The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-28
side Crops-UpIand Rice.

Cotton and corn are the great staple
crops of Georgia and her sister cotton
states. The great bulk of her arabic
land is devoted to these two crops
In the aggregate a goodly little area
is devoted to oats, potatoes, wheat,
rye, tobacco, sugar cane, peanuts, but
as a rule these are regarded more as
side crops than staple. To the small
farmer of North Georgia, tobacco, rye
and wheat are more after the order of
staple crops than they are to the farm
ers of South Georgia. This is owing
to the fact that climatic conditions
are more favorable to the one than
the other
Including melons and watermelons
and a half dozen or more of our most
important vegetables a Southern farm
er has almost a score of side crops
that he can use to advantage in max
ing little money between times for
current expenses. These side crops
are worth a great deal to the farmer
Two or three of them might easily
make all the expenses of the farm.
With the acreage now given to oats
this valuable grain can be regarded
-bavely more than a side crop II
should be a staple, and have five times
the acreage that it now has. To re-
alize the best value from it, it should
be regarded more as a hay crop than
for its grain. That is, it should be
cut early, as soon as the dough FORMS
1t should be sold and fed in the sheaf-
the great bulk of the crop.
Besides those already named there
are ever so many more good side crops
of more or less value. There is poul-
try and pigs and bees, very lively
side crops. Some farmers, with the
aid of their wives. make these one
or all of no mean value Two or three
first-class COWS, averaging three gall
Ions of milk, constitute a very valu-
able side crop" According to the
natusal bent of the individual choice
can be made from, as stated, more
than a score of different side crop ma
terials.
There is one side crop that the South
ern farmer has sadly neglected in past
years, and he should atone for it as
much as possible in the future. That
is upland rice Rice the greatest
bread food by all Odds that man
has discovered and made available.
1t is the queen of breadstuffs When
we reflect upon its high quality as
food and its productiveness, we have
cause for wonder that it has not al
ready become one of the most, if not
the most, valued side crop of the
Southern farm
Any good corn or cotton land will
produce good crops of upland rice.
OF course this rice must be sown
in drills and cultivated on land just
suited to it, or properly fertilized and
cultivated, the yield of rough rice on
one acre reached nearly 100 bushels.
Fifty bushels are easily possible on
any good corn land that produces
twenty bushels of corn. The range
of product is from twenty to eighty
bushels, according to the quality OF
the soil
In Middle Georgia, upland rice can
be sown any time from the last OF
March to the middle OF May. 1t is
sown In drills two and one-half to
three and one-haf feet apart. The
soil should be well plowed and harrow
ed and shallow drills laid off, say. al
three feet, the average distance With
wide rows three or four pecks of seed
in the hull will SOW an acre. When
rows are closer, say two and one-halt
feet six pecks of seeds should be
used. The cleaner the land the better
will 1t be, of course. The land should
be made ready in due time and as
soon after a rain as it can be worked
the drills should be opened, the seeds
sown and covered with an inch or Sc
of soil. Then a roller should be rur
along the rows to firm the soil Thu!
managed, the rice will come vi
promptly ahead of any grass or weeds
Prompt. shallow cultivation will in
sure no trouble from spontaneou.
growth
1t win not do at all to allow an,
grass to get start. 1t can be, anC