The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-09-05
8be 9arnl.
THE OF THE
SOUTH.
Wheat and Oats on the old
Field Lands.

Z lClO oCAAANo'
Under this head, the Charleston
News presents a hopeful view OF
Southern agriculture, in the hight.
of the experiments made IN the cul-
tiyation of small grain, on the
coast lands near that city. 1t CLAIMS
that the Agricultural Society IN
Charleston, has solved the South
ern agricultural problem. 1t now
remains, says the News, for the
Southern people to take advantage
of the facts laid before them. The
results obtained near Charleston
and in Orangeburg, under unfavor-
able circumstances, on sandy lands
of little value, such lands as on the
coast go begging at a dollar or two
dollars an acre, are brify as follows:
I. At the Atlantic Phosphate
works, near Charleston, the yield
of oats ranged from 40 to 90 bush,
els an acre, being an average OF "A
bushels; and the yield OF wheat
ranged from 81 bushels A pounds
am acre, to 80 bushels % pounds
an acre.
2. At the Stone Phosphate
works, near Charleston, the yield
of oats was 81 bushels an acre.
3. At the Wando Phosphate
works near Charleston, the land
MANFRED with Wanda Fertilizer,
the actual yield of wheat was 20
bushels an acre, and the yield OF
oats was AZ bushels per acre.
4. In Orangeburg, DIR. Barton,
manuring with the ash element
and pea. made "a bushels of oats
TO the acre. On land manfred
with peas alone, the yield was 80
bushels an acre. The difference be-
tween the yield of the land without
manure, and the yield with the ash
element and pea, is SO bushels an
acre.
5. Around Charleston, by ma
nuring with the COW pea and ash ell
enent. four tons Of hay to the acre
have been made regularly.
On the Atlantic and Stono farms,
and at DIR. Barton's and also in
making hay, the lands were Guilt
waited according to the method de-
vised by DIR. st. Julien Ravenel.
The formula is as follows.
For the cultivation of wheat and
oats, prepare the land well at this
season. or a little earlier during
June, and on each acre SOW broad
cast two bushels of COW peas and
five hundred pounds of ash ele-
ment, Ga mixture of phosphate OF
lime, alkaline salts and calclned
marl,) and harrow it in with q
heavy harrow. The peas must be
protected from animals and allowed
to. die on the land. About the enc
Of. October, plough the land with
care, turning under the pea vines
and sow the land with wheat o.
oats, putting about n and a h /
bushels of wheat or two bushels O
oats to the acre. Sow it broadcas
or, better still, if possible, with
drill-sower.
The crop will be ready to harves
in May. After the crop of grain
cut and removed from the land
turn the stubble under with
two-horse plough, and repeat tn
process of preparation by sowin;
ash-element and cow peas, as al
ready described. BY November
the land will again be ploughe
and sowed in grain, and this ca
be repeated from year to year.
For making hay: The Bermud
grass has been found best suite
for making meadows. 1t is a pc
rennial whose rovts take complet
possession of the soil. 1t is easil
cured, the quality of the hay
good, containing nearly one-thir
more albuminous matter than til
best Northern hay, and the yield
very large. AS it does not gro
from seed, but is found all over tt
~low-country, it is best to select Ian
well set with it. Plough the Ian
thoroughly in the spring or ear
summer. Then SOW broadcast c
it ten bushels OF cow peas, fl
hundred pounds of ash elemen
and, if not already in the soil. tt
seed of our native wild vetch; ha
row and roll the land until it
even and smooth enough for Il
mower. The meadow is then c
tablished, and will remain f
years.
The COW pea dies in the fall, al
about December the vetch com
up and covers the land and las
until May, when, having produc
its seed it dies and gives place
Bermuda grass, which then tax
possession of the land and viii
should be cut as soon as ready t
the mower. 1t generally mab