The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-02-26

| business men they have been provid-
ing for the change. 1t is reported that
70 per cent of the mortgages and Other
evidences of indebte iness" made
with the past six months are paya-
BILE lin gold or its equivalent" Farm.
ers giving security for loans would do
well to look out for this provision as
the passage Of the silver bill allowing
a 20 per Cent deficiency in the iutrin-
sic value Of the dollar will probably
cause 20 per cent premium on gold.
wEEvIL PROOF CORN.
To the Editor of the Agricultural De-
partment:
AS have been much interested in
the agricultural department, l have
been thinking for some time that
would offer some suggestions how to
get rid Of the weevil in corn.
/. That the black weevIl when he
comes out of the corn is only miller,
and is incapable OF cutting through
the shuck or boring through into the
corn; hence, if the corn is not exposed
he is harmless
2. Now it is a known fact to every
farmer that the weevil gets in ears Of
corn that are open at the end or that
grow out of the shuck. and ears that
are we'll closed over with shuck have
no weevil in them. Now the remedy
is simple. Plant corn that has a
thick long shurk that closes mp we'll
over the ends of the corn, and your
corn, with few exceptions, will be free
from weevil.
The most of the corn planted in
Texas is northern that has very little
shuck, and he ears grow from one to
two inches out of the shuck and the
weavil h Is his own way with the corn,
aud by gathering time the corn Is eat
up. l have a soft white corn with
short thick ears, with very thick
long shuck, that have been planting
for eighteen wears and have never been
been bothered with weavil; not one
ear in hundr, d has weavil in it. 1t is
strictly "a southtrn corn aud has
shuck to pro ect in from its enemies
SUBSCRIBER.
To the Agricultural Editor of the
Austin STATESMAN:
If is not TO late, here are my views
concerning width of cotton rows"
Be it known that for twenty four years
have had muitiform experience in
cotton culture in different parts of the
state, on different kinds of soils aud
under many phases and aspects. l
have during these years used rows
vary ing in width from two feet to six
feet, yet with all these ramitications
10 correct standard eau be given to
meet the exigencies of all persons and
surroundings. The width of rows
should conform to the fertility OF the
land and state of moisture. The
richer the soil the wider the rows, as
also the wetter the season the wider
the rows. The cotton plant does not
harlnoniZe with almost any other cul.
tivated crops, Corn for instance re-
quires nurt space during dry seasons
Than vet. also the same on thin soils.
O,her reasons should be taken into
Coz SIDE ration when laying off cotton
rows us to pr per width; # double or
sing q plowS should be used in cultiVa
ton wider distance should be had
than Where a cultivator is used, which
should clean The row at once without
leavIug the middle to break. egree
with you that when rows are three
feet and a half the plants should stand
Two feet apart in the drill. 1t is best
to leave, when chopping, the plants
one foot apart uptil later, so as to de.
lermine the season. If q drouth sets
III no more thinning is required, but
seasontble the Ihiuniug should be
done by all means. If plants are left
100 thick un good land, we'll cultivated
aud with good seasons they are likely
to go 10 weed without a proportion
ate share OF fruit. The main point in
growing cotton III Texas is to obtain
fruit as early as possible in order to
beat the dtouth.
Therefore my standard is three feet
six inches for OF dinaly uplands and for
rlcn bottom lands four to five feet
would be better | have made some
severe blunders by not being sufficient
~ cautious in The observance of the
proper width Of rows.
y. d. MCILRoY.
DOUBLE HORN, Feb 10, 1891.
TAXATION.
To the Agricultural Editor of THE
STATESMAN
ain glad you have introduced the
subject OF taxation for discussion, a.
il is of vital inheritance to the tiller {
the soil, upon whose shoulders falls
the full weight and burden of every
TAX. whether direct or indirect,
Like Rusticus think that property
should only be taxed once, but /
would have the riIht parry pay it
that once. Now hold that if Il man
DorrowS money on interest, he has no
right to pay taxes on that borro wed |
money, the interest he pays being tax |
enough and generally more than
enough for it's use. 1t is or ought TO
be u principle OF law that a mau shall
only be callei on to pay taxes on what
he owns. The man who bOrrows
money, no matter for what purpo.e,
cannot be said to own it. He is merely |
using it and paying for itsuse But as
the law now stands the borrower has
to pay "Shylock Legal Tender" his
10 or II per cent, and all taxes; the |
seine as ii the money was actually his |
own, while 'Shyiyck' escapes taxation |
Oh his bond secured property, and |
generally evades payment Of taxes on
+ho in, p,na Har,,ya6 from tba nrntlprtV