The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-16
In Field end Garden.

as SAS(OoSOo VI Ld1AoAOo ~ OChih0 IL
success rewarded his efforts the past year
he enters upon the work OF the new year
with the cheerful determination to make It
equal if not surpass the results Of the past.
On the other hand. IL through storm or
drought, or accident or bad Judgment his
crops have fallen below the measure of his
expectations, in the springtime of his hope
full toll he still enters the contest with more
or less pleasing expectation that culture will
respond more generously to his efforts the
coming year than it did the past one. 1t is
certainly wise arrangement of providen ce
that hope should spring eternal in the hui
man breast, and that the farmer is to be
pitied who has not fair measure of that
hopefulness to sweeten his toll and quicken
his energies in the laborious contest with
the thorns and bTiars that has been prom
ised to every son of Adam who seeks live
lihood from the culture of the SOIL The
farmer who enters upon the new year of
toll dispirited and distrustful is like a
wind broken steed starting upon a four
mile race. He may run a mile or
two, but will very likely fly the track or
drop down before the goal is reached.
There are no doubt few farmers of this
kind, but, fortunately, l believe, not many.
As class they toe the mark every New
Year cheerfully and hopefully, and prob
ably, If the truth be known, for one that is
lacking in hope there are half dozen that
are rather unreasonably hopeful-that is,
they expect more from their worn soils than
it is possible for them to give.
The energetic, stirring farmer is almost
invariably the most hopeful, the lazy one
the least so. An energetic man, farmer or
whatnot, has a legitimate right to be hope
ful, very hopeful, but good Judgment
should guard him from unreasonable ex-
pectationS. The moral effect of disappoint~
ing ones self is not good. It is much better
to expect ten bales of cotton and make
twelve than to counton twenty and make
only thirteen.
The farmer who views with satisfaction q
period of rainy weather in the spring as an
excuse for rest and reDose is not the farmer
that is likely to make a success of farming.
Such farmer has no legitimate right to
hopefulness, and the farmer who expects to
harvest bale of cotton from an acre of
medium land without manuriug it literally
may be set down as unreasonably hopeful.
February has been a rainy month..so far,
and very little has been done in the way of
blowing. As a rule February is compare
lively dry and affords seasonable weather
for preparing the soil, but it has not been
the case this year in Middle Georgia.
Advantage should be taken of all suitable
weather to get the preparatory work done.
All land nearest to the barn or compost
yard that is in need of stable manure or lot
scrapings should be furrowed and the ma
nure hauled out and applied in the burrows.
Not that this is the best way TO apply such
manure, but it is the way to make a small
quantity of manure go farther. 1t Is the
plan usually followed by our farmers. For
plants with long roots, as corn and cotton
and the like. it is most irrational method
of manuring, but farmers make SO little
stable manure they will persist in putting it
in drills
Where stable manure is drilled it is al
ways advisable to put it in two or three
months ahead of planting. 1t is not nearly
so apt to fire the crop, for by renewed fer
mentation it loses its tendency to burn and
the elements Of fertility that are in the man
ure is more evenly distributed in the soil
and the manure loses its ranknsss. so that 1t
will not fire the crop when dry weather sets
in. There is no loss of fertilizing elements
for the surrounding soil absorbs all of them
and holds them for the use OF the plant. At
this season Of the year there is no percept-
ible loss of the ammonia even that is con-
tanned in the manure. If the rows are per-
fectly horizontal and not liable to washing
there will be no loss even If the manure Is
left uncovered for several months
In an experience OF twenty years we have
IOuuU Ludt COfilIutTOthl I9FbluXeTb pTOuuC6
their best result on the first crop by being
applied two or three months in advance Of
planting. OF course this is NOS the case
with nitrate OF soda or sulphate of ammonia.
but il is true in regard to the phosphate and
potash fertilizers, and it is especially true
in reference to bone meal, tho most valuable
fertilizer that oan DO used on any soil or in
any climate. Nitrete Of soda and sulphate
OF ammonia are only valuable for the ammonia
a - -. ii A1kk L.
soluble, and should always be used as top
dressing after the crop has been started. It
will not do at all to put either of these deep
in the soil.
This is busy month In the garden.
Below the 32d parallel of latitude there is
hardly garden plant to be named that it is
not proper to SOW or plant out either in the
open ground or in the cold frames.
If not already planted, potatoes, beets,
turnips and cabbage should be planted
without further delay. The first planting
of garden corn should be made. 1t may
be cut down by late frost but if trodden
in it is not apt to be hurt by being cut down.
Now is a good time to sow onion seed.
The Italian or Spanish varieties are the best
for our latitude, and if sown now from the
seed they will make fine onions by June /,
immediate use sets should be entirely dis
carded In the south, for we can grow as
fine onions from the seed as can be grown
in Vermont or Massachusetts,. II fresh
seed are used, the New Queen, the several
Rocca varieties and the Prize Taker will
make an onion as easily as we can grow a
turnip.
Everyone who is so situated as to allow of
having it should by all means have garden
and cultivate 1t properly. Besides furnish
ing wholesome and enjoyable addition to
very common bill OF fare il affords pleas
ant resort to the ordinary man of business,
who might work off his dyspepsia in it; to
the wearied woman Of family. whose cur
rent of thoughts may be agreeably diverted,
and to the children, who get pleasure from
everything and divine Instruction from
natures object lessons SO readily.
There is hardly any occupation that gives
more of true pleasure than that Of garden
ing, and the world would be better for it IL
every man, woman and child would culti-
vate fondness for the art.
So manifold. all-pleasing in their kind,
All-healthfui are the employs of rural life: