The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-09-11
WORK FOR SEPTEMBER,
WHICH THE FARMERS SHOULD NOW BE
ATTENDING TO.
The Corn Harvest Saving Seed
COrn.--COtton Harvest -. Sowing
Grass...SmRll Grafn...A New De-
parture-..GOOd Advice In Refer
ence to Farm Matters.


Grass...Small Grain...A New De-
parture-..Good Advice In Refer
ence to Farm Matters.
Tradition and song have always referred to
early and midsummer as the "haryest time" i"
when the fields Of golden grain" and the
"waving meadows vie with each other to
fill the barns with plenty and fatness in
grateful response to the farmers tolls and tho
fruotifylng influences OF sunshine and dew
the early and latter rains. The harvest" OF
poetry and tradition, was the reaping.time OF
wheat and barley-the "corn Of Palestine" and
ancient Egypt. In our fair and sunny land
there is an almost continual harvest the
year round for the skillful and thrifty far.
mer. But our two leading crops-corn and
cotton-with our other peculiarly Southern
and peanuts. which are now all fastening to
maturity, make September the first OF the
three months which constitute the true
Of % the Year. a WSiie following the practical
duties Of farm.life-which we did for seven
teen years-the fall season-the gathering OF
the crops. always seemed the most % happy o ana
home daily to barn and store-house the fruits
of labor and hope gives substantial enjoy
ment that is more satisfying than the pleas
took sides with the possession" rather than
the "pursuit" side Of the question Of the old
debating societies Putting corn into the
crib, cotton into the ginhouse-that old rural
potatoes pot into to the hiII, pork into the smoke
house, was very suggestive OF putting money
into the purse, comfort In the home, and full
| ness and fatness and joy in the heart.
CORN HARVEST.
In the southern part of the cotton region
the close OF september should find all the
corn gathered and stored away. There is alb.
solutely nothing gained by letting the crop
remain in the field-on the stalks-after it Is
| dry enough to keep well in bulk in the shuck.
| Our peculiar custom OF gathering and storing
| the cara only, enables us TO do the work at
once and In few days 49,, Our r Own rule was to
| make a job Of diminishing before suspending.
The main crop OF corn is usually ready to
gather-dry enough to keep perfectly-in
pulled, or would have been pulled under the
prevailing Southern custom. The stripping
| off the blades scarcely hastens the drying.
Naturally, the ears OF corn are ripe before the
cess drying goes on in the cob and grain, re-
gardless Of the presence or absence of the
blades. On level and gently rolling land
indeed wherever 2 wagon wagon may may be driven
be found more expeditions plan to drive the
wagon and team along the middle row OF q
set OF four to six rows Of corn Zone row to
each hand) and thus gather the crop by
ly into the wagon, ell hands going with the
wagon to unload. OF course It Is not recon-.
mended where the field is q long distance
from the barn or "crib." We practiced the
plan for many years with great satisfact-
lon.
The only enemy that preys on ,veu. locked
Southern corn crib Is the corn weevl. Gath
ering the corn when the shucks are wet OF
Immediately after rain, or permitting 1t to
rain on the mass of corn in store before put
ting on a roof, are generally believed to lessen
the depradations Of this insect pest. We De
lieve the sprinkling OF successive layers ol
corn ''inspersing" plentifully the leaves Of
either black walnut or China, is a more OF
less effective protection. .i ...