Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-09-06

The seed.bed having been properly
made, the next important point is how
and when to SOW. All the different
kinds of oats are tender at two stages.
They are all easily killed by freezing
at the time of termination, or in the
sprout. We should SOW early enough
to have good growth before a freeze,
and at the same time not soon enough
to make joints before the first freeze.
When the question arises, how much
time will it take to make the proper
growth before the first hard freeze p
(say about the tenth of November In
this latitude) we reply that that de-
ponds very much on the amount of rain
and on the fertility of the land. To
make an average, think it safe to say
that eight to ten weeks is ample time,
on our poorest and dryest land, with
the late varieties, such as White Win.
ter or Henry less time should be Civ.
en- TO the earlier valieties-always SOW
ing the poorest land first.
1t is an established fact that if we
SOW seed raised from spring>sown oats,
we may expect trouble with winter
killing. And will suggest that with
the more tender varieties, such as the
Red Rust'proof, this is very important;
and that to get such seed from sections
further North every few years, will
tend to make and keep the oat more
hardy, if it should be only short dis.
lance altitude has as much to do with
this as latitude. These points being
discussed and settled, we look to the
sowing. If you wish an extra large
crop, remodel the seed.bed, pillow and
harrow again ; but if content with a
medium crop, SOW on first d,bed and
cover with harrow. / prefer the disk
harrow, as it is the best pulverizer,
runs both ways, and it leaves the land
in fine condition for reaper.
To those who wish to double the ca.
pacity of their land and at the same
time get the best results, / will say SOW
ten to fifteen pounds red clover seed
after the oats have been covered. One
hundred or two hundred pounds am
moniated guano sown with oats on the
poorest land, will insure fine growth
of both clover and oats. If cut and
cured together, you will have a feed
superior to the famous clover and
Timothy. This crop can be raised on
same land indefinitely, year after year.
and improve the land every season,
provided however, you pillow one inch
deeper each year. "The tap root of
the clover is the best subsoil pillow in
the world" In course of time the
land will become foul, cookie, chess,
etc., will come in. Use cotton as a
scavenger. 1t will clean the land and
make fine cotton crop, provided the
clover and weeds are turned in the fall
of the year, so that all vegetable mat
ter will be readily converted into plant
food by the use of acid phosphate. To
bring cotton land into oats, l prefer
seeding while picking. Follow the
pickers with harrow, to level the ridge
, and make that important seed-bed, and
harrow the seed in. By covering seed
with harrow, half the amount of
, seed used with "twister covering" will
be plenty. Of the large bearded
, grain, one and half bushels gives a
, good stand. The Henry is a small,
> smooth grain, and tlllers well, so that
one and a quarter bushels is ample.
. Proper oat culture means a great
many things not thought of in the or
binary cut; it improves the land f; in,
! creases the number of fine fat COWS,
' horses, hogs and sleeps lessons the de-
mand for labor and thus improves the
quality of the same; gives our chill
dren time to 60 to school, and thus we
+ lay the corner stone of the great foun-
dation for Southern wealth and indie
, pendence--an educated farming com.
! munity.
If it is desired, at some future time
[ will give my idea how we can mans
age a great oat crop, such as the South
, can raise, to make it profitable.
VIM. d. ALEXANDER.
Alavondr; NJ ~