The Dawson journal., 1883-03-01
Hart's Method.
THE ADVANTAGES AND DIS
ADVANTAGES OF COT
TON CULTURE.

more p6SG-Gnat 4 spent With Mr
John G. Hart, of Union Point.
Mr.. Hart and I had been. out the
greater part of the day riding over
the farm of Hart and Sibley-for
MIR. Hart, although professional
lawyer, devotes much of his time
to planting-and / had returned
with my clothes damp, but with
7 some knowledge respecting farm
ing and the various methods
pursued, which I did not have
before. Il
Seated in Mr.. Hart's private Of
fce-with huge fire, cracking
and roaring, and throwing a genial
warmth and pleasant light over
the darkened room, and with the
pattering of the rain without act
ing as music to the whole-our
conyeFsation gradually drifted to
the matter with which my mind
and his, too, for ought I know
was filed .Sf1B(}K I2
I had passed fields where the
green grain was tinidly peeping
forth; I had ridden through for
ests of oak, and pine, and hickory,
and lblackgum; | had seen all along
the rout we travelled, evidences of
prosperity and signs of success.
No wonder, then, I should have
eagerly listened to what my genial
host was telling me-there in that
private Office and cosy-of his
plans and of his methods.
He discoursing first upon cot
ton culture, its advantages and
disadvantages; telling me of his
hogs and of his cattle; of his sheep
and of his horses, finally came to a
point I think well worth preserv-
ing. How be it, / give his views
and if they take root in other mems
minds-especialiy in the minds of
the planters-as deeply as they
have. in mine-some good may
come of it. In Mr.. Harris own
case the good has already come
Of it.
~ 5IAE A NEW aUANo.
Bermuda grass" said fiiine
host, leaning far back in his chair,
and putting his cigar slowly, SEEM
ing all the while in deep study,
Bermuda grass was a God-send
to the farmers of this state. There
are some who do not believe this
fact-for fact it most certainly is
there are others who do not
wish to believe it: and there are
others still who think it curse
and scourge to the farm"
"In the face of this, Mr.. Hart,
why do you say it is blessing?'
l asked him. [ belong to that
class who believe it a curse, for |
had very vivid remembrances of
youthful days when I hid under
taken to, cultivate watermelon
patch and had found this same
Bermuda grass to have long roots,
and more of them, and stronger,
than necessity demanded. And ]
remembered, too, how these roots,
with the tenacity of a turtle, clung
to anything and everything, defy
ing all efforts to dislodge them
from any object they might choose
as a strong hold,
"In the first place." was the re-
ply to my pointed interrogation,
lis both an enricher and a pre-
server OF the soil. This Z think
should be the first confederation of
every farmer. I will tell you how
Bermuda grass enriches. The
grass itself is of an absorbing ma
ture, The gases and different life
sustaining properties of the air
are eagerly deyoured by it, more
80 than by any plant | know Of
These properties are first taken in
by the grass itself and carried by
IT'S capillary stems into the roots
The roots, as they extend or de-
cay throw them off into the earth
and the consequences is the lane
lis always being fed by the germs
floating in the air and in the de
eayipg grass. The consequence il
chat the land on which the grass
grows is always, when desired fo
cultivation, found to be the rich
est: Any farmer will tell yo,
where Bermuda grass has grow
on a plat, and then plowed, unde
that the plat will produce NOR
per acre than the adjoining land.