The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-03-27
FARM NOTES.
COTTON MUST REMAIN KING UNTIL
SOMETHING BETTER IN THE WAY
OF A CROP is DEVISED.
The Farmers Have Right Closely
to Look After Their Po-
litical Condition.

to Look After Their Po-
litical Condition.
JOHNSON GRASS AGAIN.
To the Editor of the Statesman:
SIR-I have been interested in your
agricultural column, but / differ with
you on your plan to get rid of Johnson
grass. 1t can be killed by pasturing
close one season. | will give you my
experience with the first small patch
| sowed. After raising what seed l
wanted to SOW in another portion of
my farm, l cut it off with small
calf pasture, upon which the calves
and work mules and horses eat it off
close that season and there has never
been a sprig of it there since. l be-
lieve the first cror of grass could be
saved and then pastured down close
the balance of the season would kill
it. 1t can't be killed any other way.
Jos. BIRD.
ROUND MOUNTAIN, Blanco county.
am glad to learn that johnson"
can be killed during its first seasons
growth by pasturing, l have never tried
that remedy as l have fortunately, or
perhaps unfortunately, never had it
in sufficiently large patches to justify
pasturing, but l have done the next
best thing, 1 have closely watched
small patches, and as quick as the
grass showed above ground / have
dug it out root and branch, only to
find it come again with persistency
worthy of mortal imitation.
1t is fact that Johnson" if left
uncut or unplowed for three years will
cease to grow above ground, but pillow
it the fourth year and it will come
away stronger than ever.
The farmers objection to the grass
is that it appears in spots amongst
his crops and keeps spreading the
more he cultivates them, and he can
get no benefit from it for grazing or
hay. If Mr.. Bird can suggest some
way of killing the grass in the corn
and cotton field he will deserve the
grateful thanks of his brother farmers.
ED.
ESPARCETTE.
In reply to F. B. Smith, who writes
for more information about esparcette,
/ will say that under fair conditions
it will yield from one and half to two
tons of cured hay to the acre at one cut
ting. In England they can only cut
it once year, and that is about the
yield in that country, but with our
long seasons we may reasonably ex-
pect to secure two crops equal to about
three or three and half tons. AS
the seed is large and light it requires
about four bushels to SOW an acre
broadcast. If drilled, about half that
quantity would do. 1t is as easily
cured as alfalfa and requires the same
treatment. 1t is, however, very diff
ticult to save the seed in good condi-
ton. The sample l planted last week
was very fine. l got it from Kansas
City through G. J. Martin, Austin.
l will report progress.
DEFENSE OF COTTON.
The unproftableness and drudgery
of cotton culture is favorite theme
with the agricultural editor. When
ever he runs out of an idea he falls
back on his pet hobby, and mounting,
rides it to standstill. He points
out with painful minuteness the vast
amount of labor involved in making
the crop and the slavish, inhu-
man task imposed on the cot
ton planters children, who are
often required to assist in the early
and late stages. 1t must be admitted
that cotton demands good deal more
labor than most other crops, and also
that some farmers through attempt
ing too much or from mismanage-
ment often impose too much on their
family, but on the other hand it is
the only crop yet discovered that the
Texas farmer can sell for money at all
times. Till substitute can be found
requiring less labor and equally sale
able for cash, cotton must remain the
farmers main crop.
Many substitutes have been pro-
posed but none of them "fill the bill"
Geo. Hogan, the grass king of Texas,
urges farmers to quit cotton and SOW
johnson grass, which he says will
give better return. There sis little
fear OF his advice being acted on in
Travis county.
The castor Dean is another specific,
but those who have tried 1t declare
that it calls for more labor and ex
pense to complete the crop than cot
ton. Okra is now spoken of as
likely to rival cotton, and it is sincerely
to be hoped itmay. In the meantime
we must go on planting cotton as our
safest crop, but it is duty the farmer
owes to himself and his family oplant
no more than he can easily and thor
oughly attend to without imposing
unnecessary drudgery on his family.
There can be no wisdom in spreading
a crop over thirty acres that could be
raised on fifteen. 1t cannot be too
often repeated that few acres, well
cultivated, will produce more than