Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-03-22

cording to the records during the last
SIXTY years, when one year had lOG
inches and 80 of hat was in January.
and often the pre- cipitation is as low ms
AZ inches, but the lowest in sixty.two
years was AZ inches. The rains com.
mence about the first of October, but
are very light and end up in MAY bv
growing lighter through April and the
irst of May, and the heaviest falls in
December, January and February.
Our planting season also begins with
the beginning of The rains, and harvest
comes during the dry period. We com
mence blowing about the first of Sep
TENDER and try to be ready to BEGIN
planting the first of November. though
II we cant plant until February we
ieel safe for a cotton crop. This year
! have planted some every month since
October, ard shall also try planting in
February and March. You NAV think
The, ground would be too hard TO blow
II we begin before the first rains, but
1t is not, because there have been no
rams since the last civilizations, and it
IS usually very soft and easy to plow,
much of it being prepared with a disc
harrow alone, By having two months
Tor preparation. and all this time open
weather, II man and a team can pre-
pare a large acreage. | am going to
plant five hundred acres for an English
man next year. and we are going TO
give to each man thirty acres to pre-
pare, plant and cultivate.
The preparing of the land is done
with oxen, because good, heavy mules
are very scarce and oxen are cheap and
cost nothing for feed while at work. for
tney are turned out on pastures at
nignt and, are not fed a bite besides. J
Alter the land is ready for the planter,
the oxen are turned on the pastures and
are no expense nor trouble the rest of
the year and are as salable as good OK.
en- are in Mississippi.
The ]pOrOusness of the land makes il
possible to 20 out almost Immediately
after a rain and resume work and moi
be IN the mud either. | think ! shall
nothing else except the one-horse
3prlng-tooth cuIJivator on the Gee Whiz
.ype Tor ~cuItivaLlng the crop. for the ;
ana ID as loose as your best N0Xubee
)ottom lands. This land was in corn {
year and the cultivation was very I
)ad and 1t averaged 63.3 bushels Of
.nelled lint corn per acre on over 800 I
-cres. ! saw corn there last week that !
never had but ore cultivation and ,
hen only one turrOw to the row. and n
n many places | counted an average of !
0,0OO plants per acre or one every nine o
lches IN three and a half foot rows.
and keep IN mind that this is not bot u
ON land but hill land. | am confident &
nat If this land was well prepared o
ne corn planted ten inches apart, with y
stalks to the hill, instead of from y
our TO ten in one bill, as it is plantedI
ere and well cultivated, that these -,
'nds would make just as easily eight,
one hundred bushels as they do SIX
l.flye to se%venty-fye.
These lands were at one time entirely
with au l1ua-lsg Thickness UI
mt limestone, but it mas disinte.
rated and passed off and into the soil =
some large ranges that stand
from 100 20 @0O feet high, and where ,
lese lime rocks are standing about J.
)u may be sure Y0J are standing upor Al
- - '-f' P. H'.H- i' III tue country HN
| shall De dt-arpcjrtrd if ] don't get Is
bale Oh cotton per acre Off the 500 d
res ! plant, ard really it should beai 81
The second year we intend to in
ease our anrgag" TO 1000 or perhaps ~
wv acres; the over has about 10. OOC ~
res OF this quality Of land, beside h
900 aces If thinner land on tn, or
me farm. IN
You would like to know something as p
cotton prices in this country. Well. la.
IS always, even in normal times, from in.
e to cI2h, cents higher here than in tn
2" York, becau g his country has no I'M
ehange and Eas nothing to say AS re.
rds the fixing OF prices, and to New F,
'rk prices must be added ocean Is
ocean insurance and commits. 20
but AS freight rates are so high -
it puts price, almost twice what IKE
~ are in New YORK. At present il or
in Rio De Janeiro AT about 81 and
and this is very poor and dirt, =.
ton; seed are selling for around 500 StI
$50 per ton, so you sec that a bale of hor
ton will bring about S275, The cost to y