Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-05

AAo A4ouI Vi ocfOtlOudl exercises
having arrived, the Assembly took re-
cess until 81 O'CLOCK P. NJ.
FIR m the Southern Cut:vator.
AGRICULTURE.
Thoughts for the Month.
In our last number we discussed at
some length the proper methods of
tittage and the reasons therefor. The
present month we have to urge prompt.
incessant and judicious practice of the
rules laid down. There is no place
now for hesitation, hating, delay.
grass and weeds must be ''strangled in
the birth" and tie surface of the
ground kept stirred, to insure healthy,
continuous growth of the crops. Every
one with the least amount of farming
experience. will admit the general pro-
positions laid down, but in practice
there is great room for Judgment, and
one man will accomplish the results
with much less labor and much more
perfectly than another.
One great drawback in Southern
farming is the imperfect training of
plough animals. The negro seldom
has either the patience or the reuuis-
lite interest in the matter, to render an
animal SO tractable that he can place
the plough just where it ought to run :;
or If the animal is tractable. will him
self take the trouble to shift the plough
about according to the exigencies of
the case. A good animal, skillful
ploughman and judiciously selected
plough, ought almost to 6a,tish the hoe
from our fields, and with it a large
portion of the expensive labor we are
now called upon to pay for. The Sc
lection of plough hands is a most i'm
portant matter. In old times with
small ploughs to run round and Others
to break out middles, "chaps" might
be employed to do the latter-but
with the sweep or cnltivator or har-
row, the running round does all the
work, and the very hest hands should
be chosen for the business. A strong
hand, to hold and guide the plough in
presence of rocks, crooks in drills.
or devlations OF the horse-a
reasonable one, who will not
lose his patience and get angry
because the horse does not under
stand every word he speaks to him. and
does not obey him to the letter-a
careful one, who, by nature, dislikes
to do anything in a careless, sIovenly
manner. Such hand will soon train
horse we'll, and if previous prepare
ton has left the bed in good shape
(hlghest IL the middle) and an impie-
ment having the part running next to
the plants properly arranged throw
little or much dirt, as the ease may re-
qulre, is used-will pass over a field
leaving almost nothing for hoe hands
to do. Especially will this be true if
the ploughings are repeated at short
intervals, and before weeds and grass
have time to acquire size.
Tins year heavy rains followed our
paintings OF cotton, and fearing an i'm
perfect stand, some days before the cot
ton began to come up we ran two-horse
harrow over the heds, taking out front
tooth-the result was most excellent
stand" This is a common practice.
but We allude to it in connection with
the shape of beds facilitating work.
The teeth of the harrow used increas-
ed regularly in length from front to
rear--the foremost inches long, the
hlndermost IL inches long-and were
set sloping little backwards. After
the front tooth was taken out. the first
pair of teeth before stood s inches.
and the hlndermost pair 80 inches
apart. 1t was provided with handles.
that the ploughman might keep the
front pair of teeth astride the drill.
such harrow not only broke the
crust, but sifted q little fine dirt all
over the drill and left the bed in the
best possible shape for subsequent
workings cotton coming ND on a
slight ridge little higher than any
other part of the bed. It was easy.
therefore, to run around it yerv
closely without danger of covering it |
up.
Cotton should be brought to a |
stand at once. Whilst on some va |
riety of soils, crowding seems to pro-
duce best results, we think, as a gen
eral rule, good distance is advantage
Gus. One to two fest in the drill on |
uplands and still greater distances on
bottom lands, and one stalk to the
bill. In dry seasons, distance is a
matter of Importance to cotton, as well
as corn and other plants, and from the
large amount of rain which has
already fallen this year, we may not |
very unreasonably anticipate a dry
summer. Should it prove SO, fiat cui-
lure and constantly pulverized
surface, are the means to ward off its
injurious effects.
Most of the corn crop is laid
BY, this month. It should re-
,eive a shallow but very thourough
so as to be perfectly clean
nothing should be allowed to grow
With the corn but peas; a bushel to a
oushel and half of which ought. for
he lands sake. to be sown broad cast
It this last ploughing.
PEAS.
The main crop of these should be
'ut in during this month. In addition
o that planted with the corn, it is well
o plant crop of peas to themselves.
'tubble or rested land will answer
ows q to B feet apart-one busheI
'lll plant to 4 acres-one pIonghinp !
nd one hoeing will make the CROP
nd while before frost a grass-blade ,
nd rake will soon PUT them in stack /,
r barn. We do not think such a crop
appreciated at anything like its true :
alue. Easily made-easily harvested.
nd so excellent as feed for stock. it :
ught to hold appointment place on everv
lrm. A planter, constructed to omen /
rlll, drop the seed and with them little
superphosphate, and :
len cover, would facilitate the making ;,
the crop very much.
HARVEST.
With the increased breadth of land
'eded down in small grain this wear Z
arvest will be an unusually heavy
b-but We trust the Ootton-mania
i'll not cause the harvesting to be IN
.operly done. BY all means, save =,