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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, OCTOBER 1, 1882.
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Farm Work for October.
October is the representative (all month
at the South. September with its frequent,
almost mid-summer days, alternating with
cool nights and dewy mornings—chill and
fever provoking—Is over and the golden days
are upon us, when all plant-life seems pre
paring for the winters sleep that is coming.
The cotton harvest is upon us in Its fullness,
the corn, potatoes, peas, the winter apples,
etc., must soon be gathered and stored, the
forest trees are yielding their quota of the
year's fatness. But one of the advantages
of our sunny clime lies in the comparative
mildness of our winter. We have just said
that "all plant-life seems preparing for the
winters sleep." But the remark is not strict
ly true. Wheat and oats and other small
grains—as well as some garden vegetables—
continue to grow and develop during the en
tire cold season.
SOWING OATS.
October is pre-eminently the month for
sowing small grain in the Cotton States. In
the northern portion, oats should have been
put in in September, but throughout the
middle belt October is the month for sowing
this grain.
According to our observation, and as we
have elsewhere expressed the idea, oats
should be sown as long before Christmas as
the usual corn planting season occurs after
Christmas. The later the season for planting
corn, the earlier oats should be sown in the
fall. If the general corn crop be planted in
February, oats should be sown in November;
if corn lie planted in March, then oats should
go into the ground in October; corn in
April, oats in September. We believe the
rule will hold good between wide limits.
The rule is about the same as if we should
say, corn is planted in the last frost month
of spring; oats in the first frost month of
autumn.
In those sections where October is a suita
ble time for sowing, it is a very good plan to
bow oats in the cotton fields. This can be
done without material injury to the cotton,
if the very simple precaution is observed to
pick out the open cotton just ahead of the
plows. If desired to fertilize the oats with
a commercial fertilizer (or with cotton-seed
meal?)a very simple method is to wet the
seed oats well, then thoroughly intermix
with them the desired quantity of fertilizers
and sow all at the same time. By this plan
the fertilizer will be distributed exactly in
proportion to the heaviness of the seeding—
a very safe rule. Another incidental advant
age will be plainly recognized if the weather
should happen to be windy while soVring
either oats or fertilizers in the dry state.
If the ground is quite dry, care should be
taken that the oats be not allowed to soak in
the water or remain in bulk long enough
after wetting to begin to swell; otherwise
the seed might sprout and die for lack of
moisture in the ground.
If the ground is in good order—not too
hard—a five-toothed cultivator is an excel
lent implement to cover the sown grain and
fertilizer—once going in a three feet row
being usually sufficient. If no such imple
ment is at hand, a double shovel, or winged
sweep will answer. We have had good suc
cess in drilling the oats in the cotton mid
dles, running two furrows in each middle,
eighteen inches apart (in three feet rows)
sowing the seed and fertilizers through an
ordinary "guano trumpet," and covering
with one furrow of a wide sweep run in the
centre. This plan, however, is quite tedi
ous and not adapted to sowing a large area;
but is very economical of seed, and may be
adopted where only a small quantity of some
choice and costly seed is available. When
drilled in this way the cotton stalks may be
easily knocked down in February and the
stubs will not be much in the way of the
cradle.
•OWING WHEAT.
In the last issue of the Wobld we gave
some thoughts about preparing for wheat,
to which we beg to refer, only mentioning
the topic now, because it is one of the jobs
for this month—in the northern part of the
South. If wheat is to be sown, the ground
should be selected and the preparation
should be thorough and in good season.
There Is nothing more necessary to insure
success than to get the soil in good tilth,
fine and free from lumps, clods and tussocks
of grass. Don’t forget to secure the best
seed free from cockles or cheat and soak in
blnestone solution, which is an absolute pre
ventative of smut.
DIGGING SWEET POTATOES.
Sweet potatoes are ripe whenever they
have ceased to grow on account of dry
weather, or from the vines being killed by
frost, and if dug when at this stage late in
the fall and properly banked will keep
soundly. The latter part of the month—or
about the time the first nipping frost is ex
pected is usually the best time to dig them.
