonneted in
church; besides, there were other questions
involved. What was to become at the
church millinery? “How does my hair
look?” would be the query now, instead
Os the old familiar “Is my baton straight?"
It certainly gives the congregation a
home look as they sit all with uncovered
beads, but somehow it is not satisfying.
The attractive and diverting spectacle of
well trimmed hate and bonnets, resem
bling as they do a garden of flowers, to
fike the withdrawal of the stained glass
windows or an effective part of the serv
toe. True, these is no craning of the neck
to get around a big, offensive hat to see
the preacher, and this is the reason for
the mandate, “Take off your bonnets and
hats in church.”
The Rev. R. F. Jobonnot, pastor of
Unity church, believes that the church of
the future will ha ve a dressing room where
ladies can leave their hats and wraps and
a eheckroom for overcoats and umbrellas.
He is very much in earnest In his new
crusade against the monopoly of fashion.
”1 have no personal interest In the mat
ter," he said, “except to give a more home
like and devotional aspect to the meeting.
It will, if canted out, make the congrega
tion took as if its ladies bad come to stay
and were not merely visitors. Then con
sider the courtesy of such a movement. It
Will be carrying out the golden rule.
Why, I went toa church in the city not long
ago where four young ladies came in and
occupied the pew in front of me. Each
•ne wore a flower garden on her head, and
I did not get even a glimpse of the preach
er. You see, our churches have novralsed
seats like the theater, yet the theater set
the first example and compelled ladies to
take off their hate.
“Now, I do not ask my people in a com
pulsory spirit to remove their hats. 1
suggest it as*a matter of courtesy, first to
the church, next to me as their pastor. As
I said in public, I have two reasons—one
and the main one Is that other people may
enjoy the privileges of the sanctuary, the
other that the assembled worshipers may
look more homelike.
“The women have accepted the edict in
a very friendly spirit of acquiescence. Ths
leaven is working well, and I must express
my gratitude to the young woman of the
ohoir, who ted the way. Os course there
are some who will never change a custom
until It becomes a fashion. As noon as it
is fashionably to sit in church without a
bonnet aU the ladles will adopt the idea. ”
“Perhaps they have a wholesale fear of
St Paul, who said that the women ehoula
remain covered in church?”
“St Paul is out of date with such tra
ditions as those in the present age of the
world. I intend to leave the matter en
tirely to the good sense and courtesy of
the ladies of my congregation, satisfied
that they will decide what la best them
selves. The whole thing was suggested ta
me by complaints made from time to time
by sitters who could not see the platform
on account of the overshadowing pres*
ence of fashionable millinery.”—Chicago
Times-Herald.
Carnot and Alaace-Lorraine.
At a dinner recently I sat beside an em
inent Frenchman who graduated at ths
Polytechnic with M. Carnot. The severs
discipline—a military discipline—and ths
fearful mathematical grind there weld th<
pupils Into a close brotherhood. They are
eut of touch with every one else. Carnol
was generally amiable, bat only expanded
with Polytechniciang. My neighbor and 1
were speaking of his sense of public duty
and his deep feeling of patriotism. It was,
said the farmer, verr sincere, and hagavs
the fallowing as an Instance: “I went one
forenoon early In 1892 to dejeuner with
him as an old Poly technio chum. He was
pacing up and down his morning room,
and was In a state of glee that reminded
me of the Carnot of the Polytechnic when
he bad solved some all but insoluble prob
lem in mathematics.
“I said to him: 'You are in a state of
visible contentment. Can I share In it?’
‘Ca va bien; ca va bien,* he went on re
peating. He kept rubbing his hands and
was so overjoyed at something that I said
to myself, ‘lt would be shabby now to
proffer a request, for be could not help fol
sheer joy to grant the favor.* 'May I
ask,’ I ventured to say, 'what goes on sc
well?* ‘Ca va bien; ca va Men, mon ami.*
'Mate, quo!?’ *We have drawn the czar tc
our side. Mark my words. Great events
are in course of preparation. We shall re
cover what we lost.’ 'Recover what?’
’Alsace-Lorraine. It may not be in my
presidency, but I think I shall live to set
it and before many years have sped.’ >
Ixmdon Truth.
Cun* Cards.
Curse cards area novelty which have
lately been introduced Into Prussia, Sax
ony and Alsace, though they originated in
Calvin’s land. The manner in which the
propagandist employs the curse cards is
said to be as follows: He or she starts in
the early morning by filling bis or her
pockets with the form in blank. When in
omnibus, tram or train, bed language is
heard; then the user of the profane worde
is invited to fill in the blank forms, and
he binds himself for a certain time toab
■tain from “swear words” or to do pen
ance In pfennings for indulgence in the
eame. In Switzerland 39,800 of these
cards have been distributed, and, as the
prospectus gravely remarks, “In a country
where three great European languages are
■poken the system will have invaluable
results in enabling the religious statisti
cian to estimate the prevalence of violent
language among the nations of western
Europe. ” The benefits of the curse aarAg
have yet to be proved.
“Os oourse, all my aunts say that tbs
baby looks tike me,” said «he blushing
your wife say to thetF’
—Mad the alder man.
"Well, she admits that perhaps X may
resemble the baby a tittle.”—lndianapolis
Journal 1
- M ■numw, g.=',rr,' , »
AN OPEN LETTER
To MOTHERS.
WE ARE ASSERTING IN THE COURTS OUR RIGHT TO THE
- EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE WORD "CASTOBIA,” AND
' “ PITCHER’S CABTORIA,” as our TRADE mark. X
I t DR. SAMUEL PITCHER, qf Hyannit, Massachusetts,
90S the originator of “PITCHER’S CASTORIA,” JAe same
that has borne and does now
bear the facsimile signature of wrafrper.
This is the original - PITCHER'S CASTORIA, ’ which has been
used in the homes of the Mothers of America for ooer thirty
years. LOOK CAREFULLY ai the wrapper and see that it is
the kind you have always bought on the
and has the signature of wrap-
per. No one has authority from me to uso my name exr
cept The Centaur Company of which Chas. H. Fletcher is
March 8,1897.
Do Not Be Deceived.
Do not endanger the life of your child by accepting
a cheap substitute which some druggist may offer yo**
(because he makes a few more pennies on it), the in
gredients of even he docs not know.
. “The Kind You Have Always Bought”
Insist on Having
The Kind That Never Failed You.
VMS •SWTAUS VT MMMMV SVMUT. M«W MT..
■ " """TTjrrr"
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Out of town orders will receive
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♦♦♦♦♦ .
Schedule in Effect Jan. 9, 1898.
i «— i i i
Ts«. r K37IT s„7i S«:i U >kl'
Ihilr. D,ur. nuion. IMUr. Daur. Plr.
JSK iSS 55S ISE'iJSE IgS
SUS !SS •«£
SUSS MS ISE 12= ISS
:::
SMam 83sma Ar MUsn LvllttS,
*.S= :s= IMkj SS=
- ■ ——■ — ■■■ ii .i 11.
•Daily, texoept Sunday.
_ Train for Newnan and Carrollton leavesGrtCn at »«j am, and IWQr,Oft? =Joeet
Sunday, ftettirnlmr. arrivse in Griffin 390 * m and Bri * m daily For
it