The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-08-11
THOUGHTS FOR TIE MONTH.
SOME SEAsONABLE SUGGESTIONS FROM
4 AUTHORITY.

wv. l.. Jones in the August "Cuitiv1tor.'o
To one who is not a routine farmer,
nice questions are sometimes sprung
this month touching the management
Of Il cotton crop. AS 4 rule "layinS
but should heavy, compaCting ain
follow close on the heel OF tie last
blowing, and hot dry weather sets in,
is it better to plow again or not, and
how late i'm the season may blowing be
advantagcously continued? No in
flexible rule on these points car be
laid down-onc must decide according
to circumstances. tthc land is fresh,
or the soil filled with humus, SO that it
is friablc and loose, blowing may be
stopped earlier than where opposite
conditions prevail. If the soil is dis.
posed to Il together and bake, plow-
ing should continue as late rs it can be
without breaking off limbs and bolls
too badly. One iurrow in each mid
die, using Il very wide scrape and Il
very short singlct,cC, is all that is
needed. 1t is hardly necessary to add
that the pillow should run as shallow
as possible, just deep enough TO break
n single root.
Another circumstance to be Consid-
cred is the state or condition Of the
crop for the time bCing-ifit has been
growing slowly and steadily up to the
time in question, a light blowing may
not accelerate growth SO much as TO
induce shedding; but if growth has
and cOpious rain-iallS, there is danger
of a second growth setting in so rapid
~ as to make the plant throw of its
fruit. Flowing would accelerate the
second growth, aud might do harm
instead of good. 1t would lie well in
such case as to delay it awhile until
after the impulse given the plant by
the rains had somewhat expended
itself. If frequent rains continue, no
farther blowing of course is advisable,
but if a "good season. only occurs,
followed by dry weather, the plowS
may be advantageously started, say 4
week after The rain: for by that time
the effects ofthc rain will be wcll-nigh
over: and blowing will only prolong
n steady continuous growth. Let il
be borne in mind that a sudden start
ing or n sudden checking of growth
arc both very Objectionable after cotton
begins to fruit. One must consider,
therefore, the condition Of his crop,
the character Of his soil and the kind
of weather prevailing, and regulate
his course accordingly.
The "topping' of cotton is another
point which comes up Just now. Ii
done it must be before the middle OF
August, for the object Of topping is %
divert the forces of the plant from
Matchmaking to ~fruit-makino, and
after the middle Of August, there are
only fifteen or twenty days in which
.,sptt t1nt ,r,l1 ~, -, Co.. -.
form; not many blooms after the first
of September can ordinarily be count
ed on. If the plant has about ceased
growing, topping OF CourSc can do no
9ood-it will simply be !abor thrown
away. If, on the contrary, weed is
being rapidly formed, topping may do
some good by checking new growth
(Which 0 can add nothing to the
yicld) and divcrting the forces of the
plant into fruit-making. At times we
have seen topping produce decidedly
good rcsultS-at other times none
whatever. Here, rs everywhere,
farming calls for keen, discriminating
judgment. 70 do what is best under
cvcr-varying, shifting conditions de-
mands intellect of the highest order
and most thoroughly trained. In the
olden time, when reliance was had
upon the natural fertility of the soil,
removing competition by keeping
down weeds and grass was the Chief
business Of the farmer, and he who
could manage labor best and oct the
most work done was the most success
full. Executive talent was the great
d~eSiderdtum. or course this will
always be an important factor in
farming, but now with worn, exhaust
ed soils, destitute Of humus, running
together and baking after every rain
the feeding of plants, the prcscrva-
ton of soils from washing and the
securing of fine ti!tll, call for much
more thought. Ayr culture now is Il
very different thing from what it was
III this country fifty years ago. 1t is Il
much more difficult art-onc that
makes brains greatly paramount to
mere labor.
In the oldcn time foddcr-pulling was
a prominent feature in the work of
this month, more so than at present,
partly because more corn was planted
than now, and partly because fodder
was the almost exclusive dependence
for long forage for horses and mules.
Other kinds Of forage have s]upplantcd
it morc or less, but it still holds q high
place in the estimation of Southern
farmers, and dcscrvedly so. Wen
cured, ii is very fine feed, but if muSty
it is eXccrablc. Considering the risk
of weather, it is better to cut off tie
tops above the ears and cure them i'm
shocks. Tops can be cured success
fully in weather that fodder would
spoil in. For some years VIC have
adopted the plan of going over the
corn and STRIPPING all the blades
below the ear. These are the first to
dry up and cal be taken of some days
in advance of cutting the tops. Some
art is requisite to shock up The tops so
they will not blow over. They must
be spread out all around the bottom to
brace up well, but not enough to admit
rain, and also give air access to the
center of the shock. They must all be
settled on the ground before they arc
Ted. a rope with loop in the end is
lpaTUn tiOhtlV around tho middle oul