The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-08
WORK FOR SEPTEMBER.
PLANTING GRASSES, CLOVER, LuCsEN
AND SMALL GRAINS.

AND SMALL GRAiHS.
Importance of Heavy Seeding.-Win-
Ter and Summer Wheat and 0ats--.
Barley and Ryc--Rescue Grass and
l CIoyer...Crab Grass and Pea Vines.
We have discussed, In former numbers, pre-
paration for fall crops. The Time mas come ior
planting them. September Is the natural and
best seeding time for grasses, clover, lucern,
oats, rye and barley. We say natural seeding
time. because the seeds of the various plants
enumerated are mulured in the summer when
1t is hot and dry, and even II the heads are
shattered and the seed scattered on the
ground, the latter do not find proper condi,
| tions for terminating till the latter rains set
in and cool nights and heavy dcws prevail.
The earlier in The mont these conditions are
present the better 1T Is, because ample time Is
furnished the young plants to establish them
selves well and firmly In the soil before the
freezes of winter. In Wild or uncult1vated
state these plants begin their growth at the
time in(llcatcd; this Is natures appointment,
therefore, and is best suited To the wants OF
the plants. In northern attitudes, where
hardest freezes prevail, snow protects the
young plants during winter In the South
longer and stronger autumn growth must
| take the place of the snow covering.
| As winter grasses abound more lii northern
than in southern attitudes, the conclusion
seemed natural that the heat OF southern ell
|
step further In the same direction seemed rea-
sonable, to-wit, that they needed shade In the
South. Hence the practice Of seeding grass
and clover with small grains 10 get the benefit
| of their shade. Doubtless some shade Is de-
sirable during periods Of Intense heat and
drought, but can it be procured in the manner
spoken Of. without incurring other injury
greater than the good received when grass Is
sown with grain? Our observation Is that
more Is lost than gained. In tho first place
the protecting shade is taken away just when
most needed grain Is harvested in June and
July when the greatest heat and severest
droughrs prevail. Plants accustomed to par
tial Shade are then suddenly exposed to. In
tensest heat But this isnot all. In the case
Of grasses proper, the grain crops make de;
the grasses need. Being larger and more Wig
orous al the start, the former erlnaster the
grass al the beginning and get the lions share
| Of the food. At harvest, therefore, the grass
is suddenly exposed to the fiercest rays Of the
sun when 1t IL comparatively starved and
weak from the unequal struggle. On exceed
ingly rich soils where there iH ample food ior
both, this objection docs not hold SD strongly,
but such soils are not generally found. This
difficulty may in part be o5viated by top
dressings in the spring. But where land Is SO
abundant amply enough ior every f crop bat tat-
| ter TO SOW the grasses by themselves and not
in conjunction with grain crops. This gives
them a1 opportunity OF getting strong during
the early stages OF growth. when they arc nat
urally weak, and puts them on vantage
ground. when the Struggle with heat and
drought begins. These remarks apply with
greater force to the annual winter grasses and
clovers which complete their growch in early
spring. These of necessity must be sown by
| themselves, or with some crop which follows
after them, but does not grow simultaneously
with them.
We cannot urge too frequently upon begin
ners the importance of heavy seeding; 6e
sure to SOW enough for the plants TO occupy all
of the land-lcave no place iorintruderS. Sow
| <lo nj
terated seed, and for the dying out of weak
plants After one has taken all the trouble of
thorough preparation and heavy mannrnS-
| such as gross rcquires-lt is folly to fail from
Very iighs covering of the seed is of the first
| Importance; deep covering Will certainly
bring failure. But when lightly covered, seeds
will not gcrminate well IL the weather Is dry,
unless they arc firmly pressed into The sol.
