The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-08


Some enquiries being made through your
very valuable paper concerning the pres
ent dilemma that the average farmer
seems to be in as regards what crops to
raise other than wheat. corn. etc. and in
view of the present insect ravages and the
present failure of wheat. 1 offer for their
benefit pointer or two. says a correspon-
dent Of the Indiana Farmer.
There is one crop in particular wish 10
call their attention to that is a sure crop.
almost regardless Of any unfayOrableness
of the season, easy to raise and can be
planted as late as June % with perfect
safety. The cultivation Of which is light
er on both men and teams than most other
crops and is not near so exhausting upon
the soil, as it draws on mineral agencies
in prepOnderance to other plant food prop
critics, thus avoiding exhaustion in the
more valuable soil constituents. Indiana
and all states east and most states south
of us have overlooked this crop and we
are supplied mostly from Central Illinois,
and In a goodly degree from Kansas, Ne
braska and some other parts of the west.
The grower here will in many instances
save process Of baling. shipping, commits
sion and so on, because of the ever pres
ence of this home demand In Illinois II
has been cultivated in a large way, for
thirty years or more past. upon lands that
IN many instances are worth 500 per acre.
This crop the past year commanded a high
price, as 1t scored an advance last fall Of
100 per cent. II has been selling as high as
! 7Q7lz cents per pound, or $14O@l56 per ton.
The usual price or average is about $50 TO
500 per ton for good quality. The crop is
ready for market in about ninety days
from time of planting. The yield is from
500 TO 500 pounds per acre. Implements for
cultivation; Breaking plow, good har-
row, two-horse, double Al with handles
and any small toothed corn cultivator, a
cheap one-horse power and cylinder for
cleaning of the seed.
The reason l now give these details is
/ that farmers can step in yet this season
and appropriate their wheat and other
| fields as also their corn fields where raw
/ aged by worms. etc.
| Cultivation.-Draw the rows not over 3
| feet in width on any land however poor
/ it may be, but only about half as deep as
| for corn. Have your ground well fined how
/ ever. Drag and harrow first, as this is i'm
/ portant. Can drop by hand and cover with
! harrow or you can use almost any corn
/ drill, but in using q double rowed corn
planter you must Of course have your
rows little wider unless you should pos
! sess drill made purposely Tor broom-corn.
/ Plant as near as you can from GO to 80
| seeds to the rod QineaD. About the time it
| is just peeping through The ground pass
] your narrow over II 10 cneCk the WeeuS. II
| you will attend to this just at the right
] time you need not follow the rows as you
/ will not injure II unless on some very loose,
soft fields you might bury il too deeply. If
| there is danger of this roll it first One
/ week later or sooner draw one furrOw be-
4 tween the rows and harrow again; this
| time following the rows as you do in corn.
| Now, if your ground is clean, one more
| working or at furthest two is all that is
/ necessary. The additional expense in har-
! vesting, seeding and curing will cost you
! in labor about three dollars per acre.
Returns from 800 to 700 pounds per acre.
Minimum prices from three to five cents
| per pound; maximum prices from five to
eight cents per pound and always a ready
/ home market. To sum up will say to the
/ farmers of Indiana If you wish TO farm
for fun and for glory, continue to raise
corn, wheat, etc, as you have been. But If
you wish to succeed, to make your bread,
| to pay your debts, or lift your mortgages,
and save the properties of your soils. thou
| sands of you can embrace the opportunities
as above set forth, l will send you further
| treatise later on as regards the modus OPP
| erandi of gathering and curing this crop,
! and will treat the question of constant ro-
tation, substituting the rye for clover, in
| stead of wheat. Seed can be procured at
most wholesale seed stores, at a cost of
about 81 per bushel. A bushel will plant
| from seven to 10 acres.