The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1908-03-18
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, March Is, 1903.
UNITED STATES DEPART
xENT or AGRICULTURE.

Work-HeIps to Corn and Cotton
| Planters.
The past winter has been 80 wet
that there has been less than usual
opportunity to prepare the land for
this years crop. The rains have con-
tinued 80 late that many fields are
still.very wet. These conditions make
it all the more necessary that the soil
be well prepared before planting. In
the impatience to commence planting
the temptation to plow before the
land is dry enough is very great.
Against this we issue word of warn
ing. There are few more injurious
farm practices. Land plowed wet at
this time is injured for the whole sea-
son. Such land is more than likely
to be cloddy, and clod in the field
is Of little use to plants. Cloddy land
is hard to. work and seldom gives a
good stand. It furnishes a minimum
of food to the plants and is exceed
ingly subject to drouth.
While it is desirable, especially in
the bool-weevil sections, to plant cot
ton as early as possible, yet there is
nothing gained by placing the seed in
the ground before the latter is warm
enough to cause it to germinate and
grow; or before the soil is thoroughly
prepared. This was strongly illus
trated last year in boll-weevil Sec
tions. Where the land was properly
prepared before planting, even though
this preparation caused a delay in
putting the seed into the ground, the
yield was much better than where at
tention was not given to this detail.
A thorough preparation is more than
half the cultivation. Do not plant
either cotton OF corn before the land
is worked into a fine seed bed even if
planting is little late.
Last spring a great amount of
| trouble was experienced in securing
stands, especially of cotton. This
was primarily due to a late, wet
spring; but there were other contrib
uting factors, including poor prepa-
tion of land, improper depth of plant
ing and poor seed. The farmers seem
fairly well aroused to the Importance
of good seed. To be good the seed
must not only be from good variety
but must have been carefully selected
| and 80 cared for that they have strong
vitality. Be sure the seeds planted
have not been damaged from any
cause. Prepare the land thoroughly
and sufficiently in advance of plant
ing so that there is a firm seed bed.
Then avoid one of the most common
causes of loss of stand-that of plant
ing too deep.
With we'll prepared land good cotton
seed, if properly planted, will germi-
nate even in dry spring when cov-
cred to no greater depth than one
fourth inch. Many of the cotton
planting machines on the market are
faulty in that it is almost impossible
to gauge the depth at which the seeds
are placed in the ground. This de-
feet is only increased if the seed bed
| is loose. Further, while the seed
may not actually be covered to a
great depth, many leave them in a
trench with hills Of loose dirt on each
side. The first good rain washes this
dirt into the trench and buries the
seed too deep. This should be avoid
ed. A light roller should always fol-
low the planting so as to press the
ground close to the seed.
1t is best even where it is not ne
cessary to plant upon beds, to place
the seed upon a slight ridge, especial
ly in planting early. This insures
drainage and warmth and consequent
ly good stand. There are more
stands lost in planting cotton by u.s.
ing too much than too little, seed.
When a bushel of seed is used it is
very often a detriment, because the
seeds are so close that when they
germinate they lift the soil in the
whole top of the row. If dry or a
little cool weather follows the soil
Immediately around the young plant
dries out or is chilled by the cool
nights, and the plants die. If this
does not occur the farmer is obliged
to thin the cotton when very young,
while the plants are delicate and are
easily injured. Perfect stands of
cotton have been obtained with four
pounds of seed and if the seed has
been properly selected and preserved