The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-10-17
TO GEORGIA FARMERS.
Regular Monthly Letter From
Commissioner Nesbitt.
FALL WORK rs NEXT IN ORDER.

And When Everything: IL Done the Tools
should Be Laid Away Carefully Until
Opportunity Offers to Put Them In Or
der For Use Next SeaSon-A Paper Full
of Useful Advice to All.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, GA, Oct. i, 1895.
In years gone by and under the old
regime the fall months were given
chiefly to the gathering of the cotton
crop, and when this work was not
pressing, farmers as a rule considered
that if they gathered and housed the
corn and other crops and packed their
pork into the smokehouses by Christ
mas they were accomplishing their full
duty to their families, themselves and
their calling Under a more progress.
sive system, however, the farmer who
allows his fields to be bare, exposed to
the destructive work of the winters
storms and his cattle to shiver in its
chilling blasts, is regarded as indiffer-
emit to his own best interests, and lack
ing in the most important essentials of
an enlightened agriculturist. Let us
again repeat that the fall work Oh q
Georgia farm is as important, il not
more SO. than that in the spring, when
everything is in rush and all calling
for attention at the same time. Much
of this spring rush and vexation Of spirit
may be materially lightened by thought.
full planning and work now. In the
comparative leisure of the fall season,
we can lay the foundations for next
years crop.
FALL FLOWING.
with red clay subsoil, not only loos-
ems and aerates the land, but permits
more extended action of the rains and
frosts whicA are sure to come. Lands
which have been deeply plowed in the
fall receive, and what is of more inn
portance, retain much of the water
which would otherwise be washed
away with every beating rain, taking
with 1t large amount of the topsoil,
whose food producing elements have
to be replaced before we can expect
satisfactory yield OF crops. Another
advantage to be gained by fall and
early winter blowing is that on many
Of our old, cultivated lands there are
valuable mineral elements lying dor
mant, too deep to be reached by our
ordinary shallow blowing. These, to
be made valuable, must be brought to
the surface, mixed with any vegetable
matter or humus which may be found
there. and left to the action of the
frosts. the rains and the atmosphere;
three powerful agents and assistants
to the farmer. By these forcible agen.
cies, the mineral elements, which play
so important part in the development
Of all crops. and for which we pay suoh
o high price in the form Of commercial
fertilizer, can be had for the seeking,
and their presence in this form and by
the methods which we have to use to
get them, will put our lands in better
condition than if we were to cover their
whole surface with the highest priced
commercial goods. Therefore. even If
the work has, by reason of beating
rains. to be repeated in the spring, we
! would advise, by all means, deep plow-
ing. To get the full benefit Of this
work, 1t should be done as soon as pos.
sible. and If a crop Of rye or German
clover be planted, we have set in mo.
ton forces which will go far towards
supplying all three needed elements,
phosphoric acid, potash and nitrogen,
on the spot. and from the free labora.
tory of natfire; added to which our
lands will be in better condition and
our crops more certain than IL we de.
pended on buying all the necessary
| food elements instead of making q
large part at home
WHEAT.
AS indicated last month, the sowing
Of this crop should be regulated as far
as nossihle To about ten n avs hefora onr