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t NESBITTS REPORT. |
; the Commissioner Has to
f to Georgia Farmers for the
Month of February, 1594
iS FOR THE COMING YEAR.
in Farming, Renova
tion and Rotation, Success in
Cotton Planting, Fertilizers.
Orchard and Garden.
Department of Agriculture,
Atlanta, Feb. 1, 1594.
In January the careful farmer has
-carefully mapped out his plans tor the
imiuiing year, and having beguu prompt
ly to execute them, the present mouth
■iihonld find him well advanced in his
■.preparations for planting. The excep- j
rtionally dry fall and early part of the
■winter have been favorable to the deep
plowing so important at this season.
Where the stubble from peas, roots and
osteins, grass sod, clover, or the natural
-growth on the land has beeu turned un
•dor, a supply of available plant food is
asw, by natural processes, being manu
factured for the coming year's crops—
assore or less valuable as the growth
■turned under is rich in the necessary el
•aments and easy of decomposition.
Let it be borne in mind that the peas
«2ul clover are the only agents among
"those mentioiK 1 which have the power
-at appropriating und depositing the free
nitrogen of the atmosphere, which fact
be remembered in selecting sup
plementary fertilizers for each crop.
.the nkf.ds of each crop
.■ahould also bear an importunt place in
-aur calculations. We know that certain
rjfants do well on certain kinds of soil,
sad that on special artificial foods they
*lse thrive; and that on others they dc
;»et reach the full measure of their pow
sitrv of growth or yield. The soil, if deii
' ■went must therefore be prepared for thoii
; growth by supplying what is lacking.
We also know that judicious and abun
»fant manuring will enable the soil tc
(row almost any crop, and that this soil
will, in succession, yield fuller crops it
these crops be so varied as to extract
/from the soil, one alter another, the sev
-**l different elements it is known to
-uantain.
the land grows sick
srf one crop, but in the hands of tlw
stsnDful farmer it can be made to yield
successive crops, and, at the same time,
it's deficiencies be so supplied that it will
aM kept up to a high degree of product
iSwaaeaa. In establishing
AN ARTIFICIAL rotation
<mt crops. We but follow the precedent,
which nature has set for us. How often
we notice that where an oak forest
, *nca stood the pine saplings take it place.
JUS. over Georgia the “pine thickets” at
test the localities where majestic oaks
reared ther heads. By following
.stfeese signs, which nature sets up for us,
•we may, in
manuring for special crops,
attain a certain degree of success, with
iijat the aid of science, but if we would
.learn the shortest, most simple, most
-wsmomical, and at the same time, the
snoet perfect processes, we must accept
the help, which scientific principles offer
■sa. “with this'end in view we should
i«*eno opport .iity of studying the agricul
toxallaws of cause and effect, and of mak
ojug practical application of the knowl
Jdge thus gained. The experiments at
th» various experiment stations bear di
rectly on these problems, and are of in
estimable value to the thinking farmer.
They throw light on questions as to feed
ing, fertilization, composting, rotation
renovation, which he being often ham
pered by unfavorable surroundings, has
Esot the time or the means to investigate
Air himself. For instance, careful ex
periment has demonstrated six
months, horse manure, thrown into a
loose pile, an exposed to the weather,
will lose one-half its fertilizing qualities.
Otw manure thus exposed lost two
thirds; mixed with other ingredients, of
which muck was the leading constit
voent. the loss was not quite one third. I
vefer to these facts again because the
•present imperative need on most tarms
;•.» more care in gathering and con
-ewvlng these precious elements of fertil
ity, which, through carelessness and im
proper methods, are allowed to waste.
Experiment has also shown that the
value of barn yard manure depends not
much upon its actual elements of
•gfant food, these having been shown by
Analysis to be comparatively small, as
upon its effect upon the physical
-sandition of the soil. It improves
ts msohanical condition of soils
th light and heavy, and induces fer
mentive changes, by which latent plant
faod Is utilized. It also draws the water
l»the soil toward the surface, thus ad
41ag to the supply both of water and
lbod for the growing plants.
At the New Hampshire station the
fallowing experiment was tried: Three
.fasres were set aside. On one the lot
manure wm spread and plowed under in
fall. On another it was spread in
fae fall and allowed to lie on the surface
4sdl»turbed. On the third it was spread
(he spring. In summing up results,
It was found that the largest yield was
6wtZ) the acre on which the manure was
flowed to remain on the surface during
the winter. Again, some interesting ex
{Mflments at our Georgia Experiment
station go to prove, that the time and
labor expended in mixing and ferment
ing ootton seed and other materials be
fore applying to the soil, could be better
employed, as this plan causes no increase
n a yield over that in which cotton seed
aod other materials were applied to the
-alfl separately.
