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

~ sow9
int this section a fine corn crop was
grown in the year 1876; for five years
after that season the dry weather. of
July cut off the corn crop to less than |
half The farmers began to despair of
growing on old upland corn in sutfi-
cient quantity to feed the farm stock. |
In the fall of 1881 ali unprecedentedly |
large crop Of Red rust-proof oats were |
sown and the season was favorable for
fall oats, 80 the farmers harvested on
enormous oats crop in May, 1882.
Most farmers thought they had at last
hit upon the plan of raising grain
crops for stock, as the yield of oats
that season per acre was In many cases
fully five timc0 greater than corn and
the cost of growing an acre in oats
was much less than growing an acre in
corn. But since the year 1882 the oats
crop has been complete failure i'm
Monroe county, a few years since a
gentleman from Hancock county spent
o night with the writer, After supper
the subject of growing oats came up,
and this gentleman remarked that Mr..
w. j. Northen, of Hancock, had been
heard to say that he had kept an accu.
rate account of the different farm
products raised or grown on his farm,
and that he had realized more clear
money on sheep than on any other
farm product; and that next to sheep
ne had realized moro clear profit from
growing oats.
AS the season is near at hand when
farmers SOW fall oats, it occurred to
the writer that the readers of the Cul-
Stoqt0r would be pleased to hear from
Mr.. w. j. Northen on the subject of
oats raising. Does Mr.. Northcn sow
ked rust-proof oats or has he found
some variety less likely to be killed by
hard winters? A short time since /
received q letter from Mr.. John II.
Dent. of Cherokee, Ga, and he sug-
gested that l should write an article
on eats for the CultiUator. Mr.. Dent
says in his section of Georgia the Red
rust-proof oats are q failure as they
arc too liable to be killed by cold win.
tiers. He said for n number of yeaIs
he was enthused on the subject of Red
rust-proof oats, but lie has now aban-
doned them. He thinks they arc suit
ed for a more tropical climate where
the winters are mild and the springs
are humid.
-. Mr.. Dent says: "The oats I want
Is a hardy variety that stands cold and
grows tall, for l value straw as much
as the grain. l want long straw so
that call cut high and have heavy
stuDble to turn under for tho benefit
OF the land" " This, presume, is the
variety that most farmers arc after.
Let us hear from you, Mr.. Editor, on
this question. For number of years
an oats club in Baldwin county has
been experimenting in growing large
crops of oats, but &c not know what
variety is sown: Some large yields
have been published as grown by men
in that section. In 1883, Mr.. w. F.
Dewberry, who is neighbor of mine,
had field OF eight acres that he
thought made 100 bushels per acre; he
did not, however, measure them. DR.,
MOSS, OF Monroe, made 1877 bushels
that year on an acre. Some six or
eight years ago, Mr.. jim Rose, of
Upson county, made 1873 bushels ner
acre Oh plat Of eight acres. Three
years ago the writer made sixtv-fom
bushels Red rust-proof oats on an acre
OF land that was only moderately good
land; but in 1877 the writer soWed on
the 10th day Of August oats in a field
OF thin gray land he had in cotton at
the last plowing he gave his cotton.
Ihe yield was twenty bushels per acre,
and as the cost Of the crop was simply
what 1t cost to cut them thew did not
cost to lay them down at the crib over
five cents per bushel.
But OH the following year he sowcd
again at tho last blowing of cotton.
put August and September were very
NOT and dry SO that the oats were badly
Killed by heat. OF all the varieties of
oats sown in this section, none have
yielded such large crops as the Red
rust-proof; but they have become too
uncertain crop TO rely on.
Does tho editor know anythlny about
the "Iom Smith" oats? 1t is laid of
them that they grow tall on poor land
and yield well. If such is the fact
ana they are rust-proof, it would be
wei 1or the farmeLs to give them |
trial. In the August number of the |
C9tttuator, for the year 1884, page 257. |
Bill Arp says seed oats and wheat
ought to come from south of the Sec
ton In which they are sown. Let the
FARMERS also hear from the editor on
this subject. Has he tried the plan of
sowing oats from more southern luti-
tudc, anu II 80, what was the result
One OF my neighbors, Mr.. A. c.. Jack
son, brought some oats from Macon
county, known in that section as the
Chapman" oats, because Mr.. William
lhapman, of Dooly, first brought
stelh In that section. They arc. how
n, the same as the "Burt" oats. |
Otained one bushel of this variety of
pets and sowed them the 1st of March
lused acid phosphate OH them at the
rate Of 200 pounds per aero. The oats
grew tall but the grain was very light.
! g shall not sow them again. Men
differ in regard to the time 10 sow Red
rrnst-proof oats. Capt. McMullin, ofI
Monroe, who was a very successful
oats grower, said from the 2Oth of |
September to the 10 Of October was |
the proper time to seed that variety of |
oats. Mr.. Thomas Marshall, of Mon |
roe, who is also successful oats |
grover, prefers to begin sowing the
10Th of Decenber and sow until
Chrlstmas. My observation is that
e9fiy sown oats arc heavier than late
soWn' Ii cotton seed would admit of