The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-19
The Autumn and Its work.

not "A finds the long desired rain not
having yet put in its appearance here IN
,r5de Georgia. Every few days it
clouds up about nightfall, with every in
5;oation of a steady and sufficient down
rour but alas! the morning sun dispels
the msts that have collected during the
NIGHT and the drought seems to take a
new hold. This sudden clouding up, with
few drops of rain, has occurred at al
mast regular intervals for the past eight
!. or ten weeks, but somehow the rain is not
nraciptated. This drought has caused
he cotton crop to mature earlier than in
any other year in our recollection. There
vii he very little cotton in the fields by
tbe close of this month. What hay that
has been made is already under shelter.
The peas are all picked, the corn housed.
There are no turnips growing. The pas
tures are pretty we'll graZed down to the
soil To the farmer who does not purpose
IN sow literally of small grain, that is
# # rains in time for him to do so, a
long period of idleness presents itself.
What will he do with it? In olden times,
somewhere about forty years ago, say,
there was always found plenty to do be-
tween the close Of the harvest and the
starting of a new crop. New land had to
be opened. Miles and miles of fencing
had to be gone over and fixed up, relaying
some of it and building some altogether
new. There was no dearth of work in the
interval mentioned. In those days the
harvest was not completed so early as it
is now. There was cotton picking in De-
cember and oftentimes in January. Then
our soils were still rich in humas and
commercial fertilizer were but little used
1t is we'll understood now that where
there is little humas in the soil and ma
nures rich in potash and phosphoric acid
are used in the drill, the cotton plant has
changed its disposition to some extent. 1t
puts on no more fruit than it can mature
by early fall We don't hear so much of
top crops now. The plant does not put
on new growth after an August drought
like it once did. In fact, these days, by
the middle of October five-sixths, if not
nine-tenths of the staple has been ginned
and put upon the market. The period be-
tween harvest and the beginning of the
new years work has been greatly length
ened
If our farmers are wise, they will unan-
imously make use of the time gained in
beginning the new years work by es-
tablshing their crops of grain and clover
instead Of waiting until February or
March, as many do. In these latter
months time is precious, work is pressing.
In September and October and in South
ern Georgia, even also in November the
4 farmer can find time to do well the work
that must be done hastily and consequent
" poorly, when done in the spring. An
acre OF oats put in properly in the fall
as an average thing, is equal to two acres,
II not three, as when seeded in the spring
as they usually are
In this section of country the most val
liable work that can be done in the years
une IS done in the months of October and
November. The sowing and the blowing
llaI can be done and should be done in
these months will have a great influence
On the years results. After the grain
ana clover has been properly seeded, the
farmer should turn his attention to plow-
ing under Whatever vegetable matter NAV
pe Ie1t on his soil, beginning with the
cay SOILS first, so that they can be ex-
puSed 10 the ameliorating influences of
frost as much as possible.
IL IS not desirable that the land be
Poyed round, broadcast as some call it.
.tu NIUE more need be done than to
tIoW TWO burrows together, regulating
.ne als stance so that a ridge be left be-
.@eeh the half-beds made by throwing
WV observation-disclosures together Care
should be taken that the first furrow RIM
Is a true horizontal, if possible. Several
avies per piow can be ridged up in this
.n2ief per day. The bulk of the vege-
.apIe matter is sufficiently covered by the
W. IuIroWs. The little that is left along
ue unDroken ridge will not be lost and
VIII pe covered up later when finally pre-
'aIeu Tor planting. After such ridging-
lp III November or December, the prepa-
oNon Tor planting can be rapidly made
u lhe spring. Whether there is much
NY or wet weather then one will not be
,J Iu 70 death to be in time for any partic-
uai crop. When man feels that he is
,g lIi time, he is very apt to do poor
,oLh' Tor nearly all hasty work is poor
,oIK' 1t certainly pays to do everything
u The best manner possible.