The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-03-18
Agriculture.

Agriculture,
Kaffir corn seems to have an ad-
vantage in that it will grow in dry
seasons when common maize is a
failure; it keeps green in the hot
test, dryest weather. 1t makes very
fair flour, and stock eat it ravenous-
ly. Often horses seem to prefer it
to oats, and it seems to have many
of the nourishing elements of wheat
and oats.
Crops are crowded and choke and
robbed by weeds in countless forms,
and they do not excite due appre-
hension as to the harm they are do
ing. If we would but take up the
warfare the coming season, even if
it does take all summer, we shall
find it task we'll undertaken. We
should be astonished IL we could
compute the loss they occasion.
Aim to keep plants growing on the
land all the time. Sow crimson
clover in the corn at the last cultiva-
ton. After potatoes, wheat or rye
may be drilled in without blowing,
or even narrowing the ground, to
good advantage. Rye is harder
than wheat, and will make good
growth on corn or potato stubble
with very little preparation.
The ordinary amending" of roads
is worse than nothing; money thus
expended is utterly wasted. A road
must have good foundation and
surface and careful system of in
spection and repairs. It will cost
much less to keep up good roads
than the ordinary dirt highways,
which must have amending" every
spring and fall. 1t is folly to be APP
palled by the initial cost.
Agriculture Is safer than banking,
manufacturing or railwaying. There
is no farmer anywhere, of good in
telligence and good health, who can
not make living for himself and
family. This is as we'll as the ma
jority are doing in other pursuits. 1t
is said that only three per cent. of
men engaged in other business es-
cape failure, while only three per
cent. of farmers fail.
Because oats is cheap crop it is
too often that carelessness is shown
in the seeding. If the crop is worth
sowing at all it is worth taking pains
to sow in such circumstances as
will ensure vigorous, thrifty
growth and yield, If the ground is
in good filth it will require less seed
If we put coarse manure on potato
ground late in the spring it will be
likely to do more harm than good.
When plowed under it will remain
dry in the furrow until midsummer,
and will then ferment and breed
fungus. Place it in the fall, or have
it thoroughly rotted.
If the straw can not all be used for
bedding, spread 1t out in the yard
where the animals stand during the
day, that their hocfs may cut it up
and make pulpy mass Of it; then
haul dark soil or leaf mold from the
woods and cover it; if this is re-
peated once month during the win
ter 1t will be valuable vegetable
supply for the fields.
The progressive farmer is a stick
Ter for good seed. Even slight
loss from this source amounts to
more in the result than We can often
calculate. Let there be no stlnting
in either quality or quantity.
Soils which most need drainage
usually are the most productive.
Clay ground, which is most reten.
tive of moisture, and, therefore, cold
and late, is strong ground, and re-
tentive of applied manures. In good
mechanical condition it holds bet
ter than dry soil, usually deficient in
plant food.