The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-04-10

(The Southern Planter.

one IN which much progress could be
made with work on the farm. The fire.
Quent showers and cold unreasonable
weather have kept the land unfit for
the pillow. and there has been q mark
ed absence OF those drying winds for
which the month is proverblal. \
peek Of March dust IS said TO be worth
q kings ransom. This year it has
been scarce enough 10 make it a very
high ransom. Ii is to be hoped that
the closing days of the month, and
the month to Dc entered on. may be
more SeasOnable, or the work OF ht-
ting the land for the staple crops is
likely TO be much delayed and a full
crop be difficult to get planted. The
alternate freezing and thaWlng
throughout the winter has been very
injurious to both wheat and winter
oats. and we hear OF much complaint
Of fields being ruined. This is not
confined to the South, but appears TO
be very general throughout the whole
country. The result will be that much
extra work will be thrown on both
teams and hands in the effort to make
good the damage done, by the replOw-
ing and planting Of other crops to
take the place of wheat and oats kill
ed. We would advise that too great
haste be not made to ploW up appa-
rently in jured crops, but they be giv-
en- time to recuperate. We have been
both wheat and oats tiller out won
derfully in a week or twos' seasona
bic weather in April. If, after wait
ING. it is seen that the crop is not
likely to be worth saving. then ploW
down and plant to corn or some fod-
der crop I!fere Will be ample time to
10 this after other land has been made
ready for corn. We are anxious to see
a large area OF land got into crop this
year. as we believe it is going to be
worth the while Of ever farmer to
make all the crop possible. The coun-
Try is more prosperous today than ever
before in its history. The E1boring
classes are better employed and at
better wages Both the home and
foreign denand for our products is
oreatet. than ever before. and the
prices higher for all farm staples and
products than for a decade past
Whilst manufactures and other ind us
tries have incyeased in volume more
than 80 per cNnt since 1890, gross
incomes and net profits thereon are
probably larger than ever. and popu-
latiOn has increased over % per cent.
agricultural production shows rela-
lively $40 such increase Cereals. for
the past three wears. show an increase
OF barely 10 per cent. compared with
2 like period ten years ago. The total
number of live stock is barely ) per
cent. greater now. All this goes to
indicate that there is likely to be an
active demand at good prices for
much larger quantities Of farm pro
ducts in the coming year than during
mouths 10 feed and the power of these
10 bay food is likely to be much great
er than ever before. We want the
farmers Of the South especially to be
in a position TO secure their share of
this Increased prosperity by having
not only ample provision for their
own needs. but q. large surplus for
sale The South itself is in q better
position to buy than ever before. The
increase in the price of cotton has put
millions into the hands of Southern
farmers and Southern labOrerS. and
as they have mucn leeWay to make
up. they are likely to be liberal buy
erS. They are going 10 buy more corn
more meat Of al kinds. more vegeta-
bCS and more lruit than ever in the
past. and we want to see our own
people and our own farms supply
these needs. IN the cotton sections
there is every indication that Il larger
cotton crop than ever before is goin2
to be planted. This viii mean that
in other sections more corn ought 10
be planted to supply the needs OF the
| cotton planters. They cannot Ta!Se
| both an enormous cotton crop and a
| large corn crop, and though we may
| regret that they will make the cotton
-tscf i,a IT
we cannot alter the fact. 1t is appa-
rently Southern human nature to do
!! so.
| After the Oat crop has been seeded
| (and we would urge that at this late
! season no great effort should be made
/ TO seed any large area. as it is doubt
ful whether the crop Will be success
| ful, and as at the best it is in the
| South mainly a fodder crop, which
can be supplied by other crops OF
! greater feeding capacity and better
| adapted for production in the South.)
attention should be given to the pre-
| paratiOn of the land for the corn crop
| The best land for the production OF
| corn is Il rich deep sandy IOanl. like
our river bottoms, but any good sounG
| land. we'll filled with decayed vegeta
. bic matter thumuS). will produce ;
good corn crop. \ soil which vii
hold moisture Is essential. as corr
makes rapid and succulent growth
and must have moisture readily avail
able. Humus is the great factor nee
essary to the retention Of moisture il
land. and therefore every effort shoulC
be made to select land rich in humus
| for the corn crop. \ clover or gras:
sod make an excellent preparation
for the crop on high land: failing
this. a cowpea falow is good. Afte7
the selection Of the land. the mex
most important factor is deep an'
thorough preparation before the crol
is planted. Every phenomenallN
great crop of corn Of which we have
any record. has been produced OF
! land deeply broken and finely prepar