The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-08-10

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now be vigorously pressed, turnips
should all be sown by the end of the
month. and grasses and some OF the
grains will call for seeding early next
month. No time is therefore to be lost.
Arrange business so that plows and har-
rows may start promptly after every
rain. Most Of the seed to be sown are
small, and call for very finely pulver-
lied soil, Deep breaking and fine sur
face filth are tho desiderata so far as
mechanical preparation goes. The plow,
the roller, the harrow, following each
other in the order named, will do the
work. With the modern improvements
in pulverizing harrows, there is little
difficulty in bringing land into the best
condition, even when starting with it.
quite rough. For grass and clover-es-
pecially grass-the land should be made
very rich. If the supply. Of manure is
limited, it is better to put it all on a
small area and sow only that. 1t is time,
labor apd seed wasted to SOW on poor
lard. One acre of good grass Is worth
ten oSStAat which is poor and hardly
able TO mainta itselfin the struggle for
existence. On ordinary land apply not
less than thirty two-horse wagon loads
Of yard manure per acre to start with.
If 20 uget good stand you can help
out this quantity by top.dressing next
spring with commercial fertilizers. The
manure should be we'll mixed with the
surface soil by narrowing. Never plow
it under deep. Whether for grass prop
er, clover or lucerne, good application
of barnyard manure is the best founda-
ton to build on; commercial fertilizers
answer good purpose afterwards.
In relation to grass culture, the cotton
belt may be conveniently divided into
two sections-a northern and southern
half. North, say of parallel thirty three
degrees of latitude. red and white clover,
toge ther with orchard and herds grass,
grow admirably and should be most
widely sown. South Of that line the
tannual clover, as the burr and tho GRIM
son, together with an annual winter
grass like the ''rcsque" (Festuca"). can
be more certainly relied on. Lucern
will do we'll in both sections. We are
speaking now broadly-there are other
plants that may succeed we'll and an
swer a good purpose in both the sections
named. The tall meadow oat grass will
grow all over the cotton belt; better in
the northern than in the southern Lalf,
but moderately well in the latter on rich
sandy loans. Timothy does we'll on
valley land and in the northern section.
Spanish ,clever (Richardsonia) is yalu-
able plant for the Gulfborders, perhaps
superior to any Of the true clovers for
that region. There is ample material.
from which to choose, and an abundance
of land; nothing stands in the way Of
grass culture but habit, and.to some ex-
tent a lack of appreciation Of the value
Of the grasses and clovers. Everything
that cheapens the maintenance OF work
stock lessons the cost of production, and
Everything that cheapens production in-
creases net profits from the farm. Now
whilst it costs something in the way OF
manure, labor and seed to get field
set in grass, it must be remembered that
.such-a field will yield crops of hay and
som grazing for many years, and if the
first outlay is divided by the number. of
years, the annual expense, so to speak,
! will be very smoll. But. grass culture
commends itself not only because it is
the cheapest means Of keeping stock,
but because it is the best restorative
and best preseryative Of our worn,
humus-exhausted lands. IT,, corn
and fodder could be faised at ex-
|sactly the. same cost as hay and oats, tho
latter are greatly to be preferred in view
of their beneficial effects on land. Far
mers hold this idea and practice it in
tho seeding downIof land to small grain
they say the land needs sowing down.
But the rest from the plow in that case
lasts for one year only; grass growing
extends it through many years. Grass
depends mainly on winter rains which
rarely fail; corn cannot be made with,
out summer rains and these often fail.
Our true policy is to concentrate corr
culture on land specially adapted te
that crop, manure highly and cultivate
with harrow and plow exclusively, sc