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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, MAY 15, 1882,
JferinuUmiHl fHty*rtmti[t.
Farming in Alabama.
Searcy, Ala.
Ed. Southern World—In conversation
with a neighbor farmer a few days ago, he
said: “Every one should plow their coni and
cotton shallow, after it first comes up." He
also said that in planting guano people
should lay off the furrow's deep, plow deep,
and make high beds. My plan (und I am
generally successful), is run the furrow that
I put my guano in just deep enough to keep
the scooter from plowing up in planting
cotton, and set my plow so that I may break
the ground well and throw up low beds. I
run around my cotton with u sweep for
chopping; when I get my cotton chopped, I
run around with a sweep and I plow deep;
I then plow shallow the rest of the season; I
plow my corn deep the first time only. I
am a farmer of several years experience, and
I find that cotton stands drought better on
low beds; it sheds nearly all the forms that
comes before the tap-root strikes the hard
ground; it also forms and matures faster af
ter the tap-root strikes the hard ground. J
always have made good crops when I have
good seasons.
Now I would like to hear from some of
your readers that are experienced in cotton
cultivation. I now have corn twenty-eight
inches high, cotton four inches high. J. R.
Searcy, of this pluce, has twenty acres of
land in oats, that will average torty-two
indies in height; he hussome that arc extra
good, and will measure seventy-two inches;
in fuct, crops generally are very good ami
times are progressing in this country. Our
village is fast improving; we are going to
have a depot built here soon.
Mr. J. F. Herndon, of Atlanta, is here and
speaks of locating here.
We have a good Sabbath school, a good
literury school, good churches and good
friends and neighbors.
People are not mortgaging their crops,
cattle, horses and lands this year, while they
formerly mortgaged their household and
kitchen furniture. Let us still hope for
times to progress and Tub Would to pros
per. 0. K. Snidbr.
Up-Lnntl Klee.
Ed. Southern World—Mr. J. H. Nichols,
April 15th, page 5 says: “In the first work
ing greut cure must be taken to reiuovu all
grass and weeds, as the rice plant is deli
neate.” In the long ugo, I made up-land
rice, and hud but little trouble to clcuu the
first time. 1 had the best steel hoes—scovel,
the pattern given by myself to R. L. Allen,
then of New York and a visitor—hud them
. ground once a week und kept sharp by
13-inch cross-cut saw tile duily use, and
shaved off bed, rice, weeds and grass. In a
week the rice was high enough to chop
through and turned the earth up with a
bull-tongue plow. It is a cheaper crop
thus worked, than corn, and made double
as much per acre than same land would of
corn. I was the only one in the county who
grew up-land rice; the seed cost me two dol
lars per bushel, and I let the public know all
about it. I believe a cheaper feed per acre
than corn with hay thrown in.
A friend of mine engaged in the charcoal
business so as to require a pair of mules,
hauling cord-wood continuously about 1845,
assured me he fed alone, rice in bundles; the
mules kept sleek and healthy; and cheaper
if corn alone would have been food enough.
Some forty-five years ago I had sown rice in
a rich piece of low land, a rain drove the
hands in; the water was on the land a week
or two, backed up, and the seed washed back
next to high land, and when dry, about a
fourth of the land was literally so thick with
the green plants that the earth was hidden,
yet even thus, I had quite a nice yield.
^ H. J. N.
Make Yonr Supplies.
Ed. Southern World—The “Market Re
ports” published in a paper in a town on
one of the monopoly railroads, which I see
this night, April 28th, forces me to ask why
not make all your supplies? I began life on
my own resources, in slavery times, some
years ago, and truly do I say it, when times
were not so favorable as now. Admit these
times are different, and so were they then.
Is there a man now, a reader of The World,
who fifty or sixty years ago would have sent
his hands to the field and at their discretion
“todoornot to do, that is the question;”
would he have not been “there too?" Bulk
sides 12%, bacon sides 14, bacon hams (sugar
cured) 16%, corn 1.00, corn meal 1.20 hay—
There are advantages now, that no man
bad in “Dixie” if anywhere, fifty years
ago. Any man who has 100 acres of land,
unless in the sand hills, but can find 5 acres
that would yield two tons of red clover per
acre, an acre of land that could be manured
to grow 250 bushels of green top Swede tur
nips, and 10 acres that can be made to yield
40,50 or 00 bushels of com and 10 of cow jieus,
with a good pasture of crab-gross per acre.
