The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-04-30
FARM WORK FOR NAY

who planted very early Will nave TO
plant over, as the cold wet weather
has rotted the seed before germina
ton could be effected. 1t will pay to
plow up and plant over if the crop
has been seriously hurt, or is very
irregular.
The heavy rains have run the soil
together so badly that the surface
will be hard and crusty, and it would
be d saving of time and labor to, at
least, u up and down the corn
rows with a single horse cultivator
to ',freshen up" the land.
Next, the cotton must be planted.
The past few days of bad weather
were worse on any cotton that may
have come up than on ORR The
land should be in good condition for
the cotton. Do not allow the late
season to induce you to slight Jour
work. Labor expended now in
good preparation will be paid for
with interest in the fall. This is the
money crop and we cannot afford to
slight it. Remember that it is no
more trouble to hoe and pillow an
acre of land that will make a bale of
cotton than it is to work one max
ing less from lack of preparation and
fertilizers.
Lay off your patches and pillow
them thoroughly, as it pays to break
the land early and deep for potatoes,
watermelOns, peas, peanuts, sOr-
ghum, and many others that could
be mentioned.
The watermelon for early purposes
should be planted, and if need be,
protected in the cold spells that
may follow.
Sweet potatoes should be set out
as early as slips can be drawn. The
land should be bedded up from two
weeks to one month before the slips
are set to allow the beds to settle.
Then before the slips are set out, the
rows can be run over with a small
harrow, or a small tooth d cultiva-
tor to furnish a fresh surface in
which to set out the slips. When
land is bedded just before the setting
out is done, it is liable to dry out.
When the beds are settled the mOis.
ture comes up and starts the slips
to growing at once. The surface
cultivation is also useful in killing
the young grass and weeds that have
started. The moisture is very essen
tial to start the young plants off and
should be furnished, if not already
in the soil in abundance. One pint
of water to each plant will not cost
much to add, and may cause the
plant to take root and start its
growth a week earlier than if set out
in dry soil. Another caution is to
pinch off most of the leaves and put
the plant in deep, simply leaving out
the bud and leaf stems.
Sow during this month sorghum
for the stock, as it is one of the best
soiling crops. If you have pasture
in abundance then the soi1ing crops
are not so necessary. Break land
deep with two-hOrse pillow and pull
verize with harrow. Lay of the
rows about three feet apart and
SOW about 1 gallon of seed per acre
Work as you would corn. Cut when
waist high. Never cut while
dew is on the crop. The second
cutting can be fed to your cattle
with safety if cut and wilted and
not ted in too great quantities.
If turned in the field, especially
when the dew is on, the cattle are
liable to be bl1ated.
Peanuts should be planted by the
middle Of May. If on sandy land
(and that is the best) lime the soil
broadcast before breaking. Put on
from 500 to 1000 pounds of air
Stacked lime, or more if land plaster
or burnt shells are used. If the land
is thin use about 300 pounds OF a
complete fertilizer in the drill.
Plant in rows four feet apart and
about two feet in the drill.
In your great hurry with your
field crops do not forget to work
shat garden that your wife thinks
50 much Of. The family is not only
largely fed from the garden, but the
vegetables r 81 necessary in the
spring after the heating food of
winter. The Doctors bills saved
viii far outweigh the cost and trou,