The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-07-16

Thoughts for the Month Of July

From the southern Cultivator.
All crops, not matured or advanced
beyond the point at which assistance from
plough and hoe ceases, demand light but
incessant cultivation this month. The
ir e1se heat, and often drought, demand
a mulch of pulverized earth upon the
surface. to act as a non-conductor Of heat,
to prevent the soil which surrounds the
roots from acquiring too high tempera-
ture and - prevent the escape OF moisture
and nutritiva gases. a thin mulch is all
sufficient it is not necessary, therefore,
10 plough deep-nOr is it desirable, be
cause a cop approaching maturity makes
Its heavit It demands on The soil; and
the roots should be permitted to push
their absorbing extremities through every
portion Of the soil, near the surface as
well as downwards.
LATER PLoUGHINGs OF COTTON.
These should continue through this
month and into the next-just as long as
the plough can be run without breaking
off provided they a-e shallow; if
deep, the sooner they are stopped, the
better. a plough that will leave the
surface ds flat as possible, should be used
clean cotton fields are most liable to
wash flat culture, especially when laying
by, Is therefore, very important. A
Dickson sweep, or harrow or cuItlva-
tor, are the proper implements for the
work. If the previous culture has been
properly done, little now remain for the
hoes to do; but if there are lunches Of
gress, by all means kill them. We have
o.tel thought of the practicabillty Of
freeing our cultivated fields from crab
grass, by year after year keeping it from
maturing seed. Much less Of this pest
comes up in field which was carefully
cultivated in cotton the preceding year,
than in one planted in corn or sme grain,
where the grass had an opportunity to
mature seed. Northern farmers talk a
great deal about discriminating weeds in
this manner, but weeds are not half so
troublesome to the Southern farmers as
crab-grass and hardly any labor or
expense would be more profitable on a
farm than that employed in exterminating
this grass. Drilling peas on stubble land
Immediately after harvest, and giving
them clean culture-hoeing cotton as long
as any grass can be found in 1t, and
hoeing corn much later than is customary,
are the first steps necessary to check this
great enemy Of crops.
LAST WORKINGS OF CORN.
The corn-field is the great nursery of
crab-grass. As a general rule the crop is
lad by early, and after the fodder is
pulled, grass has full sweep. Corn is so
often tangled by wind, that late pillow
ING of it is seldom practicable The final
cleansing mist therefore be accomplished
by very thorough culture up to the las
blowing, that no old grass may survive
sufficient hoeing to destroy that which
sp iugs up afterwards, and shading the
lald with peas or rye, to prevent grass
from coming up. The corn itself will not
Deed any of these late workings but the
last named. The question however is,
whether labor thus spent would not save
greatly more than an equivalent amount
of work, in the cultivation of crops in
subsequent years, Broadcasting with
peas or rye is in itself good practice as
a source Of forage or of pasture; any Incl
dental grass would be clear gain. TIE
last ploughing of corn should be thorough
bat shallow. The brave roots should
never be cut; they develope an enormous
system Of roots around the stalk and must
perform very important functions. That
it Is not simply that of bracing the stalk,
is evident from the immense number and
extent of the tibrous roots thrown off from
them after they penetrate the ground.
Those who have never examined these
roots, would do well to re move the earth
carefully from around stalk of corn after
it Is full grown, and inspect them. Root
pruning sometimes brings an over luXu-
rant fruit tree into bearing, but it does
not benefit a growing crop of any kind.
Many farmers break thei~ land year after
year, say three inches deep-running the
pillow repeatedly at this depth, makes
hard pan which the roots of plan Is can
not penetrate. They then cultivate their
crops with scooters and shovels, running
very nearly to the same depth. so that
the roots of their corn and cotton are
confined to a thin layer of soil just above
this hard pan-possibly one inch thick !
PEAS.
We have often urged more extended
cultivation of this crop. The usual obiec-
ton to it is the difficulty of gathering,
when cotton picking is taxing the whole
force of the farm To meet this, we
have suggested that the pease be drilled,
and then a hand with moving blade
can lay down acres of them In day If
this is done Just before frost, the vines,
leaves and pods will make good coarse
foeage, valuable for mules and COWS.
They viii need no curing scarcely, and