Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-01
Tapping CTops-No. 2.


In planting Irish potatoes very early in
the year-in January or early February
every other row may be MANFRED some
what more literally than the others, and
if the cultivation is good the potatoes
from the better MANFRED rows even in this
latitude may be harvested for market by
the 10th of May, and at the latest by the
latter part of May and corn can be planted
at once in the burrows made by blowing up
the potatoes. At this early date May 10
% potatoes command much higher price
than they would a month or so later. and,
while the yield would be greater if left to
grow on that much longer, yet the higher
price obtained for the early dug more than
compensates for the difference in yield.
Every other row can be left for month
or so if it should prove desirable; but, as
a general rule, it is well to dig as soon as
they are of marketable size. Where seed
for late crop is wanted it is necessary
to let them grow on to maturity, which
will be some time in June; then they may
be plowed up and the land given up en-
tirely to the corn. l have always found
corn to do finely after potatoes, though
there are other crops that can be grown
as well. Peas, sweet potatoes or tOma-
toes will do as well as corn generally. !.
When the dwarf English pea is planted
early in January they are through bear
ing with us by the Goth of May, and the
ground may be flushed and then laid off
and planted to tomatoes or corn or peas.
| Where the peas were sOwn in wide rows
| g or 81 feet) the tomatoes may be set out
TWO weeks earlier by preparing the pea
middles with three burrows, but it is bet
ter to wait little longer and turn under
| the vines broadcast. This allows of better
preparation Of the land.
This tapping of crops or rapid rotation
is a feature of intensive culture and i'm
! plies a very heavy manuring at least once
a year or two. Poor or medium land could
not stand such a practice long without
complete exhaustion. This is wherein
heavy manuring may be made to pay-lt
puts the land in condition to make sew
eral crops withCut the labor of manuring
| them separately. The first crop may,
! owing to adverse weather, be compare
| tive failure, but the succeeding crops will
more than make up the deficiency, and
especially where the first crop has been
| diminished through drought. Land that
is protected from washing will not waste
any part of this heavy application of ma
nure if a crop is kept growing on it and
1 alternating, as one should, with surface
rooted and then taprOOted plants. Few
! farmers but what have observed the last
ing effects of one seasons cOwpening of
land. Its decided effect can be seen for
years. Nature is not wasteful OF herself,
though the practices of man may lead her
to be. She provides every arrangement
for economizing her forces, and if we fol-
low her closely we will not waste much.
She alternates the trees of her forests, the
grasses of her plains and meadows. She
stores away seeds Of plants III manures
of animals, that a crop of something may
be assured to the land and its surface kept
covered with vegetation of some kind or
another. She does not abhOr vacuum
more than she does denuded soil. If we
do not cover that soil with valuable plants
Of our own choice, she sets it with heE
spontaneous grOwths instantly. Imita-
ting nature we should keep something
| growing on our land all the time, follow
ing the tender plants Of summer with the
| hardy plants of winter, and then we will
waste nothing of the liberal quantities of
manure that we should apply to the soil
at least once year for garden crops and
/ every two years for ordinary farm crops.
The bulk OF this manure must be Of the
animal and vegetable kinds-hun1uS pro-
UtderS-with the mineral manures supple
mentary thereto.
/ MuLedqeUilie, Ga. S. A. G.