The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-05-16
worthless oats. saw worthless oats

worthless oats. I say worthless oats
I say worthless, for | found there was
no grain in them. No popularity of
the season caused it. for oats in the
neighb0rll00d sowetl at our usual time
first of November) were tinc--so the
early sowing caused the Hessian fy to
get them by the throat ard suck them
to death. The rer.ts of the land at The
then price Of cotton would have PAID
me ut least six hundred dollars. This
Slows what is Il success In one section
may prove II failure in an0ther-so all
the new ideas advance d should tie tried
cautiously. This statement will con-
sole your "Swett potato YAM man.
As .you propose to rcpr"Ihce the
Dickson letters, l would caution your
many readers, that his plan may prove
IL failure Will, many of them. His eli
mate and his soil must be understood
fully before his plan can be adopted
with success. not only have read
his letters carefully, but have studied
them. adopted! his plan Of planting
peas in every third furrow, which, |
continued for a number of years. His
celebrated sweep is almost II thing of
the past with manly Of our planters.
His plan Of handling great deal of
litter. direct from the wonds to the
field, is splendid, but I handled it Il
little differently, which l will en-
plain.
In sowing my oats and wheat I lay
off lands twelve feet apart with a small
scooter; two lands then are rlowcd in
together. making the water burrows
ltwenty-four feet apart. AT my leisure,
from time Of sowing until planting
time, l haul leaves and straw from The
woods, Il good farm load fortwo mules,
divided so as to make nine small piles.
These l have put along in the water
burrows. twcnty-four feet apart. |
manage to go over all my oats and
wheat land, and scarcely miss the time.
I then let il remain in piles until after
harvest. l move out the grain as sooii
~ it is dry. I then put in some extra
hands, say three to a half row. one 20.
ing ahead and pitching the straw and
leaves to the right. font, left. and rear,
then two follow and distribute it even
ly. 1t is astonishing to see how much
three hands can broadcast in that way
i'm Il day. From tenth Of July to first
Of August, when / find the land Il little
too wet to pillow in cotton or corn, and
when some Of my neiglibors are try
ing to get up Il dog fight ut the cross
road country places l puta all my plows
to turning under the stubble and straw,
first sowing ahead Of the plOws n BUSH
I'll of good sound peas per acre. The
straw and leaves seem to DC a manure
for the peas. / have had the pea vines
so rank that I could scarcely walk
through them. I pick what peas !
want. and then turn in my hogs and
mules keeping my cows OUT, to eat
the balance of the grain. / let 1t re-
main untouched by the pillow until the
following February, when / cross pillow
it deeply with the small wing of the
Dixie pillow, to cut the straw and leaves
to pieces. The land then has the APP
pearance of second years new ground,
chug full of vegetable matter. next
follow that land in cotton with the best
results.
TO conclude and to give your readers
an idea of what we are doing in the
piny woods of the "Old North State"
| will add that we are making from tif-
teen to twenty bales Of cotton to the
pillow, and plenty of everything else to
serve us, with the exception of bacon,
which some planters find cheaper to
buy than to raise for their lahorers.
s. NJ. THOMAS.
LaurinJury, N. C.