La sentinelle de Thibodaux. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 1861-1866, 1866-05-12
AGRICULTURAL.
Farm Work for May. s

she farm and plantation, and must be es
pecially SO this year, as the wet weathe
tas hindered greatly, and the spring is 81
very late. He is a thrifty and : fore
handed farmer, indeed, who does MOI
now find himself greatly behind with nj
work. But yigor and energy, Immediately
4 brought to bear, will do much to retrieve
lour backwardness. Lock carefully over
our farm and garden hints for March and
fAnril. and do at once any needful and i'm
/. portant work that you have neglected, or
hat YOU were unable to do. In another
month. or even in few weeks, the scorch-
;nr heats of summer will have come. and
n will then be too late. So do not lose
lone moment now. but let master and all
hands 90 to work with will. ~
ifa Corn that is just well up must be worked
at once. running around it close and deep
with along, sharp. narrow "bull tonghe'
or rooter plow; after which the middles
3 NAV he broken cut, and the spaces be-
tween the hills or plants kept clean with
the hoe, That which is more advanced
is ready for second working, or soon will
be. The surface should be kept mellow
frequently stirred, entirely free from
weeds. and Us nearly level as possible'
No billing up is necessary turning
nIow should be used in the late culture of
aorn. IT is never necessary, except ~
eases where the weeds have obtained sacli
foothold that they must be bnried on !
turned under. In breaking up TOR corn
we cannot plow too deep; bat IN 9 cui1lVa-
ting the crop, the harrow and the sweep
are the proper tools for, as far as can be
avoided, no roots OF short-iivea anhuai
crops should ever be broken. The corn
needs all its roots, and requires rich,
mellow ground to extend them in; and SO
we again repeat, do not break the roots
iby blowing deep; but keep the surface
open, freely pulverized and frequently
stirred 81. This system will give you a good
crop almost any season. Corn may yet
DE planted on "new grounds" and favo-
rable spots, and should be put in every
spare rood of land. 1t is one of our
. great staples and no possible effort
should be spared to produce an abundance.
Cotton must be brought to good
4, stand," and seraped and aaoulded inme-
diately. 1t is of course backward in
growth this year and we will have abun-
dant time to attend to the corn crop. But,
after scraring your cotton, mould as soon
rs possible, so that the young rootlets
may not bo exposed to the scorching
effects Of the sun.
Be careful at this working not to brulse
or injure 4he young plants, Tor rough
usage at this time often causes the plants
to die out weeks hence, frosn injuries
leed!essly received.
Where, ?from bad seed, there is fail
ure IN procuring a stand, the planter must
nseghis Judgment in regard to what shall
he planted instead. Chinese sugar cane,
COW peas. and sweet potato slips are those
which are most likely to succeed. Ground
as thoroughly prepared as is necessary
for cotton, should be made to yield a re-
turn of some kind, in case Of bad stand.
Early in the month, in the best of your
corn, plant between the hills the corn
Held bean, which will afford snaps all
summer and the white sorts, when dry,
are good winter vegetable.
Pumpkins aud winter squashes may be |
planted on any unoccupiel ground. lei
must be of good quality, or hills prepared |
for them by digging deeply and providing
a rich compost.
Cow peas. to make hay, may now be
sown broadcast or drilled, in well nanared |
pr deeply plowed land. Corn should. also,
be drilled, to cut green for forage. It will
require about three Bushels of seed per
lcre--sow tl,ickly in broad, deep drills,
;hree and n half feet apart--use all the
manure you can spare, and cut the cern
or your stock as soon as i. tassels. Lay
VT your patch in rows, and SOW at inter-
'als OF week or ten days, SO that it may
'e cut in succession. Millet and Chinese
ugar cane may be sown in the same way |
nd in the present scarcity of forage,
forage is always searce.) will be found of |
he greatest value
Sweet potato slips should be planted
cry extensively everywhere. A rery deem.
tide furrow, plentifully filed with manure,
pom which throw d mellow and some what
road and fiat bed--rake lightly the sur
ace Of this bed, make good large holes
nd set your \. draws SO that the bottom
eaf IS just above the ground. If the
oots Of the draws up to this leaf are
gronted," or dipped in a batter made by
t'rring woods earth and "a little fresh COW
manure in rain water, and then a gill Of
water poured around each .sdraw'' in the
loie, covering this moisture up with dry
arth an on the surface--they will :. grow
N without any check, as viii also toma-
g. egg plants, cabbages, or any other
egetables we are in the habit Of waiting
pr ram to transplant. In dry weather,
Is best to set out plants on this plan,
fter z or . o'clock in the evening. SO
nat they may have the benefit Of the
lght dews. If very hot, the more deli
ate plants may be shaded with shingles. i.
handful of pine straw or similar
mulch may be dropped lightly on each
ant before the sun becomes scorehine
'e next day If short of good draws"
~ may extend your crop of sweet pota- I,
es by using cut-vines from your earliest
antings of the tubers. Insert the root | |
epiy IN the ground, press the earth e.
out it, and draw fine earth about the /
I'm. SO as to cover all but the buds.
Look over your farm machinery-horse- Ii
wers, threshers, gin gearing g-and have :
needed repairs made now. When the :
ason OF threshing or ginring is at hand. /
machine shops are often so full Of {
rsl-