But conditions vary, and while these
-experiments are valuable in a general
«anse, their promulgation should not
prevent individual experiment, where
sack experiment is possible. Neither are
•Jseee experiment stations to be consid
-Sead iron bound rule 3, but as fnraishing
-faia as it were by and from which each
mwvwm-v -jaw mtiwr. iiwum ■■xvHMM'HMMBHHIi
man ian work out his own conclusions.
As evidence of what pluck and energy
combined with careful observation and
experimentation can accomplish, the
success of Mr George W. Truitt, of La
Grange, furnishes an illustrious exam
ple. He has been pheuo ninally andpr •- ;
eminently successful. He says, “I hat »
raised 100 bushels oats on oee acre; I
bushels corn on one acre; four bales cot
tou. 450 pou ids each, on one acre.” In
regard to be met sis he save; - Thet •
are many, who believe that i:i*i lay the
is no lertility, I wou I ask them. wl.
such luxuriant vegetation on nulrn .1
embankinen . from oirt originally
twenty feet, aider the surface? Mv cun
viction is ‘lucerne rooted,’ that ju -t as
deep as you torn land, just th.it deep
will your land grow rich.”
burely, if one man can by industry
and system bring up one run down Geor
gia farm to this high degree of product
iveness. others seeing his success can
grasp the same means, and push forward
to independence.
One advantage the farmer lias the
present se;ison. of which hu lias been de
prived for several years, is more eusilv
obtained ami more steadily settl ed labor.
This is one 1 result of tbe general hard
j times, high meat, and low cot. on. ,
| Where indifference as to hiring once
| reigned, we now find anxiety, even i
eagerness for employment. This is no 1
small advantage, for with our class of
field laborers it is not an unusual occur
rence for the Christmas jollifications to
extend far into January, and to obtain
regular or steady work becomes a diffi
cult undertaking until the last of the ■
month or the first of February. I be- !
lieve it is my first experience since the j
war in which the plows were all ready,
man, mule, ami implements for a
start the first day of January. Since
that time wo have had much bad weath
er, often
TOO WliT too pt.ow.
Plowing when ihe land is too w°t is a
mistake to be carefully guarded against.
One error in judgment here will cause
trouble through the entire crop season.
A rule, familiar to most experienced
farmers, is not to plow land when a
handful of the soil pressed to 'her re
mains a compart mass. Who., oo wet
for tiie plow to be at work there is
always something to be done in the way
of lepairs—fences, ditches, terraces,
fence corners, and spots overgrown
with briars and bushes, all to be put in
order, compost to be hauled and spread,
and, when the rains are too heavy for
outdoor work, tools to be overhauled
and put in working order, plows made
ready, in order that no time may be
lost, when the sun is shining and work,
in preparation or cultivation, is pressing.
In this matter of farm implements,
farmers should bo on the alert, and as
far as ablo, invest in well tested and im
proved plows, harrows and necessary
farm machinery. In the one item of
feeding, a good feed cutter will more
than pay for its price in one season, and
by its use much valuable material which
is otherwise wasted, can be utilized for
food, and consequently for manure. A
reliabln cutaway harrow, besides put
ting the land in better order for the
plow, is the agent by which every par
ticle of vegetable matter left in the soil
can be made to do duty in producing
another crop. It is these lessons of
economy in small things, in learning to
judiciously invest in order to reap larger
profits, that we all need to study. On
the subject of economy our farmers
could learn a most valuable lesson from
our fertilizer industries. On almost all
ordinary farms the most valuable ma
nurial elements are allowed to waste.
Much that could be saved and applied
with profit, becomes valueless from neg
lect. On the other hand, the fertilizer
factory gathers refuse, apparently
worthless material, and converts it into
valuable manurial agents.
oats and grass and clover.
Now is the time for sowing the spring
oats, better than in January, as there is
less risk of killing. The land should be
well prepared and liberally manured.
Sow an early variety of seed and don’t
stint the quantity. Remember that the
spring crop has only a short time to ma
ture, and should be given every oppor
tunity, in preparation, manuring, in
quality and quantity of seed, to produce
a heavy crop.
Grass seed and clover also should be
sown now. Orchard, tall oat, rescue,
red top and Bermuda,' all suit our cli
mate and soil. Plow and harrow, then
sow the seed and roll, do not plow or
harrow after the seed are Bown, simply
pass a heavy roller over the surface. It
is best to prepare the land for this pur
pose, but if preferred the seed can be
sown on growing grain crops. If tb"
latter plan is chosen, run a light liarro’.
over the grain, sow the clover or grass
seed, and roll. Where the seed is sow
with a grain crop, the better plan, how
ever, is to sow in the fall after the oats
or wheat is put in, sow the grass seed on
the freshly harrowed surface. By this
plan, with favorable seasons the oat
crop, and two heavy cuttings of native
grasses have been taken from the land
during the summer or fall, before leav
ing it in permanent possession of the
sown grass.