Hence the Importance of the roller. It is al-
most Indispensable tn grass culture: 1t
| smooths and levels the ground for the mower,
presses small rocks below the surface. hastens
| The termination of seeds, and imparts vigor
to the young plants. Heavy, tmpaCting rains
may do some OF the work of the roller, but IN
their absence the surface soil Is too loose and
too easily dried off for the little plant to estab-
iish itself in 1t. Remember thht ut first It's
! roots start at or very near the surface. IL Is
not In the situation Of plant springing from
IL seed buried too or three inches below Inc
surface. go
The oat crop has been so often winter-ililled
of late that many are discouraged and dspns-
cd to abandon the practice of fell-sowin9, we
confess that recent experience has been very
diScouraging. But In view OF the great value
Of the crop, when II does succeed we are lotn
to abandon 1t. We have faith in the possibili-
ty Of developing by proper selection ana cult
walton Il winter oat capable or resisting en-
trcine cold. What Is known in Middle Gcor-
giu us "winter grazing oat" does certainly re-
Sist cold better than other varieties. In this
locality, the past winter, the mercury de-
scended to zero and the cold was long contli,-
ued, and yet good deal of this oat survived,
and by its abundant tillering made from one
fourth to one third Of Il crop. In most fields
of rust-proof oats sown in autumn scattering
stools could also be found, and that too IN p)-
siions not specially sheltered. Now II, with
out selection and from indiScriminate SOW
ings of seed, individual planlS spring up WIN
power to withstand intense cold, why, with
pruper care, could not hardy variety he pro-
payatcd and established from these cold-re-
sSting plants? We have faith that 1t Gun be
done, and our faith Is based on facts like these
related by Darwin in his work on Animals
and Plants under dolncstication: wheat
quickly assumes new habits OF life. Ihe sum
mer and winter kinds were claSSed by Lin
naeus as distinct species; but NJ. MOnnier has
proved that the difference between them Is
only temporary. He sowed winter-whcat In
spring and out Of one hundred plants four
alone produced ripe seed: these were sown
and resown, and in three years plants were
reared which ripened all their seed. Son.
summer wheat, which was sown in autumn,
perishcd from frost; but a few were saved and
produced seed, and in three years this sum
ncr variety was converted into winter vari-
ety." Our habit has been to sow indiscrilni-
natcly, as chance or convenience might de-
eide, Spring-grown oats In the fall ard fall-
grown oats in the spring. Is 1t any wonder
that We have no fixed varieties adaprcd TO
either season? Some time ago we urged the
careful saving of all rust-proOf oats that sur
vived the past winter. We hope it hus been
done md that they VIII De sown Inns ti0nIn
and tile SiLine thing repeated lor AT least threc
years.
The present crop covers all of our experience
with The winter grazing ont. IL was not ready
TO cut until the 10Th Of July, though sOwn on
the 3Oth of 0ctOocr last Possibly its having
been thinned out by the cold, and the tiller,
ing consequent thereon, may have rc"areeu
its rjpcning. But although June was very
wet month and punches Of rye distributed
through these oats were badly ruStcd, tiIe oats
had no rust whatever. We shall SOW IT again
and watch results.
Neither barley nor rye were killed by the
extreme cold of the past winter. TO some cN.
tent, therefore, these can bc made To take the
place OF fill OatS-burley on the richer ana rye
on the poorer lands. With these cover the
bare cotton fields during the winter ani sivc
them from washing and lcaclIing. simply
harrow in the Secd-dont break up the land
and increase the facilities for washing. When
green, these crops can be cut and fed to horses
and COWS; when matured they can be har-
vested, thrrslcd and ground and make most
excellent stock feed. Rye straw commands
ready sale for filling in horse collars and 9TH
cr purposes but the stalls and stock yards
may well dispose of 1t all. Our soils cry aloud
for hulnus-lct us take every opportunity TO
supply II. Some one has suggested that oats
and rye might be Sown togCthcr-if the oats
should be Killed the rye would not nhd the
land would still be occupied with desirable
crop. We see no objection except the unequal
ripcnng of the two crops, hut as rye Will re-
main standing without waste for some time
after it ripcnS 1t could wait on the oats. Upon
the whole the suggestion strikes us as L. good