The Winchester appeal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1856-1856, 1856-05-24
Work for May,

busy this month. 1t is one Of the best
months in the calender for plantation
work, and it is also one Of the most
important! The crops grow finely,
and so does the grass, andifthc farmer
is not Industrious, the latter will out
grow the former. 1t is the Nay grass
that is most troublesome; if that is cx-
tirpatcd, the crop can be kept clean
till it is laid by. Watch closely, there
fore, that no hand Sights his work.
The tender sprig left around the roots
Of the corn and cotton, will become
large punches by the next working.
THE CORN CROP.
This working is generally done en-
tircly with the plow, The hoes are
constantly engaged in the cotton, and
1.-THE first working Of corn was rlith-
fully DONE they are not needed now.
The blowing which the corn should re-
ccivc at this time, depends in "a great
measure upon the manner in which it
was plowcd at the previous working.
If the land is light, and the baulks
have been previously well broken, the
sweep will do all that is required now.
II heavier blowing is demanded, we
use the turn plow, throwing The earth
to the corn. We do not advocate the
policy, however, Of hcapjng the earth
around the roots Of the corn, either at
this or any other working. Corn cul-
tiyatcd in this manner is more apt to
fre-stands drought worse, than when
the level culture is adopted. Run the
plow at just that distance from the
corn which will slightly lap the dirt,
in the row; and we adopt this mode,
not because we have any idea that
the earth thus thrown to the corn
aids it, but because we thereby destroy
any young grass which may have
sprung up since the last WORKING
AS this blowing, if the land is too old
or thin to make peas broadcast, they
should be planted in rows bntwoen
the corn. We are decided advocates
Of the peas. We prcitrto have every
corn field covered with them. They
feed more largely upon the atmos-
phcrc than any other crop which we
raise, and therefore impoycrish the
soil less; they shade the earth, thus
protecting it from the suns of our sum
mers, and keeping down the crab grass,
thereby leaving the soil in better con-
dition for the next years cultivation;
they afford excellent pasturage for cv-
cry description ofstock; and they are
undoubtcdly renovator Of the soil.
TIE POTATO CROP.
Make as heavy planting Of pota-
toe slips this month as possible; the
earlier they can be started the better.
We prefer the ridge culture. We
have never tried the level culture
which is so strongly recommended
because, in the first place, we think
we can make more potatoes on the
old plan, and in the next place, they
arc much more easily cultivated in
ridges. We make good bed; not
very high one, but large one thrown
up with turn piow in rows about 4
feet apart, and set out the slips after
rain, about is inches apart in the
rows. We know this mode will make
good potatoes, and an abundance of
them if they arc properly attended to.
TIC misfortune with cotton planters is
that potatoes are not regarded us a
part of the crop to be worked regu-
larly like other things, but an Incl
dental appcndagc, to be attended to
when time can be spared out of of the
cotton Gcld.-SoH ofMc South.