The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-11-18
THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH.
SOME sEAsCNA3LE SUGGESTIONS FROM
HIGH AUTHORITY.

IItc Mohth OF NONcnber--An Interesting Artt-
Gle From an Intelligent Writer.
wv l.. Jones in the Novcmbcr "Cultiva;or.")
In the southern portions of the cotton
belt, oats and wheat may still be sown;
in some sections it is the best time to
start these crops. But in the northern
portions of the belt, it is too late to SOW
anything but wheat rye and barley-too
late for clover and the winter grasses.
Cotton planters delay the sowing of
wheat, until the cotton is picked out,
both because, while that work is progress
ing it absorbs all the available labor, and
because wheat usually follows cotton, and
the plougi.ing in cannot be done till the
cotton is out of the way. This makes
the sowing of wheat come on little later
than is desirable. Fear of the fly justi-
tiCS delay till after frost, but the sooner
after frost wheat is sown the better. The
plant needs time, while the weather is
still mild to dcvcloproots and push them
yell into the soil and get Il good strong
/toothold. Some think that deep cover
ing of grains makes them stand cold
better; our observations do not accord
with tins belief. Wheat, oats, ETC., have
little stem beneath the surface-if covered
deep they soon throw out circle of roots
near the surface and the part below dies.
But while the stem does not extend down.
wards much, the roots may, and often do,
penetrate the soil to considerable depths,
Ihls not only establishes The plant finn
~, but puts the ends of the roots (Which
are their main food-abSOrbing part be-
yond the reach OF the scvcrcst cold. In
our climate the ground is not often fro
zen more than two OF three inches; only
III very extreme cases docs the freezing
extend to a depth of five or six inches.
hoot growth, therefore, can go on most
OF the time during winter; and this it
does, though the part above ground
makes little progress. The roots arc
gathering materials and tapping the foun.
cation during the winter for Il vigorous
growth of the plant in early sprin1. and
this is just what is needed, in our climate
to hasten maturity and escape the rust
The greater yield of fall, rs comDarc;
with spring oats, illustrates the advant
ages OF this root growth during the latte,
part of autumn and through the winter
The part above ground may be sho,nl,
cut down by the cold, but that which, i
beneath and ut the surface goes on neon
mulating and storing material ont q
which the stalk, blades and ear ronidl,
develop i'll the spring Just as the flower
ing stalk OF Il turnip shoots uD i'm n few
days from its enlarged underground root
III which material for growth had been
stored the preceding autumn.
1t Is gratifying to note an increasing
desire and disposition among our farmers
to raise needed supplies mt home. Bread
ana meat head the list Of these, unG as
we are VII nt-catlng people, it is cX-
trcmcly desirable That varieties adaDtcd
to our climate should be discovered or
developed. Every plant we cultivate
does or may, acquire special atllDtion 10
amy locality i'll which it can grow mt nil
Note the varieties OF corn North and
Noutl, the rust proof Oat of the SOut)
and the several kinds at the North. Nv,
from the Northwest fails utterly in III,
South, even though one cannot dctcc
amy difference III appearance OF seed @,
other parts Of the plant. The same hold
i'll case of truite and vegetables. Viii
these 1actS before us, is it unrcasOuoll,
to suppose that a variety or varieties O
wheat might be developed ut Tie South
thoroughly adapted to its soils and eli
mates Why should wheat form an OK
ccptlon? 1t has been localized in othc
portions OF the world the Mcditcrro
ncan whcatS grown for centuries in south
ern Europe and i'll Egypt are markc,
varieties compared with those northern
regions. Why may not the cotton State
have corresponding varieties adaptcd f
them If farmers would examine thci
wheat fields carefully before harvest. an,
when rust prevails gather the heads O
those stalks which are entirely or mos
nearly Tree from rust, SOW the seed from
these by themselves the next season, nm,
again select as before, and continu
DONG thus for few years, we have ittl
d0uot rust-proof variety could be cs
tabllshed. Further selection of the mos
prolific stalks with best developed sncI
would carry tie improvement still fur
ther. lime would be saved and chance,
OF success increased by starting witt
vaneties-like the Mediterranean 0whicl
nave already become accustomed 10 yarn
climates
IN the meantime, those varieties NAV
pe soWn which the concurrent TESTIMONY
W HCltPIDollloOu SHOWS TO have SllccCpl-
cd best IN it. AS stated before. the seed
ing down should be done rs early in V0-
Vemhcr as possible. Wheat follows cot
ton admirably, and the highest, dryrst
land should be selected for it. The Sur-
race soil, to a depth Of three or four
mchCs, Sho I'D be brought into the finest
.t NTH by pioWinG, rolling and narrowing,
NhatGyor manure is used should be thor.
of0Hghl y incorporated with this surface
90lt. If cotton seed is applied, it should
be piowGd III with the wheat CONNER.
clai fertilizers may be plowed in shallow
or narrowed IN. In Oldcn times. Gftv
bushels Of cotton seed to the acre waa rc-
Safdcd as safe guarantee of q good
crop even on poor land. Thirty bushels
ol cotton seed and one hundred and fftv
pounds Of acid phosphate per acre IS
Rh1Ieierr9ble to fifty bushels of seed alone
IhrGc hundred pounds of cotton scni
h1e"l nc Is about equivalent to thirty bmsL.
els oI seed, and may be substituted il
place OF them: The above ouontitics nf M
manure may be applied at the timc W "f
seeding. Ha In the spring it may Sometimes iiI :"
ne desirable and profitable to "ivn ri,n'cS "