The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-18
AGRICUl.CURE.

| AGRICUlVURE.
| ONION CULTURE.-The onion appears
| to be one Of tho few exceptions to tho
| general rule that q rotation of crops
upon any given piece of land Is prefer
able to Il continuous succession of one
and tho same plant. Experience proves
| beyond doubt that onions may be
cultivated for many successive years
upon the same soil without its showing
the least sign Of deterioration, and SC
well is this known that it has almost
become an adage among the cultivators
OF this bulb "that an old onion patch is
Dctter than new one" 1t Is scarcely
to DO supposed that onions, or any 9TH
or plant which draws nOurishment from
tho soil, can be of any benefit to it In
tho way of imparting fertility therefore
we may attribute the improved condi.
ton OF land upon which onions have
been cultivated for several years, to the
dlsintegration caused by frequent
ploughing and hoeing In order to keep
the plants free Of weeds. But leaving
all theories out, We know that onions
succeed bost on very rich, fine soils,
and very poorly on those Of u poor,
tough, tenacious nature; consequently, :,
to make tho crop profitable, mun
|
tion for an onion patch. Low land,
which has been artitlcially drained, like
the bottoms contiguous to creeks and
rivers, arc usually we'll adapted TO onion
| culture. We know Of some quite eX-
Cellsiye tracts which arc valued at one
thousand dollars or more an acre, sim
ply on account Of their adaptability to
onion culture, tho crop being almoat
certain, although the season may be
very variable. These low, peaty soils,
when we'll drained and manurcd, yield
enormous crops, and are not affected to
any considerable extent by droughts.
Where low, moist soils cannot be OBJ
! talned for onions, high, dry soils can
and adding Fertilizers. Wherever Il
man can lind ready market for onions
! Mt from forty cents to one dollar per
bushcl, ho cnn we'll afford to spend one
| to two hundred dollars an acre in the
| preparation Of the land. or course,
We 10 not suppose this to be an annual
| expense, but as Il preparatory step for
| permanent plantation. Fertilizers Of
somo kind will need to be applied every
year, but the cost need be but tritling,
If tho soil Is put in flrst-rato condition
at the start. The fall is an excellent
time-in fact, tho only proper time-to
prepare land to be occupied with onions
In spring. Ploughing, subsoiling,
draining II necessary. and the applica-
| ton OF any kind Of coarse manure to DO
used, should all be done before cold
weather sets in. If the land is thrown
up in ridges, the rrosts in winter will
disintegratc the exposed PARTICLES and
break down all Jumps and lf coarse,
vegetable manures arc applied, the
juices will permeate every portion OF
The surface soil before spring, and be
In condition to be taken up by mo plants
In due time.
SAVING pY llANDsFUL.-Onc handful
OF hay Is not much, nor for tho matter
of that arc twenty handsful; the saving
or wasting Of SO much would neither
make nor break man. But with
twenty head of cattle TO feed twice or
thrice day the saving Of handful
apiece, every time, would amount to
something before the pastures arc green
again upon our frost bitten hills DD
you ever think Of it? We are not hint
ing at stinting she cattle. But how
many Of us allow animals to waste a
handful each Mt every feed, for want OF
little attention to feeding arrange
mcnts? How many head OF stock on
our northern farms require handful
more OF hay ut every feed to keep up
the animal kcat, than they would re-
quirc If their stables had all the cracks
stopped. and let in tho cold winds of
winlcr2 a handful OF manure Is but
tritle; yet tho addition of Il single
handful In hill OF corn may make tho
difference between long, full ears and
stintcd nubbins, when the harvest
comes, How many handsful Of manure
are going to waste every day about our
yards and buildings? Could you not
save half a bushcl day, by being care
ful2 And the liquid manure-is thore
not enough lost every day to make a
good many long ears where wo shall.
probably find only nubbins next fallp
Handstul of hay; hnndsful OF manure
these arc small matters, say YOU?
Yet on just such small matters depends
manya mans success or failure in life.
Here Is one man that attends to it care
fully, and at the end Of twenty or thir-
ty years he has competency for old
age; another neglects them as beneath
his notice, and IL always behind hand;
he lives and dies short In pocket and
short In comfort. Wo do not preach
niggardllncss; 1t Is by saving when
we may mat we prepare ourselves to
DC liberal when we will. Save the
handsful.
RAISING COLTS. There Is a crude no.
tion prevailing that hardships make
young stock hardy. A colt that Is
woancd In tho fall. ns is commonly tho
case, should not be allowed to become
poor IN Its first winter. 1t Is true that
1t Will often improve so rapidly in
spring that It's wretched condition dur
Ing the winter will seem really to have
been an advantage to 1t, but this is a
grave mistake. If tho same condition
wero imposed during the whole period
Of growth tho effect would be very per-
CnNtihlo. AiIhNunh tho au,n ~, NJ 49,.