Thursday, October 4, 1906.
PROGRESSIVE FARMER AND COTTON PLANT.
SUGGESTIONS FOR OCTOBER FARM WORK.
For many reasons there should be no busier
roonth with the farmer than October. The plan
ning of crops for-next year and the gathering of
those grown this year now demand attention.
Crop Rotation.
With the exercise of much care and great skill,
successful farming from a financial standpoint
at least may be done without a systematic crop
rotation, but for the average farmer it is much
safer to plan a rotation, of crops, for each field and
follow it faithfully. Iff such a rotation has not
i
been planned, this month will be a good time to
arrange it before the sowing of the fall crops. At
least the planning of crops for next year must re
ceive attention before the seeding of wheat and
other grains begins. .
Saving Forage.
The excessive rains during the summer pre
vented the saving of much fodder, but caused a
heavy growth of grasses, and these, if cut at the
right time and properly cured, will provide suf
ficient forage, and at a smaller cost than pulling
fodder. Crab grass especially makes a hay of
fine quality and is abundant this year. For best
hay do not let the grass get over-ripe nor lie in
the sun after being cut until it dries up. Rake up
and put in cocks soon after it is well wilted and
allow it to cure in the cock. In making the cocks
do not slight them, but make them so they will
turn water in case it should rain before the hay is
sufficiently cured to stack or put in the barn.
Other work may be pressing, but do not neglect
the hay crop.
Pea vines intended for hay should not be allow
ed to get 'over-ripe before cutting. When over
ripe there is considerable loss in shedding leaves,
also in the peas shelling out. The same is true of
soy beans. For cattle and sheep we make no bet
ter hay than that made from vea vines and soy
beans properly cut and cured. Fed in moderation
and mixed with other forage, they are also fine
for horses, especially "for young stock and work
horses.
Persons who have had considerable experience
in making soy bean hay advise cutting the vines
and putting in cocks as soon as wilted, allowing
jhem to remain until they heat up pretty well;
then scatter until cooled out and recock. The
heating, they claim, makes them more palatable
and softens 'the stalks.
Selecting Seed Corn.
If your corn is still standing in the field do not
neglect to select corn for seed at gathering time.
A good plan is to cut the stalk above and below
the select seed ears and throw these in a pile with
the other corn. These selected ears can then be
told from the others by their being attached to
the stalk and can be separated when the corn is
put into the crib or barn. Too much importance
cannot be attached to ,the selection of seed corn
in the field. Select only from stalks bearing two
or more well-developed ears. The stalks should
not be too high nor the ears placed too high up on
the stalks. By selecting in this way we may hope
soon to have corn that will reproduce its produc
tive qualities.
Gathering the Crops.
All crops should be looked after and gathered
as soon as ripe or in a suitable condition to gath
er. Cotton, especially, should -be picked as fast
as open. To allow it to remain unpicked is to take
chances of having it rained on, or blown out by
the winds, and its market value lessened. It is
not necessary to have it ginned as fast as picked,
but be sure to have the fields picked over as often
as possible so as to get the cotton under cover.
Those who have tried it claim that cotton will
improve if left in bulk several weeks or months
This department, conducted by our Secretary-Treasurer,
Mr. T. B. Parker, and Agricultural Editor Butler, will here
after be a permanent feature of The Progressive Farmer, an
article In our last number of each month giving "Sugges
tions" for the month following.
before being ginned. They claim the lint is both
better and heavier and that the yield is greater
from the fact the gins will take the lint from the
seed cleaner. It might be worth while to make
some accurate experiments along this line and
see exactly what is to be gained or lost by allow
ing seed cotton .to remain in bulk for quite a
while before being ginned as compared with cot
ton ginned as soon as picked.' However, we cau
tion those who contemplate trying the experiment
to be sure the seed cotton is dry before putting it
in bulk; otherwise it might injure.
Sowing Small Grain.
In The Progressive Farmer's territory, October
is the principal month to sow small grain wheat,
oats, and rye. The acreage in these crops should
be increased, but to be profitable, thorough prepa
ration of the land as given in the several articles
in last week's issue is imperative. A re-reading
of those articles will be helpful to those contem
plating sowing small grain. Be sure and sow only
the best and cleanest seed obtainable. ''Whatso
ever ye sow, that also shall you reap," applies to
a great many things. Sow cockle and you will
reap cockle, which has no market value whatever,
but is a nuisance and robber in a wheat field. It
will pay to have all grain recleansed before sow
ing. In sowing small grain be sure to use enough
seed. There is a great loss each year in these
crops on account of failing to use a proper
amount of seed. Experiments have proved that it
is impossible to get a maximum crop of wheat
with only three pecks of. seed to the acre, as is
now used by many farmers. Under no circum
stances do we think there should be less than a
bushel of wheat sown to the acre, and more often
there should be as much as a bushel and a half.
Of oats, two bushels should be the minimum; and
never less than a bushel of rye to the acre.
Prepare for Next Year's Crops.
