The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-10
Thoughts for the Month.

" oAS IN
In the upper portions Of the cotton belt. Sep:
tember Is the month for sowing barley, rye,
oats, clover, lucerne and the winter grasses
proper. In the southern p%ortionsof said belt,
those operations may be deferred for Q month
or more later In the season. The colder the
locality, the longer the time must be given
the comparatively shallow rooted plants, TO
fix themselves firmly in the soil, and 10 the
deeper rooted, as clover and lucerne, an OPP
portunity, to strike their roots deep in the
subsoii, whilst the latter is comparatively soft
from the abundant winter rains. Should fall
sOwings fail from any cause II will be known
In time TO seed down In spring, and thus two
chances are secured, and possibly one year In
time gained.
AS attention is increasingly turning to grass
culture at the South, we desire to discuss II q
little. That grass Is needed and can be most
profitabiy utilized, for raising and supporting
oil the stock OF every description used on our
farms, no one will dispute. Every one appre-
ciates the value Of good pastures. The ques-
ton mas been how to secure them. In the
cotton regions proper Of the South. no very
valuable perennial grass has ever been dis
covered. The wild rye grass (Elymus) Is
perhaps the best, but 1t is far inferior to such
we'll known varieties, ns blue. orchard, limo
thy, &C., DC: Perennial grasses SUCH as
poor quality and furnish little or no winter
grazing. What the cause Ia, whether climate
or soil, Is not fully known-probably both
huve their Influence. The perennial cultiva-
s ted g,1 : sGa n make their. their principal 1Is gr nTUhab IN
that Ii cool climate suits them best. Again
blue grass will be found growing quite -four
ishingly In the shade at the South on ordinary
soils, but not when fully exposed TO the sun,
deep rich garden soils, blue grass will grow
and that quite luxuriantly, even when fully
exposed to the sun. In other words, whilst
tivated grasses, Its defects may be counter
acted by depth and richness OF soil-and this
brings US to n point which we desire particu.
larry to impress upon the reader, viz: that all
es at the South on poor or even ordinary soils.
such as corn and cotton are grown upon, Will
inevitably fail. Most failures in grass grow
Ing have originated just here-our system has
thought we were doing we'll, when we gave
the grasses the same chances as cotton and
corn. But that will not answer. Unless we
are prepared to give the grasses q thoroughly
In d soil and ma a =abpndanGe OF fG9ds We
Ing to put land In the condition OF prize acres
we can safely SOW grass and Will find 1t profit
able. Lam may be made so rich that cotton
stalk md small grain ma fall down. but IL
can not be made too rich for grass, and the
richer it is the greater will be the profits.
There are other conditions under which
alluded above to the fact hat blue grass
would grow In the shade, when upon same
soil 1t would die II exposed to the sun-and It
is true, that grass may be successfully grown
In wooded lots, where the soil IS neither as
rich nor as thoroughly prepared rs that nee
essary where the sun has free access. II the
soil Is naturally strong and stiff, and the
trees are thinned out 50 thai a little sunshine
may reach the surface. the underground grub
md n plenty of grass seed (blue, orchard and
clover) sown and trampcd in by stock
or dragged In and then rolled, q fair growth
OF grass mny be secured. 1t Will be CONSIDER,
OF any good manure. This Will be carried
down into the soil by The winter rains and
appropriated by the grass before the trees be-
gin active work In spring.
The other case where grass may DC success
fully grown, is red-top or herds grass. upon
damp soils, such ~ are too wet Tor corn, put
not covered with stagnant water: IN the ary,
est part Of summer grub the land-dlg up DUH
clean of thoroughly and scarify the surface
with very shallow running ploughs. harrows,
&C., and in September or early spring, seed
literally and drag ill.,. Much land can thus
be utilized and made TO phy handsome.y,
point before leaving the subject: seed heavily
-one and a half to twice the quantity usual
~ recommended In the books and catalogues.
1t Is only by this means that intruders can De
kept out.
CLOVER.
In the northern part of the cotton belt and
where stiff soils are. present. clover can pe
successfully and very probably grown. we
nave never seen a crop which gave to land 80
much "hcart'' ~ this. In our efforts TO I'm.
prove land a good catch OF clover always
not tried It, but feel satisfied from reports OF
It's effects upon pea crops on poor soils, that
the South Carolina ash element would oring
good crops OF clover on very ordinary land
and recommended Its trial OH q small scale.
We believe 1t costs only $1,000 q ton In Charles
ton and 800 pounds per acre is the quantity
usually applied. Where clover cannot be
grown, the pea must take Its place rs q reno
vator, but as this Is not u winter crop we pass
1t by for the present.
BARLEY AND n
Fol winter pasture towards the Cult, and
early spring grazing or solling farther North;
these two old and well known plants stand
unrivalled for hardness and for the certainty
and quantity of their yield. Make the land
bushels barley per acre. and you aro perfectly
certain OF rich, unsurpassed FOOD Tor your
horses and cows in early spring. The ond
need not be made quite ms rich for rye. (but
the richer 1t IL the better u VIII be) ana Two
bushels Of seed per mere will suffice. Procure
seed raised as near as possible to your own 10
cnlIty-Western seed does not do well. Ancr
anying this much, we urge ppon our readers
10 sow largely OF these grains-nt least one
half acre to ench horse, mule and milk COW.
You will not regret 1t next spring when your
barns begin to look empty. and your COWS are
pinched for food.
OATS.
It IL hardly necessary for US to urge the seed.
ing down OF Il large area In oats, az the great
value Of Lhisc crop Is now so generally, nppre-
ciatcd. Almost every farmer we meet nova
days, IL convinced that oats arc both cheaper
and better food for horses than corn. Rust
proof oats on good land and manurcd, have
supplanted western seed on poor lnnd, and
the result is, certain crops and large crops:
against small crops and failures q few years
ogo. We prefer to make two sowings-one In
September, and one In January-both seldom
fail.
WHEAT.
Let every farmer arrange to BOW enough for
HON consumption. Select high. dry, rolling
l~and-inanurc heavily with cotton seed and
phosphate and SOW in drills running north
and south. Sow an early variety OF southern
wheat, and SOW as carly In full Ms danger of
the "fy'' Is over-the earlier the crop natures
the less the LANCER from rust, which Is the
great thing TO be dreaded.