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8 THE SOUTHERN WORLD, OCTOBER 1, 1882. &qriiittUat[Hl fijgpartmtttt. 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.