The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-11-18
WHEAT, OATS, RYE
FARMERS ADVISED TO CONCEN.
TRATE on THESE CROPS.

FARMERS ADVISED TO CONCEN-
TRATE ON THESE CROPS.
". w. Long, State Director Of Agri-
cultural Extension a Work. Gives
Good Advice for Replacing Cotton.
Thousands of cotton producers are
face to face with the problem of hav-
ing to plant something in the place OF
cotton with chance of selling the
new crop at a profit or using it at
home to advantage.
About September /, when it be-
came apparent that the war in Eu-
rope was to be of some duration, w.
w. Long, State agent and director of
extension in South Carolina for the
United States department of agricul-
ture in cooperation with Clemson
college, undertook to centre the at
tention of the farmers of the Pal
metto State on the growing Of grain
and other crops in place Of cotton
This campaign of education in diver
sifcation is still being carried on by
Mr.. Long and his farm demonstrators.
His office has distributed nearly 300,-
900 circulars in South Carolina, CIV
ing detailed directions about the
planting and cultivation of grain
crops.
Mr.. Long has advised South Caro-
lima cotton producers to concentrate
this winter on oats and wheat. The
former grain can be produced to ex-
cellent advantage in the Piedmont as
well as in the coastal plain. The lat
ter grain is better adapted to the
Piedmont section Of the State than
to the coastal regions. Rye. is an
other small grain that many farmers
in South Carolina will plant this
winter
Oats are sown in this State from
August to March, but the fall sowl
crop yields better than that of mid
winter and spring. The crop may be
harvested for grain or cut for hay
Oats planted in the fall are ready fol
harvesting in May or June. This
grain may be sown in cotton by using
a one-horse drill just behind the cot,
ton pickers, this being one Of the
most satisfactory and least expensive
methods of seeding. The cotton
stalks can be cut down later in the
winter, so that they will not interfere
with the reaper and binder in har.
vest time. Mr.. Long thinks thai
where oats follow corn or hay crop
such as cow peas or sorghum, the
land should be plowed and the oats
drilled in, though the seeds may be
sown and disked in Oats planted
with drill are not SO likely to be
killed in winter as those sown, broad
cast.
| Mr.. Long has recommended the
Fulghum and Appler varieties of oat:
| for seeding. One and one-half bush
els of seed to the acre are general!
planted and give good results, al
though more or less may be used. A:
a rule, the richer the land the lighter
the oats should be seeded. Less seet
are required when a drill is used
Soil that is too rich or too mucf
nitrogenous fertilizer may cause oat:
to lodge. For fertilizer in the south
eastern cotton States, from 200 tt
500 pounds of a mixture of equa
parts of cotton seed meal and aci(
phosphate may be applied with ad
| vantage to each acre Of oats wheI
planted, followed in March by Cl
dressing of 100 pounds of nitrate o
soda. Mr.. Long has warned Soutf
Carolina farmers who are going tt
plant oats on a large scale that grea
care should be used in harvesting tn
crop, as any discoloration will lowe.
the grade of the grain.
Oats can be produced in every type
of soil found in the State, but whea
has. a decided preference for heav!
loans and clay soils. Speaking gen
orally, yields of wheat are mucf
larger in the hilly and mountainou
sections.
Accordingly Mr.. Long has recon-
mended that wheat as market crol
be attempted only in the Piedmon
and that farmers in the coastal plai1
plant just enough for home consump
tion.
Wheat lands should be plowed
thoroughly fitted and pulverized will
harrows and rollers, so that the seec
bed will be firm with a thin layer o
loose soil at the surface. A drill i:
the best implement for seeding wheat
but it may be sown broadcast anc
disked in. Five or six pecks of whea
should be used to seed an acre. No
yember is a good time to sow wheat
It may be sown later with good re
suits. Bluestem, Purple Straw, Rec
May, Filtz and Fulcaster are the va
rieties recommended to farmers il
| the southeast In this section whea
should be fertilized with mixture
of 500 pounds to the acre of equa
parts of cotton seed meal and aciC
phosphate, followed in March by {
top dressing with 100 to $50 pound:
| Of nitrate of soda The average yielc
of wheat an acre in the United States
is IA bushels. The average in the
Southeastern cotton states falls below
the average for the country, but 3
yield of 200 bushels to the acre in the
southeast is not unusual.
With wheat selling at war prices
there is chance for making it g
money crop in the Piedmont sections
of the southeastern cotton states
| Figures in. the South Carolina de.
partment of agriculture show that
100000 worth Of flour was i'm
ported into the State in 1913. II
the cotton planters succeed in rails
ing only enough wheat to supply the
home demand in 1915 it will be a
large ACCOMPLISHMENT.