IV THE GARDEN.
Seeds of nearly every plant grown in
our climate may be sown this month,
either in the open ground or in cold
frames; but it is not desirable that the
more tender varieties should be sown,
unless one has well constructed cold
frames or other ample means of protec
tion in case of sudden cold. In the lati
tude of middle Georgia, Irish potatoes,
beets, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, leeks,
onions, English peas, turnips, spinach,
salsify, and corn can all be planted.
In selecting your seed potatoes, get
the very best, and use only those which
you have found adapted to your soil. If
your own seed, from the fall crop do
well, use them of course, otherwise the
eastern seed are the best. In closing I
wish to mention, that among the hun
dreds |of letters received at the depart
ment, the most cheerful and hopeful are
those written by farmers who raise their
own supplies, and diversify their crops.
The tone of these letters is in marked
contrast to others, breathing dissatisfac
tion and distrust, because of the high
price of provisions, and the general un
profitableness of farming. In both I find
strong proof of my oft repeated asser
tion, that the bed-rock of successful
farming is, raising home supplies and
rotating and therefore diversifying
crops. R. T. Nesbitt.
The French farmer has learned that
raising sugar beets increases the yield of
the land. The process is an indirect one.
The refuse from the beet roots enables
him to keep more stock, and their ma
nure improves the soil.
WALKER COUNTY MESSENGER-FEBRUARY 22,1831.
Gordon Springs.
It takes time and thought to
hriu? about refonuation. No
oue will say that the present sys
tem of caring for the aired and
indigent poor, is perfect. 1 plead
for a la’-v bused upon first princi
ples. The present law of pauper
fiims,strikes us as being too low.
It is like uuto the practice of
economy to “mean savings.'’ An
intelligent Christian sentiment
' demands somethin? better. It is
I shocking to our seusihilities to
iiidiscrn. iuately make paupers
out of our aged poor. If any
(me in N rth Georgia desires to
be sunt to the pauper farm when
I they become old and infirm let
ibnu speak out. Some of the
more d*'serving a-«d needy sutler
rather ill,in go to the poor house.
This class never go only as the
last r* sort, and consequently are
a burden to those who are already
borne down. I simply speak in
the interest of humanity and to
inspire noble hearts to noble
j ends.
So far as I know, Austria leads
on the line of humanity. We
clipped the enclosed from “The
Review of Reviews.”
Occasionally.
“After seventy, or if feeble
at. uu earlier age, the Austrian
poor are freed from work, and
can claim, as a right, admittance
into the municipal almshouses,
where they enjoy the fullest lib
erty together with the comforts
of a home. This,then (in its bar
est outline,; is the Austrian sys
tem, and it is quoted to show how
a Poor Law can be based on the
truest principles; how, in fact,
whilst it relieves distress.it avoids
pauperizing the people, and,
whi'st it cultivates individual and
national viuues, it tends to check
their corresponding vices. Sure
ly, wbat the efforts of Austrian
legislators hare so successfully
accomplished need prove no in
surmountable task for the com
bined wisdom of our own law
makers to undertake.
OLD AGE PENSIONS.
“In Macmillan another writer
dascribes the Austrian Poor Law
with more detail under the title
of “A Humane Poor Law,” and
certainly it seems to demand our
attention, not merely because of
the great care which it takes to
prevent the children being pau
perized, but because of the able
and successful efforts made to
provide for the temporarily des
titute and the aged poor. In
dealing with the aged poor, the
Emperor Joseph 11. settled the
question of old age pensions in a
very summary fashion: “He de
cided that at sixty a man should
have the right to claim from his
native town or commune a pen
sion equal to one-third of the
average daily wage he had re
ceived during his working years.
This pension was to be regarded
in exactly the same light as a sol
dier’s pension—not as a charity,
but as the reward for past ser
vices. This is still the guiding
principle of the Austrian 'Poor
Law, for although its legislators
have often disagreed on the
amount of the pension, all recog
nize the right of the old and
feeble to be supported by ' the
young and vigorous.”
Strength and Health.
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If “La Grippe”,has left you weak,
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1 One trial will convince you that
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Large bottles only 25c. at J. D.
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Strayed from the undersigned
Feb. 10th, near Ur. Jones’ a black
hog weighing about 80 pounds;
white fape; marked crop off the
left ear and slit in the light; short
tail.. Information will Vie thank
fully received. J. N. Mebedith,
Pond Spring, Ga.
i Subscribe for the Messenger
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Scott’s Emulsion
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SCOTT’S EMULSION is the most nourishing food known to
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7