Devoted EXOLUsivELir ro ras i!vr?aDV£iMii?Tr op soora^^^ ag-^vocjlturb, 
VOL. XV. 
AUGUSTA 
GA., AUGUST, 1857. 
NO. 8. 
WIUIilAN S. JONES, 
Peiblishei*. 
DANIEL LEE, M. »., and 
D. REDMOND, Editors. 
See Terms on Last Page. 
plantation dEconoinij anb ^SiswUntttj. 
WORK FOR THE MONTH — AUGUST. 
THE PLANTATION. 
Cotton— your plows, cultivators, and sweeps, 
going briskly among your cotton, to destroy the weeds, 
encourage a large growth, and prevent the failing of the 
forms. Towards the latter part of the month, begin your 
preparations for picking, and as soon as the bolls begin 
to open freely, set the hands at work, gathering. Have 
all seed cotton hauled in wagons from distant fields to 
the gin-house, and do not require your negroes to waste 
their time and strength . in carrying heavy baskets. If 
you wish to weigh the picking of each hand, it can be 
done by the overseer, before it is put into the wagons, or 
each “hand” can mark his basket and have it weighed 
at noon and night, at the gin-house. 
Corn—A\\ early planted corn is already laid by, in 
most sections j but very late fields may yet receive an- 
other careful surface working, laying it by level, mellow, 
and free from weeds. 
Cutting up Corn Stalks for Fodder. — In our last num- 
ber we furnished some objections to the very common 
practice of pulling fodder, and advised the substitution 
of drilled corn, which we have long found to be an ex- 
cellent and economical article, both for “soiling,” (oc 
feeding green,) and winter hay. We will oflfer another 
hint for the consideration of our readers. It is, to cut up 
their corn stalks at the ground, as soon as the ears begin 
to glaze, or get hard; set up in shocks every twenty or 
thirty hills thus cut, and when the whole is perfectly dry, 
haul under cover or carefully stack up ; shuck or strip otf 
the ears at your leisure, and save all the stalks, blades 
and shucks for the winter feeding of stock. This hint is 
especially intended for small planters— those who aim 
only to raise sufficient corn for their own use, and who 
desire to make the most^it, and to save all that is worth 
saving. Our objections .against fodder pulling, (as before 
stated,) are that it is d slow and laborious process, and 
that the yield and weight of the grain is lessened by pre- 
maturely depriving the plant of its leaves. If fodder is 
pulled before the grain h.ecome glazed, vou certaiolv in- 
jure the grain ; and if you do not pull until the ears are 
fulljr ripe, the fodder is nearly worthless. The proper 
plan is to cut up your corn as directed, just when the 
grain is passing from the doughy state to the hard kernel. 
At tiiis period ofits growth, the plant has elaborated suffi- 
cient sap to mature the grain perfectly after it is cut, and 
the surplus starch, gum and saccharine matter which it 
contains will be preserved in the stalk and ieaves, instead 
of being changed to hard and worthless woody fibre, as 
when the plant is allowed to become perfectly dead ripe. 
Another advantage in thus cutting up corn is, that as 
soon as it is hauled off, the ground is ready for the plow, 
and after it has received a good manuring you can pro- 
ceed immediately with the sowing of your winter oats, 
rye, barley, clover, etc., etc. Let those who have scanty 
crops try it, even on a small scale, and they will need no 
urging to continue it hereafter. 
Feeding Corn Stalk Fodder.— \n order to use corn 
with proper economy, every farmer and planter should 
have the “ Little Giant,” or a similar mill, for grind- 
ing both corn and cob. To this should also be added a 
Feed Cutter, suitable for cutting hay, sheaf oats, corn 
shucks, etc,, etc. With this latter imphement, the corn 
stalk fodder, shucks, oats, hay, and other “roughness,^’ 
be finely cut up, and when mixed with a proper 
portion of corn and cob meal, slightly moistened, (with 
an occasional sprinkle of salt,) you have an excellent and 
cheap provender for all kinds of farm stock. Roots, such 
as Turnips, Smet Potatoes, etc., when plenty, may be 
added to the foregoing from time to time, and they will 
be found to give increased relish and improved health to 
your animals. 
Ruta Baga, Red Top, Early Flat Dutch, 
Yellow Aberdeen, Norfolk, Globe, and otlier Turnips, 
should be sown from the 1st to the 25th of this month. 
The ground should be repeatedly plowed very deep, and 
pulverized as fine as possible. A deep, rather light and 
fertile sandy loam is best for this crop, and such soil ought 
to be plowed at least ten or fifteen inches, and thoroughly 
harrov/ed. Sow in drills from two to three feet apart, 
plants standing in the drill from six to twelve inch es. 