As a rain generally precedes a frost and is
itself preceded by a more or less extended
dry spell, during which the tubers will have
ceased to grow and will have assumed that
stage which we have called ripeness, there
fore advantage should be taken of the heel
of a dry spell towards the end of the month
to lift them from the ground and bank
them. If the opportune time be allowed to
pass and another rain should occur, without
a succeeding frost, the potatoes will start
into growth again and will probably be in
full growth when stopped by frost, and will
not be apt to keep so well. It is generally
safer not to wait for a frost to kill the vines,
for the reason already given as well as for
the reason that the frost may prove to be a
freeze of sufficient severity to injure the
tubers that may be near the surface.
According to our experience, as well as of
most farmers, the points to be observed in
preserving potatoes through the winters are:
(1). The tubers should be r.pe or in a sus
pended growth.
(2.) They should be kept dry and at uni
form temperature, as cool as possible, but
not freezing.
The first point can be secured as already
indicated. To secure the second, we have
almost uniformly succeeded as follows: Dig
during the morning, allow the potatoes full
influence of the sun during the day and
haul up before sunset to the place prepared,
which should be on a rising or sloping piece
of ground inside a good inclosure and with
in short range of the house. Drive down a
heart rail into the ground, saw off at four to
four and a half feet high, strike a circle
around the stake about seven feet in diame
ter, draw the earth from within and raise a
bank like a circus ring, of the diameter
given.
Cover the ground within the ring very
thickly with dry pine straw. Now, pour on
the potatoes, carefully removing the cut ones
and heap up in as sharp a cone as possible,
placing the last straggling tubers by hand
until a smooth, perfect hill is formed. Then
cover the entire hill with corn stalks or
broom-sedge regularly disposed so as to assist
in shedding rain or dry pino straw. If the
latter material is used it wilt be necessary to
cover over with long boards, laying on the
straw carefully breaking the joints. If stalks
or broom sedge be used in sufficient quan
tity (six or eight inches in thickness) no
boards will be necessary. Now dig a trench
around and throw the soil on each hill to the
depth of four or five inches, covering the
apex with a board or piece of pine bark to
keep out the rain. As the weather grows
colder the covering of earth should be in
creased until it reaches twelve inches or
more before extreme cold weather. When
the above directions are followed we have
never found a roof or shed over the hills to
be necessary.
In digging and banking potatoes, observe
to note the several hills and use those pota
toes first, which were produced from the
first plantings, and it has long been noticed
that the later plantings produce better keep
ing potatoes. R.
INQUIRY COLUMN.
BERMUDA— FASrALUM DIBTICHUM.
Editor Southern World.—I see a consid
erable contention ip your paper (to which I
am a regular subscriber) over Bermuda grass.
I send you two distinct varieties of grass,
generally called Bermuda grass. They grow
on my place on the same kind of soil, side
by side. The finest sample with from five to
seven tassels is best for grazing, the one with
from two to three tassels,and seldom ever two,
is best for hogs as it grows more rapid and
higher, and I thinks seeds. The fine does
not. If this will be any benefit to your
Bermuda grass correspondents you can use
it. I see they are both right as to the grass
seeding, one having one variety and the
other the other variety, they not knowing
of but the one vai iety. I see the difference
every day growing by the side of each other.
J. F. Ellington.
Palmetto, Ga.
Answer : The coarse variety having 2 to
3 short spikelets and seed in two rows on
one side of each spikelet is not Bermuda at
all, but is the Paspalum Distichum—a dis
tinct species. This grass perfects seed and
we have no doubt our correspondent is right
in his conjecture that it has been mistaken
.for the Bermuda and given rise to the idea
that the latter produces seed in this country.
The other sample having finer stems and
longer and more delicate spikelet' (3 to 5 in
number) is the true Bermuda Uynodon Dae-
tylnn, and does not produce seed in this cli
mate. Next. R.
keeping cider sweet.
