The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-01
Farm Work for April.

In nlanting cotton, says the Southern
c,,Jtir1tor, it is of Importance that the
hads shall have been made sufficient
Ianotb of time before planting TO become
.,oewbat "frmed' by one or two rains,
asnecially in light, sandy soils. We have
eavarsl times utterly failed of a stand
when planting on fresh, mellow bed has
raan followed within a few days by heavy
-oin Where dry crust has been found on
the beds sharp edged board or harrow
sbogd be first drawn over them so as to
oivea fresh, moist, smooth bed in which to
daposit the seed. When the soil is in
rroper condition the opening seed furrow
ehould not be over two inches in depth and
the seed be covered not deeper than one
inch. by passing rather heavy board or
block We never quite approve of the
rractice of covering the seed by the at
tachment to the cotton planter, as it does
not usually sufficiently press the soil and for
the additional reason that we prefer to see
the seed in the furrow, and be assured that
there has been perfect and uniform distri-
button A cotton planting machine, with
a covering attachment is an excellent i'm
plement in the hands of a proprietor or a
trustworthy and intelligent laborer; but it
sometimes proves a deusion if operated by
n careless. thck-headed and sleepy headed
negro, or white man.
If one or more heavy storms should fall
on the cotton field before q stand is
no. it is an excellent practice to break the
crust that will have been formed, by run
ming fine tooth harrow along the beds
The ordinary harrows have the teeth gen
eralv too large and clumsy. The work
needed Is more like that of a garden rake.
This narrowing may be done to advantage
even after the cotton is up, especially when
q. stand of grass has come up with the cot
ton.
In the usual succession, after cotton plant
ing comes the first working of the corn.
The first care, however, should be to per-
feet the stand, and thin the plants if neces-
sary Replantng should rarely be neoes-
sary if good seed and careful planting, ETC..
has preceded One hand, with a wooden
paddle three feet long. can often replaut and
thin at the same time, to advantage, and
may carry from one to four rows, according
as the stand is less or more perfect. Our
seed about twenty-four hours in water,
which viii cause it to terminate one or two
days earlier.
1t is not generally desirable to pillow corn
the first time while still very small. Better
let the plants become stocky and able to
stand slight drifting, unless the soil has
been very closely sodden and compacted by
heavy rains. Run round" the entire crop
with two burrows. Then return, and give
two more burrows, and so on until the mid
dies are entirely plowed out A good rule
in deciding what plow to use, is to use the
one that does most satisfactory work at the
time, and that will require the fewest num-
Der Of burrows to the row. In soft, mellow
ground, free from much trash and old stub
BE, in which a sweep or heel-scrape, or cul-
tivator, will do good work, it should be en-
ployed. A double shovel, in the absence of
L cultivator, will often do excellent and
rapid work where a sweep would fail. By
deferring the first blowing as late as may
be done with safety. the interval between
the first and second workings will be
shortened Not more than two weeks
should intervene between these severe plow-
ings.
April is the time to plant most kinds of
annual soiling crops, such as common corn,
millets, milo maize, Kaffir corn, sorghum;
also peanuts. We believe more food can be
grown and utilized from an acre by green
solling crops than by any other method;
and the results are more promptly avaiia-
ble. Such crops, however. require, and
must have very rich or highly fortified
soil