The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1860-03-21
lgruulturnl.
Hints for the Month.


every body in a hurry. The anxiety not
to be ou'done 10y ones ne'ghbor, or to
get a good start, unfortunately, too often
leads to the neglect of the very measures
which would put you ahead.
"What is worth doing, is worth doing
well, will always be found a golden max,
I'm III plantation economy, and you may
rest assured that every scheme embraced
now, to dodge work, will be found q "ion
IN your path" the season round Take
pains then IN preparing your soil, and
sill take pains IN planting your crop.
lhls IS the great month for Corn plant
ing. We are inclined to think tha, no
crop pays so poorly on thin land as corn.
Our average corn crop is very light af-
tar. Can we not Improve upon it Is
not the practice OF running over an inn
mense deal of ground for few nubbins,
ruinous one, and would it not be the
better policy TO make a smaller area pro.
duce larger cropl Can it be done eco.
nomically 2 The frequent recurrence of
summer droughts has made the corn
crop most uncertain one, and everybody
who does not luXurate III bottom lands.
has begun to feel the necessity OF looking
ont tor substitutes, or change OF culture.
SubsolIng Is declared 10y some to be a
sovereign panacea; but subsolling is not
only al expensive. but tedious opera.
ton, and not likely to he adopted b, peo
pie AS long AS and is cheap and abundant.
But We can all do II ii!;ie better, doubt
less, than we DO let us try. Let us de.
termne, by experiment. whether il be
best to plant corn deep belw ween the beds,
or shallow; whether more corn cal be
grown by crowdIng or 10y giving distance
for sun aud air TO exert an influence;
whether there IS anything iii variety, as
being adapted to particular soils, or liable
. 10 attacks Of insects ; whether there is
/ 80 manure better than cotton seed for
/ ly:", 81 he same price.
/ But, DO what you will try to do it well.
When your ground is ready, and not
blt too wet, wet your corn and roll il in
strong lime before you plant it; If you
wish to keep off the crows, drop four or
five grains il the hill, and cover il care
! fully according to season or soil. As TO
the cultivation, every man thinks he
knows best, and we would prefer hearing
the matter discussed by our readers.
Cotton.-Bed up your land Tor cotton
AS rapidly as your other plantation duties
VIII allow, SO AS TO get cotton planting
over before your corn needs work. If
You use Guano, mix with it its weight of
Plaster or coal dust, and sprinkle il from
100 TO 200 lbs per acre, in the furrow
aud throw your bed upon it. Long ma.
nure may still be applied in this way
In fact, We believe all manures should be
deeply covered in this climate, The mod
ern doctrine to The contrary notwithstand.
ing"
Vet DdyS.-Select seed corn; sssort
your cotton seed haul out manure; re-
pair gear; right up fences and farm build
Irgs, look to your plough stocks and
plough IRONS have An extra supply Of
heeLscrews, false coulters, cIevis, plough
handles, s"ingIe trees, hame strings, and
P."ugh lines. See that yos have plenty
OF coal on hand for the season, plough
stock timber, hoe helves, DC. These are
small matters, but will pay we'll
Keep the pIoughs moving every hour,
when the soil is dry enough, but be care
fuI not TO plough land wet, while March
"ind~bsow. Keep an eye to your fences,
and keep stock out of your felds-an
old sow and pigs, in few hours, will up ,
do the work Of ten hands. The breaking
up and preparing Of land is heavy work !;
notice that your plough hands have the
gear properly adjusted, the chains the
same length, back bands in the right 20
sition, names fitted snugly, and plouehs
running smoothly. 1t is very hard on a
mule 10 carry the weight of l6o lbs avoir
duPois, on It's plough handles, and a,
hard upon the negro, TO be shook by a
jumping plough stock, as if he had 6
third day ague. Notice your horses shou!
ders carefully, use wash OF alum an(
vinegar If necessary; and If The skin il
rubbed of, spirits Of turpentine and var
nish brushed over will often cure righ'
away. II you can, grind your corn il
not convenient, soaking it now and then
7 in salt or weak lye water, will be fouLt
very grateful to the animal, and improv
e ing.
Stock.-Your Cattle will require espe
ciaI attention during this month CIV,
them the benefit of all the protection 70,
D can against March winds; turn the caive
, on barley or clover lots give salt ant
) SCOT regularly notice il they are infeste,
with vermin; try white oak bark tea
strong snuff, ashes, Paine Christi boile
in lard the animal will never thrive un
I'll radiance is effected.
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