Editor Southern World.—Please inform
me through your valuable paper how to keep
cider sweet as when first made. Second,
whether Tolmed & Sims A Co., are reliable
or not, of Opelika. Ala. Subscriber.
Answer: (1.) Our correspondent will
find it rather difficult to keep cider "sweet
as when first made,” but it may be done by
putting it boiling hot into bottles and seal
ing perfectly airtight, on the same princi
ple as canning fruit. Perfectly sweet, i. e.,
unfermented cider is not considered so whole
some or palatable as that which has been
slightly fermented. The so called "sweet
cider" of the trade has been fermented until
the desired flavor is secured. This is done
by adding to X pounds of sugar to each
gallon of fresh cider and allow it to ferment
until the taste is satisfied. Then add %
ounce of sulphite of lime lor each gallon of
cider. Shake well and let it stand three
days or until clear; then bottle for use. The
sulphite should be first dissolved in a quart
or so of cider before introducing it into the
barrel of cider. If preferred the sediment
may be removed from the barrel and the ci
der returned to it and kept in the barrel in
stead of bottling.
(2.) We know nothing of the firm in ques
tion. K.
CITY—TOWN—STOCK-RAISERS.
Please answer the following questions
through the columns of the Southern
World. 1. When does a town become a
city ? 2. Please give me the names and ad
dresses of a few of the most prominent stock-
raisers in East Tennessee? 3. Please give
me the full names of the eminent writers to
the Southern World, “J. S. N., and R,"
give me their addresses also. I am a sub
scriber to your valuable paper, and you will
oblige me by answering the questions asked.
I am very truly, Samuel F. Moore.
Stokes Bridge S. C.
Answer: (1.) In America the term city
is applied to every collection of houses and
population that has been incorporated and
is governed by a Mayor and Board of Al
dermen. A town is a smaller place than a
city and sometimes incorporated and gov
erned by a Town Council, but its powers are
not so broad and comprehensive as the city
charter confers upon a Mayor and Board of
Aldermen. There is no very clear line of
distinction between a city and a town, other
than the one given, and it is rather arbitral y.
Some cities in Georgia are smaller than
some towns. Many of our “cities” would
be called towns in a country of large centres
of population, and our towns would be re
duced to villages.
(2.) We have no list of names of stock-
growers in East Tennessee.
(3.) "R” and “J. S. N.," are the initials of
the contributing editors of Southern World,
whose full names appear at the head of the
first column on the eighth page. Postofflce,
Atlanta, Ga. R.
humbug cotton.
Editor Southern World.—Sometime ago
I saw in "The Sun, an article with the head
ing, “A Wonderful new Sort of Cotton,”
Atlanta, June 30th. Attention is now at
tracted to a new sort of cotton plant, which
bids fair to prove immensely valuable. For
many years Mr. A. A. Sabers, of Macon,
has been carefully experimenting to hybri
dize the cotton plant that grows wild in
Florida with the common okra. The now
plant retains the okra stalk and the foliage
of the cotton. The plant has an average
liight of two feet, and each plant has only
one bloom. The boll attains the size of a
large cocoanut. Each ball produces about
two pounds of cotton, superior to Sea Is
land cottou. It needs no ginning, as the
seeds are separate from the cotton, resem
bling persimmon seed. Please inform me if
there is any truth in the above statement
and oblige one of your subscribers.
John A. Friebele.
Crane’s Mill, Comal county, Texas.
P. 8.—If the cotton plant is as described,
can seed be got of it?
Answer: Our correspondent doubtless
has been as badly “fooled" as the writer of
the article in question expected of any
reader. We read it ourselves and admired
the cleverness with which the wonderful
new plant and the astonishing product was
described.in detail, but immediately thought
of "Gulliver’s tales”and the travels of Baron
Munchausen. There is about as much truth
in the article as there la in the story of the
"cow that jumped over the moon." R.
Bermuda Grama Herd.
