The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-06-14
WORK FOR THE MONTH.

/ 2 lItlt~ i'll tdh~tI fith II tAA - ~
ton to farm work, which i now in arrear
in many sections. With warm. season
able weather. however. this arrear would
soon be made good. *. from the moisture
in the ground. crops. when planted. Viii
make rapid growth. Wheat. oats, AMI
grass ara generally looking wei. and
the prospect i for fine crops. Clover \
not 50 promising. the cold spring having
Stuntcd the growth. Corn II not look
| ing well generally. the wet. cool weather
having caused it To come very unevcnly
and much will require To be rcplanted-
Irish potatoes look well. and promise an
early crop. Tobacco plants and sweet
potato plants are Onward ana III good
supply, and are being set ont on good
seasons and growing of Well. he con
dition Of the wheat crop throughout
! the country is better by six points than
it was twelve months ago. and in Nlr-
ginia is the highest 11ol Of any State in
the Union. and. except in California,
promises Il good yield. In California,
drouth has almost destroyed the crop.
and il is doubtful whether that STATE.
will grow more wheat this YEAR than \
needed for its own IN
Kansas, the wheat crop promises 10 be
the largest iii its history. \otWith-|
standing the fact that wheat had risen
to the dollar mark before seeding time
last fall. the increase in the acreage SoNu
is not more than > per cent over that OF
the year previous. There i Il large rcduc-
ton in the area of the crop in Indiana.
Ohio. Illinois and Missouri. due To the
fact Of an unfavorable seeding time. The.
indications are that. with good weather
from now 10 harvest. farmers will make.
Il fine crop of wheat. and that it will
sell for Il high price. The reserves of
wheat in the country are less than for
! many wears past. whilst the worlds Vl>l-.
bic supply was only 1872 million bushels
on the 1>t May against 222 million bush
els at the same date III lSS3. Notwith-.
standing the high price at which wheat
is now selling tS1.62 i'll New York. and
| $1.6U III Chicago,. Europe is buying Ill
| that is offered. and the exports are cnor-
NOUS. If this buying should continue
until harvest. as appears now probable.
the new crop will be in great demand inn.
mediatcly it is harvested. and farmers
will have such IN opportunity to realize
on their crop as has not fallen to their
lot for many years. III" cotton crop. of
which the area has been reduced about
six per cent. is coming up slowly. and the
pro>pcC is not very promising Tor Il
large crop. This is not 10 be regretted.
as the only remedy for the existing low
price lis smaller production. The fruit
crop promises to be much better than APP
ptlred probable u month ago. In Pied.
mont Virginia peaches. apples and cher
rlcS promise Il good crop.
The planting of corn should be pushed
on as fast as the weather will permit.
Even on the low river bottom lands it
should all he got III by the 10th June if
possible. or the chance Of making Il good
crop will be materially lcsscned. Corn
is selling at Il much better price than 1T
one time seemed probable. and. with
wheat selling well and likely to continue
to do so. the price is likely to be higher
in the coming year than in the past.
| Keep the cultiyatorS running in the corn
fields whenever the land is in Il fit condi-
ton for them to work, and just rs long
as the teams can get through the crop
without injury. vt the last working,
SOW COW peas. german clover. red clover,
or Sarling clover. These crops Will give
much grazing in the fall and winter. and
greatly improve the land for the succeed
ing crop. We have Il report from Il
SuhScrilcr. who SONS German and red
clover mixed III his corn crop. and he IS
well pleased with the results. The Ger
man clover makes early spring feed, and
the red clover a later hay crop.
Corn for the silo should he planted
during this month. Whilst it is not ne
ccSSary to give 50 much room between
the rows or hills az when planting for
corn. yet sufficient room should be given
to allow Of the crop making Il fair pro-
portion of ears on the stalks and admit
of the sun maturing the crop. If not well
matured. the Silagc will be watery anI
sour and lacking in nutritivc value.
SOFA beans. COW peas. and sorghum
ing this month. where not already. plant
ed. and millet may be sowed at any time
during this and the succeeding month.
In our last issue will be found an article
on forage crops. to which we invite at
tention. They are deserving Of more care
and attention than is usually given them
in the South.
Sweet potatoes should be set out dur
ing the first and second weeks Of the,
month. 1t is Il mistake to plow too deep
~ for this crop or to make the hills toe
high. The effect Of doing 50 is to cause
the tubers to grow long and crooked.
whilst the markets of the North. to
which the crop is shipped. call for Il short
chunky potato. In growing the crop
avoid the use of heterogeneous
These cause it to run to vine instead Of
tubtIS. Nooi ; l1ttllu- JllAtu NlIn lime /
and compoStcd in the fall. is one Of thef
best fertilizers to use broadcast. and this
should be supplemented by a mixture
of acid phosphate and muriate Of potash
8 y pounds of acid phosphate and POO
pounds Of muriatc of potash mixed to-,
getherl applied 1T the rate Of q pounds
to the acre. which should be put i'm the
rows and be mixed in the soil before
planting the slips. If short of slips to
set ont the quantity required. cuttings
may be taken from the vines Of those
earliest planted. and these will root read
lily and make potatoes which will come
in later and keep better during the win
ter. These cuttings should be pieces of
the vines about 4 foot long. and be b1r-i
led i'll the ground except the tips.