Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-04-08

From tho southern cultivatOr.
Remarks on the Mode Of planting,
Culture, Saving, &c., OF Pea Nuts.
lst. As to suitable soil-select a
light, loamy soil, with an admixture OF
saud-original growth, oak, hickory, dog
wood, poplar, &c., and by no means wet,
low or too fiat. Land, where the long
leaf pine has been the growth, is certainly
Objectionable, almost surely producing
what is termed pops OF hulls without the
kernel. This can only be partially cured
bv thorough lining; short.leaf or rose
mary pine, growing with the trees first
mentioned, is not Objectionable.
Lands upon water courses are general
" found best adapted to the production
OF this crop, being usually of tne c!iafac-
ter mentioned above, particularly those
upon the sea- coast owing; think, , TO the
fact, that the ground pea requires, to
some extent, both lime and salt. Lime
have found one OF the bestapplications,
as by the use of from 80 to so bushels
to the acre of shell lime, sown upon the
land, followed by eighty to one hundred
loads of well yrotted leaves or woods
mould, have increased the product one
third 10 one.half, and that too of improve.
cd quality, almost entirely exempt from
pops.
Ashes, leached or unleached, arc, in
value, next to lime, having similar
cfitctand possessing more fortilizing prop
critics than lime.
Pad. As 20 the preparation Of the land,
where there is trash, or coarse vegetable
matter, it should be thoroughly cleaned
off or burnt. Flush up neatly, if your
lands are light, with small Fillman. or
other turn plow, six 20 eight inches deep.
Should lands be at all stiff. break twice,
the first time being as early in winter as
convenient, then, again, just before plant
ing, in order to have them thoroughly
broken and in good order, with the sur.
fee as nearly level as possible. Lay of
the ross twenty.seven to thirty-two inches.
according to quality, of lands, with a block
p!ow Similar 10 that used tor cotton, ia
pcr;ng down to one inch, or one inch and
{. quarter at bottom, with a strap of iron
IL half inch thick on the bottom. Cross
in the same way, and drop, in each check,
two peas that have been carefully shelled
by hand without being split or bruised.
Cover with Il hoe, Carefully avoiding
trash or sods) from two to three inches
deep.
Planting should commence about the
18th of April, and should be finished BY
the tenth of May, if possible, though
have I,nown tolerablc fair crop made,
planted the last of May or even the first
of June. would recommend earl y
planting, however, giving full time to ma
ture before frost. Light lands. stimulated
By manures, are more certain to mature
early.
3rd. Culture. They should be cultiva
ted with a sweep, having share on each
side about three inches wide, attached to
coulter and bar, sloping off at an angle
of about forty-fve degrees, and cutting a
furrow from sixteen to nineteen inches
wide. The plowing should commence
early in May, or as soon as grass begins
to start, sweeping out each row with one
turrow-hoes following the plows imme-
diately the first time; after which, plows
should run over the entire crop once in
each row, every eight or nine days, il
possible; then crossing the other way
the next eight or nine days-hoes follow.
ing and going over once in sixteen OF
eighteen days. This mode of plowing
often, twice to each hoeing, makes light
end easy work. and, instead of wasting
time. it really saves it-this being a crop
that will not admit of getting foul ol
grass. IS i. is then next to impossible tc
get it clean generally piow seven OF
eight times with four thorough hoeings-
then 90 through with the hoes, giving
what is termed fiat wedding, shaving
out the bunches Of grass where it can be
got at with tie hoes; and if any has beer
allowed to grow in the hills, pulling it out
carefully with the hand. This is the last
work done 5eforc harvesting.
4th. Harvesting. This should com
mence iii October. The exact time car
not be fixed, but depends somewhat upor
the quality of lands and seasons, not al
ways upon the time of planting, as they
mature in some seasons, and upon some
lands, earlier or later than others, bu
should never be delayed until frost, as
in that event, the stem, to which the pef
is attached, will, in very few days, com
mence to rot and decay, and, upon plow
iag, most of the peas are disengaged from
the vine and left in the ground.
Our new, fresh lands are suited to the
crop, or, if stimulated by manures, they
will mature earlier than without these
advantages.
The first step in harvesting is accom-
plished with plow, made somewhat like
the one used in cultivating, only larger
and heavier, with one share only. Thi.
share is fixed to bar and coutcr-share
attached to the coulter, in front; the back
edge of which turns gently upward, SO as
to raise or loosen the earth above and cut
furrow nineteen or twenty inches wide
This share is now deep enough to go be
low the pea on one side, then on the other
cutting the tap root the last time; about
three hands follow the plow, shaking the
vine and peas from the dirt, (Which, be-
ing loosened by the p!ow, is easily Olsen.
gaged) and setting the vines on the tip
ends, the peas hanging on the inside for
the purpose of drying or curing. The