The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-09
nrief Matters of Intercst.


Frost severe enough 10 kill the growing
buckwheat and all the garden vegetables
occurred in Sullivan and Delaware
counties, New York, on the morning of
August 81 On the same date the Their
mometer in the shade at Jefferson, Iowa,
registered 1O2 degrees.
The month of August in central Georgia
was noted by frequent thunder showers
and heavy dews. In some localities there
was little more rain than was necessa-
r. for the good of some Crops. but on the
whole the weather was favorable to the
late growing crops. Late corn, peas,
sugar cane, potatoes, etc. were in lux
uriant growth at the close of the month.
Pastures were unusually fine and there
is no reason why stock of all kinds
should not enter upon the winter in fat
and healthy condition. Furthermore,
there should be no lack of hay on the
southern farm for the next six months.
Not one farmer in a hundred ever had
too much good hay.
The first cotton mill in the United
States was built at Beverly, Mass, in
1871 Thirteen years later, or in 1900, the
number had increased to five and
Georgia cotton was offered in New York
at Is, Cd a pound. What a wonderful de-
Velopment in the cotton industry in
a century,
Some years ago the farmers in Kan
sas adopted alfalfa or lucerne as their
chief hay plant, and in asmaller way for
pasture purposes. By 1894 something over
$4,000 acres were luxuriant in the growth
of this splendid perennial. From official
reports we learn that the acreage in al
falfa for 1885 in that state has been in
creased to l25 900 acres We would like to
see something like this take place in
Georgia. II one farmer would take hold
of lucerne and crimson clover and give
these royal plants the attention and
care that they will merit we should soon
witness a new era of prosperity. OF
course this implies attention to stock
cattle hogs sheep goats etc. etc.
We would feel that we had done a great
deal for our southland if we could in
duce every farmer who owns the land that
he cultivates to SOW even one acre to
crimson clover this fall. Even tenant
farmers would find it profitable to sow
this clover (for it is an annual, but we
specified the first mentioned class as be-
ing the most likely to maks such a trial
We have no hesitation in saying that if
the sowing is properly made not one far
mer in fifty will be likely to regret hav-
ing invested in twenty-five pounds of the
seed for seeding one acre. Prepare the
soil and treat as you would turnips doing
this by Oct 10, you will certainly thank us
for the advice.
The crops are pretty well all laid by now,
but there is some very important work
still to be done, to-wit: sprouting and
weed-killing. Fortunate indeed is the
farmer whose pastures are not Infected
with some worthless weed that greatly de-
tracts from the value of the pasture
Here in Central Georgia. at this writing.
our own pasture, if not a solid mass of
yellow from the presence of the autumn
dog fennel, are overspread with cookie
bur or Unison weed. or ragweed, or others
nearly as bad. We regret to see so little
being done toward Graduating these de-
structive pests No better work could be
done during September than a vigorous
and intelligent onslaught on every thing
OF the kind, If the services of a mower
cannot be had, do the next best thing
and 90 at the work with a grass blade
even If only an acre day can be gone
over 1t will pay well to do this work
Il not already about ruined by the pres
ehce OF the weeds, even the meadows will
De made almost worthless in two or three
Years more. Weeds grow very rapidly and
i IS very frequently the case that in two
or three weeks after the hay has been
cut and cured a crop of weeds will spring
up out-growing the valuable grass until
II is easily possible to get a good cutting
Of them. either with the mower or the
grass blade.
What weeds are most destructive on
your farm? None are more pernicious
on bottom lands than the cockle-bur If
ailoWed to go to seed they are nothing less
Ildn terrible. A pasture is absolutely I'M
Htted for use where this weed runs riot
IN the past five years our commons and
pastures have been overrun with the au-
tumn yellow dog fennel. The May weed
Is pad, but this variety is five times worse.
IN some sections of the country the people
are awakening to the fact that pernicious
weeds, may prove as great a hindrance
10 successful farming as perncous in
Sects. While we may thank the good Lord
mat so far we have no Russian or
Odnada' thistles to contend with, still we
nave some that will prove almost as bad
Il we are so foolish a. to allow them free
play. Look about you and see if there is
not some truth in this statement. Be-
sizes those mentioned, we have the smart
grass, the cocoon nut grass the horse net
ue' the latter running some of our best bot
tom pastures or meadows. The prickly
dharanth is mother pernicious weed on the
Increase in the south. The rag weed prop
CITY utilized is very good weed to have
apout under certain conditions. They
can De made to supply a large quantity of
vegetable matter on soils that grow fall
sIalh' II such soil happen to be infested
win the weed. Still we should prefer re-
,ofung to other plants for our humus.
mean that it is possible in its case to
eAtfdct some good from the apparent evil.