The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-10-25
OUR OLD FARMS

OUR OLD FARMS.
In answer to a question as to what wa
shall do with our old farms DIR. w 7
Jones, of Athens, Georgia, writes that la
has all along advocated decrease of the
quantity of land devoted to hoed crons
and a substitution of forage crons
suited to stock raising purposes He starts
out under the conviction that the South.
ern farmer will always feel desire 70
make Just as much cotton as he can gather
Whether this is good or bad policy the
doctor does not desire to advance an opin.
ion; the only position he wishes to take in
the matter, is simply that this policy is
fixed fact for the present, at least.
The forage crop question then, accord
ing to the doctors present notion. extends
only to such lands as are devoted to other
crops than cotton, or as lying waste He
thinks the corn crops might be proftablv
reduced in some of the crop growing
region, and oats substituted. Contrary
to the opinion usually advanced he does
not hesitate to assert that corn is one of the
most expensive and least remuneratve of
all the crops grown on Southern farms.
DIR. Jones urges the putting of our waste
lands into such forage crops as oats, peas.
clover and grass. The labor necessary for
this is comparatively small and work is
done at seasons when the cotton crop does
not press very heavily, to-wit: in August
and latter part of winter and early spring.
No one who looks carefully into the mat.
ter and considers the small outlay, the i'm.
provements of land and the large profits
therefrom, will fail to regard the position
favorably. The difficulty is to first break
up the old ruts of thought and habit, and
secondly, to make beginning.
The first point to be decided, supposing
the assent of the reader has been obtained
to the general propositions laid down, is
the number of acres to be devoted to the
various crops.
Excluding permanent pastures, seeded
down to perennial grasses, lands appro-
priated to small grain and clover, should
not exceed those put in hoed crops, onein
every three years. Broomsedge, brars
and other Objectionable plants will inevi-
tably obtrude themselves in, if the land is
not cultivated during the summer once in
about that period. In well set grass lands,
the close, compact turf will exclude other
plants, for much longer periods Of time
The number of acres, therefore, devoted
to grasses, is not directly dependent on the
other crops of the farmland is to be de-
cided only by the ability of the farmer to
properly prepare, manure and seed down,
together with the quantity of land at his
command. And as the expense is not
large and land abundant, DIR. Jones can
see no reason why there should not be
vast quantities of grass lands. throughout
the South with correspondingly large
quantities hogs, mules, cattle and sheep.
DIR. Jones supposes a farmer to have
thirty acres of land in the cotton belt that
is suited for cultivation-he would sug-
that it be put to crops follows:
Cotton : acres
Corn. 2b
Potatoes, ground peas turnips, etc.
Oats and other small grain 10
Clover and peas,
80 acres.
The above number of acres is about the
quantity one hand can cultivate Seven
acers are allotted to cotton, because seven
bales is about as much as one hand can
pick and house in good order, and because
no good farmer ought to be satisfied to
make less than bale to the acre The
day is probably not far distant when good
farmers will reckon bales per acre as an
average crop. In that event the number
of acres allotted to cotton ought to be cur
tailed still further
The quantity of land allotted to corn. will
appear to many quite small, especially to
the old-tashioned, nothing but corn and
cotton farmers. But it will not appear so
small when it is remembered that the Doc
tors programme is based upon the idea
that valley land or irrigated upland, or the
very rich and deeply broken upland only,is
to be planted in corn. The true policy is to
select land that will bear manuring Safely,
and then apply it literally, so as to make
from so to 100 bushels of corn per acre
But it will be observed still further, that
ample provisions is made for stock feed
and forage, in the number of acres allot-
ted to small grain, clover and peas. The
small grain crops which he particularly
urges is oats though rye, barley and the like
might be made to figure with profit. Oats,
II good rust proof variety is sown, may
be counted upon as sure, however. and as
a teed it can have no superior, therefore it
is best to make oats the main dependence
in the way of small grain