The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-06
The Busy Month Of March.

Especially coming after wet February
March must be busy mouth. The farmer
and the gardener are put 10 all they know
to keep up or catch up" with the work of
the season that is now pressing for imme-
date execution. In Middle Georgia wei
weather has retarded farm and gardening
work. As we write these notes Feb. q, 9
o'clock p. M the constant roll # thunder
softens the click OF our "Y ost' and the light
ming flashes through the window pane play
upon its polished rim. The rain comes
with roar and pour which characterizes
the early thunder storms. This is the first
one OF the season. Inc soil was saturated
before it occurred. It will be some DAYS be-
lore our clays can be plowed without injury
There will be much land plowed while too
wet this season we fear. We have seen some
OF that done already. It can be safely at
hrmed that much Of the impoverisnment
OF our soils about Milledgevllle is due to
having been plowed and pastured when
they were too wet. Clay soil cannot stand
that kind OF treatment steadily and retain
fertility. or course other causes co-Upe-
rated. We might say one other cause CO.
operated-the reckless exhs ustion OF its
humus. But it is bad to have to pillow soil
when II Is too wet. A good farmer does it
with a groan. He will put off doing such
thing TO the very last moment. The plow-
Ing or land In March when wet can easily
produce injury enough to Offset the good in
huence Of several hundred pounds of fertil-
lzer. IL would seem that some console
themselves for the improper blowing with
the erroneous idea that they can make
an offset by applying little more fertili-
ger. But this won't work. The i'll effects
can only be counteracted fully or
partially by severe freezing Of the soil,
which cannot occur until the following
winter; and a mild winter might, as it fire.
queutly happens, delay the remedy beyond
a year. We have in mind small field of
fair land that was ruined for several years
by negro who planted it in April in cot
ton when the soil was soaking wet All
intelligent farmers of experience will
doubtless concur in the statement that we
make-that 1t is very unwise to pillow land
when it is very wet. the land had better
lie for fallow a whole season even than be
SO barbarously treated.
On with the Dance however, if the
weather allows. 1t may have been better
in your section. Is the main crop of corn
all plantedl We assume that you are not
neglecting this crop again FIR that fatefuI
6ete NOR king cotton.n He must be
king surely--a regular despot that the
people are afraid to slight. But let US risk
1t and give him one slight that will make
him vince this time. Onr welfare, it seems
to US, is more than ever dependent upon our
neglectinR cotton this year. Each farmer
wants to do the best he can for himself, Of
course. But he will certainly "err on the
safe side" by giving more than usual at
tention to the food crops, all those side
crops" that he generally plants adding an
extra one Tor two if experience
justifies. Put some extra work on the
pastures and meadows and increase the
number of stock, if at all practicable
Farmers are differently situated every
where. What is good advice to one may
not be suited to another-so far as details
go. Anyhow we hope at the close OF the
year all our readers can feel hat they have
done the best they could under all the cir
cumstances. not being prophets, but merely
men beset with perplexing problems that
they are not prepared to solve.
All kinds of vegetables are now to be
planted, if not already in the ground. Have
you planted goodly area in Irish potatoesl
If so, we'll. Have you be ided your sweets
yetl 1t Is time they were in. Observe the
intensive plan with them this year and
make the biggest yield you ever have made