The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-02-12

HOYT & CO., Proprietor
49, l.....l @
From Il. Southern Aaa oaltsvatorjo February
Thoughts for the MONTH "a ~.
-z-'s' - PITCHING CROPS. , {;.i.i
The, .firaa has arrived when the years crops
shonld be definitely "pitched" d"-as bedding and
manuring the hand for these mustbe soon start
ed 70 prsyent, getting behild-hand.- 1t is hard
iv necessary to call attention to the uncertain
Character Of the weather. in February and
March, and how large part of the time the
land may. be- unfit for the plough, To insure
being ready at planting time, therefore, it is
best to begin bedding and Hanuring early
pressing these forward whenever the weather
permits and the ground is dry enough. When
ever in doubt on this latter point, the ploughs
should invariably stop. ,za;;, nj 5i,%ti 80
=, The pitching Of: q crop is always an impor-
tant matter; at the present time it doubly So.
1t is very difficult under present circumstances
to. decide what is. best to be done. all are
agreed, we believe, that less, cotton must be
DIanted. The Georgia Grangers propose: one
third Of the crop in cotton, one-third in corn,
:. and one-third in small grain. AS a'general
proposition their suggestion is.a good one. But
all general propositions are difficult of'appEca-
lion in particular cases. DID, poor upland in
corn will not pay for its cultivation, and bot
tom lands or uplands susceptible of irrigation,
NAV not be present on every farm; in such
cases other crops must be substituted in place
of corn. In another case, the amount of labor
available may be too small to warrant planting
two-thirds of the good land on ntthe farm In
CROPS which will require, hoeing and ,ploughing.
Or he quantity of manure within Teach may
be insufficient fer two-thirds OF the cultlvaDle
land, and no prudent man is willing TO s1pend
the large amount of costly labor which hoe@
crops require, upon poor ,unmanured Land.
Many have been running large part OF their
farms in cotton for years, and their lands now
require rest or seeding. down in small gram.
Each farmer has, therefore, 60 "pitch" his crop
with reference to the peculiarities of his own
particular case. .a d. 81
We have always urged the cultivation on
larqae scale of crops which require lttthe labor;
Among these are small grain, peas, clover and
grass, and under existing circumstances we
would press them upon the attention OF our
readers with increased intensity. In connection
with such q course let each one put corn on
land that will not suffer from drought, and
make up for the small number of acres of such
land he may have, by manuring them like
garden. And, finally, for cotton, select a ,.teU
acres Of land in good heart and treat them as
Mr.. Warthen did his prize acre, and mage as
many bales, as you have been. in the habit OF
making from six to ten times the same number
of acres. We are fully persuaded that under
such plan, the. same amounts OF farm sup
plies and market produce could be raised WITH
one-tsird, or even less, of the labor winch mas
been usually employed. ~ .s..tp- g
.. PUTTING IN MANURE. ,sd -,lri
If one can spare the time, the best plan is to
Law off rows, bed up, open the water turrow
deep and wide, distribute the manure In II, ana
them reverse the beds, either IN whole or IN
part Throwing list of one furrow on each
side of manure, and leaving the bed to Deco
pleted just before planting tinne IS an excelens
nlan with all but sandy lands. On the latter
st is desirable that the beds be completed In
advance of planting, that they may have time
1o settIe down and become compact. Stable
manure, composts,, and the cotton and phos-
phate compost, ought to be put in during this
month. Soluble and more quickly acting fer
tilizers. as guano and the chemicals, may be
put in later.
s-Reatinr in mind the connection between the
denthi at which fertilizers should be placed and
the depth to which the land has been broken,
avoid putting fertilizers Especially the active
ones) near the surface. Located there, they
NAV in time of drought cease to benefit the
nlant: even become Injurious to it; for where
plants find most food, they develop most roots,
and if the larger part q these are atha near sne
But in addition to this, when near the surface,
fertilizers stimulate to arterrible degree the
oro,utk of oYass, and if there was no other
Consideration, this fact alone should decide, ID
favor of placing fertilizers pretty deep IN the
soil. .e:a.s. 81 -
:. COTTON SEED AND sUPERPHosPHATE-
During this month the above substances may
he mt in the ground without previous compost
inc. When thus applied the two are not likely
TO be as thoroughly mixed as they would be IN
a -nroperly prepared compost, and the vitality
of the cotton seed NOT SO certainly: destroyed by
the superbhosphate and the heating Of the COM
nost heap. IF put in the ground late IN the
season. the cotton seed might sprout and come
M. or at least undermine the young cottcn.-
We should therefore always compost the two,
if IN he pnt in the drill, later than the first OF
March. If applied without composing, the
seed should be,spread in the drill first, and the
superphosphate sprinkled on them-a more
perfect contact between the two is thus brought
about, as the powdery superphosphate can sink
down between the seeds. II the cotton seed
areidistributed in the drill by q machine the
seed and phosphate May be mixed before e. beng
put In the machine, and this wond 6e 9 stlli
Sstter arrangement. Cotton seed and super
nhosnbate NAV be regarded as equivalent to
kammoniated dissolved bones," and any addi-
tions, as salt, plaster, &C., which one deemsde-
sirable for the latter, may with equal propriety
ha' added to the former, say SO lbs. each Of
plaster and salt to every LOO lbs. of superphos-
nhate in the mixture. ..5.. -,
:. 1.f''ft''ii- - SOWING OATS.
We hear of an unusual breadth Of land hav-.
;robaen seeded down to wheat. Let the good
s work be continued by large sowings of oats this
tL Tho r,,st-,,r0of NAV be sOWu up to the