The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-13
TIE FARMERS FIRST DUTY.

The FARMERS FIRST Duty.
LET HIN PROVIDE FOE AN ABUNDANCE
OF FOOD PoR MAN AND BEAST.
Corn ... Small GrRin...Girass...Fer Fert1li.
zers...Hints ~ to Cane and Pota.
toes...Hogs, Cattle, sheep..-An Ar.
ticle Which in Worth It's Weight
in Gold 10 Every Farmer Who
Reads and Heeds It.
come and gone. yet the time for planning the
operations OF the new year lie rapidly passing
away, and the farmer is now to put into exc
cution the first steps in the programme be
will be too late 10 correct errors. A years
work on farm is similar In many respects to
q military campaign. AS skillml ana e1Pe.
rienced commander conceives beforehand Inc
ments, wisely calculating all the probable
and possible counter movements OF his an.
tsgorist and providing accordingly, so Wise
farmer will look ahead and make his dtsposl
tions 80 as 70 meet the s1igsaeies tnss may
mont" in the presence OF An enemy, or mate
Rally alter bis plans when the campaign is
In last months Thoughts" we sndeayored
an an abundance Of everything needfal for man
and beast, that the sofl and climate will ena.
BILE him to produce with reasonable certainty
and profitableness. The argument IN favor o.
cd ed1 IN aSae sePpeTSss different light We would
have the Southern farmer to "seek nrst" te
produce, in abun dance, the food necessary FOL
man and beast; to 30 about bis purpose as " y
farming. AZ we'll might lawyer hire some
one to prepare and study and manage MS IaW
business; or q preacher employ announcer 70 nil
his pulpit; Q sheep-breeder buy all bis sneeI
and wool; fruit grower to buy fruit Instead
Of growing it, as for q farmer to habitually
buy such articles as corn, oats, bacon, laro
butter, beef, mules and horses, etc..-the very
things it. Is the peculiar business Of 1armei
to grow from his soil. But We Will not pursue
the subject further At this time.
FLOWING CORN LAND.
The plow must be started at once. II not al
ready In action; not that we favor breaking
land long In advance Of the time for planting
may Das mot not be- be crowded into TOO short period
lust before that time. The weather during
the latter part Of the month and early N
March may not be suitable for plowing. On
we s are ed decidedly In favor OF throwing The
land into beds as final preparation for plant.
ing In corn or cotton. Our best results II
corn culture have almost invariably been op.
tained when planted on broad beds. With vel vel
furrows serving temporarily as drains In the
absence Of q more permanent system. Init
leads to the suggestion that the low.lylng
moist lands OF the country should be general
much more liable TO injury from drouth than
cotton, and Il less affected by wet. Moreover
corn seems TO respond less gratefully TO ma
nure than cotton, and to prefer the naturally
Do not not be in TOO big . hurry to commence
planting. Too carly planting is O. much more
frequent mistake than too late planting. "A
narrow strip OF hundred miles along the
~ :; but March is early enough for the next
belt OF one hundred miles or more.
SPRING OATS.
The recurrence OF two moderately good corn
crops has had the effect to lesser, somewhal
probably decreasing. We have all along In:
sisted that oats are o moro economical and
moro reliable crop than corn, taking . series
Of years together. Winter.kil!ing OF the fail,
:Swn Or drouthsing OF Inc n1 ny are
be pretty well guarded against. Oats sown In
spring do best in February and should be
sown on rich or we'll manured land, and the
ground should be put In the best sondition 0y
rather too thickly. We doubt II grain more
Is made BY sowing more than three bushels o.
oats on the very best prepared and richest
Ing ten 70 fiftsen bushels Of corn per acre. one
to ono and half bushels Of seed per acre are
enough.
OF oats 10 apt TO be greatly exag'
lions against winter.killing is to provide an
abundance OF home-raised seed. SO that the
land may be re-sown In February IL the oats
shall have been killed In January. II killed
for corn, or other simmer crop. But in fact II
Ia extremely rare for oats 70 be killed after the
middle Of February, while they often succeed
we'll sown In March.
It 10 gratifying 10 note the growth Of inter.
est In the subject OF grass culture. which is
evidenced by reports from various sections Of
the South. We here include In the general
are usually called forage crops, viz, the vsri.
GUS millets, sorghums, lucern. ETC., With
which our list has been so enriched within
the present generation. II would seem that
so apparently spontaneous growth ,,u, as the
In the selection Of the best for the purposes Of
the farmer. But Il 10 fact. with few excep-
tions, that the most valuable OF our culttvat
ed grasses are not now found fourishing IN
oughly indigenous species, produce any con.
siderable crops, except under some degree OF
culture; for example, the crab grasses and
other species that iniest our cultivated fields
After September and October, February Ia
the best time 70 SOW the hardy grasses, those
which originally carno nom colder climate
than our own. Later on the larger species
the semi.ceresls may be planted. The life.
long practice Of grass killing. strange, as II
v,,n eaapo hnoa MT O. fY0yd that kn0wIadoa OY
experience which is necessary when We come
to reverse the process and commence to cult.
vate grass. The farmer must not conclude
that will Ws6oas SsfS
hourishes there In spite OF him. that all that
10 necessary to success In the culture OF the
best grasses u 70 plow the land. and SOW the
seed. GoSd nutrition; grasses VIII MOI not hsS sue
ly prepared land Moreover. there Is degree
Of skill, easily acquired IL is true, but depend
ing on some practical experience, without
which 1t is not wise 10 proceed ct once on q
branches OF farming, including stock .rais
ing: changes Of methods and systems should
not be too violent and sudden. The point is
that experiments should be made on q com.
culture as we'll as In any other new depart
ure. We believe the Departments OF Agricul
ture could engage In no better work than to
distribute small amounts OF the best tried
and approved varieties OF grass SEEDS 10 the
farmers, who will promise TO experiment ac
for a farmer TO test the value Of hay crop Is
to prepare ield for the spontaneous growth
Of era6grass, plowing and narrowing and fer
vesting when In bloom. The result will as
tonish any one who has not tried 1t, II he will
compare the yield, the cost and the quality
With crop OF sweat perflmed corn fodder
made Of blades Of Indian corn, pulled one by
one by the tick Of q clock, RS II we're.
FERTILIzERs AGAIN.
In January's Thoughts" We defended com
maroial fertilizers against the oft-repeated