The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-12
1908.

After a period Of comparative idle
ness and restfulness the tiller of the
soil renews with hopefulness the cul-
ture of his fields. The old year is be
hind him with its successes or failures,
as the case may have been
If success has rewarded his efforts
in the past year he enters upon the
work Of the new year with the cheer
full determination to make it equal or
perhaps surpass the results of the last
one.
On the other hand, If through storm
or drought or accident or bad judg-
ment, his fruits have fallen below, far
below perchance. the measure of his
expectation in the spring time of his
hopeful toll he still enters the contest
with more or less bright anticipation
that nature will respond more gener-
ously to his demands and needs the
coming year than in the one just pass
ed. 1t certainly is a wise arrangement
of Providence that hope should spring
eternal in the human breast and that
the farmer is to be pitied who has not
sweeten his toll and quicken his en-
ergy in the laborious contest with the
thorns and briars that has been prom
ised to every son of Adam who seeks
a livelihood from the culture of the
soil.
The faremer who enters upon the
new year of toll dispirited and dis
trustful is like a wind-broken steed
starting upon a ten-mile race; he may
run a mile OF two but will very like
ly fly the track or drop down before
the goal is reached.
There are doubtless some farmers of
this kind, but fortunately I believe
not many. AS a class they toe the
mark every new year cheerfully and
hopefully and probably If the truth be
known for one that is lacking in hope
there are six that are unreasonably
hopeful. Let it be so. The energetic
farmer is almost invariably the most
hopeful; the lazy one the least so.
An energetic man, farmer or what
net. has a legitimate right to be hope
full. very hopeful, but good judgment
VIII guard him from unreasonable eX-
pectations.
The farmer who views with satisfac-
ton a period of rainy weather, sea-
sonable or unreasonable, as an excuse
or opportunity for ideness, is not one
who has a legitimate right to hopeful
ness. and the farmer who expects to
harvest a bale of cotton from an acre
of medium land without manuring it
literally is one that might be charac-
terized as unreasonably hopeful.
This word, manuring, reminds me
now of what l started out to say.
just to the extent that the weather
will admit manuring the land should
be pushed this month.
January usually affords our severest
weather ard gives us plenty of rain.
Advantage should be taken of the
first suitable weather, and land near
est to the lot or compost yard that is
in greatest need of stable manure or
lot scrapings should be furrowed and
the manure hauled out and applied in
the burrows.
Even while the surface is frozen one
can continue to apply it, II there is
no other work more important than
this land in all probability there is
noD. 1t is better to dispose of the
stable manure first and then begin on
the commercial compounds AS the
soil may be in blowing condition the
manuring may be listed upon with a
turn shovel. If the rows are horizon
tai and not liable TO washing there
viii be no perceptible loss OF the fer
tilizing elements even II left uncovered
for month or two The small guam
tity of these leached out in that time
Will be retained in the surface soil.
Commercial fertilizers are the more
effectual on the first years crop from
having been applied two or three
months in advance of planting
Stubble land when the stubble Is not
too rank, and especially when the SOL
is sandy can be thus manfred and
bedded out to advantage without
flushing.