The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-18
Fallow Crops-Time to Turn Under
Peas. Etc.

Editor Morning News: While I am in
structed and interested in much YOU saw
IN your department, l cannot agree fully
with what appears to be your conclusion
IN an article of last week, i'll which you
seem to advise blowing i'll fallow weeds,
Stuo0le, pea vines, etc. in the fall, for the
oeneht of next years crop. | began
farming forty years ago with YOUR opin-
lons-which | think / derived largely from
northern and European writers-but
long experience and observation has con-
Nlnced one that for our climate, soil and
crops 1t is better to let the land remain
undlsturoed through the fall and winter,
allowing weeds, pea vines, etc, to remain
shade the ground-and rot on the sur
face, and economic labor by breaking the
ground as near the day-Uf planting cotton
or corn as possible. And / find large
majority of experienced farmers in this
section have come to the same conclusion
Ihere are many reasons for it. which will
present themselves to farmers, which
will not take your space to give.
You. mention that some of the hardy
species of field peas may be sown with
small grain in late fall and winter, to re-
main IN ground to come up in MAY or
June, to succeed the grain after it is cut.
Some farmers have been trying for
years to work this plan, but have never
succeeded until lately to secure a pea
sufficiently hardy to come up TO a stand.
singularly hardy pea has been found and
developed by MIR. George Gilmore, an in
telligent and successful farmer near San
dersville. 1t is a small, hardy pea and
vines immensely, and sowed with his
grain, covers the field in the summer and
fall. Where the peas have grown the
previous summer and followed by small
grain, poor stand of peas usually follows
the grain. We expect it to be valua BILE
for stock as well as in its benefit to land.
OF the clovers, lucerne sowed broad
cast, on ground intensely rich, IN small
lots has done best for US. r. i. w.
Washington county, Georgia.
We are always glad to get criticisms
and comments from our intelligent read
ers, and it gives us much pleasure to pub
lish such from readers like ''R L. W"
We do not know to what remark of
ours Mr.. w. refers to, but we are sure
that if he refers to it again he will find
wherever we advise blowing land in the
fall it is for the purpose of sowing small
grain of some kind. r. L. w. s views are
entirely correct, in our opinion. We
would not turn under vegetable matter of
any kind in the fall, unless to use the
land for grain. And in sowing grain on
such land, especially if the sowing is
made late, it is importantthat a roller be
used to firm the soil. If this is not done
the grain is liable TO be heaved out by the
first freeze that occurs in December or
January.
Unless for the purpose of sowing some
kind of grain in October or early Novem-
Der we should certainly leave the soil I'M
disturbed until nearly time to plant
some crop in the spring.
There are one or two varieties of field
peas that allow of being sown with grain
in the fall, and yet will not terminate un-
til spring We had such a variety num-
Der of years ago, and a North Carolina
correspondent wrote us recently that he
had such kind, and observed the plan
of sowing it every year with his grain.
Such pea is undoubtedly great acqui-
sition to the southern farmer-the stock
farmer especially, and should be very ex-
tensively used.
But as we have remarked frequently,
there are but few of our farmers who re
allie how valuable we can make several
varieties of clover for fallow purposes.
We should be glad to hear from "R. L.
W." frequently. We know that his long
experience qualities him to give some
valuable suggestions.