The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-11-11
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TiIOUGHTS FOR TIE MONTH";,
November Work for Farmers and ucrds-
mon.
From the Southern CuItivotor.,

the Northern portions of tho cotton
belt. Wheat may still be sown--also
rye and barley intended for sccd.-
Bear in mind that The later the sowing,
the richer the land should be. Plenty
OF food makes II robust plant, and n
robust plant can withstand adverse in
flucnccs better than poor, feeble ono.
1t is too late TO SOW clovcr-tilc chances
arc against it-bcttcr wait till Fcbrua-
ry. The same may be said about the
grasses. Below latitude 32 degrees,
The above remarks do not fully apply.
There, November is perhaps the best
month for seeding down wheat, and
oats may, quite safely, bc sown.
The gathering Of crops is still to be
pu u,hcd-it is important to get every
thing out OF the way, that u good
start on next years operations may be
madc--a good start is very apt to make
a good ending. Some plouHhing NAV
be done now, which will lessen the
great push which always occurs in
early spring. When in good condi-
ton, that is just moist enough to
plough, stiff, stubblc or rested land
may be turned over. Run the fur
rows rather near together, so that the
iurrow slice will not be completely
inverted but turned on its edge. This
will leave the surface "ridycd'-a
favorable condition in which to re-
ccivc the benefits Of trcezcs-and tho
vegetable matter will be arranged SO
that subsequent ploughing will dis
tribute IL uniformly through the soil,
a lltI l,nt hn IN Ia,
al inches below the surface. If CLAW
is brought up it will also get mixed
with the s"j Instead of making an
impcrvioua, Objectionable layer on
the surface. Where clay is to be
brought up, the longer it is exposed
before crop is planted, tho better it
IS. Fall plouShing is therefore great
ly preferable to spring ploughng in all
such cases, and balancing all tic ad-
vant@gcs and disadvantages, we be-
hcvc that turning over land and going
u N!ffe deeper every year or two, IS
about the best method Of increasing
The depth of soil. Dringthc raw
clay to the surface now, and
let tho air and freezes mellow and
refine il, and much that is objcctiona-
bic in It's nature will disappcar bv
spring. In such work, two-horsc
plough should always be uscd-it does
the work better and saves labor-a
good plougllman, with well trained
team, ought to finish up two acres
every day. Notice length Of double
tree; The shorter it is, the narrower
the slice the plough will cut. Sec TO
il that the length is such that the fur
row-slicc is just the width you desire
when the ploughman keeps nc plough
perfectly upright. If he has to lean
it over, You may be sure the double
tree is ri fault, or his team arc not
Walking; ii Ii !!lG!c right place. =.
During damp weather, 'wi1tii" cr6ps
tunnot bc gathered, hillside lilchcs,
# any, should DC cleaned out now.
They arc very apt to get foul and OBJ
structcd during tho latter part of sum
mcr and autumn, and if not opened
at once very serious washes may be
made by the heavy winter rains. Un-
less properly attended to, these bitches
do more harm than good, and except
in few special conditions, such as on
very steep slopes, or where water
comes down upon land from unculti-
waited portions above it, we much
prefer uncultivatcd strips, 5 or 6 feet
wide, run with level, to act as
brcakwatcrs and as guides for laying
off rows. We have been using them
now for three or four years on our
own farm and speak adviscdly. They
will ciltctually prevent any serious
washing.
Composts Of coarse materials, as
straw and leaves, or ditch banks,
muck, &c., can be made with great
advantage now, giving ample time for
them to rot well and bcco ne available
ns plant food for summer crops.
Where mari can be had, md where it
cannot, lime and ashes, should be
used in making these composts--15 to
20 bushels Of the first, and to 10
bushels of the latter, to cord of the
vegetable mattcr.-NliX and put in
pens 3 or 1 feet high, tramp down and
da'npcn well at first, and leave tho
rains TO keep them wct-no danger Of
teaching if only rain falls on them,
and they arc made tho height mcn-
toned. An abundance Of such COM
posts will not only curtnil tho bill for
commercial fertilizers, but in combi-
nation will make the latter net much
better, and give decidedly more salts
factory results. Consider economy Of
hauling and handling, and make The
pens where it will require least haul
ing and labor in collecting materials
and applying TO land. The expense
OF handling is the only objection
which can be urged against these
bulky manurcs. In every other re-
spcct, they are most admirable and
desirable, supplying humu$, sub
stance very much lacking in our Older
fields.
In connection with the above, VIC
desire to enter again our protest
against tho almost universal practice
of turning stock into the fields, to eat
offcvcrything the pinchings of hunger
will force them to cat, dcpriving the
land of that which it so much moods
an abundance of vegetable matter.
Far better to reduce tic COWS Oh the
fnrm to q minimum and raise food
directly for thcm-bcttcr for the COWS,
better for tho dairy, better for the
land, and therefore better for the iarm.
cr himself. We know hardly any
one practice in our average farm
economy more damaging and unwisc
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