St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-03-08
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
EXPERIENCE AND SCIENCE.

ers, According to JET WelbOrn.
Both experience and science teach us
that al sandy and gravely lands leach
badly when put in cultivation; that is,
all mold or plant food are washed down
into the sub-soil, and the gravel or
sharp sand flint rocks) remain on the
surface. II any one will take the soil
that has been in plowed crops for twen-
ty years, and the same kind of sandy
soil that has been only in cultivation for
two or three years and examine them
through magnifying glass. they will
see that the surface soil of the land in
cultivation for twenty years looks like
. pile Of small, clean flint rocks down
to the top Of the clay. This sand shows
where the mold (plant food) has gone.
for it will be found more abundant just
above the clay than nearer the surface.
The fresh, sandy soils will show most
mold or plant food on or nearer
the surface, and very little in
the clay. On fresh lands-on grass,
clover. cowpeas, etc.-the roots Of
these plants catch this substance
In its descent and return it to
VCs
each year. For this reason we should
keep some kind Of crop growing on the
land all the time. Peas sown in tho
oorn At laying by tocome in and catch
and retain all the plant food not taken
up BY the corn from any cause, root cut
ting, drought, excessive rains, bad drain
age or shallow preparation. Miro out
Of ten seasons are good, but nine out Of
ten years we guess wrong and curse tho
season for our own short-sightedness in
not catching escaping ammonia, for it is
. settled fact that all ammonia turned
loose BY the opening of the soil with
the plow on clean soils, will either be
lost from evaporation by the long sum-
mer and fall heat, or carried down into
the sub-soil by the winter rains. II
there is no clay foundation or
growing plant roots to catch
it. ammonia will. in few
pears, be carried below where any plant
root can feed. II the soil Is filled with
plant roots, the ammonia will be re-
turned to the surface when the plants |
decay; il = clay foundation, the clay
will retain the ammonia. where summer
:rops, such as cotton and other tropical
plants will get it, but is lost to the
spring crops Of the temperate zone, such
,orn, grasses and clover. Why? Be-
cause nothing can decay or be digested
without air, and roots can not feed on
undeeayed substances. All the plant
food during the spring is held sub
merged in cold water, which is also held
by the tenacious clay until summer
comes. So all that the spring plants
can get is the very scant sub
stances left in this bed of very
small flint rocks and the food gath
cred from the air through its little
feeder roots mot the leaves). All cul-
tivation will do much better ON these
old sandy soils than those sOwn broad |
cast, because the cultivation stirring |
the soil causes more rapid evaporation |
and lets air down deeper. While this |
sandy soil on . clay foundation is un-
lifted for all spring crops, it is a COM |
plete soil for summer crops The land |
acts IS protection against the heat Of |
the sun by cutting of all capillary At |
traction and forming . dense shade.
Tho clay keeps both plant food and |
water together just on top Of 1t, where |
all plant roots will be sure to run, for |
they can not catch into the sand or en- |
Tor the airless clay. There is but little |
danger Of crippling the plant by root
cutting in cultivation. for they are deep
enough to admit of thorough cultivation
-Sk ah~1 Svp tvvnv
Do not understand me to say that
these soils are not suited for any thing
but cotton and sugar cane. BY NO
means. They are suited to . greater
number Of plants than the clay soils Of
The North. open, porous and under
Trained. We must c0nfine ourselves to
summer crops, and this is as it should
would be much hotter by the direct rays
II the sun ON the soil protected by green
md growing plants that feed themselves
md their stalk. In the absense of this
Irowing vegetation our hot months
would cost US just IS much for shade and
Itock feed IS the winters do the people
u the North. We have many summer
Erssses that furnish US with summer and
lall grazing. and the very cheapest and
best hay for winter, which, II fed to
,attle land sheep) with cotton seed, will
keep them fat the year round without
my kind Of grain.
We have three hundred acres in culti-
in one field. We have one
Iide in corn, oats, millet, etc. The corn
d pulled early. The oats are thrashed
md the straw stacked. While We do
,ot get as good . crop Of oats as on the
Itiffer soils, we get full crop Of crab
Irass hay, which with the millet is put
IN long, narrow shed in the field. As
,oon as the corn is gathered first Of
september) we put = boy on q mule to
aerding our cattle every forenoon where
he corn grew. This is kept up until
,otton Is gathered and the rye sown in
he cotton shows green sward, then the
,attle are turned loose in the field. The
plows then turn the land where we had
,orn and millet under. Generally there
. . good crop Of volunteer oats which
helps winter grazing; this we leave
until after Christmas Our cattle
nave access to the straw stack |
md hay shed, and the green rye
Turing the winter. The only feeding
lone is with cotton seed. Our cattle run |
N the outside range all summer. In
March they are generally fatter than
Turing any part Of the year. In March |
hey 60 back to the range and have only |
,otton seed. 1T first only once per day; |
ater three times per week; then only |!
'wice, and then only once per week. Up |
10 two years ago We fed corn-meal. but !;
Iince then have fed nothing but the cot |!