An industrious man cun prepare and culti
vate all and not half work. Such a condi
tion should unable the owner to grow and
fatten 75 pigs, to make 15,000 pounds of pork.
The clover will feed pigs from March 15th to
October 15tli; the peas and crab-grass until
the 15th of November; then Swedes and
corn until 15th of January. Ten acres
made rich (u(>-lnnd) will in three years en
able the owner to cut 25 tons a year, not to
cost in labor |3 a ton, and better than Timo
thy at|32. Why will ye be dependent?
H. of H.
A Voice from Louisiana.
Red River, La.
Editor Southern World—Your good pa
per arrives regularly and is read with con
siderable interest and filed for future refer
ence. It is well for us to have good agri
cultural papers, and the World certainly
deserves liberal patronage and such other
aid as can be given. Thinking you might
like to hear from this part of the South, I
send you this hoping it may find a place in
your columns.
High wuter, frequent rains and the cold
winter have made planting backward, but
now we areht work in our cotton and hope
to do well. The drought last year combined
with the disposition to plant all cotton, is
causing a heavy importation of corn and
hay by rail and boat. All now say we will
raise plenty in future. Some few are trying
grasses and improved stock. Here I desire
to ask why all journals recommend we sow
clover and grosses in the spring, regardless
of climate. 1 think it a mistake us faros
the “cotton” belt is concerned, but would
like to hear the opinion of an exjiericnced
and successful grower of clover and grasses.
1 suggest us u proper time the first ruin uftor
the 15th of September. Ground intended
for either grass or clover to be laid by
level—if cotton lund, the weed will bo large
enough to protect the seed from the suu
und birds, if corn lund, the grass, weeds, etc.,
will protect the seed, which I suggest be
sown und let alone. No preparation will
put ground in better condition for seed
than the ground well worked in corn und
cotton. My objection to spring sowing is,
the weeds starts with the crop und choke it;
the crop 1ms not time to muke root to stand
the summer heat and the hurvest of spring
plunting is much later and uncertain. Here
let mo say I believe the further South we go,
the better clover we make. I specially de-
siro to know all I can of clover for I intend
to make it a crop for shipment and will get
$20 to $25 per ton for it at home. Caddo.
Our Southern World.
Editob Southern World—Your valuable
paper is read with pleasure and profit. If
named for our Southern States or as others
have said and written, "Our South Land,”
"8unny South;” etc., its founders were for
tunate in selecting a name though one of
old has said, “There is nothing in a name.”
For be It known 1 Wo certainly have a
world in the southern part of our great
Union, as your recent grand Cotton Expo
sition fully deriion8trated. We claim the
second largest river In the world, especially
after a great rain-fall along its tributaries as
was recently the cose, and since the recent
improvement made at its mouth by our
great civil engineer it is the first, as a thor
oughfare and shipping channel, and doubt
less the aborigines thought there was some-
thing in a name when they called it “The
Father of Waters."
We have thousands of miles of sea and
gulf coast furnishing hundreds of good
harbors with tens of thousands of miles of
navigable streams and railroads leading
thither from very many rich sections of
country in which are the best of water
powers, timbers, minerals, virgin and im
proved lands, herbs and undeveloped treas
ures in quantities sufficient to employ the
laboring population of the civilized world
for years, if not ages to come. Our territory
from Maryland to Texas furnishes every
shade of climate and variety of products
excepting those of the Torrid and Frigid
zones. We can produce all the cereals, cot
ton, tobacco, flax, hemp, sugar, syrup, tea,
fruits, melons, grasses, live stock, poultry,
implements, machinery, silk, llnnn, woolen
RR* WttQR (NQdi, fori, hfitf, fowl, lather.
