The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-05-19

thinning the bunch out so the plants
will not crowd and dwarf each other are
the main disiderata This, it strikes MS,
the harrow will do better than anything
else. After the harrow has done It's
! work, then probably a chopper might be
ascd advantageously. The bringing to
final stand will probably always re-
q,lire some hand labor, but, aside from
this. cotton cultivation ought to be done
exclusively by machines. We have no
doubt the proper implements for the
purpose Will be forthcoming in due
time. Machine-made cotton alone in
this country can compete with that raised
by cheap labor in India and elsewhere.
It is of the first Importance that the
early workings of crops should be re-
peated at short intervals, and thorough
| " done. Now is the time to kill grass
with least labor. If allowed to get a
strong foothold, it will take three times
as much work to kill it next month as Is
required to do it now, to say nothing OF
the injury done by robbing the crop OF
food, and the br1lising and disturbing OF
the plants in getting the strongly rooted
grass away FROM them. At least once In
ten days the harrows or plows should
pass over, and whatever hoe work Is
needed be given without hesitation or
delay. If the ground happens to be
dry. don't be deceived into the belief
that the crop is clean because the young
grass is covered with dust and is not
plainly visible. We have seen many a
crop ruined by carelessness just at this
point. a dry May checks the growth OF
grass and lalls the farmer into fancied
security. 4 wet June follows, the grass
springs up like magic and be never
catches up with it again.
If the harrow has been properly used
in the corn field, that crop will now be
perfectly clean and Sc far advanced that
there will be no further difficulty IN
covering up young grass or weeds even
with scrape We know from repeated
trials. even on bottom lands that are so
liable to become foul, that a corn crop
may be made with the plow alone. 1t
can be done even with ordinary, old
time plows; start before grass makes
headway; with turning shovel begin IN
the centre of the middle and bed up, the
wing being turned away from the corn.
The last frlrrow, when a middle Is COM
pleted, will side the corn very closely
and throw Just enough dirt to cover up
young grass without covering the young
corn. The next working: with a short
and broad turning shovel, begin next to
corn with wing towards it, and throw
dirt moderately tc the plants. These
TWO workings should be given before the
corn is ten inches high. After that the
scrape will do all that is necessary.
Where corn is planted in the water-fur-
row, proper running of the scrape will
cover up all grass from the beginning to
the end.
The first of May is the best time to
SOW the first crops of forage corn, sor-
ghums and millet Supposing the land
to have been broken some time ago, It
should have received two broadcast har-
rowings to keep the surface clean and
mellow. This is especially necessary for
all of the sorghums, because the plants
are small at first and grow off quite slow
ly. Hence early working with the plow
! is difficult and not satisfactory if the
land is grassy. These crops can't bear
the expense of hoe work; therefore the
necessity for having the land il finest
order at planting time. Lay off rows
three feet apart; drill the seed of sor-
shums rather thinly and cover lightly
with board. For fodder corn proceed
in like manner, but put in from two to
two and half bushels of seed per acre.
AS soon as the plants are mp, and will
bear it, side with scrape, set to rnn very
fat; two or three plowings will suffice,
and if the land was in proper condition
at the time of planting, no hoeing Will
be called for. German millet may be
sown broadcast if the land has been well
prepared and is in fine tilth; hall
bushel Of seed per acre is sufficient. Sue.
cessive paintings of above crops every
two or three weeks to the first of August
will enable farmer to feed his stock al.
through the summer on green forage
more cheaply than on anything else, and
with great benefit to their health. Cut
and partly cure-say exposed to sun anc
air for one day-before feeding; this vii
reduce the water in them and rende,
them less laxative Any disposition tc
scour may be prevented by mlxeo
ration of dry and green forage; perhap:
this is preferable from every point o:
view Cheap stock iced is like cheal
coal for an engine, it reduces the cost o:
production Of everything raised on the
farm; and we must bear in mind tha
money saved is equivalent to money
made. If one can reduce the cost O.
producing cotton cent pound, it is the
same to him as if he sold for one CEN
more per pound. An abundance of cheal
forage makes less grain necessary. WheI
not at work, stock may be kept with lit
tie or no grain if fed full rations of goot
forage II you have prepared for {
large crop of cotton, cut it down an(
plant !. portion Of the cotton land il