The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1877-03-16
farm. aud alunsehuld.
SPRING WORK ON THH FARM.

SPRING WORK ON THA FARM.
March, "the seed month Of the
year." is at our doors, and how have
we prepared to meet it If with
thorough fall and winter work, then
we need only careful planting to Sc
cure fair crops. Corn should be
planted in our section from the first
of March to the middle of April for
the main crop. OF all crops good
sell is the most necessary for good
corn; and if not naturally 30, it
should be enriched with stable ma,
nure, ashes, plaster-of paris, cotton
seed, mari, etc, and when these are
not sufficient, with guano. The first
element ia the success Of good crop
of corn is to select strong land,
plough with turning pillow at least
ten inches deep. Ifpcssible, subsoil
the whole field. Ifthis is impossible,
subsoiI the furrow to be planted, pud
one or two on each side of it, will.
Brinley pillow, or one equally adapted
to deep pIoughing. The benefit of
deep ploughing is that it draws moist
ure, by means of capillary attraction,
from the soil below, and absorbs it
from above by being soft and pence
trable; also, it permits the transit of
heat and air to tender rootlets.
Thorough, deep ploughing makes
your crop almost independent OF
droughts. If the land is low bottom
land, it is beat to have good high
beds to turn off moisture; if it is
high, loose soil, fiat culture retains
the necessary moisture. Sandy land
should not be plowed to such depth
as to turn up the strata underlying
it, unless that is clay, in which case
the deeper you pillow the better. Lay
off for planting with shovel pillow.
Select seed from the largest, rounds
est ears, breaking off the small end.
The seed at the round end possesses
greater terminating powers than 9TH
ers, and hence secure tho best stand.
There is an old adage for planting
corn:
Zone for the black birds, one for the crow,
One for the cutworms and two TO grow"
But we have found five grains un>
necessary end if the "black birds"
"crows" and "cutworms" don't find
them, and all terminate, the stand
is injured in thinning, as the roots
become tangled, and in pulling out
several plants those that are left are
injured.
The distance should be four to five
feet between burrows, according to
the strength of the land. When
planted early the seed should be COW
cred lightly about two inches, when
late, deeper, about four inches.
The distance between the stalks
in tho burrows should vary according
to the richness of the soil from eight
cen to twenty>four inches, or more.
The corn should be dropped care-
fully in the furrow in exact lines, or
it will greatly interfere with the cul-
tivation afterwards.
COTTON.
Now is the time also for preparing
land for the cotton crop. As in the
case of corn crops, too much value
cannot be attached to deep, close
ploughing, and in planting SubSoa.
Open the center furrow with a
double>winged shovel, follow this
with subsoil pillow, throw the ma
nure in the trench thus made, and
cover with the burrows of turn pillow.
If the land to be used has been
long in cultivation, plough very deep
but do net in any case for cotton turn
up clay soil. Three to four feet is
the usual distance between rows.
Run them off with scooter, and bed
with a turn pillow, making several
burrows to row, then open the mid
dies with a shovel pillow, follow this
with subsoil, then the manure or
guano, and scatter the manure wide
" in the burrows. The roots of the
plants will then grow out in search
of it.
During March also the farmer
should plaut clover, lucerne, millet,
and plenty of drilled corn, and also