The Brunswick times., 1896-05-09
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, NAY 4, 1891

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, hay 4, 1897.
A recent and rather extended visit to
the southwestern section of the state
has much encouraged our belief in the
advance of Georgia agriculture. Farms,
which for years have been given over
to broomsedge and briars, are being re.
claimed, and what were a few years
ago trackless pine forests, are now
dotted over with neat farm houses and
we'll kept farms. 1t is only on the
larger plantations. where tenants are
entrusted with the management or mis-
management of farm affairs, that one
notices the evidence of stagnation. The
watchword seems to be Progress" and
farmers as a rule are attaining to a
comfort and independence unknown in
the years Immediately succeeding the
war. or cougse there are exceptions,
but in the main, where men have raised
their home supplies and farmed on
strictly business principles, the reward
has been sure and it has not been long
delayed. In many cases men who were
formerly working for standing wages.
or renting one or two mule tarm, by
this "open Sesame" of careful manage
ment and of producing at home all the
bread and meat needed to carry on their
business, have been enabled to enter ON
the enjoyment of an independent home
life whose equal for comfort and free
dom from the rush and struggle of the
general business world is not found on
the globe. One negro man, who Is
years ago was hiring at $10.0 month,
today owns a 600 acre farm with COM
Portable 8-room house and necessary
Qutbnildings among which is a smoke
house containing 800 pounds of home
raised meat and cribs stored with corn
and forage for the coming years de-
mands. Another man, white, who was
once a renter with only small force at
his command, today runs 80 plows and
owns hundreds of acres of land. On
inquiry we found that the infiexible
rule in both cases has been ample pro.
vision crops and as much cotton as could
be we'll taken care of. In the first case,
the mans own family of boys have
helped him to gain his position. In the
second, the goal has been reached by a
strict adherence to agricultural business
principles. coupled with a sagacity,
which has enabled the owner to steer
clear of speculation and produce his cot
ton at figure several degrees below
the selling price. What is in tne land
for these two men is there for Others of
equal pluck and energy.
THE WORK FOR THE MONTH
has been very much delayed, more
especially in the middle and northern
sections of the state. The southern SEQ.
tions were not visited by the heavy
rains of the winter and early spring,
which the farmers farther north had to
contend against, and as a rule work
there is very we'll advanced. On ac-
count of numerous delays farther north,
from the constant rains, many farmers
were unable to give the corn land the
thorough preparation so necessary for a
successful crop. and some have simply
opened the rows, put in the manure,
thrown two burrows ON this and planted
on the ''list" Where this is the case,
now is the time to give the corn land a
thorough and deep breaking out. After
this time it will be impossible to put
the plow in close and deep without
breaking off some of the delicate, feed
ing roots, which begin to extend in
every direction not very far from the
surface.
Where the land has been thoroughly
prepared and is in good condition, the
harrow will be found very effective
implement pushing forward effecti~e
work. Run diagonally across the rows;
it will not hurt the young plants, but
will effectually kill the coming crop of
grass, and by its rapid work enable the
farmer to give his attention to other
pressing duties In the more southern
sections of the state the corn crop will
soon be ready for the second working
Our object then should be to conserve
moisture as we'll as kill grass and weeds,
and this is best accomplished by cult.
gating as shallow and as fat as posi-.
BILE.
Over the cotton beds, where crust
has formed, the harrow does most eff
cient work, and unless the ''stand" is
very imperfect. does not injure the cot
ton. After narrowing allow the plants
to remain until they can be brought to
a 'sstand" at the first hoeing. This OBJ
viates the expensive and needless "block.
ing out" once so extensively practiced.
This plan presupposes the land in good
condition. On rough or poorly prepared
land, resort must be had to the scooter
or narrow shovel. using fender to pre-
vent the close siding from covering the
voung cotton and bolting on half
scrape behind the foot of the plow, to
cover the young grass i'll the middles.
FORAGE CROPS
All sorts of forage crops may bu
started this month Sorghum. about
Il