The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-06-08
WORK FOR JUNE.
Practical Suggestions Which Blaze
Out the Road to Fortune.

able to securing good STANDS where the seed
! were put in well prepared land, and not too
late. The long drouth that has played havoc
with spring oats and retarded stands OF late
planted cotton is pretty generally broken at
ral lly are probe bly, in good condition Tor rapid
and health growth, According to our per
sonal observation the season has been un-
usually free from insects-bud worms. cut
| worms and such like. We have not sean one
| per cent. of as many corn plants destroyed
| by the great, and so far uncontrolled, pest,
| the bud worm. In the experience OF the best
| farmers this insect rarely troubles corn that
| is planted after cotton, but Is generally very
bad when planted after corn, or on weed
| land. We have never been tnore convinced
| of the impolicy Of following corn with corn
than during our observation OF the past three
years.
June and July, sixty-one days. are yet to
| be distanced before the farmer can slack Ell
his trace chains. Two months OF unremit-
| ting toll and sweat!
| Corn must not lie permitted TO wait a day
for It's regular plowing. The old rule OF three
weeks between plOwings like many other
old practices, belongs to the dead past SO far
as the wide-awake progressive farmer Is con-
cerned. II Il rule is necessary at all let II be
reduced TO two weeks, or, better Sill, ten
days. It Is strange how some men will cling
To old customs and to the rules OF their dad
dieS-ihree, four, five, and even six burrows to
the row, every three weeks.
But IL seemed unavoidable with the three
inch scooters. ten-inch shovelS. or, as little
The man who runs q cultivator spreading
from three TO four feet. and cleaning out
four foot run at one, or, at the most, Two goes,
can afford to smile at the recollection of his
early days, when he tramped up and down
flve-foot row five or six times.
After the land Is well prepared and planted,
aud possibly one good close ploWlng, all that
is necessary is 10 stir the surface an inch
deep SO as to prevent the formation of crust
and permit the air to enter freely into the
soil. The implement that will do this the
fastest Is the best.
We suppose most farmers have planted
peas in their corn fields during the past
month when the corr WAS about Knee high
and upward. This Is the way To make seed
for the owner and food tor the eater; but pea
vines are the most valuable form of the COW
pea Towards the last of this month the corn
fields should be sown broadcast in peas ut the
rate OF one'lo two pecks or clean peas per
acre
But the wheat and oat stubblc-fields Is the
place to make Il crop OF pea vines that vii
nuke glad the heart OF the land, and cause II
TO show It's gratitude by an abundant harvest
BILE is, par excellence. the place for Il crop of
small grain: but II is just as good for corn or
cotton. But don't expect good crop OF pea
vines on poor, unmanured land. IN our
judgment peas respond more prottably 10
proper fertilizer than almost any crop. Peas
will grow on poor land so wi cotton, ana
corn and broom sedge. But neither W Ill pro-
duce n profitable crop. Indeed, poor land Is
Then prepare small grain stubble for peas
just us soon us possible after the grain Is out
of the way, even the next day, If the ground
Is In condition to plow, rather than lose pre-
cious time In holding the fields for the hogs
TO pasture.
If the ground is soft and tolerably smooth,
q cut-awuy harrow will put in the peas well
enough. Sow one bushel Of seed Qf clean and
sound) to each acre. and at the same time
two hundred pounds acid phosphate and one
hundred pounds of kanit per acre, as a min
inum. II the ground Is not In good conultlon
for II cut-away harrow turn IT over with
good two horse turn plow and then SOW the
seed and fertilizer and cover with the cut
away. Where the area Is small and time is
not pressing, we believe IT, VIII pay 10 plow
the land first, then plant the peas In rows
one TO two plOwings.
What viii you do with the crop,-turn the
vines under green, or let them be on the
ground until after frost? The best disposi-
tion to make of the crop Is to convert the
vines into hay. Where is the reason In turn
ing under crop OF green pea vines, really
for the mower. and then the barn. and then
the stomachs OF your grateful cattle and
horses. There Is no sound reason or sense in
the practice.
