The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-09
For the Month of october.

October, while one OF the most perfect in Its
temperature, Its 6, ntle zephyrs, Its cool morn.
inss, with It's glories of departed summer and
It's wealth Of harvests ripe for the garner, IL
always exacting and frequently conflicting III
its demands on the skill, judgment and indus.
try of the farmer. The urgency Of the cotton
harvest has many O time defeated the purpose
OF the farmer to SOW larger area In oats
While we press the Importance OF rapidly
housing the fast opening cotton. ut the same
time there are other things that may not be
neglected or postponed 10 convenient sea-
son."
SOWING OATS AFTER COTTON.
We repeat our previous suggestions about
sowing oats In the cotton field. Among the
various plans and conditions to save time, TO
insure protection against winter killing, and
bounteous yield at harvest time, there is none
that has given us better results than the plan
of sowing, outs IN drills IL the cotton fel d
The work may be done In September In the
upper cotton belt, and continued through DC
tober and November as the latitude decreases.
One who has never seen such work done In
the cotton fields Is apt TO think that great loss
OF cotton and damage to the stalks would re-
sult But there IL no difficulty and no loss
worth mentioning. All that ~ required Is 10
put cotton pickers enough in the field TO gath
er the cotton-row by row-as fast as the plows
are 10 plow in the grain. Let the oats be sown
either broadcast ana ptowed IN Win ..So. SSooter
Jr., Cultivator," as may be found to do the
work most satisfactorily. We have more
than once adopted the simple plan OF laying
off two furrows In each middle or row OF con.
ton with q small scooter, drilling the seed oats
by means Of guano trumpet and then cover.
Ing the two rows at one trip by using scooter
and wide wing sweep. A machine for drilling
In small grain In the cotton fields, that will do
the work In satisfactory manner. would be
worth great deal to the Southern cotton far.
mer. The cotton field ts just the place 10 SOW
oats, for several reasons: The cotton field has
been under clean culture since spring and IL
usually pretty bare and naked. and is exposed
to the danger OF washing and teaching rains OF
winter and spring. The soil needs u crop OF
It's countless roots and rootIets. Another rea.
son Is found In the fact that the great bulk OF
commercial fertilizers used In the South IL ap-
piled TO cotton, and considerable percentage
Of the fertilizers SO applied to the cotton crop
remains in the soil ready for the use OF the
closely following small grain crop. Another
reason Is the fact that the all-summer plowing
and hoeing OF the cotton Is an excellent pre-
puration for the small grain.
doubt That drilled oats stand the winter better
than when sown and plowed and narrowed TO
a level surface. The aim should be TO SOW ear-
ly enough for the plants TO get firm hold OF
The soil, the roots being interlaced and matted
50 rs 10 prevent heaving or "sprewing OUT
the individual plants. ..
We have already given timely exhortations
on this subject and recur 10 IL now only In the
way Of Il reminder. We are glad 10 note that
The Commissioner of Agriculture OF Georgia,
Hon. J. r. Henderson, is distributing seeds OF
several OF the leading varieties or grass to the
farmers Of his State. This is move In the
right direction.
1t should be remembered that good grass
cannot be produced on poor soil. Indeed,
with one or two exceptions. the really valua-
bic cultivated cruises will not even live
through single season on poor and unthrifty
soil. But IL does not require heavy applica.
tlOn of manure 10 start the young grass of
vigorously, and 1t is easy TO add more in the
way of top-dressing in the spring. The cotton
field Is also an excellent place for sowing
grass for the same reasons that have Just been
In the case OF OATS;
.... WHEAT.
We were taken 10 task" two years ago for
advising Southern farmers not to SOW wheat
simply Tor the sake Of diversity of crops, or
because flour is all indispensable article oi
food. or course we were flying into the very
face OF the threadbare advice to diversity
needed for home consumption" etc. Such y
rule is entirely too broad, In one sense, and
yet narrow or hidebound. The farmer should
not attempt TO blindly follow such an unqual
right reason and sound common sense. The
time was when the farmers of Middle and ev.
en- Of Southwest Georgia found 1t more or less
desirable and expedient to sow wheat. Those
were the days of high freights and high prices
and before. the development Of the great
wheat prairie region OF The Northwest. The
rule now should be to plant wheat only where
the soil Is known to be especially favorable to
Its productions. A high and dry gray OF
chocolate soil. underlaid By cluy, will be most
worn, and helped by couple OF hundred
pounds OF cotton seed meal compost. Dark
rich soils are not good for wheat In the South
the tendency to rust Is too decided.