Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-01-21
|Agthaatata department.
From the aouiherni culdutpr.,
WORK FOR THE MONTH.

: From the aouthena culautpr.E
/ WORK FOR THE MONTH.
With the beginning Of the new year, tn
farmer should develop his plan Of opera
ttions clearly and distinctly. The wis,
man, before he buildeth house, counteti
the cost-so farmer before undertaking
to make crop, should know perfectly tn
means and resources at his command-hov
much manure, how many mules, how many
hands, how many good ,plows and other i'm
plements, how much corn and fodder, o.
hay, and how much bacon. In the mex
place, he must form sound judgment as tt
1.-THE nature and amount Of work he may
Ereasonsbly .expectto- get from q given mum
ber of hands. And here, as in ell his othe,
calculations, let him follow the rule offs
mechanic in estimating the strength of g
machine. The strain it will bear depends
upon the weakest point. What avails it to
the farmer if his plows are good and his
mules strong and willing, if his laborers are
lazy and inefficient? Let not ajudgment
be formed of how much certain number
of hands will do, by what the same number
was made to do ten years ago-rather let
him base his estimate on the experience Of
the last three years. Perhaps it will not
|be out Of place to remind the young farmer
that, in calculating how much land may be
|plowed in given time, it should not be
forgotten that the ground will, in all proba-
|bility, be often too wet for the share, and
lin some localities, frozen too hard. Sum.
ming up the number of days, between this
and planting time, the safe rule would be to
akesonehaF only assavsilable'fo 'forplowing.
The only wise course is to base all calcula-
|tions upon the sporst conditions which may
|arise-the prudent man foreseeth the evil
and hideth himself. The next point is, to
.:pitch" the crop-two considerations /: LIST,
how many acres in all can be cultivated and
how many Of these should be given to each
crop. We would enter eur mostearnest
protest against over cropping-it is not only
bad policy as regards the present years
crop, but it is utterly ruinous to all improve
ments. A small crop well cultivated, will
make more than large one half worked.
Don't exc out, to one hundred acres ofland,
manure which is scarcely enough for fifty
it is justss bsd, policy asto attempt to main
tain one hundred head of cattle on supply
of food hardly enough for Fifty. Don't
ran over, and ''scratch'' to depth Of two
or three inches, one hundred acres, but
double teams Iand plow fifty acres, five or
six inches deep. See some of the results
only half as much fencing needed-only
half as many hands needed-a good deep,
constantly improving soil, against one that
is shallow and constantly washing away and
disappearing-the laborer encouraged and
stimulated by the rapid, promising growth
of the crop, will work harder and better,
even uneonsciously to himself unculti-
waited land, nature will kindly take charge
of and soon cover with forests, that will tend
to equalize the temperature and lessen the
chances of drought. The End point, how
many acres should be assigned each crop,
we approach with some hesitation. We
are satisfied larger area should be put
down in clover and grasses, and more oats,
barley, &c., sown than is usual at present.
Home made manure and turning in green
crops are the foundations of successful hus
the allotment of land, therefore,
enough should, by all means, be given to
the provision crops, to insure an abundance
of food, for everything on the farm. When
this is done, whatever is left may be assign
ed to cotton. Now, we are prepared to 60
to work. If the stubble fields have not
been plowed (as they should have been two
or three months ago. start the turning plows
in them whenever the weather and nature
Of the ground permit, and keep them run
ming. Land dries off so slowly after rains
during winter, that there is often great
to .plow it when too s0et. This
point should be most carefully watched.
All weeds and grass should be nicely COW
cred up-let not particle of it be burned.
Hands not blowing land all hands when it
is too wet to plow) should be engaged in
putting fences in order, making new ditch
es and cleaning out old ones, hauling in
leaves, muck, &c., for stables and manure
heap. During rainy days, plow-stocks, axe
and hoe helves, and implements generally:
may be overhauled and repaired. =
.,