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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, APRIL 1,1884.
205
111 favor the
tly in the future
hand
Editor Southern World—(1). I wish
. a ient metnou ui . to plant some cotton in hills so I can
• tbe f P two to five bushels of cot- plow each way. The land has been a
‘ rom 0 nr*. A good seed pasture for several years and has grown
up in pines; is a gray soil, rather pro
ductive. Will plant Ozier seed. How
wide should the rows be, and how can I
cover bo as not to cover too deep ? Is a
scooter the best plow to bed with?
Please give all the information necessa
ry to one who has never tried hill cot
ton. A friend tried it last year but fail
ed to get a stand.
(2). How is the best way to make wa
termelons? Jas. E. Chiles.
Madison, Oa.
S are used per acre. A good.
nuts in ftbo ut two bushels per
■“iiwing out to a distance oil
inches in the row destroys more
nine-tenths of the seed, and it is
■Tth,t this seed which has ger-
5 yields no appreciable value as
' Recent statistics give 15,-
*8on
ire
,„ h obliged to Mr. Benson
eS C communication, and hope
gb ° readers of the World
Inquiry Department
Planting: Cotton in HUls-Water*
melons.
method of
■
Wacre8 as the area of cotton planted
United States. From these data
that fully 27,000,000 bushels |
Z seed are thrown away yearly,
*t a minimum valuation of fifteen
per bushel, amounts to $4,660,000. Answer.—(1). We have had some ex
ited seed were used, the waste p er i ence i n planting and cultivating cot-
daggregate an enormous figure. As ton j n hills or checks, have planted en-
seed is yearly advancing in value tire crops in this way with satisfaction,
lonsumption in the manu- but are not confident of being able to
of oil, and meal for feeding and advise so as to anticipate every difficulty,
filing, the time cannot be f ar distant | The distance given should depend upon
the land and somewhat on the variety
but cannot be reduced to a nice rule.
Indeed it is not necessary, as a stalk of
cotton, more readily than one of corn,
will adjust itself to the surface area as
signed, having a much longer period of
development and fruitage. A very con
venient distance is four by two feet or
three by two and a half feet. Some pre
fer three by three or a perfect square.
We refer now to land capable of itself or
by the aid of manure, of producing from
one thousand to fifteen hundred pounds
of seed per acre. It is hardly advisable
to plant in hills land that will produce
much less than one thousand pounds
per acre, nor is it well to attempt hill
culture (plowing both ways) except on
level or very gently undulating lands.
First lay off the land the wide way put
ting in the manure or fertilizers just as
for ordinary drill planting. Bed up with
turn plow or half shovels and plow out
the water furrow. A day or two before
planting, if the land is rough, drag or
harrow off the beds two at a time,
convenient drag for this purpose may be
made by inserting two small poles in a
piece of 4x6 scantling, six feet long, by
means of two 2-inch augur holes bored
each two feet from the middle point
These poles are to serve as shafts, be
Con
venient handles may be made by which
- to guide and control the implement. By
} some one who needs hands ? means of this simple drag, one hand and
^ ®' e children—three boys and | horse can knock off two rows at a time
and go in a fast walk, leaving the field
in beautiful condition for any method
If desired to plant the cotton so as to
plow it both ways, take the same drag
or one like it, insert three short pins in
the lower edge equidistant from each
other—the distance intended between
the hills. The drag now becomes a
economy in planting will command
as attention. In addition to the
, is the labor lost in cliop-
out, and the difficulty in getting
Is to leave a sufficient distance be-
i the plants to give the required
for fall growth.
sinst the methods of hill planting,
trowing, or dropping seed at a given
nee, it is urged that there is no cer-
of getting a stand unless plenty of
is put in the ground in a continuous
but observant farmers state that
ncare is taken to save well matured
and a sufficient quantity is dropped
at even- depth, and evenly
(red, there is practically no risk of
re, and that when seed fails to come
is safe to replant promptly than to
In the chance of a second sprouting
hickly planted seed. We understand
careful experiments are to be made
season on the State Experimental
ns in Georgia and Alabama to deter-
ithequestion of the relative certain-
drill and hill planting, the results
l*of interest to every cotton planter.
Planters Note This.
MT0R Southern World—You are a
allocate for prosperous agricul-
delight—but my day is past.
rou give notice in your very valua- tween which the horse is to work,
l^per that a poor widow woman
. em P'°ynient on a cotton planta- to guide and control the implement.
droppers—unless very careful—will al- premises? How long would it be ad-
most certainly overdrop the check and visable to wait for her to have another
the cotton will come up in a very zig- calf before selling her to the butcher?
zagged way, and be troublesome to plow. The Southern World is highly apprer
the seed ipust be closely bunched and dated and gaining popularity In our
midst. II. L. Ray.