wares, notions, stationery, trinkets, etc,, as
cheaply and in as great abundance and va
riety as other parts of the world, if we
would only determine to do so. We should
have dozens of lines of steamers plying be
tween our ports and those of foreign coun
tries in order to export our products and
import what we prefer to buy. As Suvun-
nah Georgia furnished the first steamship to
cross the Atlantic ocean, let hernotbein the
rear nowin the carrying trade, and may her
sisters on the sea strive to compete with the
foremost in exporting our increasing pro
ducts. We should provide for and invite
skilled laborers, cultivated people of moral
worth and capital from other states and
countries to come and aid us in developing
this grand country, “Our Southern World"
by increasing our population, capital, rail
roads, ships and factories, and educating our
children to the highest standard of religion,
temperance, industry, virtue and scientific
knowledge, and we may expect peace, pros
perity and happiness as the legitimate fruits
of our^labors. And then, Mr. Editor, her
namesake at Atlanta will flourish like the
green bay tree, throwing her branches
North, South, East and West, filling the
passing breezes with odoriferous perfumes
and dropping her rich fruitage in the
homes, shops and fields of this great nation,
from Canada to Mexico, and our children
will rise up and “call you blessed.”
Olin, Iredell, Co., N. C. John F. Foard.
“Whatsoever thy Hand Flndcth to Do.
Do It with thy Might.”
Editor Southern World—In 1820 there
came into our little world, George Stokes, a
boy born in Southwest Ireland, and just 20
years old. He wanted a school, said he was
competent, had to earn his bread and would
take a school until he could do better. With
out making a long story of it, George proved
to be a first-class teacher, a worker, a good
fellow and made his mark; passing away
after making a fortune and a name long
since.
Little brother, dear boy, oh! how loved,
hus followed—was one of his pupils and
was in mere boyhood, impressed by his
teacher, alwuys to do his best. Seemingly,
the Irish pedagogue had won “little brother”
entirely, und even when u little boy he wus
as diligent and true as the older people ure
when in chase of railroad or factory stock.
His only idea, “do it with thy might.”
Strunge was it to all in our little world,
that a mere boy, remember only twenty
yeurs old could be so accurate a scholar und
still strungcr that he impurted to the muss
of his pupils to be accurate and earnest. In
our little world there were no poor, no lich:
not one even of the softer sex was ushamed
to be seen employed. It was not a bee-world
yet the ugc of tramps had not reached our lit
tle worldaud the by ways of such not known.
With ull this “little brother” wus always
spoken of, the bust at spelling, reading, ac
curate in figures; ready, quick anything
calling for hard work, long ride, dispatch,
“little brother” was ready. As he acquired
age, more important duties; foreman of a
large cotton mill proved unfit for his duties.
“Little brother" was asked to look to the
men and women for a little time; he was
there three years and brought all into order.
Never worked at any trade, a day. After
ward he had control of a large force in
"Flank Road” craze; then a thirty hand
force in a factory; then the Government
that was neededhisdisciplined mind, habits
of attention mid-day or mid-night. Thus
his talent was ever in demand, and I might
say he was never idle; with all his ardor
in persisting in whatsoever his hand had to
do, he never flagged. No one ever knew of
neglect or when clock chimed the hour he
was not at hand.
No doubt the drilling by that sterling
Irish boy gave habits, may I say principles,
that gave every one with whom ho came in
contact with assurance that our “little
brother” would be always prompt. Seldom
was he ever heard to say, money; as an ob
ject, it was, let me be useful, let me succeed.
Men made largely as a result of “little
brother's” plannings and persistence.
Yet, “little brother” died and was buried
by sister Bet. Ohl how much is lost by our
boys and girls for want of good work in early
accuracy and training. ' Eds. Friend.
The following is the result of an experi
ment with corn. That which was planted
at the depth of I inch, came up in 8% days;
1% inches, in 0% days; 2 inches, in 10 days;
2% inches, in 11% days; 3 inches, in 12days;
3% inches, in 13 days; 4 Inches, in 13% days.
The more shallow the seed was covered with
earth, the more rapidly the sprout made its
appearanoe, and the stronger afterwards was
fof |Wk,-(Q$UQW#y (Ky.)Niwii
Early vs. Late Oats.