Land intended to be put in corn next year
should be sown in rye at once (a mixture of rye
and crimson clover will be better if it can be put
in by the middle of the month) unless it has al
ready been seeded to some cover crop. By adding
vetch to the rye the crop to be turned under for
corn will be Improved. A bushel of rye, eight to
ten pounds crimson, clover or twenty pounds vetch
to the acre, put in now and turned under next
spring, will add several bushels of corn to the
crop. This mixture will give a cover crop to the
land through winter, prevent the loss of much fer
tility, and add humus to the soil. It will be well
to sow a. similar mixture on land intended for cot
ton next year. If the land is now in cotton, each
day after picking sow the rye, etc.. and harrow
or cultivate in immediately so as to prevent
knocking out the open cotton. Many of the best
and most successful farmers of the State practice
sowing to rye all the land intended for tobacco
the following year, sowing at the rate of one
bushel per acre and turning next spring as soon
as it commences to run up. They advise turning
before too old or before it is more than a few
inches high. As a rule our lands need more vege-
i
table matter and this is an economical way to sup
ply the . deficiency. In addition to serving as a
cover crop, this mixture will furnish ' excellent
grazing for stock in late winter and early spring
when a bite of something green is so much en
joyed by them, and the increased flow of milk
and yield of butter is welcomed by the housewife'.
Sow Turnips.
If not already attended to, do not longer delay
sowing turnips. Sow a good-sized patch, enough
for "man and beast." Sow on well prepared rich
land at the rate of one pound of seed per acre.
Procure a catalog from some reliable seedsman
(you will find their ads in The Progressive Far
mer) and select such kinds as will give a succes
sion. In the absence of such a catalog, the follow
ing is a fairly good list: Early Strap Leaf for
early, use; Norfolk Globe for early winter (and if
takten up and banked or put in a cellar at the
proper, time this will furnish turnips throughout
the winter months) ; and Southern Prize or Seveu
Top for spring greens.
The Farm Garden.
The kitchen garden will also require attention
this month. Put out onion sets if they have not
already been planted. Prepare for setting out a
few strawberry plants. In getting strawberry
plants select at least, four varieties so as to j cover
the season from the earliest to the latest. There
are few things that people relish more in spring
than nice ripe strawberries. Now is the time to
sow cabbage seed for winter setting. These will
produce heads early in May. Jersey Wakefield are
best for this purpose. It is not too late . to sow
lettuce to be transplanted later into cold frames
for winter heading. Winter lettuce is a luxury
that but few of us enjoy, yet is within the reach
of every gardener.
The farmer who wants a table well supplied
with'vegetables, a real home instead of merely an
abiding place, can find much to do in his garden
in October that will add very much to the pleas
ures of life in the country next spring.
Prepare for Winter Care of Live Stock.
During October must begin the special care
which live stock requires during the winter sea
son. The dry short pastures which are almost cer
tain to come in late fall and the cold rains of
early winter have much to do with the poor, weak
ened condition' of so many animals in the spring.
A little extra care and feed in the late fall will
save much trouble later. This is especially so
with the young colts and calves. The dry, indi
gestible, frost-killed grasses, even though abund
ant, are not sufficient to maintain these animals in
good vigorous condition. Every winter a large
number of calves die from starvation, pure and
simple. Good feed may be given when too late,
but the lack of suitable feed during the fall has
deranged their digestionj and the feed given later
is of no value to them.
In addition to the long forage already referred
to, which every farmer should save, it will also
pay to save more of the cotton seed for winter
feeding. If the manure be properly, saved, it will
be worth nearly as much as the seed will bring
on the market and the feeding value is worth
something. If the animal is kept for beef or pork
it will not pay to allow it to lose flesh. The beei
animal (that is, the animal of the cow kind kept
for its growth to be sold by weight), which loses
weight is living on beef and feed is always cheap
er than beef, or we ought not to grow beef. But
how many young cattle come out in the spring ab
heavy as when they went into winter quarters?
This is the month then to save out enough cotton
seed to help supply the necessities of the cattle
during the winter.
It is not too early to begin thinking about a
good shelter for the farm stock this winter. We
do not need expensive, closely built houses, but
we doi need protection from cold wind and rain.
More cattle die from exposure In North Carolina
than in Minnesota, and the fact is no credit to us.
'Possum Time.
Oh, dip some taters down in grease
En fling de dog a tater apiece,,
Ram yo' brogans clean er tacks
Split de splinters en fetch de ax. t
Hit's 'possum time again!
Catfish tender, catfish tough, .
We's done et catfish long enough.
We's tard er peas en white side meat,
En we's gwine have supp'n' 'at's good to eat.
Hit's 'possum time again!
De pot's gwine simmer en blubber en bile
Till hit gits scummed over wid 'possum ile.
Hit'll look jis' 's juicy as' tar-soapsuds. Y
Whoop, come along, coon! we's off to de woods.
Hit's 'possum time again! f
John Charles McNeill.'