Oakland, Ala.
Answer.—The case presented well il
lustrates the want of care and system in
the management of stock that prevails
so generally in the country. A fanner
should be able to know with almost cer
tainty the condition of his cows at any
time. This knowledge can only be se
cured by preventing promiscuous herd
ing and "running in the range." A
cow, especially such an one as this,
should be kept to her milk until known
to be in calf and within a few weeks of
calving. If this rule had been observed
our correspondent’s fine Durham would
now, probably, be giving milk. But as
it is, we know of no better plan than to
convert her into beef. Some reader of
the World may be able to give better
advice. Such a cow, whatever her milk
ing qualities, is not such an one as we
would like to breed from. R.
She is industrious,
1 m ‘cal and strictly honest. She
* 0r me for years, and no
• ^ reea Me woman can be found. [
* t \ ery poor, and I am not able I
e stock and means for them, and
er o got on some large planter’s
Irf «rther particulars, write to S. M. I marker, for cross checking the beds.
■*. Risk’i
postoffice, Lexington co.,
When ready to plant open on the beds
with a small scooter with a wheel or
block behind it, so as to make a shallow
V shaped furrow, not more than 1)4
inches in depth. Having the seed well
r —ou, i Deiieve,) 11 rolled let careful hands drop six to eight
oldtt a ! y oats were easier killed seeds at each intersection, following im
J man late ones, and that we were mediately behind the opening plow. Now
itt(J' ery C ° ld 8nap » and 1 would comes the ticklish part. If the seed are
, * ntlon - One field of very early not covered uniformly they will notcome
^ were entirely killed; another^ up uniformly and well. We covered our
’ and just up, were badly entire crop one year by means of the/oof
near so badly as our early of the dropper, each dropper covering
the seed as dropped hill by hill. This is
slow but sure, requiring not less than
two very active hands to keep up with
If the moist soil be pressed
Cold—oats.
‘"rl S ? nu ***~World—When
dJ'IT Polished, I believe,) 11
:
- ■; - * t
March, were struck by a I
• v *«re k?n P , ° f cold ‘ and a S 00 * 1
'y ail com.;. . the ground, but
oWn!T eouta gain.
one opener
down on the seed in the act of covering,
less than one inch will be deep enough
ur> servo v, less umu uuo— -- - .
td otto IT'*’ that early and late | to insure prompt germination. The dan
^^oredUnds^” 6 ° U
^ * Store S. C
‘•■‘'"Sr*.
ger is in covering too deeply
If the land is in fine condition \eiy
S. M. Simons. I smooth and meUow-the seed may^
satisfactorily covered-one row at a ti
. -by a block (boud) attach** » » P»£
: has, again, I foot in the old fashioned way
dropped exactly in the proper place.
No one should think of planting a
crop in this way without constructing a
barrel seed roller (invented by the writer)
as heretofore described and illustrated
in the Southern World.
While the cotton is still in seed leaf,
the missing hills should be replanted,
using a small hoe or a narrow wooden
paddle or spatula. After it is too late to
plant missing hills in cotton plant them
with speckled peas.
A field of cotton planted in hills is of
ten credited with a poor stand when in
fact the stand is really better than is
saved by the ordinary drill method. If
the hills are intended to be two feet
apart, a missing hill makes a very mark
ed and observable gap—a distance of
four feet. We venture to say, however,
th at three-fourths of a perfect stand of
hill cotton, is better than a full stand of
ordinary drill cotton. The first work of
cultivation should be to plow the young
cotton crosswise the beds with one fur
row of a wing sweep or cultivator. Then
immediately plow the other way—close
ly siding, thin.
(2). The best for watermelons is a
light, dry, sandy soil, lately cleared, or
land that has lain out for a few years
and become filled with vegetable matter.
A compost of stable manure, cotton seed,
acid phosphate and kainit should be pre
pared early in the season and applied
several weeks before planting time, bo
that the fertilizing elements of the ma
nure may become well distributed in the
soil by absorption. Plow the land deep
ly and closely early in the season, check
off about ten feet each vlay and make a
wide deep hole at each intersection,
throwing the top soil in a heap to one
side and scattering the subsoil on the
adjacent surface. Then throw in the
compost at the rate of 500 to 1,000 pounds
to the acre, and also the top soil which
had been before removed, and mix all
intimately together, making a broad fiat
hill and covering with an inch or two of
soil from beneath the general surface.
