The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-05-14
HAYS BUSY SEASON
DECIDES THE BATTLE FOR OR AGAINST
GENERAL GREEN.
Flowing Corn often md Shallow a
Good RulA.-COfton Cultivation
Late Crops...May the Month for
Setting out Sweet POtatOes...Gen.
erRI Remarks on Other Matters
Relating to the Farm.
FLOWING CORN,

erbl lteHbhTAS OH othcE IottCA0
Relating to the Farm.
FLOWING CORN.
With this month the cultivation of the
main crops OF the farm commences In ear
nest. On many farms corn has already re-
ceiyed lis first working and should now be In
Il thrifty, growing condition. The old rule OF
plowing over the crop every three weeks
should not be observed, further than to be GER
tain that the interval Is never so long. Three
only three complete plowings are to be given:
1t were better to defer the first plowing until
the plants have five or six leaves Qf the
ground has not been before neglected, or has
not been run together by heavy rainsl and
then give the remaining two ploTings at In
tervals Of two weeks. But we have found 1t a
still better plan to give only partial plow-
ing at each going over, say Two burrows WIN
a sweep, or other wide, surface cultivator, and
60 over the crop every week or ten days In
This way. We have before remarked that
when two furrows with an ordinary sweep or
smaller pillow, are run side by side, the second
flrrow does but little over half work. For
general purposes of cultivating corn aud cot
ton we have found the Planet, Jr. CultiYator
most Satisfactory implement, leaving little a;
scrape is good, but an expanding, five or six
toothed cullivator Is much better. We insist
that four or five foot, or even six foot row,
whether In corn or other crop, should rarely
have more than one round, or two burrows at
any one time. Better 60 over the crop with
two furrows to the row every ten days than 10
give four burrows every three weeks.
The deep plowlng. root-pruping Idea In the
cultivation of corn, or any other crop, which
has been advocated In certain quarters, can
not stand the test Of intelligent experiment
On very heavy, rough soils, where shallow,
factory, more or less deep plowing and Incl
dental root cutting may be the lesser OF evils.
1t Is Detter to cut and maugle the roots some
what, than to let the weeds and grass take the
or other shallow running implement may be
safely used whenever 1t will take the soil and
thoroughly disintegrate 1t TO the depth Of one
inch. This idea that the essential object OIL
cultivation OF growing crop Is TO break ihe
soil so that the roots can penetrate IL IL fall
lacious Such breaking Is one OF the princi'
pal objects OF the preparatory plowing before
planting, or at the latest, the first plowing
Subsequent cultivation serves to break inc
permitting free percolation OF air into the
root layer of soil, and preventing too rpid
evaporation OF moisture from below. The
and incidental effect Of surface culture, neccs.
sary, of course, but OF subordinate inpor'
tance TO the thorough accretion OF the SOIL
or course every farmer will plant peas In
his corn fields If for no other purpose than tU
improve the land. The value Of the peas
harvested, either in the form of hay, or ripe
seed, or pastured by hogs, Is nearly always
greater than the entire expenses of plan tlng
and cultivating the peas, Indeed the value
ping aud covering, comprize about all the
expense up to the time or harvesting. Ac
cording to our own experience, the best way
to plant, peas In corn, In May, is to open fur
row with shovel in The center Of the corn
middle, drop eight or ten peas every step, and
cover with Il cultivator, set 10 stradde the
furrow with the two forward teeth, permit
face. With this plan in view it is preferable
even when corn Is planted In hills, 10 have
the latter wider one way than the other, SO As
to have the corn hills and the pea hills tc
pretty equally occupy the land. AT the tina
plowing Of the corn peas may be sown broad
cast for the purpose, first, Of providing pas
turage or hay and secondly, to improve tic
land. But next month viii! be time enough
hay of the pea-vines rather than permitting
them to rot OH the surface, or turning them
under
AS soon rs the cotton Is we'll up, and some
times before il Is up, it Is good practice tC
broadcast harrow the fields, using a harrow
with teeth standing backward. This breaks
the crust and destroys the weeds more eX
peditiously than any other plan. The harrow
onally across, as the condition OF the land
and CT op seems 10 indicate as better. or all
the cotton choppers-so called-that we have
seen. those that are operated by pulling then,
~
sence OF any implement Of this kind COM
mon sweep, or heelscrape, may be effectively
used on com mpartively smooth, level land. we
presume, however, that most farmers Will
adhere TO the old method Of siding the young
plants, and then chopping out W ith the ordi.
nary hand hoe. When this method Is prac
ticed we advocate rapid work, rather than
thorough. On smooth. old land, a hoe.hand
ought to go over from one and half TO two
acres per day. BY this plan the entire crop
may be gone over in q week or ten days. then
20 over Immediately and thin to q final stand
and clean thoroughly of all grass inaccessible
to the plow.
Cotton will stand more neglect than corn
but frequent cultivation is important 10 It's
rapid and healthful growth and Development
Surface culture should be the rule, using the
i'm mplement that will cover the greater surface
at going, and satisfactorily pulveriZe the
surface. After the first plowing, at least, but
one furrow should he run ut time tat one
plowing) I'm rows under four feet wide. That
is to say, use as wide an implement as prac'
ticable aud do not put two furrows ip mid
die If they overlap more than three or four
inches. The three or FOUR inches, or more, MHi
overlapping is practically labor lost.
During this month the battle against grass
and weeds Is practically won or lost, espec'
tally In the cotton field. 1t Is indispensable
with the PLANTS, be etiectualy destroyed be-
fore IL has reached stage of vigorous growth.
This early crop OF grass generally gives more
trouble than succeeding organizations, be-
bic to cultivate 1T as effectively. The young
cotton, on thln light soils especially, Is apt u
be infested by lice, and the stand Is some
times almost destroyed. Science, when mas
far offered no practical remedy for the cotton
plant louse. Good, or well iertillzed land, is
the best guarantee Of exemption, the plants
on such land being pushed forward will,
more vigor. Good cultivution-keeping the
surface In good, mellow conditlon-'is the only
practical remedy, and It often fails when the
weather Is unfhvurably cUol.
LATE CROPS.
On low lying lands-too cold and wet &c
plant in March and April-cOrn may now be
planted, and will be more likely 10 escape the
dread budworms than If planted earlier. Sew
cral years since practical farmer gave the
following as his treatment OF corn on lands
subject to the deprsdat:o%ns % Of the id 6ndworln.
soon as corn Is we'll up scrape away the soil
from around the stem OF each plant. Our III
formant stated that he used for the purpose OF
removing the surface soil an ordinary steel or
iron garden rake.
Successive paintings of forage crops. such
MS drilled corn. millets. ETC., should be made
every two or three weeks until midsummer
We never saw on any farm loo much green
food, If of good quality. Every crop that Is
tit for green food, can be converted into hay
or cnsilage.
SWEET POTATOES.
May Is the month 10 plant ont the main
CT up nf draws from the bed. April paintings
rarely do rs well, and are never so easily cul
tivalrd us those put out in May or June. One
of the most essential points to be regarded in
securing n good setting OF vigorous plants. Is
to have good, vel! rooted, and somewhat
hardened slips. and to plant them only on
fresh plowed beds. The practice of having
the beds already made in anticipation OF I;
rain, and then planting the slips In the sod
den soil, is not to bc commended. We would
greatly urcfrr not to wait for q rain, but tC