Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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" —GET YOUR JOB PRINTING DONE JIT The Morning Call Office. We have Just supplied our Job Office with a complete tine of Htatumnv . » kinds and canget up, on short notice, anything wanted in the way <m LETTERHEADS, BILLHEADS. STATEMENTS, IRCULAIIS, < * " ENVELOPES, NOTES, MORTGAGES, JARDB, POSTERS! DODGERS, FTC., FT’ We my toe »t lue of ENVEIZTEn yw jfytd : tMatreda. An atlracdvt PObIEA cl aay size can be issued on short notict. Our prices for work of all kinds will compare fkvorsbly with those obtained tob any office in the state. When you want Job printing cfj any Idcreripticn five call Satisfaction guaranteed. ALL WORK DONE • With Neatness and Dispatch. Out of town orders will receive prompt attention J. F. & S B. Sawtell. IrnnFltoßciniEcr ♦♦♦♦♦ . 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