The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-08

the world. / don't know how l came
to adopt it unless it was owing to my
belief that the best things are the SIM
plest thiV<s, the best ways the simplest
ways. Nevertheless this mode of cur
ing is of incalculable value to US. For
it not only cures the hay perfectly
but there is no worry, no element OF
uncertainty as in all other modes.
We cut the pea vines with a mower
drawn by two horses. One machine
well handled will cut nearly ten acres
day. a cutting blade could, of
course, be used for a small acreage.
Right behind our mower follows a
force putting up stack poles. Any ten
foot pole will answer as it has to stand
only short while. The pole set we
nail strip of wood-readily driven
from or any wood that splits easily
about four feet long. placing it about
one foot above the ground, and imme-
diately above another similar strip
nailed cross wise the first. These strips
serve to keep the bottom of the stack
of vines from resting on the ground
and rotting in wet season. Brush will
answer as well or even better though,
1t is not practicable where a great
many stack poles are to be protected.
We put up about 1000 stacks every
fall. We have cured vines without
any rotting at all when no protec-
ton al all was used at the bottom of
the stack.
Well, the stack poles planted we fol-
low right behind the mower and make
stacks of the vines as high as the poles
and about four feet in diameter sloping
and smoothing the stacks at the top
so as TO shed water.
No more attention of thought need
be given the stacks till the vines are
sufficiently cured to be threShed and
oh 81
excellent lot of forage you will have,
too. All cured green and sweet 1t
tastes sweet almost like sugar cane.
The shredding should be done as soon
after the vines are cured as practical
BILE, as the longer the stacks stand
the deeper the weather effects the
vines. Besides bad weather is apt to
come later in the fall and hinder the
shredding.
We have found above mode to work
perfectly even in seasons like 1901, the
wettest ever known here. My neigh
bors who let their vines lay to cure
or even to wilt had them badly dam
aged. We went right ahead reaping
and stacking every hour that the
standing vines were not actually wet
with rain and lost not an armful of
forage.
Having thus to our complete salts
of curing the hay we plant one hun
dred acres of peas annually. The re-
suit is that we have an abundance of
excellent forage to use and much to
sell. Our work animals are the Won
der and admiration of the neighbor-
hood. Though their requiring at least
eight plowings from May to Septem-
Der to keep them perfectly CLAIM.
have calculated that one horse in Civ
ing these eight plowings would have
to travel nearly 5000 miles
The stubble fields from which the
vines are cut are plowed under as soon
as practicable and in October or No
vember plowed again and prepared for
strawberries. When the strawberries
come off the fields are again drilled to
peas. By this rotation our land, the
poorest in the county. it was said when
we started, has become about the best.
The peas fit the soil for any crop but
they seem just the thing to put it in
perfect filth for strawberries. Our
fields are rich in humus, just the con-
dition that the strawberries revels in,
flourishing like the green bay tree.
And through the pea has become the
salvation of our land and of ourselves.