The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-07
FARM TOPICS
THAT Now Engage the Attention of
Farmers.

silCpestS the pfODaoAA-g VI sSNsiei anu
Iete| frosts in April than usually occur in
+tat month. it has not deferred early plant
inc in Middle Georgia. During the last
- If March quite number made their
e-st nlanting, and if rain does not occur TO
rander the soil too wet TO plow very fair
o-onortion of the crop will be put in during
+,a first ten days of April. This is very
earlv planting, considering the abnormal
winter we have had and the very late spring
that follows.
Last year attempts were made to get the
usual early start, but owing to much defect
i've seed and much dry weather it was made
very difficult to secure a stand, and in
thousands of instances it was as late as May
bsfore there was anything like promise
that there would be any stand at all. In
fact, throughout this section there were
innumera5le instances when cotton was not
chopped to a stand until late in June.
Much cotton had not come up as late as
June 10, and the outlook for cot
as it had been any time in twenty or thirty
years perhaps.
Despite all this the farmers of this section
realized in the end more satisfactory crops
than they had had in number of years. 1t
is true late fall came in to compensate
for the late starting of the crop. and cotton
was barely touched by frost before the last
DAYS of November, when the first freeze
occurred.
Where long limbed varieties of cotton
are used, it seems we'll enough to get as
nd eriv
time to grow to get the largest yield, but il
is different with the cluster varieties, that
necessarily shed part of their squares
every year, for some of these improved
cluster kinds put on more fruit usually than
they can mature. We have seen on numer-
Gus occasions this kind OF cotton planted in
June after oat sand make as many pounds an
acre as the same cotton did planted on SINH
lar soil in April. The late planting ia these
instances matured about all the fruit that
was set, while the early planting, being sub
jected to the May and July droughths, which
usually come after excessive wet, loses 50
per cent. and sometimes more of the
squares that have set. There are number
of very palpabls contradictions in the
habits of the cotton plant las perhaps there
are IN every thing earthly. Sometimes we
find early paintings do the best, then again
late paintings make a larger yield
Sometimes it does better planted on the
level. and again on high beds.
We have seen fine results from planting
4 In the water furrow.
Conditions of weather and character OF
\ the soil are the influences that control these
Il 0f 0P
Il planting.
Now that cotton seed have decided pc
cuniary value, selling in the spring from
4 80 cents to so cents per bushel, there is not
the justification for early risks that was
the case years ago when seed could be
bought at cents to 10 cents per bushel,
OF obtained for the hauling. One coulc
better risk March or early April planting
then than he can now. Last year much re-
planting was necessary, and hundreds OF
farmers had to pay Is cents to 81 pei
bushel for seed to replant with. This il
something of an item to the average small
farmer.
Year in and year out there is no reason
for riskiug more than one-third or e-hall
tie crop by planting prior to April 10, or
the line of 800 of latitude, and long expert
ence and observation have determined tn,
average salty limit for planting to lie be
tween April 10 and April %. At least hall
of the crop should be planted between
April Is and April 25. 1t has occurred a
rare intervals that cotton planted as late as
April 25 has been killed by frost in May.
Early April cotton has more frequently
been killed between April 20 and April 80
Taking twenty years or more, however
from which to draw the safety limit it will
be found to average about April 10.
We have known years when no fros
severe enough to kill cotton or other tender
4 plants after March 1 one or two instance
4 where not after Feb. 2G.
When once the average is determined anC
n rule of practice based upon it, there il
more or less risk involved in departing
from it. 1t must always depend upon tn,
A farmers condition and surroundings as t
the extent of the risk he can afford tx
make. Great risks bring great results
n sometimes, and then again they may bring
ruin absolute.
Farmers must determine this question fol-
n themselves. and according to the location o.
their farms, for as a well-known observer
has remarked mo cast-iron rules can bt
successfully laid down for all to follow
There are multitude of varying influences
The labor of the year is game of skill, ant
all the vicissitudes of drought, rain, frost anc
sun have their part in the result. Nature
Keeps up our zest by never permitting thu
81 game to be played twice under the same
" conditions" This is all true, and 1t only re
mains for the farmer to regulate his policy
by certain averages, bearing in mind al
ways that it is better to keep on the SAT-
q side than TO be making frequent inroads OF
the risky side.
Il On dry uplands most Of such are dry
cotton beds should never be made with turn
shovels. Ii 9 single plow is used three o.
Tour inch diamond scooter is the best poin
q 70 make good bed with. A double pillow
running two narrow shovels, Of course, j
more expeditions. These require a heavy
q morse or mule, and are not available for ust
by the small farmer, who relies on Texa
pony or small mule to break and prepar
ms land. 1t will take a double team o
Ihese to run double shovel pillow to advan