Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1873-04-10

ting above the surface. April is often
very dry-and unless the seed are plant
ed immediately after shower, they fre-
quently fail to come up we'll. The old
plan of opening u furrow with plough,
and listing on them with two furrows
and aftSrward knocking off the top Of
list with a board, just as the seed are
ready toScome up, is one of the .surest
methods of securing q stand in dry
weather. Thc objection to it is the large
amount Of time and labor involved. As
formerly oracticed, it required hands
and three mules to each row. One. to
open furrow, one to drop the seed and two
to cover. Few can afford to adopt such
an. expensive process. The Cotton
Planter" who opens the furrow, drops
the seed and covers them, makes one
hand and one mule do the work of four
hands and three mules under the old
plan described above But whilst thus
saving labor, it does not insure against
drought.
10 remedy this defect we made the
suggestion in former number, and re
peat it here, to cdt of the TOP of the bed
with drag or smoother just in advance
OF the "Planter" so as to have moist,
fresh surface in which to plant. Seed
will rarely fail to come up il thus planted
and the increase of labor required will
be quite email. A smother 5 feet wide
will dress off two beds at time, and not
weighted can be drawn by one horse.
The whole labor, therefore under this
plan would be one hand and half and
one horse and half to each row.
A suggestion in this connection was
made by correspondent last year which
struck us SO favorably, re beg to repeat
it here. 1t is, where the top of the bed
is not cut off, to place board behind the
plough hoe, that is between the plough
hoe and the helve, having the point Of
the former project just enough beyond
the board 10 open furrow of desired
depth. This arrangement not only Sc.
cures uniformity and guage of depth,
(very Important matters) but frees the
top of the bed from clods and removes
the crust, if one has formed. 1t O
throws on each side the dry top earth
and leaves fresh meist earth with whi,h
to cover the seed.
ROLLING THE SEED.
For reasons discussed above, it is high
ly desirable that cotton should come up
quickly, after being planted-otherwis
the ground might dry off too soon for it
to appear above the surface until it rains
again. Wetting the seed and keeping
them in moderate bulk for day a. d
then rolling them, facilitates greatly their
termination. Rolling is SO easily
with the "barrel roller" described in ior.
mer volumes of the Cultivator, that no
one need be deferred from doing it Ly
the labor required. In addition to max
ing the seed come up before the ground
can dry off, rolling economises the seed
and insures regularity Of distribution
The addition Of some fertilizer whilst the
rolling is being done, is also of great
value, in giving an impetus to the Young
plant. Peruvian guano is the best for
this purpose. 1t may be mixed with
some plaster-say two of guano to one OF
plaster, and just us much used as will
adhere to the seed. The addition of su-
pcrphosphate would be be desirable, were
it not for the danger of KILLING THE
SEED thereby. Quite small quantities of
an acid phosphate in contact with cotton
seed, will entirely destroy their germina-
ting power. Bear that in mind. Pure
Peruvian guano used in rolling will not
kill cotton seed, but superphosphates
WILL.
Cotton planting being finished and
corn hardly ready for its first workin ;,
time will be afforded to look after the
"side" crops, such rs sweet potatoes, drill
ed corn, millett, &C., &c.
DRILLED CORN.
The value of this as forage crop is
beginning to be appreciated among our