Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-11-10
CULTURE OF WINTER CEREALS

I large area OF cotton. a part of the land
may be used TO produce grain and a part
hay. When the owner desires to make
hay. il is hest to mix about 80 pounds of
hairy vetch with to 5 pecks of oats.
This combination when seeded in the open
furrow will produce a hay of exception
ally fine quality, and from 10 IL tons
may frequently be secured from an acre.
There has been much speculation as to
the disposition of the cotton stalks. II
they are allowed TO stand through the
winter they become very brittle and will
shatter readily in the spring II stalk
cutter is run over the land they viii be
broken up so completely and disintegrated
| by the rains that they win not inter-
fere in the least with the harvesting of
either the oat or the hay crop. II Is
easily possible in Georgia to raise 100000
to 100000 600 bushels of oats. This crop
is certainly worth rs cents a bushel, and
il the farmer would give attention to its
cultivation and not direct all his energy
to the production ,of cotton, he would
be Infinitely better off and there would
be no trouble in maintaining a price for
cotton that would justify its cultivation.
Fifty 10 $75OO0.000 may be made from
the cultivation of oats for grain and hay
IN Georgia Every farmer has an OPP
portunity to recoup himself OF part
Of the loss on account Of the low price
of cotton. He has an opportunity to sup
ply himself with an abundance of grain
and rough food on both of which he is
short at the present time. The oats may
also be made to provide pasture for
part of the winter season when dry
roughness becomes scarce and the ami
mails get out OF condition on account OF
not having some green feed TO relax the
system. With an abundance OF roughness
supplied as indicated above. the cotton
seed meal we are now allowing TO go to
the west may be Kept at home and fed
to beef and dairy cattle grazed on our
abundance of waste land and our whole
economic system as II pertains to agri-
cultural practice changed and improved
to the material advantage of the south
ern farmer. This opportunity is before
US. IT is present with us and will be
every day until January 1. 1872. Let us
not neglect the means which KIND
Providence has placed at our disposal for
recouping ourselves for the row price OF
cotton and getting on an independent
basis so that IL viii not be necessary to
depend altogether on cotton next year
as money crop. II is useless to grow
bale of cotton and sell it for $50 and
have 10 put SIS OF this into buying sup
niles from the west which should be
purchased at home.
This article has been written to stress
situation OF the utmost economic Inn
portance. hut is not written in any spirit
| OF criticism or fault-finding. Do not mis-
take the point OF the argument but be
governed by the exigencies Of the situa-
ton and protect yourself as farmer
against further monetary loss through ex-
tending the area OF land you are devoting
70 the cultivation of oats and other WIN
ter cereals In this connection II is only
proper TO say that every bushel OF oats
planted in Georgia should be treated for
smut. The best and simplest method is
to dip the oats in a solution consisting
OF one pound of formalin to 30 gallons
lof water. After the oats have been dip
med they should be spread out so as TO
Thoroughly dry. Before the oats, are dip
ped they should be winnowed to get all
the chaff out and 1t Is often good prac-
tice 10 flood them in water TO skim or
the immature and diseased seeds which
rise to the surface. BY taking a little
time to treat the oas TO 10 per cen OF
the crop may be saved which would otn-
erwise be destroyed, and the spread OF
smut which now causes American farm
ers loss of s2s.cOo.oOo annually held IN
check