The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-05-21

uScu WIKI IL snOuiu DC very short, just long
enough to keep the point Of the plow-foot
from striking the bottom of the furrow.
Another interesting experiment made at
the same station illustrates poiut we have
often urged, to-wit, the importance Of
pressing or f-ming seed in the soil to in
sure prompt termination. Cotton was
planted in two adjacent rows on the same
day with two different cotton planters, one
covering the seed in the usual manner,
the other throwing the dirt into ridge
over the seed and then pressing it down on
the seed by roller rigidly attached 10 the
machine weather was dry. Where the
roller pressed the dirt upon the seed,
stand was secured in ten days the other
did not come up until after rain had
fallen and some tTcnty-four days after
being planted,
MACHINE MADE CoTroN.-Invcntors
have not as yet given up the hope or the
possibility Of perfectiug a machine for
chopping cotton. There is every prob
ability that one can be made which will
bunch cotton satisfactorily But the
same end might be reached 10y planter
dropping the seed in hills. The mere
punching, however, is not the most impor-
tant thing to be compasscd killing the
grass aloug the line OF drill and thinning
the bunch out so the plants will not crowd
and dwarf each other are the main de-
siderata. This, it strikes US, the harrow
will do better than anything else. After
the harrow has done its work. then probably
a chopper might be used advantagcously.
The bringing to final stand, will probably
always require some hand labor, but, aside
from this, cotton cultivation ought to be
do@e exclusively by machines. We have
no doubt the proper implc lcmcnts for the
purpose will be forthcoming in due time.
Machine made cotton alone in this cou.try
can compete with that raised by cheap
labor in India and elsewhere.
IMPORTANCE OF EARLY WoRKlNG-It
is Of the first Importance that the early
workings of crops should be repeated at
short intervals, and thoroughly done. Now
is the time to kill grass with least labor
If allowed to get 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 bruising and dis
turbing Of the plants in getting the strongly
rooted grass away from them. At least
once in ten days the harrows or pows
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
crQp is clean bscausa ltha young grass is
we nave seen many crop ruined by care
lessness just at this point. a dry May
checks the growth of grass and luls the
farmer into fancied security. \ wet June
follows, the grass springs up like magic
and he never catches up with it again
WORKING Corn WITH THE PLow.-If
the harrow has been properly used in the
cornfeld, that crop will now be perfectly
clean and SO fas advanced that there will be
no further difficulty in covering up young
grass or weeds even with scrape. Wo
know from repeated trials, 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 shovel begin in the center of the mid
die and bed up the wing being turned away
from the corn. The last furrow, when a
middle is completed, 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 short
and broad turning shovel, bein next to corn
with wing towards it and throw dirt mod
erately to 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-furrow, proper run
ming of the scrape will cover up all grass
from the beginning to the end.
CHEAP FORAGE MAKES CHEAP CorToN
AND CoRN.-The first of May is tie best
time to show the first crops of forage corn,
sorghums and millct. Supposing the land
to have been broken come time ago it should
have received two broadcast harrowiugs to
keep the surface clean and mellow. This
is especially necessary for all of the sor