The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1875-07-16

Cotton, Corn, Oats,
Corn, Oats, Cotton,
Oats, Cotton, Corn.
The writer advises the sowing Of peas at.
ter the oats come off, to be turned under in
the fall. | like the arrangement of crops
very much, but would offer the following
amendment to it, viz:
| Oats Cotton, Corn and peas,
Cotton. Corn and peas, Oats,
Corn and peas, Oats, Cotton,
That is. Is: the corn al! be sown in peas
| (broadcast), at the last blowing Ks soon
as corn is off turn all under and put in oats.
Then when the oats are off SOW in peas
again, turn these under in the fall, and put
i'll rye, to be turned i'll in April, and you
would have II rich vegetable mold that
would make cotton to perfection. There
could be enough peas gathered from each
crop to replace the seed and pay for all cx-
ira labor required to put them in, and the
rye for winter pasture would pay large
per cent. on the cost of the seed.
There is great deal said in our agricul-
tural papers about clover, but in my judg-
mcnt the pea is tie clover for our Souther
farms. We can grow peas where it would
be perfect folly to attempt to raise clover,
for it is conceded fact that clover must
have good soil, or it don't amount to any
thing, whereas the pea will grow on very
poor land. 1t is strange that our Southern
planters havo SO grossly neglected this crop
and persist in doing so, when it has so ma
ny qualities to recommend it to our consid-
eraton--i its cheapness, requiring very little
labor to raise Tits superiority as a forage
and us fertilizer Isregard it ahead of
! olny,, g., ,,,,, ,,,or,, l.,,Jc l.,
cause it is richer inst the element of plant
food, but because it grows SO much more
lreadiy on poor land, aud therefore what it
Hacks, in quantity is more than made up for
in quantity. AS a proof that this crop has
been most shamcfully neglected, peas are
now worth in Montgomery S1.75 to $500
per bushel, while corn is selling at S1.10 to
S120 per bushel, and that too when bush
el of peas can be raised for less than half
what it costs to raise bushel of corn.
Will not the people cease this shameful neg
lect of one OF the rc,y best paying crops
that they can raise in the South? Mr. Ed-
1tor, please give your views on tho above. IF
vf"sy y5H Re1s Sss that and
Prattvilc, Ala.
nh, amendment" proposed is an excel
,o.,trnue. \ farmer should never let an oP'
ton Of pea crop ahttR tRs SorG iSfs,s early work aG
it rapidly and lay by early. This will give
the best yield Of corn, and allow the peas
time to mature. Gather corn as soon as
dry, and be sure in ploughing under pea
vines, to sec that the corn stalks are thor
oughly bnrcd also-thcy arc valuable, es-
pccially for the potash they contain We
have found that good two-horse plough
will bury corn-stalks, even when not cut
down or chopped in pieces. The double
tree bends them down in front until the
share lays hold Of the butts Everything
should be buried sufficiently deep not to be
disturbed by the harrow, when covering the
oats. Peas after oats fit exactly-the only
difficulty is that dry weather may defer
their planting or coming up, until rather
late in the season. 1t is good practice also,
to follow this crop of peas with rye; to get
the full benefit of it, however, the peas
ought to be started ,arly, and turned under
by the first Of October-earlier, if practi-
cable--so as to admit Of the rye being
ploughed under in its turn earlier than
Aprll. y field of rye ploughed under in
April would not furnish the most favorable
condlti )ns for securing a Stand Of cotton,
and the undccomposed rye would be very
much in the way in the early workings
In many cases the pea is preferable to
clovcr-for Instance, on light sandy soils.
and in eases where it is desired to run
TcnoUdting crop during short interval, as
in the rotation discussed above-but where
the soil is stiff, or clay subsoil is within s
| InrI,S Of hn prI, & ~ l., =
clover is in our Judgment greatly superior to
the pea. On ver%poor clay lands, 800 lbs
per acre "f il supcrphosphatc( not ammonia 4
ted will give it a start, and little plaster
will keep it fourshing. 1t has the great
advantage over the pea, that one seeding
down suffices, for if allowed to mature seed
III the fall the land becomes so full of them,
/ that a C0/"ntccr crop Of clover can be secur-
ed at any time by sowing land in small
grain. Such is the testimony of farmers in
cloycr-growing countries, and such has
been orr own experience in Georgia In
the next place, the main growth and work
Of clover, is in the early spring, when the
earth is still wet from the winter rains it
is seldom therefore cut off by drought-thc
pea often is. Again, clover has ttco ycuys
or more in which to do its work-tho pea
has "A .tc'c months only.
We would not, however, be understood as
uttcring one word in disparagcment of the
pea crop. We have again and again urged
its importance and value, both as food
Lcrop and renovator, and should consider
chat a long step in advance had been made,
If farmers, without valley lands, would
make corn for bread purposes only, and
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