Wilmington journal., 1874-08-07
From the Southern Cuitivator
ACRICULTERAL


=
tions very late, and lay by the crops
| very early. Even when hired Tor
wages, it is hard to hold him in the
| cotton field, after croppers and share
men have deserted theirs. 1t is useless
in a matter of this kind to reason with a
negro, but possibly the difficulty might
be met by an annual celebration of the
| LAYING by of the crops, similar to
harvest feast-the date of which the
| farmer of course could fix-with the
| understanding that the feast should
be omitted if work tagged before the
| appointed time. Such feasts judi
ciously managed, constitute quite a
powerful means in the hands of the
| farmer for controlling negro labor
| Whilst money viii often fail to keep
the negro steady at work, the antici-
patton of frohc will stimulate him to
the utmost.
| LAST WORKING OF COTTON.
In average seasons, blooms which
| open up to the 10th of Sep
tember will mature bolis. A bloom
of the 10th of September appears as
square about three weeks previous to
that date, say the Goth of August.
Sufficient growth to develope new
squares, should, therefore, if possible,
be kept up until the later date (the
Goth of Augusta From the time cot
ton comes up, until the middle OF
July, it IS desirable for it to grow as
rapidly as possible, in order to secure
GOOD tweed" After that time and to
the goth of August, slow, steady, un-
interrupted growth is desired; just suf-
! ficient to form new squares; the greater
portion of the force OF the plant being
diverted from growth, to the develop
ment of fruit The above is what The
farmer needs; can he control the plant
and make it do what he wishes. 70 a
certain extent he can. If the season
is not excessively dry, he can by late
and deep ploughing prolong active
growth and delay the fruiting. By
very shallow surface culture, begun
early in the season, he can bring on
the fruiting tendency earlier with con-
comitant decrease in active growth.
If he stops all cultivation very early,
growth may cease prematurely and
with it the formation of fruit-and a
portion OF the crop be lost which might
have matured before frost. Iu former
years when rooters, shovels and deep
running sweeps were used to cultivate
cotton crop, it was very common for
frost to cut off quite large part of the
crop. Under the prevailing system ol
cultivation, to-wit, with shallow ran
ming sweeps, and forcing the plant
forward with fertilizers, the tendency
is rather in the other direction
the plant is apt to cease work too soon
losing part of the season III which
it might have made more bolls. Under
this system, therefore, it is specially
important that the ploughings should
be continued, if practicable, up to the
time when growth may cease without
diminution of the crop-that is from
the 18th to the Goth of August-pro.
v!ded always that ploughing isspracti-
cable without breaking off limbs OIL
bolls. We repeat, therefore, what we
said in the beginning: the tendency is
to lay by crops too early; as a general
rule, light plough;ngs ought 10 contin
uc up to the middle of August.
LAYING Bg LATE CORN.
Late planted bottoms may require
one more working. Ii is well occG-
sicnaliy 10 plant such laLds quite late
(middie of June) and cultivate late, to
cleanse them from cucAle burs, nom
ing elories, and other troublesome
weeds. OF course, in such cases, the
hoes should 60 over after the last
ploughing, and destroy everything
left by the ploughs. We have found
this plan greet saving OF labor in tho
work OF subsequent years. Some t;m.
ago the suggestion was made i'll on
columns, Of sowing cotton seed broad.
cast as a fertilizer in place OF peas.
Might not this do we'll on cultivated
bottoms? phe experiment certainly
would not cost much.
Where peas We're planted in forward
corn which cannot now be p:onglI
ed, tney should. be Locd, 50 that when
the fodder is pulled they may spring
forward rapidly and exclude ali 9th
er growth. Where planted by them
selves, they should be ploughed and
hoed like cotton, until ready to shade
out everything else. Early in this
month peas may still be sowed for
forage if the land is good. Fodder
pulling, if not too early, does not seen
to diminish the yield of corn, and
makes most exceile 1T forage. The hue
aud cry against it, which is often seer
in our papers, is not well founded. We
advocate strongly the raising of hay
especially clover hay-but rayieu
of food is important to animals as well
as men, and on this ground, if nc
other, we like to have g good supply
of fodder. There is no other forage
we have seen, which stock of all kinds
relish as much rs they do fodder
Don't pull it until the shuck begins tC
dry up, and take pains to cure well-it
not, let it alone or throw it away.
CRAB GRASS AND OTHER SOURCES OF HAY.
1t is very easy to raise an abundance
Of forage, from fodder, clover and tie
cultivated grasses; but it is equally
true that most OF our farmers fall very
far short of doing this. Those who have
not deprovis.onto to fill their barns, can
with little energy, gather much from
the spontaneous growth about them.
Crab grass and croT-feet both make
excellent hay if cut when in bloom,
and more or less of these may be
found on every farm, from this till
frost. Swamp grasses too, tho infer
ior to above, will, if cut before they
are too old, and properly cured, be
much better than nothing. The car
ing is a very important matter. Cut
after the dew is off, let it wilt and at
the close of the first day throw up into
small cocks-high, but not broad. If
the weather is good, let it remain in
these two days, and on the fourth day
throw several into one, making it large
enough to heat q little then tear down
and the handling will dry it enough to
be stacked away permanently. All for
age is better fer having heated little,
ii properly managed IN other respects.
BARLEY, RYE, OATS, CLOVER, &C.
These for grazing, soiling and for
hay, should be sown early next month
by the 18th, if possible no op-
portunity should be lost of putting the
land intended fer them in good condi-
ton. At the time for sowing the
ground may be too hard to plough. A
farmer without a rye or barley lot
should be drummed out of the
brotherhood. There is no ex-
cuse to be made for such
an one. No skill is required and not
much labor-a rich lot, two o. three
good ploughings, running over with
the drag or smother, and the harrow
ing in of the seed is all that is requir-
ed. Of rye l to bushels of seed per
| Z b A II.