The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-04-10
THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH.

From the Southern Cultivator for April.
We hope all of our readers have made
careful and thorough preparation for
the summer crops. Where land has
and manure properly put in, half the
dottte is over. A good start makes Il
good run-one who is behind hand at
planting time, will hardly ever fully
catch up; if he does succeed in SO do
ing, it will only be through extra Ia
Dor, which might have been saved.
Unfortunately, too many are caught
mapping in this respect-trusting to
secure Il proper preparation of the soil
during the first workings of the crops.
1t is true that on old lands, deficient in
vegetable matter, hard rains may so
impact the soil as to nccessitate deep
ploughing after the crop is planted !;
but when it can be avoided, it is highly
desirable to do so. The true policy in
tho early spring months is-whenever
practicable-to go over the crops rapidly
and Frequently, with some wide cutting
implement, as sweep, harrow or culti-
Vator, so rs to break crusts and kill
weeds and grass Just as they germinate.
By starting ee,Iy and passing over ut
short intervals, II field can be kept clean
with the least amount of labor. Get a
start ahead of the grass and keep it, is
the true way to make Il crop.
CORN PLANTING.
1t is desirable to finish corn planting
at once. Early corn will not only
make the best yield, but will soonest
get out of the way, so as not to inter-
fere with the cotton crop. On bottom
lands 70, Sc ,,.lx,
this month, they cannot we'll be plant
ed until the latter part of May, on ac-
count of the ravages of the bud-worn,.
Where deferred until May, bottom
lands ought to receive regular plough
ings at intervals of two or three weeks,
to prevent their becoming foul. Where
they have been we'll broken, this can
be done very rapidly with a broad
solid sweep.
Manure for late corn should be put
in the ground noW-scattered in the
drill and listed on-the subsequent
workings alluded to above, will COM
plete the beds. One cannot we'll find
time to apply manure, after the crops
are fairly started.
FIRST WORKING OF CORN.
Early corn will be ready for its first
w SoA AAh5 tAiIo AAOAlHs IL viz Ao
hard, run around with Il deep going
plough, ,and break out middles thorough
ly. No better opportunity to do this
will occur hereafter. But if the ground
is in good condition, run round with Il
shovel or sweep. 1t is we'll to time the
first working of corn, 80 as to finish it
just before it will be necessary to give
cotton its first working The corn will
not then have time to become foul be-
fore its second working. Only throw
enough dirt to the corn to cover grass
and weeds-the less the better. 1t will
make the corn grow off more rapidly,
and render it easier to cover up grass at
workings. Bring corn to a
stand at this working, removing all
supertiuous stalks with a wooden pad
dle--a rapid and effectual mode of
getting rid Of them.
COTTON LANTING.
a good stand is essential to making
4 good crop, and an early stand of cot
ton is often Il matter of tho first impor-
tance. If this is not secured, it some-
times happens that 4 protr.,ctcd drought
prevents the termination of the seed
until the season is too far advanced for
a full crop to mature. On stiff, baking
lands, the s1trest method of securing q
stand is to list on the seed with two
furrowS, and knock Off with board, Just
us the cotton is ready to come up. A
very good plan, but rather slow for
our modern ideas. The best plan we
think is having thrown up pretty high
beds, to cut them down slightly, just in
advance of planting, with q harrow
nearly as wide rs the bed, with teeth
short in front and gradually lcngthen-
ing towards the rear so as to hug the
bed and leave it ,O'Wt7cd, not tlattcned,
after it has passed over it. The teeth
Of this, as of all other harrows, should
be set inclined Il little boch"o,r1S, so as
to clear themselves. Clods and crust
having thus been removed, Immediate
ly SOW seed which have been rolled
some twenty-four hours or longer in
advance, and kept in bulk to encourage
termination. Put in thus with a good
planter which distributes them at uni
form depth and naossed in a pressed
furrow, they will seldom fail to come
up promptly in the driest weather.
ROLLING SEED.
Both for the sake of economizing seed
and for distributing them regularly, it
is well to roll them. Use just as little
water as possible in the operation.