The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-06-01
NOT TOO LATE TO PLANT
Director Dodson of State Experiment
Stations Gives List of Crops That
May be Grown This Year on Over
flowed Lands-Farmers Should
Not Despair.

May be Grown This Year on Over
| flowed Lands-Farmers shouls
| Not Despair.
The water will probably not recede
from the flooded territory Throughout
The state until it is rather too late
ITO do a great deal with the standard
! money crops for this year. Some o1
| the sugar cane may survive the flood
but much of it will be destroyed. 1t is
hardly likely that it will be advisable
to plant heavily of cotton While
great quantities of the boil weevil vii
have been destroyed by the water and
4 large per cent Of those alternating
| in the moss and bark of trees will
have died of starvation, there will
still be scme remaining, and late in
the season the territory will be rein
| tested from the hill lands To what
| extent this infestation may damage
| the crop is only a matter of con
lecture, as we have no parallel case
from which inference may be drawn.
Fortunately, however, there are a
number of crops that can be planted
even quite late in the summer and
will make good stock feed and put
the land in excellent condition for
an early beginning OF staple crops
for another year.
Corn.
Mexican June and Laguna corn can
be planted in most portions Of the
state as late as the 25th to the Goth
Of June and make very good corn.
Sorghum.
Sorghuri planted as late as the first
Of August will make a fairly good
crop for feeding purposes or for. syrup
making. Small farmers may utilize sor-
:5hum as a money crop, since they can,
1T small expense, secure a mill and
Grind the sorghum and make syrup.
They will find a ready market at a
fair price.
Sweet Potatoes.
Sweet potatoes can be planted we'll
into July and good crop secured.
They make good feed for all kinds OF
1fve stock, and large yields per acre
ire retun-nad from most of our soils
When grown for stock feed some OF
ne large GROWING varieties like the
Southern Queen should be used.
German MiItet.
German millet is suited tn nearly
all the soils il the overfloWed dis
#rieI and will ana Il g a good hay crs,p
IN ~ seed TIE
seed can generally be dfsnosed OF at
a price that will give a fairly good
return to the producer. While Ger
man millet is an exhaustive crop on
the soil, we are justified in planting
Il in emergencies such as the pres
ent
Cow Peas.
Cow peas can be planted broadcast
or cultivated in rows, and used for
ilay, and on some soils probably a
profitable crop Of seed may be pro-
duced, especially If the New Era va
riety is used.
Peanuts.
Peanuts are well adapted to sandy
soils, and if not desired for market
purposes, can be. grown fairly well in
the moderately stiff soil. The Span
ish variety is best for late planting,
and may be planted as late as the
latter part of June and make a good
crop. With late planting it is advis-
able to plant them thicker than for
sarly planting.
Soy Beans.
Soy beans can be profitably planted
in some sections, but it would not be
advisable to plant them to any large
etent unless it has been previously
determined that the soy bean is suited
to the soil. The Mammoth Yellow
can be planted as late as the first Of
August and make a fairly good crop,
although earlier planting is desirable.
A yield of ten bushels to the acre
would be profitable, since they are
worth from 81 to $3.50 per bushel
and are not an expensive crop to
handle.
In August we. can begin to plant
fall oats and root crops that will
make good feed during the winter.
Rutabagas.
Rutabagas may be planted about
the middle of August unless showers
followed by hot sunshine should de-
stroy the very young plants. They
should be ready for feeding by the
atter part OF November.
Manqel Wurtzeis.
Mangel wurtze1s could also be plant
I'd from the middle OF August to the
middle OF September, and if the
Giant Long Red variety is used, it
will make good feed by the first of