The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-18
FARM,

In arguing for a more general con-
sfderation of oats as a staple crop
on the Southern farm, the farmer is
always reminded. and very properly,
too that this grain, especially when
sown at the time most appropriate,
TO wit in the fall. and the crop regard
ed more as a hay crop than for its
grain, only that it is always possible
10 give the same land a second crop
to occupy il in the summer and with
almost as good possibilities for the
second crop as if no oats had pre-
ceded it.
OF course, it depends upon the nat
ural quality of the soil, whether this
be true or not, and it depends to some
extent upon what crop is made to fol-
low
oats or any other small grain, if
allowed to mature its seeds, is an ex-
haustive crop of the mineral elements,
especially. 1t is not advisable to fol-
low such a crop with corn or sorghum
crops that are grown for their seeds
and that shade the soil very little
If very fertile naturally, to allow such
a rapid rotation of seed bearing, nom
shading crops at these constitute
There are three crops that are more
or less suited to the purpose of a sec
ond crop after oats-in any section of
the South where the grain can be cut
and taken out of the way by May
u or the first of June. 1t may or
should depend upon the condition of
the soil, whether the crop chosen to
follow oats be peas or cotton or sweet
potatoes. Some of the finest crops of
either that We have ever seen in years
past were those that follow small
grain-the planting being effected by
June S.
While it is true we grow cotton as
much for its seeds as corn or sorghum,
still il does not come into the same
category of exhaustive plants as these
do. II is shading plant, and it is
ameliorating in its effects upon the
soil compared to most seed-producing
plants (other than the leguminosae).
If the cotton stalks and the cotton
seeds produced on the soil were re-
turned to it there would be very little
deterioration in the fertility of cotton
land from year to year. 1t is as lit
tie exhaustive of soil fertility as any
valuable crop grown when the resi-
due is given back to it, especially
1t is a very simple matter the plant
ing of cotton on grain stubble. All
that is needed is to lay off scooter
burrows at the proper distance ON or
feet), drill the seeds evenly along
and thick enough to insure a stand
then bed the land out, then roll the
beds firmly and the thing is done.
There is no need to bed out before
planting. 1t is very desirable to give
heavy rolling to firm the soil. Two
or three shallow cultivatings will east
ly make the crop. Until one has grown
a crop of cotton after oats he is like
ly to be surprised at the rapidity of
its growth in July. The June-plant-
ed will be very little behind that plant
ed the middle of April, when cotton
picking time arrives, granting that
the soil is rich enough or MANFRED
enough to produce a crop.
For extended areas of grain stubble
the more appropriate second crop is
peas; another CROP though grown for
the seeds, is amelorating, and gives
back as much as 1t takes.
AS there is little soil in the South
now that does not need improving, the
main consideration for the great bulk
of the arabic land is the humus crop
needed to improve it. 1t is wise policy
TO give as much of it as possible each
year a humus crop of peas or velvet
beans.
If the oat stubble is bedded out
and the beds we'll rolled in advance
there is no better use for part of this
land than to plant it out in sweet po-
tatoes. If the plants are grouted and
pressed firmly into the yielding soil
the vines will soon cover the land
from sight. At most two cultivatings
will be all the crop can take. Any
good soil equal to a crop of twenty
five bushels of oats will easily yield
zoo bushels of potatoes, following as
a second crop.