The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-10-06
Sowing Wheat IN Cotton Land.

We are always pleased to receive
just such letters rs the following,
and can commend it's perusal to our
readers, because it comes from n
man of experience and great practi
cal agricultural knowledge. Maj. r.
A. Griffin, of Ninety six, writes us as
follows
"Your correspondent e. asks,
how and when to SOW wheat in cot
ton land You seem to think your
experience too limitod to assure a
truthful reply. I venture to give
my motlus operandi, which has
heretofore boon successful. Early in
October, 1868, I made my first cx.
pertinent with this kind Of work.
All hands were put to work picking
cotton, and close behind them fol
lowed with turning ploughs, tho
bar sido to tho cotton stalks tho
wheat was then sowcd broadcast,
and at tho same time good manur-
ing ofcotton scod was thrown broad
cast from wagon driven longthwiso
with tho rows n one~horso cult
vator was then run ono time in each
row. From nino bushels Of wheat
thus sown, on ten acres I reapcd one
hundred and ninety bushels. Since
that timc [ have sown several fields
in tho same manner with satisfactory
results. If tho cotton rows arc four
feet wide, I run third furrow
and fertilizers will be massed in the
open furrows, but you need fear no
injurious effects upon tho wheat,
which should not be sown very
thickly.
'Last year T planted four acres in
turnips in thirty inch drills, and
failed entirely to got stand. About
the Goth October I ran double
footed plough along the beds as in
covering cotton this with Il f,lrrow
in tho alley left three open burrows
I sowed the patch with five bushels
of n largo variety of amber wheat,
and covered by running q two-horsc
harrow lengthwise with tho rows
Tho wheat came up in three we'll de-,
fined drills and yielded one hundred
bushels.
"I agree with you in saying wo
SOW wheat too late. I have always
succeeded best oven with the red
spring variety, when sown between
tho middle and the last of October.
When we postpone sowing to Novcm-
bcr or December the land is apt to
be wet, and will consequently bo left
in bad order after ploughing, and
the wheat is covered too deeply,
which results in bad stands I be-
lievo that fair land planted in COZ ION,
with an application of $50 pounds
of fertilizers, if sown in wheat as
above without additional manure,
will make moro than if postponed
until the last of November or first
of December, and then receive an
additional application of 100 pounds
of fertilizer.
II intend to commence sowing
wheat about the 10th of October.
In February after, I will run a two
horse harrow over the land to Lowell
tho cotton beds so the crop can be
cut with reaper. The harrow tears
off the limbs from the cotton stalks,
leaving tho stems to be knocked
down by hand.
II am greatly discouraged by
this years farming operations. MY
oat crop failed. TO supply the
deficiency planted ono hundred
acres of bottom land in corn. This
crop has had but one season since
the 10th of juno. Consequently
the corn is cut off badly, and my
cotton is q clear miss. On my home
place the cotton crop is little bet-
tor, though wheat is tho only crop
that has yielded satisfactorily this
year. At the proper time I planted
seven pounds Of ruta bagas, and no
rain since, (now September H. hence
another failure. The dogs and
rogues occasionally continue to
depredato on my sheep, though
occasionally sell few. The result
Of the vote on the fence law s,,rpris-
es mo. We carried tho no-fenco
idea in this township, and I guess
we can hold the fort Land
owners alone should feel interested
in this law, and'I have never heard
q sensible argument against it from
any one. The negroes were led to
the polls like sheep to the slaugh-
ter. and voted invariably npains h