The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-09-23
CoKEsBURY, Sept. IA, 1869.
j. D. KENNEDY.


Dear General Yours of the 10th was
received yesterday p. IN, aud though |
am pressed for time to attend to the
mullifarious business of both public
ard private natures supposed upon me
l will, with pleasure, reply to yeur
several inquiries. Let MT premise that
the lands 1 cultivate, though perhaps
more or less sterile, are in their original
condition, well adapted to the growth
of small grain, t'-wlt: Gray cotton
lands with clay subSoil for oats, rye or
barley, and red lands for wheat. Our
red lands, well manured and deeply
ploushed, will produce rcmunerative
crops of onythiny. Though not pre-
pared to follow any prescribed system
of rotation, generally SOW oats, two
bushels to the acre, after sorghum; on
lands that am forced to plant ig corn,
(aplands,) or on lands that have been
in fallow. My rye is sowu, one bushcl
to the acre, on similar land or GU grain
stubblc, broken up or turned over with
two-horsc plow, and the grain har
rowed in with tR ,-horsc harrow. Ih:
treatment or preparation of barley OF
wheat land is a little different. | gen.
orally reserve the best land on my plan
tation for barley, or cowpcn few acres
between April and November. This
land is subsoiled and frequently plowed
during the summer, and sowed any
time, for barley, between the first OF
October aud the fist Of December
Some planters he-e SOW barley in Sept.
I never have. Laud cannot be made
too rich for barley. [ have usu lily
sown two to two and half bushels per
acre. I think this is too thick, and in
future will sow one and Falf or two
bushels per acre, varying the half bush
el according to the land. | SOW wheat
generally in November or December,
and manure heavily with cotton seed
fifty bushels per acrr-and top dress
again in March, April or February, if
the grain seems advanced, with two
hundred pounds Wando or other conf
mercial mnuure, per acre. My average
crop of rye is about six bushels per
acre oats, fifteen; barley, twenty to
twenty-five, sometimes forty; and wheat
ten to twelve. Occasionally a failure
occurs. Last spring | reapcd eighty
two bushels of barley from five acres,
and considered it failure. My wheat
and barley straw l generally pass
through my stables for manure, or cover
my Irish potatoes, &c. Oat and rye
straw is sheltered as soon as practicable
after reaping or thrashiug, and not al
lowed to get wet. This straw, as the
grain is trcshed, is sailed away in my
loft or shed, built for the purpose, and
during the winter fed tn cattle, sheep,
mulse and horses. Oats are fed "shcll-
ed" rye is ground and ''mash" made
of the meal, and cut straw for winter
night feeding to mules and horses
Barley sown on very rich land, or any
lind subsoiled and stimulated with ac-
tive mauurcs the fist Of October, will
often be ready to act by the first of
January-always by the first Of Feb
Der. As soon as it is high enough TO
grasp with the left hand aud cut uu-
derneath with a sickle, as "hand'
would rice, it should be cut. In six
weeks it will be high enough to cut a
second time, and by the first of May
grow up again aud yield an abundant
crop. This green barley fed to any
mule or horse will change his hair and
hygiene condition in fortnight. In
1867, OS66 was terribly dry year,
you remember 1 fed my mules almost
sntirely on barley, and filled their racks
with It in the sheaf until it was per-
fectly ripe, and though its beard gave
several os my mules sore mou his,
never had finer looking mules or horses
in my life. The ripe barley is too hard
to feed as corn and oats, and when used
to feed upon dry, should be soaked "a
or 4S hours in salt water. My habit is
to use two barrels. Fill both to-day