The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-06-28
His Monthly Talk to the Farmers of
the State of Georgia.
THE WATERMELON GROWTH
1t Is a Paying Crop to the Farmers of the
state-The March Freeze-Cot.
ton Damaged Badiy-other
Farming News.
IMPAIRMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
ATLANTA, June /, 1894.
THE MARCH FREEZE.

eAect OF the March freeze was felt. in
some localities necessitating the entire
replarting of cotton, and, in the more
northern portions, even the young corn,
which was just coming up or had COM
menced to grow off, had to be plowed
up and planted over again. But by the
middle OF May these crops had almost
recovered from the Temporary backsat
THE FRUIT CROP,
however, peaches, pears, and to some
extent apples and small fruits, not ex-
cepting the hardy blackberries, had suf-
Tered too, severely. In almost every
section the peaches and pears were en-
tirely cut off, and, in some instances.
the trees also were injured beyond rem
edy. One pre-eminent misfortune of
this kind is the destruction of beauti-
tul spring orchard on Kennesaw noun
tain. The trees were unusually hand
some apd healthy, and would have come
into full bearing next year. 1 am told
that not one was spared. The fact that
freeze like this comes perhaps about
once in 20 or 30 years, contains little
comfort for the loser. Its rarity can
only encourage those who contemplate
setting out young orchards, and whose
hopes are In the future.
In one or two favored sections the in
jury to the orchards was not material,
but the fact cannot be disputed that
fruit of all kinds will be ct premium.
In filling this hiathus the
GEORGIA WATERMELON
comes prominently forward. The early
paintings were of course injured more
or less, but the replant is making steady
progress, and, though the weather has
continued most unfavorable, the season
to melon growers bids fair to be an I'M
usually profitable one.
While crops generally were still suf-
fering from the freeze the
BLIZZARD IN THE MIDDLE OF MAY
came upon US, and it is disheartening. to
again have to chronicle the severe injury
sustained by the young plants scarcely
yet recovered from the previous dis
aster. In northern Georgia, more es-
pecially, the heavy winds and unex-
pected cold wrought sad havoc with
tender vegetation. The corn, though
much whipped and twisted by the se-
verify of the wind, can withstand de-
gree of cold, before which the delicate
young cotton must succumb, and the
corn fields are now taking on a vigorous
growth, bat the plants in the devastated
cotton fields look almost as if they would
pever hold up their heads again. Where
he crop had been brought to ''stand"
the injury was OF course proportionally
greater. In some cases those plants
which were able to resist the first eff
fects Of the trying weather, finally died
rom the secondary ''sOre shins'' and
The depredstions Of lice. always worse,
when the mornings and evenings are
chilly. Where the crop has been tided
bver this critical period the yield may
yet reach fair average.
In cases where the first injury, COM
bined with the chilly days aud parching
winds Of the last Of May, have succeed
I'd In killing out the "stand," it is now
too late to remedy the evil. Cotton once
well started, will resist degree of back
treatment, which corn, in it's shorter
period Of development, will resent, but
the cotton, In order to develop success
Fully, must be in good growing condi-
ton by the first of June. AS stated last
month, If, as a rule, the first of June
finds the farmer with good stands and
clean fields, he can hopefully enter on
IL % Il. -
is an exceptional year. Though the
with Judgment and we'll directed ener-
gy, he may have the misfortune to wit
hess the destruction of his best laid
plans, and this by agencies entirely be-
yond his control. I fear that in some
localities the cotton has been too badly
Managed to recover. Although 1t is now
200 late to replant, let us not resign our
selves to supine regret. We cannot
afford to plow up the plants that remain
if even half stand is left. The cult
tivation must go on, and in order that
the
MISSING SPACES
may be made to pay something for the
work which they, in common with the
cotton, must receive, it would be we'll
to drop few Spanish ground peas or
whippoorwill peas in the long gaps. The
mistake so often made in planting peas
with another crop is that the variety
chosen is of too luxurisnt growth, and
finally overruns and chokes out the less
vigorous crop. This is true of all the
running kinds, but if the whippoorwill,
whose habit is to bunch rather than
spread out, is used, we obviate this diff
Guilty.
Ground peas, vines and nuts, pulled
up and cured together, make splendid
forage. and those who have tried it
know the value of pea vine hay. In the
latter crop we also store up nitrogen in
the soil for future use, and thus receive
double benefit, for we can appropriate
all that we can cut, and still the roots
and stems remain to perform their i'm
portant Office as nitrogen gatherers.
Unfortunately there are cases where
the
COTTON is KILLED
out, or there are only few plants left