The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-08-30
Igrirn1fnra1.
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.

There is a vast deal Of ink and pa
per called into requisition in these
days giving minute and extensive in
structions to farmers, says a Jackson
Florida Agriculturist. | have made
forty-four successive, and | may add
without boasting, successful crops,
and my Judgment is that the man
who succeeds best has least to tell
about it to others. This is because
so much depends on seasons and
circumstances and they vary so
much and so often that man must
depend on his judgment, experience
and observation to meet the circu n
stances. There are some facts 50
we'll established, however, that it
does not come amiss to state them
for the benefit of beginners One
of these established facts is that
field peas must not be planted over
two years on the same land if fruit
is wanted. They can be planted on
the same land till they will produce
nothing but vines, and to my mind
vines are not the crop farmer
should SOW peas to make. 1t may
answer for men who only want the
vines in an orchard or orange grove,
but the fruit is what the farmer
wants, and leave the vines to be
turned under with a pillow after the
frost has killed them, not before they
are dead. A piece of new land, say
twenty acres, may be planted in
corn, ten of which to be planted in
peas with the corn; the other ten
without peas. The corn on each ten
acres the first year will be equally
good, and the pea crop fne-the
peas are clear profit on the ten acres
over the other. Pursue the same
plan the second year, putting the
same ten acres in corn and peas,
the other ten in corn only. The
difference in the corn will be mark
ed, and the pea crop may possibly
make up the difference in the yield
of the corn grown with them, against
the better yield and better corr
without the peas. Go on the thirC
year the same way, and withou
heavy fertilizing you will have Meth
er corn nor peas to speak of, witt
fertilizer you may make corn anC
vines. These things | know by &C.
! tsS Ss test, so that thc%%gn DeA vjna,
may be good renoyator Of worn out
soils; they will not afford food fol
their own production. Some years
ago there was so much going the
rounds of the papers about summer
blowing in OF green crops on land,
that / concluded to try an expert
ment. had fifty acres left out of
cultivation for crab grass pasture,
and when the grass and weeds were
at their best, in July, | begun by
blowing them in, a few acres each
month, extending the process
through the remainder of the year
and into January, carefully marking
each months portion. Now for re-
suits: The field was planted in
corn, and treated exactly alike in
cultivated. There was no differ
ence in the yield in that broken in
December and January, but from
December back to July the crop
grew poorer according to the months
regularity, that broken in July being
the poorest | was satisfied with
that one trial, and from that time
on no land of mine was broken be-
fore January. In the eastern and
southern portion Of the state, where
the seasons are month in advance
Of ours, it may be best to begin
sooner, but here in Jackson county,
to begin with the year is early
enough. l have always cultivated
our ordinary pine lands, and in my
forty-four years farming ! never
made but two short crops, and even
then | was able to pay out and have
something over.