The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-09-25
FARM NOTES.
THE QUESTION OF THE PROPER TINE TO
PLOW MORE FULLY DISCUSSED.
An Able Paper Quoted Showing the Neces-
sity for Farmers Institutes.

EDGAR. of Duval. Tex, to whom all COM
munications should be Addressed
Agricultural Editor of The Statesman.
will have to disagree with you in
the time of early breaking land. You
saw to break not earlier than the LIST
of October in this latitude, as summer
breaking is injurious. Now, my ex-
perience in breaking stiff black land is
to break in July or August when the
land is very dry, turning it over in
clods, The fall and winter rains will
pulverize it, ard by spring it is in the
very best condition. This is owing to
so much lime in the soil that the
hardest cl0ds will slake. In fact, upon
such land broke in July, 1886, was the
only land | produced any corn in
the excessively dry year of 1887.
I don't know whether it would do to
break so early on light or sandy lands.
| think the heat OF our long, dry sum-
mers are to us what the SHOWS of the
North are to the farmers in that zone
the poor mans manure. But, Of
course, your time for breaking is the
most pleasant; breaking in July or
August is hot work.
| will offer a remedy for the cotton
worm, as so many have contributed to
these troublesome fellows. The one l
offer is on the same line of the "castor
bean" theory, and know it will keep
the worms out if followed rigidly.
Plant the field pea known as tue "Red
Ripper" among the cotton, and if it is
seasonable enough for the peavines to
grow, my word for it you will not be
troubled with the boil or army worm.
| know whereof | speak-have tried it,
because the vines will so thoroughly
monopolize the field that you will not
be troubled with gathering cotton
either-this is logical sequence
have seen them grow 4 feet deep (the
vines l mean) on good land, COM
pletely hiding crop OF corn. Now l
am satisfied this is the way the castor
bean remedy would pan out. l have
seen them grow as a field crop in
Southeast Missouri, AID | am sure
cotton would stand no hack
amid its towering forms und dense
foliage. / have them growing now in
my yard that have attained the height
of ten feet, dry as it has been for
three months. Last year they grew
to fifteen feet in height.
Ergo, shall not advise any farmer
to try my pea remedy, and 1 am sure
l shall not try the "castor bean" fad.
However, / think the castor bean
would pay to raise as money crop,
and think would beat cotton on
limited acreage. The plants l have
growing in my yard are fruiting finely
and stand a drouth wonderfully. A
few years after the war the beans sold
at 81 to So per bushel; don't know the
price now.
Referring again to the cotton worm
| think they are here to stay, a kind
of "servival of the fittest." Poisoning
is dangerous process that will ulti.
mately be abandoned and the "oil
lamps" have been tried without avail
as general thing, and for one can
not determine as to any destroyer of
the worm family, only just go on as of
yore, planting cotton, alice samee.
Yours, etc, .. ID. MClLRoY.
Double Horn, Tex.
am glad to have Mr.. McIlroy's
opinion about July blowing, though it
does not agree with mine. The space
at my disposal will not allow me to
further discuss the subject at this
time, but the best time and method OF
preparing the land is one of the most
important problems for the farmer to
solve. and l will return to the subject
shortly. In the meantime let those
having practical experience give others
the benefit of it, and "let truth pre-
vail"
OATS.
Now is the time, assuming that the
soil is in fit condition, to SOW oats, foi
winter grazing. SOwn now, they will
yield luxuriant pasture when grasses
are dead, and keep full flow of milk
of the richest quality In the dairy
COW.
Oats in any stage of their existence
form the best feed for young cattle
and particularly colts, and they should
be sown for that purpose even when
not intended to mature a crop.
But fall sown oats are always to be
preferred to those sown in the spring
as they make the heaviest grain. In
this latitude it is only practicable tc
SOW in the fall when the crop can be
grazed, us they make such an early
and luxuriant growth, that unless
eaten back and tramped or rolled
down, the usual heavy frosts in Jan
uary will kill them out.
When pasturing is tie sole object
any variety may do, but j