The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-18
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO HOUSE
WIFE AND GARDENER.

February WOrk-Grain Wcevils.
Ways of saving MiNture-Deepen-
ing the soil Humus-Is the Climate
Chnnging:-The Berkshire Hog.
The Problem of CuItivntiOn-POtn-
10 Scab.
This is a busy month for the farmer
and gardener of the South. With the
farmer it is mostly the work of blowing
and preparing the soil for paintings later
on. But the gardener or trucker has not
only work of preparing going on. but he
is also planting various crops and cult
waiting a number that were started in the
fall
The Florida trucker is already engaged
in marketing some of his crops while
preparing to put in the ground those of
a more tender character to succeed the
harder ones that have made their
growth during the winter
The season has certainly been4extreme-
ly favorable to the efforts of the trucker.
Even in Middle Georgia latitude $3.50,
there has been no weather cold enough
to interfere with the growth of the hardy
crops such as onions, spinach, cabbage,
peas, beets, turnips. lettuce. These crops
started in November and later have not
been subjected to any cold sufficient to
injure them in the least If no belated cold
wave occurs between now and the mid
die of next month the product of the
garden will be exceptionally early and
abundant This is a great blessing to the
average farmer and householder. For
at least eight months in the year the
ia living
and good one, too, from the garden.
We quite well aware that there are
a great many small farmers who have not
the spirit and energy to secure the ben
efits of steadily condu ted garden.
These are poor and shIftless and will
probably remain so all their lives.
February is a busy month for paintings
of such crops as Irish potatoes, cabbages,
turnips, English peas and such other
hardy crops that for some reason have
not been planted earlier. Above the lati-
tude of Savannah many of these hardy
and half-hardy crops are just being start
ed 1t is too early to plant beans or to-
matoes, or cuc umbers ard like tsn1er
vegetables in tbs section, but it is the
month for planting that most valuable
crop, the Irish potato Not so valuable
as our royal sweet potato. to be sure, but,
considering the ease with which it may
be grown as a spring and as a fan crop,
a crop greatly to be valued by the South
ern farmer.
Any land that will make bale of cot
ton to the acre should produce 800 BUSH
els of Irish potatoes, but say it is only
200 bushels Properly grown and shipped
there is money in this corp.
For home use we have found that no
two kinds give better satisfaction in this
section than the Triumph and the Good
rich
The seed is very important feature in
making q satisfactory crop. In this day
of scab and blight one cannot be too par
ticular in the choice of such potatoes.
Chose those of good size and smooth,
and reject all that are affected with scab.
Cut to two eyes and plant fifteen inches
apart in the row. having the rows at
least two and half feet apart. Last
year the potato beetle appeared in Mid
die Georgia for the first time in number
to be really damaging. We will proba-
bly, have to fight it intellgent'y from now
N. We will have to anticipate the blight
also and be 10 prepared with Bordeaux
mixture to combat the disease.
Apropos to the subject of potatoes we
would be glad to have a brief note from
some of our readers as to the extent of
blight and beetle. in their own localities
last season. We have some suggestions
to make them that they will probably
value