Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-07-22
agricultural department.
(Origlnal ]
(Ori
SAVE YOUR LAND.

lorlgnal
SAVE YOUR LAND.
The experience of every farmer leads him
to the conclusion that his land is not so much
exhausted by the crops which are taken of
it, as by the washing rains. Our country be.
ing undulating, consisting of hills and valleys,
unless great skill is used in its cultivation,
the good soil is washed off the hills, and
the surface of the valleys or bottoms covered
up and rendered unproductive. With our
present crops, it is, perhaps. impossible to pre-
vent the rains from washing some; but by
proper management and care, much can be
done in that direction. The old custom was to
plow up and down the hills. The result was
that in about three years the hill-sides were
covered with an impossible gully for every
corn or cotton row. 1t was thought to be an
improvement on this up and down hill pro-
cess, when the horizontal mode of planting,
making each row carry its own water, was
adopted. This was, we may say, step in the
right direction but it has some serious defects.
Each row, by being so laid off as to carry its
own water, acted as kind Of drain which
carried off the substance of the soil.
The true theory, which reduced to practice,
will remedy the evil as far as it can be reme-
died, is to lay off the rows perfectly level and
break the soil deep, so that all the rain that
falls on it will sink. 1t may be necessary to
cut hillside bitches in some places to prevent
an accumulation of water at any particular
locality but hillside bitches, unless properly
constructed, do more harm than good. The
foot of the hills wash more than that portion
which is nearer the top. This arises from the
fact that the water accumuates as it descends.
Now, if the portions of the hillsides which are
nearer the tops we're cultivated in corn and
cotton, and those portions near the bottom,
sown in small grain, this would be very great
ly prevented. 1t should be remembered to
plow the land-when preparing for sowing the
small grain-on level.
To prevent the wear and tear of land, re-
quires no small amount Of experience, and a
fair amount of good practical sense. 1t is a
more difficult task than to construct rail-
road. Still, it is one Of vital Importance to
the prosperity of the country.
TURNIPS.
The season for sowing turnips is fast ap-
preaching, and those who are fond of this
vegetable should be preparing the ground for
sowing. Turnips do we'll on any kind of soil
that is adapted to kitchen vegetables, and the
preparation of the soil should, in the main,
be such as for ordinary vegetables. The ca
siest, and perhaps the best, way to prepare a
turnip patch, is to fence up a portion Of
ground, plow it we'll, scatter some leaves or
straw over it, and turn the COWS on it at
night, during the summer. If leaves or straw
be not spread over the ground, the COWS will
seek the corners of the fence, and all their
droppings will be lost.
Having manured the land we'll, the next
thing to be done, before sowing the seed, is to
make the ground mellow. 1t is useless to sow
turnip seed among clods. The soil should be
plowed until all the clods are reduced. This
done, the ground should be laid off in rows,
about twelve inches apart, and the seed sown
in those rows and covered very lightly. 1t is
important to have good season in the ground
at the time of sowing; for if the seed remain
in the dry ground a few days they will most
probably perish. 1t sometimes happens that
it suits to SOW the seed just before a rain.
This is, perhaps, of all times, the most favor
able. To be able to avail themselves of such
an advantage. those who design sowing turnips
should have their ground prepared before the
period of sowing arrives.
With regard to the value of the turnip as
an article of food, both for man and beast,
there is diversity of opinion. In Scotland
the turnip crop is greatly valued. For some
kinds of stock it is depended upon almost en-
tirely for food There is no doubt that tur.
nips, cooked and sprinkled with meal, make
at least, fair food for COWS, sheep and hogs
during the winter. In this country we are
not prepared to turn any thing to advantage.
Almost every farmer sows annually turnip
patch, but makes very little use Of it, except d
mess of roots occasionally during the fall and
winter and for "greens" in the spring. Be:
fore the hard frost of winter, the turnips should
be taken from the field and stored away, much
in the same way that sweet potatoes are put
up for winter use. This process improves the
flavor of the turnip as much as it does that of
the potato.
CEREAL FOOD.
The grains proper of this country are not
onnroo;o+od 70 tbov ouoht m ho for dailv food