The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-03-25
From the American Cotton Planter.
PLANTATION WORK FOR MARCH.


cotton States, and the corn crop should now
be planted as early and as rapidly a. the
weather and a proper preparation OF the
land will permit. We are aware that many
of our planting friends pat thcr seed corn
in the ground with the cold and frost of
February, but we can see 10 advantage IN
such ILL., Judged haste; and as we never could
see any thing proper or cOmmendatory in
a manifest error, we cannot recommend
planting corn in the winter, though it be
ever so popular with those planters who
crop TO the extent of 25 to 80 acres to the
hand we are not that far along we; 4!
If you have spent the month of February
in the proper preparation of your corn land,
in blowing it up deep and close, and you
have a little manure, SUCH as cotton seed
or guano, 10 put on it, you need have no
apprehensiOns, if you get your corn planted
by the 18th to the Goth Of March no other
planting is so likely, as yours, or so certain
Of producing a fine crop of corn. OF this
one fact, however, no planter should lose
sight, that you need not calculate, with any
probable degree of certainty, upon re-
munerating yield, when you plant your
corn upon unpreparcd land, whether you
plant early or late, and the seasons will
most probably hit wrong during all the
growing year. Time and care expended in
putting your corn in the ground in good
condition, tells most advantageously upon
the prosperity of the growing crop, and its
usury is realized in the gathering. A good
start, and fair start, in the planting of the
crop-and by that we don't mean winter
starts like a good start in all other un-
tertakings; we feel its benefits through all
the work.
Planters differ very materially, and even
under very similar circumstances, as to the
spacing and distancing of the corn rows on
the land, and the hills or stalks of corn on
the rows. We do not here propose to de-
tain our readers with our individual mode of
doing this work, WHICH we have written so
often; but this we will say, that it is a mat
ter of the first Importance, after the proper
preparation of the soil, to so arrange your
rows by dwelling, distancing and spacing
the stalks on the rows, that, at the most
luxuriant period of the oorn's growth, while
1t is in the bearing stage, the land should be
just even full if too thick, and a greater
quantity of the proper elements of the grain
be needed than can be furnished by the soil,
the whole crop suffers; and if on the other
hand. your stalks occupy so much as 90,
25 or 30 superficial square feet, as we fire.
quently see, the crop, however fattering,
does not more than pay expenses, and but
poorly cOmpensates the labor.
This is a subject too little cared for by
our SOuthers planters few think of meas
uring, or estimating, or even giving thought |
as to the quantity of soluble fertility, or
plant food their land may possess per acre;
hence so little system and rule in regulating |
the stalks of corn or cotton on the land
Every planter should know, with q very
good degree of certainty, the capacity of |
every acre of land he cultivates. If you
have land containing sufficient soluble food |
for 40 bushels of corn per acre, and you
very thoughtlessly or earelessly plant it, so
as to gather hut 20 bushels or less, either
by putting too many or too few stalks per
mere, your interest suffers, and the failure
is attributed to bad seasons. Deep, deep
blowing. the thorough preparation of the
land, is the first important object; the pro-
and the hills or stalks on the rows, is the
next essential; and when this is the case,
our word for it, the seasons will hit exactly
right for fine crop, nine years out of ten.
we hope the planter, who doubts this, will
to disprove it by experiment.
Much of the preparation, in the wav of
blowing and bedding the land for cotton, is
TO be done this month. Do not allow YOUR
some one or more of your
neighbOrs say they are done bedding and
have commenced planting cotton by the
10Th of March-to be hurried into a slight
and half performance of this absolutely es
'entlal work, by which any thing like a
certain and full yield of the land is to he
obtained. Bear this in mind, because II ;s
In axiom IN successful cotton culture that
he preparation season, if UNDERSTANDINGS
md properly employed, is the most i'm
'ortant season during all the culture of the
'rop' Let nothing deter you from pIowinp
leep-2 inches, if you have the team and
now to perform the work, and in this furrow :
: inches deeper, with subsoil plow.-
such work will secure a good and heavy
rop on any character of land. and under
my ordinary vicissitude of season. Indeed
Is the only work that can be relied upon 9
or crop on any land. v
Mr, A. says IL dare not pillow my sandy
and but inches deep, because if i tno >
bose already! and to loosen it up Ia tooI d
lehes, viii render it barren bank of loose b
terlle sand" Mr.. B. SAYS, ION nv oak Il
nd hickory elayish land l dare NOT mix b
lie clay with the soil, because that will GER Il
Ilnly impoverish the whole" a
Mr.. c. says, ION my ealcareous land T. n
Ia IL Il