The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-10

Cotton, bales .-.... Is. IS
Corn. bush, ...-. l. "a, ..g}
heat. bus hcis .... SiG ttsl
iJplcro, ,riH .isE
Horses - -
~ uic- .tff'i
.shse9 !, "a.
siiF-l COW s.-----.--.-..-.. ..-'il -
tf+titi % ISL wv
Land, 50 81, 80
The wheat and corn crops were
largely increased in 1875, the county
Of Gibson alone producing 800, 900
bushels of wheat. 1t Is probable all
these figures are below the reality, MS
they were taken from the census of
1870, which was in many respects iD-
accurate, especially 50 far as the South
ern States we're concerned. The guam
tity and value of the land were frcm
the Comptroller's report of 1875.
FALL FLOWING.
If were asked what is the remedy
for poor crops, ! would say good fall
blowing. Land plowed deeply and
SUBSIDIZED in the months of October,
November and December will stand Il
drought the next summer much better
than land as it is usually cultivated.
Deep fall blowing destroys insects,
causes the land to pulverize by frees
ing as deep as it is plowed, and makes
a reservoir, as it were, to hold water
for next years use. Experience shows
that land cultivated in this manner
produces in many instances Il hundred
per cent. more than land cultivated liz
the usual manner. Every farmer
should have at least one-third Of his
land in peas, clover and small grain,
50 that he could turn it under in the
fall without interfering with the gath
ering of crops. Corn might also be
cut and shocked in September, so as
to have the land well Plowed in the
fall, as this is the season best suited
for breaking up land. You may rely
upon it that shallow blowing in the
winter and spring, when the ground is
in bad condition, will continue to result
in poor crops and wearing out the land.
HOG, SHEEP AND CATTLE RAISING.
No country is better adapted to
hog, sheep and cattle raising than
West Tennessee. There are huns
dreds of thousands of acres Of land in
West Tennessee that might be set in
Bermuda or Other grasses and become
the very best pastures for sheep, hogs
and cattle. These lands are now
nearly worthless, having been almost
ruined by excessive cotton cultivation.
The Bermuda grass would not only
furnish fine pasturage in the spring,
summer and fall, but would afford
during the wet months Of the winter
and early spring, most exec lent
protection against mud, on account of
its heavy sod, This grass is also, as
Il fertilizer, second only to clover, and
would reclaim and enrich land that
no other grass can. The popular
opinion Is that this grass when it
once takes hold can uevcr be destroy
ed. This Is great mistake. Prop
erly managed, it Is a. easily destroyed
is any other crop. Hon. {. {. Lang
Ion, one Of the ahiest agriculturali<ts
IF Alabama, has p:ored this fact Iy
nnGmerahie examples, and his tcsti-
nony is for more valuable than the
mere opinions OF men who have had
10 experience. There are, however,
many Thousands If acres of land in
West Tennessee where this grass
ought never 10 be destroyed, for it *
he only thing that viii make that
and Of any yalae. 10 show the adj
,aHtages which stock counties have
,ver those where there is no stock,
ct Us compare the sumo counties in
Middle and West Tennessee that were
mentioned before.