We know II is troublesome job to cure pea
vines in showery weather; but 1t can be done
almost as easily as curing clover. The she'd
ding of the leaves Is the first difficulty. This
can be largely prevented by cutting the vines
at the proper stage, which Is, when In full
bloom and before any grown pods appear
But we will wait until next month before dis
cussing this question OF curing. IN the mean
time we will be glad to hear from those OF our
readers who have been successful In making
pea-vine hay.
The same remarks about rapid shallow cul:
ture apply also TO cotton, and. indeed, to all
summer growing crops. We are AFRAID some
OF our farmers (surely none OF our readers)
have already expended more labor on some
of their cotton fields than the product Will
bring In the fall market. If any such there
be, they cannot lay the blaH on The Guilt
vator. which has for months and years past
endeavored 10 persuade against such folly.
II we could so arrange II, We would ploW over
ever y acre of the cotton as soon as possible
after each good rain, even II once week.
There is nothing SO conducive to rapid
growth and development as well pulver-
ized mellow and moist SOIL Break the crust,
or rather, stir the surface SO as TO prevent the
formation OF Il crust, and the moisture can
not escape so rapidly by evaporation.
Perhaps sDlne OF our readers are stuck" In
the grass. If so, 1t may he well TO suggest a
good general rule In the management OF
crop 1t Is this: Plow where the grass is
thickest: hoe where 1t Is thinnest. The rea-
son is this. The aim should be, first to 60
over as large an area as possible, and SECOND
TO kill as much grass as possible. In day.
A plowman Will plow almost, If not quite,
as many acres Of grassy cotton as OF compar-
atively clean, in day; and of course will
destroy more grass. But hoeman cannot
hoe as much in grassy cotton as in that which
put 10 work where they can make fair head
way, and let the plows take care OF the very
grassy cotton until the hoes can reach IT, In
our experience on the farm we have more
than once turned back the hoes when half
over" the crop, III order to save that portion
which was in fair condition. But these sug-
gestiops are for the benefit OF the farmer who
is "iE the grass" and we hope mat lew vi our
readers are 50 unfortunate.
There is another plant that promises to re-
vive the COW pea in some OF It's good points,
viz: the Sofa bean. We cultivated II twenty
years ago rs the Japan pea, and formed
very favorable opinion Of it. 1t may be man
aged In every respect as the COW pea, except
that the pods will pop open in the hot sun
when fully ripe. and the seed be scattered.
The plant is a bush-nOt II vine, and quite u
stout bush at that. If cut about the time the
blooming is free and nicely cureu 1t makes Il
palatnble and very nutritious hay. The peas
or beans. are exceedingly nutritious, much
more, even than peas. or corn, but not equally
rellshed by stock. 1t Is said that the Japan
ese value The beans very highly AS table
vegetable, using il mainly in the form oi
soup.
Sowings of sorghum, corn and miles, for
forage, may continue during This month, nS
rich plots are relieved OF other matured
crops. On very rich soil German mllet wi
make large yield OF very nutritious hay. IT
Is one of those crops that are called eXhuus-
tive but 1t Is SO only because millet feeds ro-
raciOusly. grows mpidly-inaturing In less
than one hundred dayS-and contains large
IN ust have taken from the soil.
The Cultivator was enriched last mouth by
two sound articles on Bermuda grass, both OF
which we heartily endorse. lti not yet too
late To set out Bermuda stems, although II
were better done In March and April. Ii IL Is
desired to make u Bermuda pasture or mead
ow OH land now in cotton or corn, the stems
may be prigged out along the corn or cotton
rows, without the slightest danger OF 1nJur-
ing the present crop. Indeed, the common
idea that this grass spreads very rapidly Is u
great mistake; on the contrary Bermuda
spreads very slOwly-but surely. An yet IL
will not cross fence row, and 1t is easily kept
in bounds.