Last August we published in these col
umns, an editorial showing the advan
tages arising from sowing oats in August or
September, and requested that some of our
farmers should make an experiment of the
matter by making twodifferent sowings,one
early, the other in December, and give us re
sults.
Among those who thought enough of the
matter to try it, was Mr. H. L. Hart, resid
ing near Brooksville, in this county. He
sowed one field the first week in September,
another in Dccegiber. We have before us
specimens of the oats from the September
sowing; they average five feet high, with
(urge heavy heads, and are well immured.
The other field is only a foot high and will
not muture before the middle of June. The
first crop is splendid and tafe from any dry
weather that may come; the other is depen
dent upon uncertain seasons for six wfeeks.
The advantages of an early sowing in this
cuse are too clear to be pointed out.—[Cuth-
bert(Gu.) Enterprise.
The Navy Bean.
BY SOUTHWEST BY SOUTH.
Editor Southern World—I do not know
if you be a Soutli born or a North born man
with Southern principles, and I am not will
ing to get on any body’s corns fori know
it hurts. I do not mean to do it, yet, I
must risk it; when I say you 8outh peo
ples deprive yourselves of a great luxury,
by not patronizing pork and beatis, not much
pork needed, only to do the seasoning. If
your people do not know it you should tell
it so often it would be engraved on the
memory—that more nourishment lies in the
skin of 100 lbs. of beans, than in like weight
in the skin of hog or steer, yet your people
must have meat at double the cost of beans;
delicate females demand flesh, why? It
must be u result of early Gaining. Fur be
it from me to bo a vegetarian. Flesh is well
enough in its place ; what is better than a
nice beef stake for breukfast, not cooked as
hard and about os thick os a iirst-cluss flint
hide? For dinner, occasionally pork and
beans well cooked, the beans put in water
the over night, then about ten to twelve in
the forenoon, owing to dinner hour, placed
in a proper vessel with boiling water to
cover, und keep at u moderate boil, until
water is boiled uway ami beaus thoroughly
cooked, then place in a baking pan, with a
small piece of well washed barrel pork
laid on top and gently pressed into beans
und baked until the top is browned and
meat cooked. 1 am sure it is a dish whole
some und nourishing. I have grown the
navy beans in latitude 31 degrees, in drills
2 to 3 feet apart, 8 to 10 every foot, as we do
bunch snaps, l’roduct os large os the pea or
more, 20 to 30 bushels and worth 3 or 4 dol
lars per bushel.
Johnson (trass.
Editor Southern World—“When doc
tors disagree, who shall decide ? " I have a
letter from one of the truest scouts that ever
wore the gray; (his father and grandfather
Southern and farmers) who declares he
believes Johnson grass the best for stock,
that he “cut for hay, June, August and Octo
ber 1877 and July’78, It did not seed in
’78 and ’79; have seen ’80 and ’81 lay out
but not pastured, a little visible.” “This
year to be planted in cotton and will report”’
A planter near Greenville, Miss., was re
ported to have been forbidden by county
court to sow the seed on his place and the
high court of Mississippi, dissolved the es
toppel. The “Khedive" of Mississippi is
reported to have said he would not give one
dollar an acre for the best laud in Mississippi
bottoms that had this grass on It The "Cap
tain of Scouts” above says, he “will pay
$10 per acre for a guaran teed set on any num
ber of acres of my land up to 100 acres.”
The "Khedive” and the county court de
nounce, our Confederate Captain will pay
$10 for a good set of it, and Supreme court
at least good law in Mississippi affirm: who
willsettle this vexed question?
I am reminded of an old way to settle
this. “I do not like thee Dr. Fell, the rea
son why I cannot tell, but I do not like thee
Dr. Fell.” I presume the little court and
the big “Khedive”, never saw the article
and havo only seen the writings of the Gen
eral Oroakor. This individual said long
ago, “they cannot grow grass in the South;"
now it is said Bermuda and Johnson grasses
can produce more hay on best location,
than Timothy or Herds can, north 38 de
grees and i\re traduced and ruled out as our
fn$»7t " 1 tfAQXOMA,