Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-04-18


and fr1liting are both arrested. Pre-
viOus to this, the conditions for mai
fruit are generally favorable. With an
early start therefore, good s'bottom,,
crop is almost certain-mucli more 80
| than either a middle" or ton"
| crop. AS young plants are not so
much affected by drought as old ones
very late planted crop, may some,
times pass unchecked through a drouob+
and make a good late crop, but IL
chances are inferior to those of an ear
ly planted one.
MODE OF PLANTING
Two dangers to be avoided. lack Of
sufficient moisture to make the seed
germinatC--and formation of a crust
which may prevent the young plant
from getting above the surface. April
is often very dry-and unless the seed
are planted Immediately after a shower
they frequently fail to come up well
The old plan of opening a furrow with
plough, sowing seed and listing on
them with two burrows and afterwards
knocking off the top of list with a
board, just as the seed are ready to
come up, is one of the surest methods
of securing a stand in dry weather
| The objection to it is the large amount
| of time and labor involved. As for
! merly practiced it required four 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 Got
ton Planter" which 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 cut off the top of
the bed with drag or smoother
| just in advance of the "Planter" so So
to have a moist fresh surface in which
| to plant. Seed will rarely fail to come
| up if thus planted-and the increase
| of labor required will he quite small.
A smoother five 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 a half and one
| horse and half to each row.
| A suggestion in this connection WAS
made by correspondent last wear
which struck us SO favorably, we beg
| to repeat it here. It is, where the TOP
| of the bed is not cut off, to place r.
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 to open
rangement not only secures uniformity
| o.
matters) but frees the top of the bed
| from clods and removes the crust. if
one has formed. It also throws on
each side the dry top earth, and leaves
fresh moist earth with which to cover
| the seed.
ROLLING THE SEED.
For reasons discussed above. it is
highly desirable that cotton should
come up quickly after being planted
otherwise 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
a day and then rolling them, facilitates
greatly their termination. Rolling is
so easily done with the "barrel roller"
described in former volumes of the
Cultivator, that no one need be de-
ferred from doing it by the labor re-
quired. In addition to making 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. It may be
mixed with some plaster-say two of
guanO to one of plaster, and Just as
much used as will adhere to the seed.
The addition of superphosphates
would be desirable, were it not
for the danger Of killing the
seed thereby. Quite small quantities
of an acid phosphate i'll contact with
cotton seed, will entirely destroy their
terminating power. Bear that in mind
Pure Peruvian guanO used in rolling
| will not kill cotton seed, but super
phosphates will
Cotton planting being finished and
corn hardly ready for it's first working,
time will be afforded to look after the
"side" crops, such as sweet potatoes,
drilled corn, millet, &c, &c.
POTATOES.
We value this crop very highly
considering it, for stock purposes at
the South, superior to turnips, beets,
&c, being more easily raised and more
nutritious than they. Let the Eng
ishman raise his turnipsi mis- climate
suits that plant, ours does not near SO
well-but does suit admirably the po-
tato, which is capital food for sheep,
hogs and COWS. Land intended for
this crop should be bedded up and
gotten ready to receive the "slips" as
soon As they appear. We always try
to put out some, the first week In May
If possible. Generally speaking, the
sooner they are put out the larger the
roots they will make. Selecting
suitable time, drop the slips ong the
beds at proper intervals and with a
blunt stick placed on and near the root
end of the slip, push it down in the
earth and with another thrust of the
stick push dirt into the hole left when
the stick is withdrawn. This is very
rapid method and quite as successful
as the usual one of STOPPING down and
planting with the hands.
DRILLED CORN.
The value of this as forage crop is
beginning to be appreciated among our
people. The amount raised to an acre
is almost fabulous; we hear of or 10
tons after it is thoroughly dried. To
succeed, the ground must be very
rich, and must have been ploughad
several times and that deeply, so as to
bring it into the best possible condi-
ton. Plant in drills feet apart and
SOW B bushels of seed per acre. When
up, plough it as you would other crops.
The latter part of April is a good time
to SOW it.
MILLET.
Millet stands drought and neglect
better than corn, but like it, requires
rich soils to produce best results. Sow
in drills the same distance apart as
half bushel to one bushel of
seed per acre will be ample. The Cat
tall is one of the best varieties.
GROUNDPEAS.
A patch of these pays handsomely
to one who raises his own pork Plant
on level or on very fiat beds, SO that
thew NAV be easily earfheT NJ, 1zsjti!