At planting time (first planting about
corn planting time) divide each hill into
four sections by a cross mark and plant
four to six selected seeds in—say the
northeast quarter, pushing each seed
down with the forefinger to the first
joint—covering with the finger. Every
ten days plant another section until a
good stand is secured and all danger of
killing by frost or other casualty is over.
Then select and leave two of the largest
and best plants, removing the others. *
The cultivation should be shallow and
frequent enough to keep the grass and
weeds thoroughly in check, but never
plow or hoe when the ground or the vines
are wet with dew or rain. The vines
should not be moved if possible to avoid
it. If moved at all they should be
handled as tenderly as if made of glass
and not doubled or inverted.
The vines should not be permitted to
overbear. As soon as about two perfect
melons have set on each vine (two vines
in a hill) and become as large as the
Texas llluc Grass. -
Editor Southern World—Will the
Texas blue grass make a good winter pas
ture? If so, where and from whom can
I get the seed, and what will they cost
per bushel ? How and when do you sow
them and how much per acre? Is it
necessary to sow the land every year?
Will it grow on any sort of land and
what sort will it grow best on? If a
farm gets seeded with it will it hinder
the cultivation? We have the Bermuda
grass for summer and it can’t be excell
ed for summer pasture, but we need a
winter grass and need it very much, and
if we would do well in Alabama we must
have more grass and more grain and less
cotton. A. J. Brooks.
Hamer, Montgomery County, Ala.
Answer.—Will some of our readers
answer the above ? We know that Capt.
Carlos Reese, of Marion, Ala., has made
quite a success raising Texas blue grass.
It is said to stand the coldest and driest
weather. lie wrote us that he cut as
high as 7,000 pounds to the acre in Jan
uary and that the severe drought of last
summer did not wilt it, although other
grasses were so dry that they could be
burned off. If any of our readers will
write to Capt. Carlos Reese,Marion, Ala.,
enclosing a stamp, he will doubtless
give them the fullest information. The
Eutaw (Ala.) Mirror of March 18th says:
“ An old farmer, after looking at Capt.
Reese’s blue grass the other day, said:
* If that stuff don’t force a man to get
rich after it gets started, it will come
very near it.’ And we think he was
about right." The editor of this paper
has some of it that passed through all
the severe cold weather unharmed. In
writing Capt. Reese mention the South
ern World.
CRAZY
PATCH
WORK
S ow to Make Itj how to ootxtt
e (Ilk for It. We send Ten mms/m
of elegant tilt, all different and cut ao
aa to make one KMncb block of t'rajy
/‘atehuork. for 25 eta.; 12-lnCh block,
35 eta.; with diagram (bowing bow It
la put together.
We (end ‘JO perforated pattern*,
working tite, of bird*, butterfllea,
beet lea, beta, spkleraand webs,
" Cm etc, — **
Four melons to the hill, hills ten feet
apart each way, will give nearly L800|
melons to the acre.
R.
Durham Cow.
“^‘b^kr^oVto afitojfc Itenullfnl/’
haa Instruction* for maktpg a variety °/
with dia«rram!i awl Illustrations of many fancy aUtched
for joining ami ornamenting the (Ilk. Also, haa Ula».
t rations of all the Keneinaton ami Areaea* atltdiea.
with Instructions tat doing this kind of enibroWcry and
for making many beautiful and useful article* It al*>
contains a descriptive ami Illustrated list of nearly UH0
pattern for various kinds of embrobtery. Price. )5 cts.
Ail the above, with ten varieties of silk for kMnch block,
to cents: with silk for 12-Inch block, fl/n. with sljjt to i
both blocks sue. all post-paid. Silks In |1.,W. an<T96.
J post-paid. SUka In SI., K. ai _
. L.PATTKM7 Barclay sL N#w York.
Mention Southern World.
EGGS
B. I.exhorns,P.
Rock, Games, »1 per IS: 92
' Brahmas, P. Cochins,
W. &
per 80. J L
Editor Southern World—I have a
fine Durham cow that gave milk before
she was quite two years old. Her calf
is now nearly three years old. She is
and has been in splendid order and good
health. There are no certain indications
that she will have another calf. She
does not seek the company of the male.
I rid very ^,. th » I
onke of the stock and milk qualities. ter-Wblte swine. Descriptive Catalogues free.
WUl you or some of your many sub- Addreo, OMOI wnUyg.
scribers inform me what to do in the “ “ ~
udans, r. nucha, 91.50 per 18. Lengthens,
Wyandotte, R. C. W. Leghorn*, Black and G. 8.
"amburga, B. Java*. W7c. B. Polish, 92per 918.
' Guineas, 91.2b per lb. Mixed breed L 76c. per
1. Tur'
Mention Southern World.