The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-03-11
THE Southern planter.l


The weather since We wrote the ar
ticle On Work for the Month re-. the Feb Il
ruary issue has been Of such i character
throughout nearly the whole OF thr
South that We might safely content our
selves this month by saying refer 10 the
February issue and carry out the aty!rc
there given during the present month 4
There has not, believe, been a dly
since We wrote that article when a farmer
anywhere in the South could have done
any Of the work in the land which ve
then advised TO tie done in February 4
From every section, yea. even from the
Tidewater section of this State ard
North Carolina. We have the same re
ports. 'nard freezing weather and snow. = +
This is an abnormal condition OF anairs /
III the South, and is bound to cause much I
Inconvenience and loss to farmers Work /
is going to be crowded into two months /
that ought to have occupied four. and
however genial the spring may be when
it opens up, there is going To be more
work to do than there is time TO do il iii,
If anything like the average area CT crop
is to ne planted. Another serious Ques-
tion is also going to confront farmers.
From almost every section we have COM
plaint of the destruction of the wheat
and winter oat crops. Much Of these
were sowed late and in very dry ground
and hence failed to germinatc before the
winter set in or at best just only made
a start. The snow did not fall in suffi-
| cient quantity to cover the land until we
had had much hard frost, and hence We
are afraid hat very large areas will be
! found killed This will impose on the
| farmer the cultivation of these addition
al areas Of land which We thought he had
/ got out of the way until harvest and
| this when time presses is going to seri-
| ously handicap him. We have numerous
| inquiries as to what is best to be done
with these lands-to plow again and re
seed as soon as possible with grain, or TO
/ put them in some other crop later?
| Where the wheat and oats Killed
/ doubtless the grass and clover is killed
! also. We are inclined to advise that no
| attempt should be made to re-seed grain
! largely, but that if during this month
! the weather moderates early enough that
| a part only Of these lands be re-seeded
1 with rust-pToof oats, and the residue
/ later be put into forage crops. such as
| peas, soy beans, sorghum and forage
] corn Where the land was in good fer
/ tlity and in fine physical and mechanical
/ condition when seeded we would advise
the seeding of grass and clover without
/ d &
| after only narrowing the land. thus saw
ing the tine OF blowing and Will be
| likely, if the spring be a genial one, Co
make a good catch. and in that event.
make good meadow or pasture before
| fall. Harrow the seed in and then roll.
/ Grass and clover seeded alone are much
more likely to succeed than if soWn with
a grain crop. If after the seeds have
made a good start the fields be top
dressed with 70 to 100 pounds OF nitrate
| Of soda to the acre this Will materially
/ help them.
For a pasture on good oamy soil SOW
/ q mixture Of tall meadow oat grass, or
| chard grass, meadow fescue, red top, Viz
gina blue grass perennial rye grass and
two quarts of red clover per acre Sow
the grass seeds at the rate Of two and
! one half bushels to the acre. on rich,
bottom land SOW either timothy or Ital-
| ian rye grass, or a mixture Of the two,
with two quarts Of red clover per acre.
For a meadow on good, loamy soil. SOW
| tall meadow oat grass, orchard grass,
perennial rye grass and two quarts Of
| red clover TO the acre. Sow the grass
seeds at the rate of two and one-haf
bushels 20 the acre. On light sandy
| land Hungarian brComc grass Will often
succeed where other grasses fail. john
! son grass tWithstanding the fact that IT
/ is SO severely condemned by some writer's,
on account of its persistency Of growth
! and liability to spread where not wanted,
| is. believe, crop likely to prove
! valuabln IN the South and if we had
! piece Of land which VIC desired TO keep
| in fodder crop permanently We shnuid
/ give il a trial. It is not really grass,
1 but a perennial sorghum, and makes
great yield Of feed when established. II
should be soWn thickly, say at the rate
Of one 10 one and One-nalf bushels to he
/ acre when the stalks will not be 50
/ strong ana coarse. which is one Of the OBJ
/ jections raised it. II should be cut
/ before it comes into bloom, and thus
/ Cbviato any difficulty from the sDreadng
/ Of the seed on land where ii is not want
! cd. Il makes good grazing. and may be
/ killed out by very close grazing ana
/ ploWin5 up the roots afterwards exposing
| 10 frost Hogs are said To be fond ~
the roots, and thus may hcl3 TO suatuc
| it. Sow the sccd this month r tho
/ oats seeded and killed out were only in
| tended for hay this crop may we'll take
! the place. and viii very likely make
heavier yield OF feed before winter than
! the oats would have done.