The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-09-14
Agricultural.
Do. From the Southern Cultivator.
Thoughts for the Month.


on the farm. Cotton picking will absorb
much Of the labor, and the sowing of small
grain, grass and clover will fully employ all
the hands that can be spared from the cot
ton field. The indications are that short
crop Of cotton will be made, and it is the
policy of the farmer to gather it promptly
as it opens, that rains may not injure the,
quality of the staple and reduce its price.
Pick as rapidly as possible, gin as soon as it
is we'll dried, pack and put in different places
that the torch Of the incendiary may not in
night destroy the whole product of the
years labor and toll. Remember how often
during the last five years farmers have lost
their cotton BY keeping it in the Clubhouse.
FALL OATS.
Fall oats should be sowed as soon as pos
sible. We should always prefer to have
this work done by the middle of September.
We have made sowiDgs from the first of
September to the last of October, and the
early sowings have invariably done best. A
serious risk attends the lator sowings, to
wit: that dry weather following they may not
Come up until severe cold sets III. We pre-
fer to prepare the land by turning it over
nicely, then sow the manure and seed, cover
with harrow, so as not to bring up the vege-
table matter turned under, and finish by
rolling the land we'll. From one and half
to two bushels of seed should be sown to the
acre. There is danger of water-killing, and
this should be guarded against by thick
stand at the start. .-. .......
CLOVER AND GRASS.
September is the proper month for SOW
ing grass and clover seed. From the trials
we have made we are inclined to think that
it is best to SOW these by themselves, and
not with small grain The old idea of the
small grain shading the young clover or
grass is probably erroneous; certainly 1t is
without foundation when the latter are sown
in the fall, for if the land is all rich they
will be well developed before the heat Of the
ensuing summer We saw clover sowed
September 24th, 1870, cut May 24th, 1871,
and it is in every respect as good as clover
two years old, growing by the side Of it
The custom of sowing with small grain
probably originated at the North, where
clover is sowed in the spring, and not cut
until the ensuing spring, and the farmer is
desirous of getting a crop of small grain in
the mean time, instead Of losing, at it were,
the use of his land for year. The clover
alluded to above was not at all killed out by
the severe freezes of last Christmas, and
that must certainly be regarded as severe
test.
MANNER OF SEEDING.
Prepare the land as for oats. Unless
very rich apply $50 to 200 lbs. of super
phosphate broadcast, and harrow in we'll,
then sow seed and harrow or brush lightly,
and by all means roll the land thoroughly.
Cotton seed applied at the time the clover is
sowed does not answer we'll unless it has
been crushed or rotted. The clover plant
needs assistance most at tha-AAaliAst- st taGas.
Of It's growth. Stable manure is good in
this, as in most cases, when applied liberal
y. ..- -.
QUANTITY OF SEED.
If permanent pasture or hay is the OBJ
ject in view, mixture of seeds is best-say
: lbs clover, Is lbs orchard grass, 10 lbs
herds grass ahd 6 lbs timothy. It requires
great care to get these seeds sown uniform
ly. Imperfect stands generally originate inst
here. 1t is best to SOW the clover by itself
or with the timothy-the herds add orchard
grass together. If the light grass seed and
heavy clover seed are mixed together the
heavy seeds have constant tendency to
sink to the bottom of the vessel.
- ~ BARLEY, RYE, &C.
Every farmer should be we'll supplied
with winter grazing lots of these very valu-
able plants. Work horses, mares, colts,
milk COWS, calves, &C., nged and ought to
have the benefits of them-to say nothing
of the beauty they impart to the home land
scape during the cold dreary months of win
ter. To be at all valuble such. lots should
be extremely rich-the lack of sunshine
must be made up by the stimulus of manure
1t is best that they be seeded down by the
middle of this month.
For grazing the turf should be firm and
complete, that hoof may not touch the
soil. 1t is best, therefore, to SOW an abund-
anee of seed of rye two and of barley
four; bushels per acre. When six inches
high begin to Craze, and keep lightly grazed
during fall and early winter. When severe
weather sets in it is best to take off stock,
to give the plants an opportunity to take an
early, vigorous growth in February.
BY the time the rye and barley begins to
tail, clover will be ready to take their place,
and wherever clover will grow lot for
grazing or soiling purposes should be on
every well appointed farm.