The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-10

The millions of acres planted to
cotton during the month of April
mill be chopped to stand
mis- month. All other work on the farm
,r,st Weld the precedence to this most
important work. Soon as the cotton is
we'll nm the work of chopping should be-
oin and he pushed to completion, not that
II is essential or, in fact, judicious to re-
suoe the crop to perfect stand at this
eret poing over, but it is important that
the bulk of the plants resulting from the
customary thick seeding should be got
ron rid Of. so as not to allow the plants
tbat are 10 produce the staple to become
stunted. At this chopping, which it is
'proposed to be done as rapidly as possible
nv cut and a push to nicer work is re-
knIlred than to thin down to number
about double of what will finally be left
10 grow and to smother with loose soil the
1crabgrass as it has appeared in the row
y in its tender infancy. The usual prelimi-
mary to chopping out is TO side the rows
xvith narrow scooter, but this is not al
Nwavs the best plan. If no heavy, packing
srain has fallen since planting, and the
seed beds are still loose and mellow from
previous good preparation for planting,
chopping out can very properly precede
blowing and sharp sweep or a light
harrow should be run around after the
chopper, running very close to the plants,
but very shallow. AT this stage of the
syoung plant the soil is already very loose
and light, and it is not desirable that it
Should be made any more so while the ten
&der plant is preparing to throw out it's lat
.eral roots. A long scooter run close to the
bow has a tendency to loosen the soil too
8much for the good of the young plant.
$50 long as the seed beds are mellow from
4the absence of hard rains, the sweep or
4the harrow is the best implement to run
&Tound with and oftentimes it will be bet
#ter and more economical to follow the
choppers than to go ahead of them. When
a the soil has become packed from hard
rains. and especially when the soil is
clayey, of course, it is necessary to use
the scooter and ahead of the choppers.
In chopping out while the plants are very
young allowance must be made for some
plants dying out and being diminished by
insects, and more than a perfect stand
should be left and close thinning should
be deferred to the second and final hoeing
and the strongest looking plants then left
by the latter part of the month the mid
dies should be well broken with single or
double shovels, still using care not to run
SO close as to cut the young laterals.
No other deep blowing is necessary. but
81 AuL tll0l CULTIVATION IN June should be
zone with sweep or harrow or cultivator.
Inc sweep is the usual implement among
southern farmers, and on the small farm
narrow or cultivator is rarely used.
frequently one or the other of these is
more appropriate to the work of cultiva-
uoh IMAM the sweep. After the first
"eeping or narrowing a wide sweep or
epanded harrow, wide enough to break
ne crust Of the whole middle at one time
gong through should be used.
deep preparation of the soil for planting
desirable thing, but deep cultivation
not proper on our light soils. 1t is a
'efy small proportion of the soil in the
pne regions that will become so compost
lIer deep blowing at planting time that
le foots OF corn or cotton will not be able
easily penetrate it during the summer
swallow cultivation is promptly given
He crop before the soil becomes dry. 1t
very good plan generally to go over
crop sweeping or otherwise cultivating
cry other middle and then come back
" the other.