The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-24
The obiects of Cultivation.

While it may be admitted that the
urinary object of cultivation is for the
Iurpose of preventing the spontaneous
e-rowth of weeds that are always at hand
ready to sprisg up and smother the valua-
ble crop. still the secondary object of
stirring the soil is not very far behind it In
Importance to the crop. particularly so in
onr southern climate, where a sub-tropical
SIN extracts in reckless wastefulness the in
+ernaI moisture on which the plant depends
for life and growth.
Asa conservator of this moisture does the
act Of cultivation occupy place of i'm
7,ortance barely secondary to its use as a
weed destroyer
Beyond these two objects there is no
need for stirring the soil. THERE'S no need
for charging upon the necessity of keeping
donw all spontaneous growth of the various
useless weeds that are common to all cult
waited fields. The most ignorant farmer,
white or black, understands the import
ance of keeping the weeds and summer
grass out of his crop, but they cannot be
said to appreciate the value of persistent
cultivation as a means of averting the in
furious effects OF protracted dry weather.
Our intelligent farmers understand the
principles involved in frequent shallow
stirring of tho soil in periods of drouthy
weather, but the larger portion Of farmers
still regard cultivation only as an object of
weed killing, and if no weeds are endenger-
ing the crop, no cultivation is accorded it.
Among this class the idea prevails thai if
the soil between the rows is well stirred,
good rain, there is no need for any further
resort to pillow work until another hard rain
occurs, be that deferred two weeks, four
weeks or even six weeks unless by that
time the grass and weeds have made such
Roadway as to enforce cultivation. Thin,
poor land cannot, as a matter of course,
develop much of a growth of weeds on this
loose soil, even in six weeks. AS this kind
of soil requires the very incest cultivation
to make anything like fair crop anyway,
the failure to cultivate with some shallow
implement under the impression that it is
not proper, causes an absolute failure of the
crop in a good many more instances than a
few.
The crops must be cultivated to save
them from drought oftentimes in the
period from May to September, as we'll as
to keep the weeds under control. Several
sweepings or harrowings are in order be-
tween rains, if they are long delayed about
che period the plant is preparing to set its
fruit.
Early planted corn can be made with
very little rain under scientific cultivation
where the preparation has been deep and
thorough. The world over the farmer who
is constantly desiring rain at frequent in
tervals is poor farmer.
With the multitudinous agricultural col
legs and experimental farms now estab-
iShed and asking these practical questions
of nature that when answered will be of
such Importance to all manknd), we are
justified in believing that the next ten
years will be period of marked advance
ment of the agricultural world 1t is to be
hoped that all experiments will be made
with view to getting at the TRUTH and
nothing but the truth, and allowing no
preconceived opinion to color in the slight
est degree the answer to any question. 1T
needs be that every question must be put
many times before the answer can be ac-
cepted as satisfactory.