The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-11-05

Omltn oa,> OUT we OOuDt Its making q
good yield on poor lands Not MANY
crops do well OH poor land. Next to
the Red Rust-proof oats we have valu-
ed the BURT oats, but several years
since discarded all other kinds for the
as it is generally known. If
soWn during September and the early
part OF October they will not be killed |
Dy the cold OF the Severest winters in
middle Georgia; and we have uniform
~ made good yield when thus man
a9cd. Ii sown later in the winter, or
the early spring, they stand doubtful
chancc, and not moro than oKc time in
live will they pay for the labor of SOW
ing.
Land upon which the oats are to be
soWn should be broken with two
morse plow just as early as the soil can
be turned and the vegetable matter
well covered up. About the 10th of
september, after the manure has been
dlsA ibuted over the surface, we sow
the oats at an average of two bushels
10 the acre, and harrow them in nicely
! ana well. Stable manure and cotton
| seed are here found o most excellent
| terhilZcr, and we do not know that we
can commend anything better. The
cotton seed arc crushed before being
applied, to prevent termination.
treated in this way any ordinary farm
should average thirty-five bushels of
oats to the acre, and realize one hun
dred per cent. on the cost, if the crop
sell at forty cents per bushel.
Oats cannot be raised with uniform
success if slovenly planted. The land,
in our opinion, should be thoroughly
prepared and the seed deposited upon
mellow, fertile bed, thoroughly pull
Verlzed: 1t may be that we can take
a Disc harrow and go over much more
ground and leave it in fair shape as to
appearances, but we doubt if the sue
cess can be made equal to the Weld of a
deeply prepared and thoroughly pul-
vcrized soil. We have tried Durchas
| ing seed south Of us with 10 apprecia-
HE benefit.
The great trouble with the oats crop
has been lack of preparation and fer
tlllzaticn, and seeding at the wrong
season. Cotton occupies the attention
OF farmers in September and October,
and they are unwilling to employ ad-
ditional labor to put in this valuable
crop. The teams stand idle in the sta
Dles, or worse, they are put into the
iield to glcan the last vestige of vegeta-
bic matter from the soil, and the gold
en- opportunity for an abundant harvest
Is lost, to secure crop that frequently
costs us more money than we receive
1or 1t. When we get ready, in mid
WINTER, to put in the crop, the oats arc
badly scratched into the wet ground
ana left to freeze out and die without
roots or fertilizer to stimulate them i'm
the struggle for life.
Every farm that is large enough to
have gin should have a cotton seed
crushcr, and as fast as the cotton is
glnncd the seed can be utilized for oats.
Ii the area is reduced, the land properly
prepared and fcrtilizcd, and the Red
ltust-proof oats sown the latter part of
September, in Middle Georgia, an
abundant crop, in our opinion, will be
assured. The largest yield of oats we
ever made was from all acre sown on
the 9TH of November EVERYTHING that
winter was favorable for good crop.
We have not been able to rcpcat that
experiment since.
In our opinion our farmers make a
great mistake i'll relying upon corn for
their toams. We are glad to have this
question suggested just at this time by
our correspondent, as it is one of vast
import and should be considered bv
our readers. If we can supply our
teams with other grain grown in the
winter and without cultivation, we
then have the more time to devote to
cotton and other surplus crops for an
income to the farm. Let every farmer
sow five acres for each mule and sec
that il is well done at the proper time
anG the question of stock food will be
settled. - Southern CultiUator.