The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-10


the force that can be Induced to take tne
field. Cotton picking is work for when
women seem peculiarly fitted. Their shorter
stature and more nimble fingers give them an
advantage that cannot be easily overcome.
Let the otherwise idle negro women be ell
couragcd To take the field.
The hard working white mans wife ana
daughters frequently find that 1t pays better,
both in health and money earned, TO pick
cotton In the free air and sunlight than 10
toll with the needle or loom, at home or III
the factory. 1t is nice, clean work, not espe'
cially laborious, and just as dignifed and re.
spectacle as any labor, either mental or man.
ual
We have not forgotten TO press the grass
question upon the attention Of farmers. In
the last two numbers directions were given.
and sre formulas suggested In anticipation OIL
the proper time for sowing In the upper
half of the cotton belt September is the pre-
ferred time to SOW. Of the fall months; fur
ther South it is better TO wait until October.
rhroush hout the Soul h the fall Is the best time
to SOW grass seeds. This is especially true on
soils in which there is large supply of seeds
of the summer grass. Fall sown grass Will be
more apt to suffer from the presence OF hog
weeds, rag weeds and other weeds that do not
belong to the grass family, and which germi-
nate in the fall aud early W inter- But these
weeds may be kept In check and reventrd
from seeding the next summer and fall by
successive mOwings during the summer fol-
lowing sowing. On the other hand spring
sown grass will be in danger OF snothering
by crab grass and other summer ANIMALS that
terminate in the spring.
IT is not difficult to prevent these summer
grasses from maturing seed and re-seeding
the land; but the trouble Is that their pre-
>ence during the summer STILES and SmotherS
the young and more delirate perennials. If
the seed Of the latter be sown I'm the fall, the
plant will acquire such strength and vigor by
the lime the summer grasses spring up, that
fI,nC OF
possession.
Among the perennial grasses that succeed
well in the South and on almost any charac-
ter OF soil, orchard grass and tall oat grass
are most apt to give satisfaction. Red top Is
especially adapted TO moist bottoms. but also
does we'll on uplands. We don't advise tim
othy except in naturally strong soils. II is
not good pasture grass, rs its bulbous roots
are liable to Injury by the trampng of stock.
and it draws more heavily on the fertility OF
the soil than other grasses that are just as
good, or better either for hay or pasture.
Wcalready have the Bermuda grass, which
is about all That could be wished as a summer
pasture grass, In the present condition OF our
lands relating to grass GU turc Although an
"introducied'' grass, 1t Is so thoroughly at
home and SO well adapted to our climate and
soils that it may be considered rs native,
especially In view of its persistence when
once IT. gets possession OF field.
BE. ore leaving the subject IT IL we'll to re
peat the warning e. those about TO SOW seeds
of improved or cultivated SrasseSl not to eX-
pect success on poor, foul. and badly prepared
land. II does not require rich soil to get II
start; but 1t must be brought into goo. me-
cha IN 'cal condition, and should receive Il hber
III dose Of ammoniated fertilizer
SMALL GRAIN.
The time to SOW grass seeds is also the time
TO SOW oats. rye, and barley, all of these be-
ing, botantically speaking. grasses.
DO not lot apprehenSions Of winter killing
prevent the sowing OF good area of fall oats.
Our observation juStiflcs the statement that
crop OF fall oats on the same land, ana with
the same Strea tmcnt, when not seriously in
jurcd by cold. will generally yield twice as
muny oats as spring sown crop; and Il fall
Sown crop is not oftener killed out by cold
than Il spring crop Is ruined by drouth. The
fall sown crop has so much longer time i'll
which to forage upon the soil for q aSufficient
supply Of material, and to elaborate the
same, that a fair yield may be secured from
ordinary land. On the contrary the Spr ing
sown crop must mature in SO short Il time
that it, is almost useless TO SOW ON thin land
unless heavily manurcd.
While sowing grasses proper, try an acre or
so OF red clover, mixing the seed with orchard
ripens at the same time and makes better
hay. We would not aIvise any effort 10 grow
clover on deep sandy soils; there must be
clay near the surface 10 insure success.
LuCEKN.
1t is remarkable proof Of the quick appre-
ci.tion shown by our friends Of the snow
bound regions when they find n good thing,
that Lucern, under Its Spanish name or
Alfalfa, is awak eDins so much interest in the
North and West. The writer has been fami.
liar with I,ucern since he was small boy
over forty years ago md 1t is Il historical
fact that the plaat has been in cultivation
to q limited extent. it is true-in the South
for nearly, II not quite, sixty years. SO with
the cat-tail millet, or "horse" mtllet, that has
been grown lin Georgia at lenst) ID the South
= ipnn nru
the war''-has within the last ten or twelve
years been distributed throughout the South
under new name-Pearl millet.
1t Is funny fact, that the famous Mr..
Pearl millet by extensive advertising and
laudution-even In the South-bought his
stock Of seed almost wholly OF our lamented
Dr. W. M J0hes bose G s uree e hsd eGIh he @
Of the above facD sold Henderson the seed OF
cat-tail millet by the hundred bushels at
dollar or so per bushel; Henderson then sold
the same seed as Pearl millet, at fifty cents
for q small packet. Yet, while filling his al
ready well filled purse, Mr.. Henderson was
doing great service to the people who had
long had u unappreciative knowledge OF the
plant.
The latter part Of the month is the best
time TO SOW Lucern. There IS no trouble
about getting stand, and securing a good
patch Of Lueern: Rcmember that rieh ,Sa;
grow spontaneously will chock out the young
Luccrn plants, which are delicate the first
year. like nearly all perennial forage crops.
Therefore. select clean. well drained land, Il
d. sandy lonm heing best Prepare the land
as If to grow a fine crop OF rutahagaS, fertiliz
ing literally, and sowing just us you would
the rutnbagas, in drills twenty to twenty; fon
inches dIslgut, using about ten pounds Of
seed per acre. DO not thin tlio yOuhS plants ;
they will die out as the more vigorous require
more room, BY February Or March it will lie
ready to give moderate cutting OF forage,
and two or three during the summer follow
ing. We have seen Il well established patch
(aiter the first ycar) ready to cut in January.
As q nutritious green soiling crop-cspccially
for milch cows--we have never found any
thing superior to Lucern.