The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-05
Buckwheat Culture.

grown on the Southern farm, is ques-
ton that is often asked by those who
take an interest in Southern agricul-
ture, says C. K. Mcclure in Agricultur-
list.
Replies to this question might be so
varied in their nature that we would be
at loss to know what is really the
reason of its absence on such a large
scale. One. and the most prominent is
that the Southern farmer thinks buck
wheat belongs to a rigorous climate
and will not succeed in a Southern lat
itude. Whereas, the exact reverse is
the case, for it is a crop of all crops
that thrives and does we'll on the
Southern farm. 1 have been growing
1t more or less for twelve years. and
the longer / grow it the better l like
it. 1t can be sown at any time of the
year, and as it quickly natures, sew
eral crops can be made in a season.
1t is eminently adapted for a catch
crop where others fail, and is one of
the best soil renovators in existence.
True the straw of it does not amount
to much for anything but bedding, but
the grain is a valuable feed for all
stock, particularly young stock and
poultry. Those growing crimson clo-
yer will find crop of buckwheat, sown
at the same time, a valuable shade for
the clover when young and very apt
to be burned by the suns rays. And
after it ripenS it can be cut, leaving a
long stubble for the clover's protection.
The grain of the buckwheat can be
used to advantage for feeding.
Parties growing alfalfa find buck
wheat sown at the same time a great
help to make the alfalfa take a better
foothold in the soil. Alfalfa, OF
cI ho tn, he Co "
last of September or October, and the
buckwheat sown at the same time will
with it's roots in the soil protect the
young alfalfa until 1t can take care OF
itself. These and a few more uses to
which it can be applied make it a very
desirable crop to have. But if one
should want a crop of itself, the month
of August is the best time to SOW the
seed
1t does we'll to follow almost any
crop and will succeed on almost any
kind of soil. 1t will grow on the poorest
and thinnest of Southern sands and will
make an excellent crop on all of our
bottom lands. On the shady soils, how
ever, it will require considerable fer
tilizing to give the best results. But
in this it is like all other crops, in that
liberal and judicious fertilizing always
pays best, for / find that the farmer
who does not use fertilizers with free
hand these days never has much of a
crop to show for his work. let it be
buckwheat or anything else. If this
crop is sown for its grain the grade
of fertilizer must be higher than if in
tended for soil improving purposes. A
suitable brand for a full crop should
analyze about per cent. nitrogen, or
10 per cent. phosphoric acid and s per
cent. potash; it should be plowed un-
der in the green or semi-ripe stage.
Five per cent. nitrogen and 8 per cent.
potash with the same phosphoric acid
would do. Four to 600 pounds per acre
ought to give good account of itself
on any of our Southern soils. There
are a great many uses that this crop
can be put to. Not the least valuable
is in the peach orchard by blowing it
under just as the first frost strikes it.
1t is a sure remedy for cut worms in
the soil. Have seen soils so thick with
cut worms that nothing would be al
lowed to grow that they would eat.
With one crop of green buckwheat
turned under in the fall not a single
worm was to be seen next year or for
many years afterward. A few success
i've crops of peas or beans plowed un-
der are great breeders of worms of all
kinds, because their roots and every
part of them are so sweet, making a
perfect nest for the worms, that some
thing is necessary to kill them off. This
can always be successfully accomplish
ed by planting buckwheat in the late
fall and have it on the gound all win
ter as a cover crop. If this is not de-
sirable it can be turned under and oats,
wheat rye or barley sown at the same
time when it will prove an excellent
fertilizer as well as a worm killer.
might also mention its great utility as
a honey maker, but it gives a dark
colored honey, and unless late in the
fall and early in the spring it is not a
success for bees, in that the nectar of
the blossoms is so easily dried up by
our hot Southern sun, so that during
the summer the bees cannot work on it
after early morning or until late in the
afternoon.
These few remarks on this useful crop
will, l trust, stimulate a few more to
try it, when l know they will be
pleased with it.