The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-07-28
An Exporimont In small Grains.

In tne August number OF the Rurdt
Cdrolinian, Col. D. Wyatt Aiken re-
peats his old advice to planters and
farmers to seed their cotton land at
the last working of tho crop in August.
either in barley. oats or rye. This ad-
vice is recommended and illustrated
by his own experience. We place it
before our agricultural friends for
their consideration. The time is near
at hand when it may be put into prac-
tice. We believe that it is practicable
and likely to prove profitable in most
OF the soils on which cotton is grown
in this State, and the results as shown
in Col. Aiken's last years experiment
are certainly very encouraging. In
whatever walk of life men may De en-
gagged. they should always aim to
achieve tho highest results. Love of
excellence, united with sense of profit,
call out the most strenuous endeavors.
There is much to be learnt, both OF
the theory and practice of agriculture,
simple as 1T may seem to most folk.
The example of Mr.. Warthen, of Geor-
gia, raising five bales of cotton on one
acre of land, almost without work, ex-
cept that OF most careful preparation
of the soil in advance, ought to effect
a revolution in that crop. Five bales
on one acre, instead of one bale from
Ave acres So this experiment OF Col.
Aiken points the way to an economical
production of grain and forage for
stock, with benefit to the land, upon
the very land and almost at the same
time Oh which the money crop is
grown. It is worth thinking about
and trying to equal in results.
We give tho article below, commend
ing it particularly to the attention of
our planting friends:
eff Book Farmer has an acre of
land under cultivation this year that
Will, on lat August. promise yield of
Il, $50 lbs. cotton let him SOW that
land broadcast in barley, one and
half bushels to the acre, and then 'iay
by with three shallow sweep burrows
With fair luck, the barley crop will sell
for as much as the cotton crop. He
can, as we'll as I, count the cost of cul-
tivatiDg and harvesting the two crops.
Let him treat any land he has under
cultivation, with prospective yield Of
l,OO0 lbs. OF cotton per acre, tho same
way with red oats. and his oat crop
will buy the cotton Drop. bagging, ties
and seed, and treat the harvest hands
beside. Let him treat his thinnest
cotton lands the came way with rye,
and next May, tnot allowing hoof to
make track on the land from the day
OF sowing till May, tnrn under the rye
cror and SOW the land broadcast in
peas. bushel and half per acre, and
in September or early in October turn
the pea crop under, without feeding
leaf or pod to his stock, and SOW the
land in wheat. He will then eat better
flour than he can buy, and his thin
lands will improve. An experiment to
the point: The first week in August,
1873. l hired six plows, (mules and
hands, and laid by twenty acres of
cotton with them, as advise above, I
going ahead of the plows and sowing q
bushel and half of red oats per acre.
In March. 1874, hired some hands to
knock down the cotton stalks. On the
4th June, I hired SIX oradlers. six
binders, one 'shooker,' one water. car
rier and two boys to throw bundles to
the shook, and gave the entire 0ane
three meals, and paid for the cooking.
The twenty acres were harvested in
| one day and about two hours. On the
11th, 18th and 18th June. I hired
teams and drivers, and hauled this
crop OF 500 shocks land am sure each
shook will make bushel, for each con.
tained twelve large bundles or sheayes,) J
six miles. from my plantation to my
stable lots in Cokesbury. My account
stands thus: 80 bushels seed oats. at
$l, $50; my own services as hand, 2
days, at Is ots., $3.50; 6 plows, 2 DAYS
each, ut SLIP, $3.50; feeding same Q
days, mules and hands, at rs ots., 50;
knocking down cotton stalks, $5; har.
vesters, at 1925 each, $13. 90: binders,
OF 81 each, So; shookors. at 1926, 5
boys, at so cents, B1.50. 1916; raw
material, and cooking the same, 81; 3
two-horse teams, 3 days. at SO each,
1927; 3 extra hands, 3 days, at 81 each,
S9-total. 1924 25. I now have 500
bushels of oats securely housed, with
straw as good as fodder, ~ a drop Of