The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1944-04-13
Heavy Rains Delay
Farm Work In
Holmes County
Summary Of
Crops Progress
Given Today

Heavy rains during the past two
months have delayed farm work through
out the county and it looks now as
though the planting of all farm crops
will be late.
The last two years some cotton was
planted in the delta part Of the county
during the first week of April, none was
planted the same week this year that we
have heard. As n rule, this crop grows
off and does better when planted be-
tween the 18th and goth Of April.
A very small percent of the corn acre
age was planted this year in March and
this is throwing a double strain on
farmers who are accustomed to planting
corn early. Experiment stations through
corn planted before April 18th averages
at least 80 percent more per acre than
when planted a month or six weeks
later.
Field peas has been a good summer
legume crop in the eastern part Of the
county for a number Of years, furnish
IHR peas W Sai a u CdSn CTOD, IuT-
nishing a means of building up soil
nitrogen and serving as a pastruce crop
in the fall. 1t is deplorable this year
that seed Of this valuable plant is so
scarce and high in price. Farmers who
have seed should plant them carefully
so as to get a good stand and good pro-
duction. 1t is not usually done but peas
should be inoculated before planting.
Farmers who follow this practice find
that they produce a much better crop.
The price of soybean seed is high but
not nearly as scare as pea seed. This
crop should be relied on more for hay
this year. Korean lespedeza seed has
been available all the spring and is about
the only variety of lespedeza seed offer
ed Mt a fair price. All other varieties
of seed are scarce and high. Korean
lespedeza clover can be used for graz
ing, as "A hay crop and a seed crop.
Pastures have lone unusually well
this spring and farmers who fertilized
and seeded their acreage in the fall Of
1912 are getting splendid results this
spring. Very slight grazing was avail
able on these pastures last year due to
the dry weather. With the shortage Of
labor, more and more of our acreage
should be put in improved pastures.
lures can be treated with lime, phos-
phate and seeded to grass and ~clovers
at very little cost to the farmer.
Approximately 1000 acres were plant
ed in the fall of 1913 to winter grazing
crops. Most of these were planted to
oats, wheat or rye and wind winter peas,
Austrian winter peas or hairy vetch.
Where this crop was planted in early
September. splendid grazing was avail
able before the winter set in. A few
farmers planted crimson clover with
small grain and found this to be a most
excellent winter grazing crop. An effort
will be made during the summer to make
available u supply of crimson clover seed
for planting in the latter part of August
and September. 1t has been found that
when this croy with small grain is plant
ed in the late summer and early fall.
it is more profitable.
More thar 500 acres of our oat crop
has been destroyed in the delta by back
and flood waters. 1t is hoped that the
Yazoo River levee can be held since its
breaking would mo- only destroy many
more acres of this valuable crop, but
would retard planting to other field
crops much of the area known as Honey
Island.
Heavy rains are causing many of the
victory gardeners trouble in securing n
stand of vegetables. This is one phase
of food production that has been con-
tributing u great deal to the war effort,
and gardeners should not become dis
Outraged. There is plenty of time left
to grow enough vegetables for home use
and some TO spare.
of her ~taXpayers wre are going to