Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-07-06
FARMERS SflisteIlallg
From the Southern Culti@atGr.
Hints for the Month.

From the Southern CultiTatGr.
Hints for the Month.
TIE PLANTATIoS.-Thc Cotton crop must
be steadily worked, to encourage the deVe!
opmcnt and retention of forms and bolls
Shallow, surface culture, with light sweeps
followed by the hoe, will be found the best
method !r all cases. Do not allow the grass
or weeds TO get foothold either in the row
or mddIes-wage steady warfare upon them
during this month, after which they will not
give you much trouble.
Where Corn is not laid by" it will be
we'll to give it a constant surface working,
until prevented by the spreading OF the blades
across tue rows. Allow no weed to appear
in your corn ield-weeds and corn cannot
flourish on the same ground. Do not use
the turning glow among your corn after the
first two workings. 1t breaks and tears up
the young rootlets, and does far more injury
than good. At the last working, sow Cow
Peas broadcast, and cover with sweep, cul-
tivator or harrow. Plant Pumpkins, in every
second or third hill, and when we'll up thin
to one plant In hill, and work carefully.
Cow PesYs should now be sown broadcast
for hay, at the rate of bushel OF six pecks
to the acre. Scatter over the surface evenly,
and cover lightly with a turning plow; or.
first plow your ground deeply, sow your
seed, and drag in with harrow. Cow Peas
intended for seed may be sown i'll drills,
three feet apart.
Pumpkins may be planted as separate
crop. Prepare the ground as for Waterrnel-
ons; hills 10 feet apart. When we'll up,
thin to one OF two strong plants in hill,
give these sprinIding Of Plaster or Gypsum
"a small handful to each hilD when the dew
is on; loosen the earth, carefully breaking
the crust, without disturbing the plant, and
then let them run. Tue after-work consists
in shallow surface culture, and the destyuc.
tion of weeds, until the vines cover the
ground.
Pulling Fodder, VIC have often condemned,
heretofore, and consider it in all respects
nop-paving and poor business. 1t should be
discontinued by all enlightened and eoonolni-
cal planters. We offer the following subAti,,
tute, which we have often recommended
heretofore:
C9ru Foadcr.-Break up, very deeply, a
piece Of rich land, harrow it finely, and, with
Q broad shovel pillow, lay it off in drills three
feet apart. In these drills scatter corn at the
rate Of 40 or so grains to the foot and cover
with a hoe, rake, board or harrow, drawn
lengthwise along the drill. When we'll up,
mrun aroundn it pretty close with long
roter, and repeat after 10 or 10 days. In
the course of 10 OF Is days moie, break out
the entire mid1les with the rooter, and final
w Law by with the shovel plow, running up
end down in the same furrow, midway be.
tween the drills. On good land, prepared
and worked in this way, the yield will be
from 8 to 6 tons sometimes even lO) Of ex-
rellent fodder per acre. This is as much as
ran be pulled from 20 to 30 acres, in the
common way, and at one-teEth Of the labor
Pound for pound, it is as good, if not better
than pulled fodder, as it contains the entire
iuice and strength of the plant, which, in the
other case, has gone 10 the formal N OF the
ear or grain. The loss OF. weight AMI injury
10 the grain, by depriving your regular corn
crop of its leaves before all growth has ceased,
is fully equal to the value of the fodder pulled.
We, therefore, desire that our readers should
abandon this "old fosy" practice, and give
drilled corn fodder II fair trial. 1t Is OF yet
TOO late, but should be done immediately
Any one who fairly tests it will, we are quite
certain, abandon fodder pulling forever.
Swee. Potatoes must now be worked care
fully, throwing up some fresh mellow earth
10 the ridges, and destroying all weed. Make
your last planting of "draws," and if the
weather is very dry, before planting dip the
roots IN thin batter-plant just ut night
fa,I-and manage as heretofore directed. as
soon as possible, prepare rich, moist piece
Of land, and plant out an abundance of cut
vines to produce next years seed.
Turnips.-This is most important crop
for the planter and farmer, though not yet
appreciated fully. A distinguished English
states,u.n has said that England could better
afford TO lose its navy than It's turning crop.
Therefore plant largely; it is indispensable as
n winter forage. We will hereafter describe
the best and most profitable way of feeding
If you have not already prepared your land
for TurnipS, do it at once, pulverzing it tho
roughly by several plowings aud cross plow-
ings. IF you have no land which recently
has been cow.penned, scatter some guano
1850 pounds per acre) previously to the last
blowing, and turn it under Immediately. Sow
in rows, at such distances as to allow the
turnips TO I've worked with KnoX's Improved
Horse lloc.n it you have this excellent i'm
plement. Make arrangements to sow often
and largely, commencing early, as it Is some
times extremely difficult to get stand.
Make your first sowing about the 10Th OF
this month, and and if that should fail, try
again every 10 days until the last OF Septcm-
bsr, anil YOUR perseverance will be crowned
with SUCCESS. Guano, superphoSphate OF
lime, broken bones, or compost OF woods
mould or we'll rotted stable manure with
crushed bones and ashes, are each and all
proper fertilizers for the turnip crop. The
manure may be applied in the drill or put on
plentitully broadcast, and plowed in well.
The Rutabaga Red Top e. strap leaf" Ear
" Flat Dutch, Yellow Aberdeen, Norfolk
and Globe are all good varieties-the two
first, fifth and sixth being the best for field
culture. AS food for stock, we believe tie
Rutlbasa is conceded to stand foremost.
Lfov.-Now is the time to make hay. Cut
the elsr>s while in bloom, spread it immcdl-
at,.ly anil turn it over in the afternoon. In
the evening rake itup, in long and rather
thick rows. By turning them once day ior
the next two or three days, your hay VIII
be nicely cured, and equal to, if not better
than the Northern hay. Should rain threaten
while the hay is drying, make rush with
full force and pack the rows up into SHARP
pyrsmidal cocks the size Of nolasses hogs
head, and when the ground dries again, spread
ont thin to cure. Northern hay ranges in
price FROM Sl25 to 81 per hundred pounds,
and it is a shame that We OF the South should
ever be obliged to buy pesnd OF 1t at any
price! when we can produce as good an artl-
Gle with little or NO trouble or expense
Southern Cutivator.