Editor Southern World.—My attention
was directed to a correspondence between
two gentlemen in some number of the South
ern World, which number and date there
of I did not at the time notice, but which
related that one of the gentlemen had for
sale the genuine Bermuda grass seed. The
other gentleman denied the assertion, stat
ing that although the grass did perhaps
bloom, to all casual observers, matured its
seed; but to the contrary, notwithstanding
they never adequately mature the seed to
ensure reproduction in our Southern world,
it matters not how fertile be its lands or sa
lubrious be its climate. Now, as I am par
ticularly interested in the facts of the case,
dealing in stock here, on Red river, as well
as cattle in Texas, and knowing the great,
and I may say, unequalled grazing capacity
of the Bermuda grass, as does every one
who has seen it, it does certainly becomes
the Interest of every farmer, stockman, or
even one horse tenant to know exactly the
facts of the above issue to-wit:
Does it mature its seed or not here; if not,
where do they (nlly mature or where can
the seed be bought ? The reason I am so
particular about knowing where the seed
can be bought is this: I have been deaden
ing one hundred acres of rich Red river
valley land, to be set in Bermuda, and I
have had several hands engaged in wet days,
to set out bunches of this grass, but find it
very slow and tedious business, and would
consume more time and money, and at last
be longer in securing a good pasture that
might be accomplished by sowing seed even
though they cost “twenty dollars per
bushel,” and I therefore write you, to know
who is the correspondent of the Southern
World who has proposed to sell the Bermu
da seed ? He need not be afraid of paying
you a "round price" for astandingconspicu-
ous advertisement of their sale, it matters
not if he has been to the trouble of import
ing them from their native home. They will
sell, and beat hot cakes at that. This grass
is a blessing in disguise, for although it be
almost invulnerable when out of its allotted
limits, yet like various other dangerous
things, such as calomel, morphine, powder,
etc', too numerous to mention, while we
admit, not to judiciously manage them,
renders them exceedingly dangerous etc.,
yet we must not ignore their virtues when
properly guarded. This Bermuda grass is
to the stockman the sine qua non—preemi
nently the champion of the turf—the corn
crib of the South. Marcus A. Bonner.
Caddo Parish, Da.;
nermiKln tint as.
Editor Southern World.—I cannot re
frain sending you a short letter on Bermuda
grass to correct the statement of some
correspondents in the issue of August 15th.
The Dural New Yorker seems indignant that
the statement should be questioned regard
ing the Bermuda grass seed offered for sale.
Any one familiar with Bermuda grass knows
full well this grass does not seed. I have no
hesitancy whatever in saying that the Rural
New Yorker and the seed house offering them
are mistaken and all who buy will be fooled.
Now, I know whereof I speak, for I have
grown Bermuda grass in different soils,
experimented with it and examined thor
oughly with microscope and no seed to be
found. I am truly astonished that Caddo
living here in Red River Valley, where
Bermuda grass is the finest I ever saw, should
be so misled as to think it makes seed. Caddo
you must be young in the cause ? If not
young in the experience one gets here with
Bermuda, you have never availed yourself
of tha knowledge concerning this grass
one can by close attention. I dare say there
is not a planter of any experience in Caddo
that will tell you Bermuda, seeds. Grant
Parish is further south (three Parishes),
about two degrees, here can be but little dif
ference in growth of grass. Allow me to
correct Caddo again about "Bermuda grass
being easily killed in the fall." It takes
three or four plowings in August and some
times then it fails. Bermuda grass is the
finest pasture grass we have and is the sal
vation of the South. David Burum,
Montgomery, La.
Mice Holier.
Editor Southern World—I have noticed
an address in your paper to inventors and
machinist, asking for a rice buller, etc.,
from J Hendree. I take pleasure in inform
ing Mr. Hendree through your valuable
paper that Dr. J. R. Sample, of Summit,
Miss., is manufacturing a Plantation Rice
Huller that does the work fastand well.
Summit, Miss. J. Rynalds.